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Webster 1913 Edition

Oblique

Ob-lique′

,
Adj.
[F., fr. L.
obliquus
;
ob
(see
Ob-
) +
liquis
oblique; cf.
licinus
bent upward, Gr.
λέχριοσ
slanting.]
[Written also
oblike
.]
1.
Not erect or perpendicular; neither parallel to, nor at right angles from, the base; slanting; inclined.
It has a direction
oblique
to that of the former motion.
Cheyne.
2.
Not straightforward; indirect; obscure;
hence,
disingenuous; underhand; perverse; sinister.
The love we bear our friends . . .
Hath in it certain
oblique
ends.
Drayton.
This mode of
oblique
research, when a more direct one is denied, we find to be the only one in our power.
De Quincey.
Then would be closed the restless,
oblique
eye.
That looks for evil, like a treacherous spy.
Wordworth.
3.
Not direct in descent; not following the line of father and son; collateral.
His natural affection in a direct line was strong, in an
oblique
but weak.
Baker.
Oblique angle
,
Oblique ascension
, etc.
See under
Angle
,
Ascension
, etc.
–
Oblique arch
(Arch.)
,
an arch whose jambs are not at right angles with the face, and whose intrados is in consequence askew.
–
Oblique bridge
,
a skew bridge. See under
Bridge
,
Noun.
–
Oblique case
(Gram.)
,
any case except the nominative. See
Case
,
Noun.
–
Oblique circle
(Projection)
,
a circle whose plane is oblique to the axis of the primitive plane.
–
Oblique fire
(Mil.)
,
a fire the direction of which is not perpendicular to the line fired at.
–
Oblique flank
(Fort.)
,
that part of the curtain whence the fire of the opposite bastion may be discovered.
Wilhelm.
–
Oblique leaf
.
(Bot.)
(a)
A leaf twisted or inclined from the normal position.
(b)
A leaf having one half different from the other.
–
Oblique line
(Geom.)
,
a line that, meeting or tending to meet another, makes oblique angles with it.
–
Oblique motion
(Mus.)
,
a kind of motion or progression in which one part ascends or descends, while the other prolongs or repeats the same tone, as in the accompanying example.
–
Oblique muscle
(Anat.)
,
a muscle acting in a direction oblique to the mesial plane of the body, or to the associated muscles; – applied especially to two muscles of the eyeball.
–
Oblique narration
.
See
Oblique speech
.
–
Oblique planes
(Dialing)
,
planes which decline from the zenith, or incline toward the horizon.
–
Oblique sailing
(Naut.)
,
the movement of a ship when she sails upon some rhumb between the four cardinal points, making an oblique angle with the meridian.
–
Oblique speech
(Rhet.)
,
speech which is quoted indirectly, or in a different person from that employed by the original speaker.
–
Oblique sphere
(Astron. & Geog.)
,
the celestial or terrestrial sphere when its axis is oblique to the horizon of the place; or as it appears to an observer at any point on the earth except the poles and the equator.
–
Oblique step
(Mil.)
,
a step in marching, by which the soldier, while advancing, gradually takes ground to the right or left at an angle of about 25°. It is not now practiced.
Wilhelm.
–
Oblique system of coordinates
(Anal. Geom.)
,
a system in which the coordinate axes are oblique to each other.

Ob-lique′

,
Noun.
(Geom.)
An oblique line.

Ob-lique′

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Obliqued
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Obliquing
.]
1.
To deviate from a perpendicular line; to move in an oblique direction.
Projecting his person towards it in a line which
obliqued
from the bottom of his spine.
Sir. W. Scott.
2.
(Mil.)
To march in a direction oblique to the line of the column or platoon; – formerly accomplished by oblique steps, now by direct steps, the men half-facing either to the right or left.

Webster 1828 Edition

Oblique

OBLI'QUE

,

Definition 2024

oblique

oblique

See also: obliqué

English

Adjective

oblique ‎(comparative obliquer, superlative obliquest)

  1. Not erect or perpendicular; neither parallel to, nor at right angles from, the base; slanting; inclined.
    • Cheyne
      It has a direction oblique to that of the former motion.
  2. Not straightforward; indirect; obscure; hence, disingenuous; underhand; perverse; sinister.
    • Drayton
      The love we bear our friends […] Hath in it certain oblique ends.
    • De Quincey
      This mode of oblique research, when a more direct one is denied, we find to be the only one in our power.
    • Wordsworth
      Then would be closed the restless, oblique eye / That looks for evil, like a treacherous spy.
  3. Not direct in descent; not following the line of father and son; collateral.
    • Baker
      His natural affection in a direct line was strong, in an oblique but weak.
  4. (botany) Of leaves, having the base of the blade asymmetrical, with one side lower than the other.
    • Oblique leaf bases of Ulmus americana
  5. (botany) Of branches or roots, growing at an angle that is neither vertical nor horizontal.
    • A. Stokes and D. Guitard Tree Root Response to Mechanical Stress in Altman & Waisel 1997 Biology of Root Formation and Development
      Oblique and sinker roots will normally be under a greater compression stress than lateral roots.
  6. (grammar) Pertaining to the oblique case (non-nominative).
  7. (music) Employing one of the three contrapuntal motions, namely, 1. Parallel, 2. Contrary and 3. Oblique. Parallel,when two parts (voices) move in the same direction; Contrary, when they move opposite; and Oblique, when one part (voice) stays on the same note while the other moves away from or towards it.

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

oblique ‎(plural obliques)

  1. (geometry) An oblique line.
  2. (typography) Synonym of slash ⟨/⟩.
    • 1965, Dmitri A. Borgmann, Language on Vacation, page 240:
      Initial inquiries among professional typists uncover names like slant, slant line, slash, and slash mark. Examination of typing instruction manuals discloses additional names such as diagonal and diagonal mark, and other sources provide the designation oblique.
    • 1990, John McDermott, Punctuation for Now, page 20:
      Other Chaucerian manuscripts had the virgule (or virgil or oblique: /) at the middle of lines.
  3. (grammar) The oblique case.

Synonyms

  • (typography): See slash

Derived terms

Verb

oblique ‎(third-person singular simple present obliques, present participle obliquing, simple past and past participle obliqued)

  1. (intransitive) To deviate from a perpendicular line; to move in an oblique direction.
    • Sir Walter Scott
      Projecting his person towards it in a line which obliqued from the bottom of his spine.
  2. (military) To march in a direction oblique to the line of the column or platoon; — formerly accomplished by oblique steps, now by direct steps, the men half-facing either to the right or left.
  3. (transitive, computing) To slant (text, etc.) at an angle.

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin obliquus.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /obˈlik/, [obˈl̺ikʲ]

Adjective

oblique m, f ‎(plural obliques)

  1. oblique

Verb

oblique

  1. first-person singular present indicative of obliquer
  2. third-person singular present indicative of obliquer
  3. first-person singular present subjunctive of obliquer
  4. third-person singular present subjunctive of obliquer
  5. second-person singular imperative of obliquer

Italian

Adjective

oblique

  1. feminine plural of obliquo

Latin

Adjective

oblīque

  1. vocative masculine singular of oblīquus

References

Etymology

From Middle French oblique, from Latin oblīquus ‎(“slanting, sideways, indirect, envious”)

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /əˈbliːk/
  • IPA(key): /oʊˈbliːk/
  • Rhymes: -iːk
  • Hyphenation: ob‧lique

In the US Military the 'oblique' command is pronounced 'ob LIKE.'

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