Illustrated · 1 min
Line segments connect two points
Line segments run straight between two points (and don't go past those points, called endpoints). They're always straight, just like lines, and they form the shortest path between their endpoints.
Like points, line segments don't have any area. But they do have length (a.k.a. distance) that you can measure using a ruler or some other device.
Line segments are often named using their two endpoints. CA, AD, and BE are all line segments in the picture above (note that CA and AD share a point, but are different segments!).
Just like lines, line segments can have special names or special relationships with other figures.