pure line

noun

, Genetics.

1. a uniform strain of organisms that is relatively pure genetically because of continued inbreeding and artificial selection.

pure line

noun

1. a breed or strain of animals or plants in which certain characters appear in successive generations as a result of inbreeding or self-fertilization

Word History and Origins

Origin of pure line¹

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Overall, the aesthetic ideal practiced and promoted by Eckersberg — to render a volatile world orderly through an art of pure line — seems not to have made full sense to younger artists in his orbit who experienced history, nature and daily life as endangered and transient.

From New York Times

“Everything was pure line,” he says.

From Washington Post

Beyond those benefits, Minneopa has become a key in building a genetically pure line of American bison in Minnesota.

From Washington Times

With re-election bids looming for roughly a third of all senators, the motivations to hold some ideologically pure line are no doubt present.

From Washington Times

My cells are no longer the pure line entities I was raised with; they are ecosystems more complex than Jamaica Bay.

From Literature