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Webster 1913 Edition


Skew

Skew

,
adv.
[Cf. D.
scheef
. Dan.
ski[GREEK]v
, Sw.
skef
, Icel.
skeifr
, G.
schief
, also E.
shy
, a. & v. i.]
Awry; obliquely; askew.

Skew

,
Adj.
Turned or twisted to one side; situated obliquely; skewed; – chiefly used in technical phrases.
Skew arch
,
an oblique arch. See under
Oblique
.
Skew back
.
(Civil Engin.)
(a)
The course of masonry, the stone, or the iron plate, having an inclined face, which forms the abutment for the voussoirs of a segmental arch
.
(b)
A plate, cap, or shoe, having an inclined face to receive the nut of a diagonal brace, rod, or the end of an inclined strut, in a truss or frame.
Skew bridge
.
See under
Bridge
,
Noun.
Skew curve
(Geom.)
,
a curve of double curvature, or a twisted curve. See
Plane curve
, under
Curve
.
Skew gearing
, or
Skew bevel gearing
(Mach.)
,
toothed gearing, generally resembling bevel gearing, for connecting two shafts that are neither parallel nor intersecting, and in which the teeth slant across the faces of the gears.
Skew surface
(Geom.)
,
a ruled surface such that in general two successive generating straight lines do not intersect; a warped surface; as, the helicoid is a skew surface.
Skew symmetrical determinant
(Alg.)
,
a determinant in which the elements in each column of the matrix are equal to the elements of the corresponding row of the matrix with the signs changed, as in (1), below.
(1)
0 2 -3
-2 0 5
3 -5 0
(2)
4 -1 7
1 8 -2
-7 2 1
This requires that the numbers in the diagonal from the upper left to lower right corner be zeros. A like determinant in which the numbers in the diagonal are not zeros is a skew determinant, as in (2), above.

Skew

,
Noun.
(Arch.)
A stone at the foot of the slope of a gable, the offset of a buttress, or the like, cut with a sloping surface and with a check to receive the coping stones and retain them in place.

Skew

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Skewed
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Skewing
.]
1.
To walk obliquely; to go sidling; to lie or move obliquely.
Child, you must walk straight, without
skewing
.
L’Estrange.
2.
To start aside; to shy, as a horse.
[Prov. Eng.]
3.
To look obliquely; to squint; hence, to look slightingly or suspiciously.
Beau. & Fl.

Skew

,
Verb.
T.
[See
Skew
,
adv.
]
1.
To shape or form in an oblique way; to cause to take an oblique position.
2.
To throw or hurl obliquely.

Webster 1828 Edition


Skew

SKEW

,
adv.
Awry; obliquely. [See Askew.]

SKEW

,
Verb.
T.
1.
To look obliquely upon; to notice slightly. [Not in use.]
2.
To shape or form in an oblique way. [Not in use.]

SKEW

,
Verb.
I.
To walk obliquely.

Definition 2024


skew

skew

See also: skew-

English

Adjective

skew (not comparable)

  1. (mathematics) Neither perpendicular nor parallel (usually said of two lines).

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

skew (third-person singular simple present skews, present participle skewing, simple past and past participle skewed)

  1. (transitive) To bias or distort in a particular direction.
    A disproportionate number of female subjects in the study group skewed the results.
  2. (transitive) To shape or form in an oblique way; to cause to take an oblique position.
  3. (transitive) To throw or hurl obliquely.
  4. (intransitive) To walk obliquely; to go sidling; to lie or move obliquely.
    • L'Estrange
      Child, you must walk straight, without skewing.
  5. (intransitive) To start aside; to shy, as a horse.
  6. (intransitive) To look obliquely; to squint; hence, to look slightingly or suspiciously.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Beaumont and Fletcher to this entry?)

Translations

Related terms

Noun

skew (plural skews)

  1. A bias or distortion in a particular direction.
    • 1989, Ivan Andonovic, ‎Deepak Uttamchandani, Principles of Modern Optical Systems (volume 1, page 501)
      One application for which an optical filter can play an important role is that of a wideband connection with low time skew.
  2. (architecture) A stone at the foot of the slope of a gable, the offset of a buttress, etc., cut with a sloping surface and with a check to receive the coping stones and retain them in place.

Adverb

skew (comparative more skew, superlative most skew)

  1. Awry; obliquely; askew.