perpendicular
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pənˈdɪk 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.
moral virtue or uprightness; rectitude.
00:10
Perpendicular
is always a great word to know.
So is doohickey. Does it mean:
| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
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
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To perpendicular
Collins
World English Dictionary
perpendicular (ˌpɜːpənˈdɪkjʊlə) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | Also: normal at right angles to a horizontal plane |
| 2. | denoting, relating to, or having the style of Gothic architecture used in England during the 14th and 15th centuries, characterized by tracery having vertical lines, a four-centred arch, and fan vaulting |
| 3. | upright; vertical |
| —n | |
| 4. | geometry a line or plane perpendicular to another |
| 5. | any instrument used for indicating the vertical line through a given point |
| 6. | mountaineering a nearly vertical face |
| [C14: from Latin perpendiculāris, from perpendiculum a plumb line, from per- through + pendēre to hang] | |
| perpendicularity | |
| —n | |
| perpen'dicularly | |
| —adv | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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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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Example sentences
The plane of co-orbit for this particular binary system is near perpendicular to the galactic plane.
As will be seen from the photograph, the wall is not perpendicular, but inclines inward at the top.
Ice needs to be low friction in the direction the skate moves and high friction perpendicular to the blade.
The first section is called the forward perpendicular and the aftermost one is called the after perpendicular.
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