OBLIQUE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does oblique mean? 

• OBLIQUE (noun)
  The noun OBLIQUE has 2 senses:

1. any grammatical case other than the nominative

2. a diagonally arranged abdominal muscle on either side of the torso

  Familiarity information: OBLIQUE used as a noun is rare.

• OBLIQUE (adjective)
  The adjective OBLIQUE has 2 senses:

1. slanting or inclined in direction or course or position--neither parallel nor perpendicular nor right-angled

2. indirect in departing from the accepted or proper way; misleading

  Familiarity information: OBLIQUE used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• OBLIQUE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Any grammatical case other than the nominative

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

oblique; oblique case

Hypernyms ("oblique" is a kind of...):

case; grammatical case (nouns or pronouns or adjectives (often marked by inflection) related in some way to other words in a sentence)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "oblique"):

accusative; accusative case; objective case (the case of nouns serving as the direct object of a verb)

dative; dative case (the category of nouns serving as the indirect object of a verb)

genitive; genitive case; possessive; possessive case (the case expressing ownership)

vocative; vocative case (the case (in some inflected languages) used when the referent of the noun is being addressed)

ablative; ablative case (the case indicating the agent in passive sentences or the instrument or manner or place of the action described by the verb)

Antonym:

nominative (the category of nouns serving as the grammatical subject of a verb)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A diagonally arranged abdominal muscle on either side of the torso

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Synonyms:

abdominal external oblique muscle; external oblique muscle; musculus obliquus externus abdominis; oblique

Hypernyms ("oblique" is a kind of...):

ab; abdominal; abdominal muscle (the muscles of the abdomen)

Derivation:

oblique (slanting or inclined in direction or course or position--neither parallel nor perpendicular nor right-angled)

• OBLIQUE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Slanting or inclined in direction or course or position--neither parallel nor perpendicular nor right-angled

Context example:

the axis of an oblique cone is not perpendicular to its base

Similar:

oblique-angled (having oblique angles)

nonparallel ((of e.g. lines or paths) not parallel; converging)

diagonal (connecting two nonadjacent corners of a plane figure or any two corners of a solid that are not in the same face)

crabwise; sideways ((of movement) at an angle)

cata-cornered; catacorner; cater-cornered; catercorner; catty-corner; catty-cornered; kitty-corner; kitty-cornered (slanted across a polygon on a diagonal line)

bias (slanting diagonally across the grain of a fabric)

Also:

inclined (at an angle to the horizontal or vertical position)

divergent; diverging (tending to move apart in different directions)

convergent (tending to come together from different directions)

Antonym:

parallel (being everywhere equidistant and not intersecting)

perpendicular (intersecting at or forming right angles)

Derivation:

oblique (a diagonally arranged abdominal muscle on either side of the torso)

obliqueness (the property of being neither parallel nor perpendicular, but at a slanting angle)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Indirect in departing from the accepted or proper way; misleading

Synonyms:

devious; oblique

Context example:

oblique political maneuvers

Similar:

indirect (extended senses; not direct in manner or language or behavior or action)

Derivation:

obliqueness (the quality of being oblique and rambling indirectly)

obliquity (the quality of being deceptive)

 Context examples 

The oblique anatomic tunnel in the anterior lower abdomen.

(Inguinal Canal, NCI Thesaurus)

At an angle; having an oblique or slanted direction.

(Diagonal, NCI Thesaurus)

An oblique plane through the heart containing its long axis and showing all 4 chambers.

(Horizontal Long Axis of Heart, NCI Thesaurus)

The lobe of the right lung situated below the oblique fissure.

(Lower Lobe of the Right Lung, NCI Thesaurus)

The larger lobe of the left lung, situated below and behind the oblique fissure.

(Lower Lobe of the Left Lung, NCI Thesaurus)

The smallest lobe of the right lung, situated above the oblique fissure and below the horizontal fissure.

(Middle Lobe of the Right Lung, NCI Thesaurus)

A finding during labor, in which the occiput rotates anteriorly and the head of the fetus assumes an oblique orientation while the fetus descends through the maternal pelvis.

(Internal Fetal Rotation, NCI Thesaurus)

A fetal position during delivery in which the spine of the fetus is not aligned with the mother's resulting in the descent into the birth canal in an oblique position.

(Oblique Fetal Presentation, NCI Thesaurus)

The trochlear nerve carries the motor innervation of the superior oblique muscles of the eye.

(Murine Trochlear Nerve, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

A muscle extending along the anterior spine between the atlas and the third thoracic vertebrae with three portions; superior oblique, vertical oblique and inferior oblique.

(Longus Colli, NCI Thesaurus)