dew line: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
lowhistorical, military, technical
Quick answer
What does “dew line” mean?
A radar defence system established across North America during the Cold War.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A radar defence system established across North America during the Cold War.
A line or boundary of early warning detection, historically referring to the Distant Early Warning Line; can metaphorically represent any preliminary defensive or detection boundary.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Primarily used in North American historical contexts due to its geographical location. In the UK, the term is known but less frequent, typically found in historical or military discussions.
Connotations
Connotes Cold War history, geopolitics, and early-warning technology in both varieties. In North America, it may have a slightly more immediate historical resonance.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in contemporary everyday English in both varieties. Higher frequency in American historical texts.
Grammar
How to Use “dew line” in a Sentence
The [Distant Early Warning] Line [was constructed]across [the dew line]stations along the [dew line]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “dew line” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The system was designed to dew-line the northern approach.
- They sought to dew-line the entire coast.
American English
- The military planned to dew-line the Arctic.
- Command wanted to dew-line the frontier.
adverb
British English
- The radar scanned dew-line across the horizon.
American English
- They monitored the airspace dew-line.
adjective
British English
- The dew-line project was monumental.
- He studied dew-line technology.
American English
- Dew-line construction began in the 1950s.
- A dew-line station was reactivated.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not applicable.
Academic
Used in historical, political science, and military studies discussing Cold War defence policy.
Everyday
Virtually never used in everyday conversation.
Technical
Used in historical military and engineering contexts referring to radar and surveillance systems.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “dew line”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “dew line”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “dew line”
- Writing 'due line' instead of 'dew line'.
- Using it as a common noun without understanding its historical proper noun status.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Typically, it is written with initial capitals ('DEW Line' or 'Dew Line') as it is a proper noun referring to a specific system. Lowercase 'dew line' is sometimes used in metaphorical extensions.
The original DEW Line was largely replaced and upgraded to the North Warning System in the late 1980s and 1990s. Some sites are still used or maintained.
Yes, though rarely. It can metaphorically refer to any first line of detection or early warning system in fields like cybersecurity, epidemiology, or finance.
In American English, the acronym 'DEW' is pronounced as a homophone for 'do'. British English sometimes uses the pronunciation /djuː/, closer to the word 'dew', but the acronym pronunciation is standard.
A radar defence system established across North America during the Cold War.
Dew line is usually historical, military, technical in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[metaphor] The first sign of trouble was our dew line.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
DEW Line: Distant Early Warning – like morning dew appears first, this line was the first warning.
Conceptual Metaphor
A FRONTIER OF DETECTION, a SENTINEL LINE.
Practice
Quiz
What does 'DEW' in 'DEW Line' stand for?