All 3 Uses of
linear
in
Change of Heart, by Picoult
- My head was swimming; I hoped it was Shay's nonlinear speech, and not a panic attack coming on.†
nonlinear = not straightstandard prefix: The prefix "non-" in nonlinear means not and reverses the meaning of linear. This is the same pattern you see in words like nonfat, nonfiction, and nonprofit.
- Shay looked at me as if I were the one who couldn't follow a linear conversation.†
*
- Shay was standing at the front of his house now, preaching to his congregation, disconnected from linear thought and everything but his moment of grandstanding.†
Definition:
arranged in a straight line or progressing in a straight, orderly sequence -- often used for shapes, movement, time, or ideas