Definitions for: Oblique


[n] any grammatical case other than the nominative
[adj] indirect in departing from the accepted or proper way; misleading; "used devious means to achieve success"; "gave oblique answers to direct questions"; "oblique political maneuvers"
[adj] slanting or inclined in direction or course or position--neither parallel nor perpendicular nor right-angular; "the oblique rays of the winter sun"; "acute and obtuse angles are oblique angles"; "the axis of an oblique cone is not perpendicular to its base"



Webster (1913) Definition: Ob*lique", a. [F., fr. L. obliquus; ob (see Ob-) +
liquis oblique; cf. licinus bent upward, Gr ? 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, n.

Oblique case (Gram.), any case except the nominative. See
Case, n.

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[deg]. It is not now
practiced. --Wilhelm.

Oblique system of co["o]rdinates (Anal. Geom.), a system in
which the co["o]rdinate axes are oblique to each other.


Ob*lique", n. (Geom.)
An oblique line.


Ob*lique", v. 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.

Synonyms: bias, catacorner, cata-cornered, catercorner, cater-cornered, catty-corner, catty-cornered, crabwise, devious, diagonal, indirect, kitty-corner, kitty-cornered, nonparallel, oblique case, sideways

Antonyms: nominative, nominative case, parallel, perpendicular, subject case

See Also: ablative, ablative case, accusative, accusative case, case, convergent, dative, dative case, divergent, diverging, genitive, genitive case, grammatical case, inclined, objective case, possessive case, vocative, vocative case

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