1.
[syn: oblique, oblique case]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Oblique \Ob*lique"\, a. [F., fr. L. obliquus; ob (see Ob-) +
liquis oblique; cf. licinus bent upward, Gr. le`chrios
slanting.] [Written also oblike.]
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1. Not erect or perpendicular; neither parallel to, nor at
right angles from, the base; slanting; inclined.
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It has a direction oblique to that of the former
motion. --Cheyne.
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2. Not straightforward; indirect; obscure; hence,
disingenuous; underhand; perverse; sinister.
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The love we bear our friends . . .
Hath in it certain oblique ends. --Drayton.
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This mode of oblique research, when a more direct
one is denied, we find to be the only one in our
power. --De Quincey.
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Then would be closed the restless, oblique eye.
That looks for evil, like a treacherous spy.
--Wordworth.
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3. Not direct in descent; not following the line of father
and son; collateral.
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His natural affection in a direct line was strong,
in an oblique but weak. --Baker.
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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 coordinates (Anal. Geom.), a system in
which the coordinate axes are oblique to each other.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
oblique case
n 1: any grammatical case other than the nominative [syn:
oblique, oblique case] [ant: nominative, nominative
case, subject case]