slant

Everyday

1. A slant is a line or surface that slopes, not straight up or flat. tree →
2. To slant means to lean or slope. tree →
3. A slant is also a particular way of seeing or telling something, sometimes unfairly, like a story with a slant. tree →

In the lessons

In handwriting lessons letters may slant to the right; in maths slanted lines are diagonal or oblique. In media lessons a news story with a slant favours one side. Phrases: «at a slant», «slanted writing», «a new slant on».

Examples

• Her handwriting slants to the right. tree →
• The rain fell at a slant. tree →
• The roof slants down to the garden. tree →
• Draw a slanted line from corner to corner. tree →
• The sun's rays slanted through the window. tree →
• The article had a slant towards one team. tree →
• He gave the old story a fresh slant. tree →
• So the drakling wriggled through the hole, and began to crawl faster and faster down the slanting shaft that leads to the fire in the middle of the earth. tree →

Note

Regular verb. Similar words: slope, lean, tilt. In maths a slanting line is also called a diagonal or oblique line. Pronounced SLANT (UK often SLAHNT).

In Jewish tradition

An old word that here means swift or slippery, said of a serpent.

Interpretation. Job and Isaiah speak of a great sea serpent, Leviathan, that God defeats. Tradition reads it as the powers of evil, and later teachers say that God will destroy it at the end of days.

Examples

• By His breath the heavens are serene; His hand hath pierced the slant serpent. (Writings JOB.26.13, JPS 1917) tree →
• In that day the LORD with His sore and great and strong sword will punish leviathan the slant serpent, and leviathan the tortuous serpent; and He will slay the dragon that is in the sea. (Prophets ISA.27.1, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Regular verb. Similar words: slope, lean, tilt. In maths a slanting line is also called a diagonal or oblique line. Pronounced SLANT (UK often SLAHNT).