First Known Use: 15th century
Dictionary
1oblique
adjective \ō-ˈblēk, ə-, -ˈblīk; military usually ī\
: not direct : not stated directly
of a line : having a slanting direction or position : neither perpendicular nor parallel
Full Definition of OBLIQUE
1
2
a : not straightforward : indirect; also : obscure b : devious, underhanded
3
: situated at an angle and having one end not inserted on bone <oblique muscles>
4
: taken from an airplane with the camera directed horizontally or diagonally downward <an oblique photograph>
— oblique·ly adverb
— oblique·ness noun
See oblique defined for English-language learners
See oblique defined for kids
ADVERTISEMENT
Examples of OBLIQUE
- Harden … , who missed a month with a strained left oblique muscle, has become one of the game's most intimidating starters in just his second full big league season. —Albert Chen, Sports Illustrated, 8 Aug. 2005
- They were painted in oil paints on old-fashioned canvas. But the manner of their portrayal was oblique and enigmatic, with an element of hide-and-seek in which hiding most often won out over seeking. —John Russell, New York Times Magazine, 11 Nov. 1990
- The driveway met the street at an oblique angle, and a jutting corner of the customer's cinderblock building, a large power pole, and a berm of trash (pallets, pails, chunks of wood) made it a dogleg affair. —Bryan Di Salvatore, New Yorker, 12 Sept. 1988
- [+]more
Origin of OBLIQUE
Middle English oblike, from Latin obliquus
Related to OBLIQUE
Other Mathematics and Statistics Terms
Rhymes with OBLIQUE
antique, apeak, batik, Belleek, bespeak, bezique, blue streak, boutique, cacique, Cloud Peak, critique, debeak, forepeak, forespeak, Grays Peak, grosbeak, hairstreak, halfbeak, houseleek, Late Greek, midweek, misspeak, muzhik, mystique, newspeak, nonpeak, off-peak, outspeak, perique, physique, pip-squeak, pratique, technic, technique, Tajik, unique, unspeak, workweek
2oblique
noun \ō-ˈblēk, ə-, -ˈblīk; military usually ī\
Definition of OBLIQUE
1
: something (as a line) that is oblique
2
: any of several oblique muscles; especially : any of the thin flat muscles forming the middle and outer layers of the lateral walls of the abdomen
See oblique defined for English-language learners
Examples of OBLIQUE
- We each received a list of every muscle group (back, inner thighs, outer thighs, quads, biceps, obliques, upper abs, etc.), with detailed comments on which ones we needed to change. —anonymous, Cosmopolitan, November 2007
- He hammered on my back with both fists, but I had a lot of muscle layer to protect back there. Twenty years of working on the lats and the lateral obliques. I got hold of his shirtfront with both hands and pulled him away from the wall and slammed him back up against it. —Robert B. Parker, Mortal Stakes, 1975
- [+]more
Origin of OBLIQUE
(see 1oblique)
First Known Use: circa 1608
Other Mathematics and Statistics Terms
3oblique
adverb \ō-ˈblēk, ə-, -ˈblīk; military usually ī\
Definition of OBLIQUE
: at a 45 degree angle <to the right oblique, march>
Origin of OBLIQUE
(see 1oblique)
First Known Use: 1687
OBLIQUE[1] Defined for Kids
oblique
adjective \ō-ˈblēk, ə-\
Definition of OBLIQUE for Kids
: having a slanting position or direction : neither perpendicular nor parallel
— oblique·ly adverb
Learn More About OBLIQUE
Browse
Next Word in the Dictionary: oblique anglePrevious Word in the Dictionary: obliquateAll Words Near: oblique
ADVERTISEMENT
Seen & Heard
What made you want to look up oblique? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).