oblique

Everyday

1. Oblique means slanting, not straight up and not flat; at an angle. tree →
2. (maths) An oblique line meets another line at an angle that is not a right angle. tree →
3. Oblique words say something in an indirect way, not plainly. tree →
4. (UK) An oblique is the slash sign /, as in «and/or». tree →
5. Oblique narration (also called reported speech) means telling what someone said in your own words, without repeating their exact words. tree →

In the lessons

In maths and geometry it describes lines and shapes that lean: an oblique line, an oblique prism or cone, an oblique angle (any angle that is not 90 or 180 degrees). In art and maps it describes a slanted view. In stories an oblique remark is a hint rather than a clear statement, so the reader must work out what is meant. Phrases: «at an oblique angle», «an oblique reference».

Examples

• The sun's rays hit the ground at an oblique angle in winter. tree →
• Draw an oblique line from one corner of the square. tree →
• An oblique angle is either acute or obtuse. tree →
• The photo was taken from an oblique view above the town. tree →
• She made an oblique comment about people who are always late. tree →
• His answer was so oblique that nobody understood it. tree →
• The ladder leaned at an oblique angle against the wall. tree →
• Write the date as day oblique month in that box. tree →
• I have given him a name, and changed the narration into the oblique narration, and toned down the dialect. tree →

Note

Pronounced «oh-BLEEK». Opposite of «perpendicular» or «straight». In maths an oblique angle is NOT a right angle; oblique lines are not parallel and not perpendicular. Adverb: obliquely. The slash meaning is mostly British.

In Jewish tradition

In Sefer Yetzirah, it means the diagonal directions or edges of space, such as north-east.

Interpretation. Sefer Yetzirah links twelve simple letters to twelve boundaries of space, which tradition connects to the twelve tribes and the twelve months.

Examples

• The twelve simple consonants ה״ו״ז ח״ט״י ל״נ״ם ע״צ״ק symbolize also twelve oblique points: east height, north east, east depth, south height, south east, south depth, west height, south west, west depth, north height, north west, north depth. (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877) tree →

Note

Pronounced «oh-BLEEK». Opposite of «perpendicular» or «straight». In maths an oblique angle is NOT a right angle; oblique lines are not parallel and not perpendicular. Adverb: obliquely. The slash meaning is mostly British.