Search the Dictionary

The act of going downward; descent; falling or sinking; declension; degradation. Oblique descension (Astron.), the degree or arc of the equator which descends, with a celestial object, below the horizon of an oblique sphere. -- Right descension, the degree or arc of the equator which descends below the horizon of a ri…

The tendency of organs (as roots) of plants to assume a position oblique or transverse to a direction towards the center of the earth.

scale, a scale which consists of a set of parallel lines, with other lines crossing them obliquely, so that their intersections furnish smaller subdivisions of the unit of measure than could be conveniently marked on a plain scale. -- Diagonal stratification. (Geol.) Same as Cross bedding, under Cross, a.…

Having two of the intersections between the three axes oblique. See Crystallization.

Straight; not crooked, oblique, or circuitous; leading by the short or shortest way to a point or end; as, a direct line; direct means. What is direct to, what slides by, the question. Locke.

's grace . . . gives him continual dislike to sin. Hammond. The hint malevolent, the look oblique, The obvious satire, or implied dislike. Hannah More. We have spoken of the dislike of these excellent women for Sheridan and Fox. J. Morley. His dislike of a particular kind of sensational stories. A. W. Ward.…

mullingong, tambreet, and water mole. -- To make ducks and drakes, to throw a flat stone obliquely, so as to make it rebound repeatedly from the surface of the water, raising a succession of jets; hence: To play at ducks and drakes, with property, to throw it away heedlessly or squander it foolishly and unprofitably.…

(Naut.), to approach by slow degrees, as when a sailing vessel approaches an object in an oblique direction from the windward. -- To edge in, to get in edgewise; to get in by degrees. -- To edge in with, as with a coast or vessel (Naut.), to advance gradually, but not directly, toward it.

An oval or oblong figure, bounded by a regular curve, which corresponds to an oblique projection of a circle, or an oblique section of a cone through its opposite sides. The greatest diameter of the ellipse is the major axis, and the least diameter is the minor axis. See Conic section, under Conic, and cf. Focus.…

the interseptal chambers of most madreporarian corals. It usually consists of a series of oblique tranverse septa, one above another. -- En`do*the"cal, a.

between the costæ of many madreporarian corals, usually consisting of small transverse or oblique septa.

e under Bastard, Cross, etc. -- Cross-cut file, a file having two sets of teeth crossing obliquely. -- File blank, a steel blank shaped and ground ready for cutting to form a file. -- File cutter, a maker of files. -- Second-cut file, a file having teeth of a grade next finer than bastard. -- Single-cut file, a fi…

last on the left, of a company, battalion, etc. -- Flank march, a march made parallel or obliquely to an enemy's position, in order to turn it or to attack him on the flank. -- Flank movement, a change of march by an army, or portion of one, in order to turn one or both wings of the enemy, or to take up a new positio…

To protect, as a line of troops, against an onset of cavalry, by opposing bayonets raised obliquely forward. Wilhelm.

A kind of verbal noun, having only the four oblique cases of the singular number, and governing cases like a participle.

To strike and fly off in an oblique direction; to dart aside. "Your arrow hath glanced". Shak. On me the curse aslope Glanced on the ground. Milton.

Flying off (after striking) in an oblique direction; as, a glancing shot.

To squint; to look obliquely; to overlook things. [Scot.] Jamieson.

A piece of canvas cut obliquely to widen a sail at the foot.

ddlewise. -- Side grafting, a mode of grafting in which the scion, cut quite across very obliquely, so as to give it the form of a slender wedge, is thrust down inside of the bark of the stock or stem into which it is inserted, the cut side of the scion being next the wood of the stock. -- Skin grafting. (Surg.) See…