transversely

Everyday

Transversely means across, lying or moving from side to side, at a right angle to the length of something: "Cut the carrot transversely into rounds." tree →

In the lessons

In science and maths it describes cutting or placing something crosswise, for example a transverse section (cross-section) of a stem in biology, or transverse waves in physics (light and water waves, which wiggle up and down at right angles to the direction they travel). In cooking, slicing across. Phrases: "cut transversely", "placed transversely", "transverse wave".

Examples

• Cut the stem transversely to see the tubes inside. tree →
• The beams were laid transversely across the bridge. tree →
• In a transverse wave, the particles move transversely to the wave's direction. tree →
• Slice the cucumber transversely into circles. tree →
• The engine is mounted transversely in many small cars. tree →
• The scientist cut the bone transversely and looked at it under the microscope. tree →
• The stripes run transversely across the flag. tree →

Note

Formal or technical; simpler: across, crosswise. Opposite: longitudinally (along the length). Adjective: transverse. In maths, "at right angles" means 90 degrees.