Nearby Words
adjective
1.
vertical; straight up and down; upright.
2.
Geometry. meeting a given line or surface at right angles.
3.
maintaining a standing or upright position; standing up.
4.
having a sharp pitch or slope; steep.
5.
(initial capital letter) noting or pertaining to the last style of English Gothic architecture, prevailing from the late 14th through the early 16th century and characterized by the use of predominantly vertical tracery, an overall linear, shallow effect, and fine intricate stonework.
noun
6.
a perpendicular line or plane.
7.
an instrument for indicating the vertical line from any point.
8.
an upright position.
9.
a sharply pitched or precipitously steep mountain face.
10.
EXPANDmoral virtue or uprightness; rectitude.
11.
COLLAPSENautical. either of two lines perpendicular to the keel line, base line, or designed water line of a vessel.
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Perpendicular
has a plethora of syllables.
So is sesquipedalianism. Does it mean:
| (used as a nonsense word by children to express approval or to represent the longest word in English.) |
| given to using long words. |
Origin:
1350–1400; < Latin perpendiculāris vertical, equivalent to perpendicul(um) plumb line (see perpend2, -i-, -cule2) + -āris -ar1; replacing Middle English perpendiculer(e) (adj. and adv.) < Old French perpendiculiere
1350–1400; < Latin perpendiculāris vertical, equivalent to perpendicul(um) plumb line (see perpend2, -i-, -cule2) + -āris -ar1; replacing Middle English perpendiculer(e) (adj. and adv.) < Old French perpendiculiere
Related forms
per·pen·dic·u·lar·i·ty, per·pen·dic·u·lar·ness, noun
per·pen·dic·u·lar·ly, adverb
non·per·pen·dic·u·lar, adjective, noun
non·per·pen·dic·u·lar·ly, adverb
non·per·pen·dic·u·lar·i·ty, noun
EXPAND
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To perpendicular
Example Sentences
- Repeat perpendicular cuts at the other end of the center cut.
- Draw a second line—running "east" to "west"—perpendicular to the first.
- Let me call the direction perpendicular to the ground, the y-direction.
Collins
World English Dictionary
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
perpendicular
c.1391, from O.Fr. perpendiculer, from L. perpendicularis "vertical, as a plumb line," from perpendiculum "plumb line," from perpendere "balance carefully," from per- "thoroughly" + pendere "to weigh, to hang" (see pendant).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
perpendicular  (pûr'pən-dĭk'yə-lər) Pronunciation Key
Adjective Intersecting at or forming a right angle or right angles. Noun A line or plane that is perpendicular to a given line or plane. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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