Flatlines

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To come to a point where there is no sign of life or progress, resulting in a uniform and unchanging state
2. To exhibit a complete lack of change or development, remaining steady at a baseline with no upward or downward movement
3. To reach a state where activity or progress halts entirely, maintaining a constant and unvarying level

Etymology: "Flatlines" is the third-person singular present form of "flatline," a verb meaning to stay at a steady baseline with no rise or fall. The verb grew from a medical image: on an electrocardiogram or EEG, a heart or brain that has stopped producing activity traces a continuous straight line across the screen, the sign of death. The word combines "flat," meaning level or without variation, with "line," the trace drawn by the monitor. The noun came first, naming that dead-level trace, and the verb followed from it, so a plot that stays level for a time can now be said to "flatline" just as a heart monitor does.

Synonyms: cease, stop

Antonyms: revive, recover