VERTICAL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does vertical mean? 

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

1. something that is oriented vertically

2. a vertical structural member as a post or stake

  Familiarity information: VERTICAL used as a noun is rare.

• VERTICAL (adjective)
  The adjective VERTICAL has 4 senses:

1. at right angles to the plane of the horizon or a base line

2. relating to or involving all stages of a business from production to distribution

3. upright in position or posture

4. of or relating to different levels in a hierarchy (as levels of social class or income group)

  Familiarity information: VERTICAL used as an adjective is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• VERTICAL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Something that is oriented vertically

Classified under:

Nouns denoting relations between people or things or ideas

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

orientation (position or alignment relative to points of the compass or other specific directions)

Derivation:

vertical (at right angles to the plane of the horizon or a base line)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A vertical structural member as a post or stake

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

upright; vertical

Context example:

the ball sailed between the uprights

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

structural member (support that is a constituent part of any structure or building)

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

column; pillar ((architecture) a tall vertical cylindrical structure standing upright and used to support a structure)

jamb (upright consisting of a vertical side member of a door or window frame)

post (an upright consisting of a piece of timber or metal fixed firmly in an upright position)

scantling; stud (an upright in house framing)

scape; shaft ((architecture) upright consisting of the vertical part of a column)

stile (an upright that is a member in a door or window frame)

Holonyms ("vertical" is a part of...):

goalpost (one of a pair of posts (usually joined by a crossbar) that are set up as a goal at each end of a playing field)

Derivation:

vertical (at right angles to the plane of the horizon or a base line)

vertical (upright in position or posture)

• VERTICAL (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

At right angles to the plane of the horizon or a base line

Synonyms:

perpendicular; vertical

Context example:

measure the perpendicular height

Similar:

unsloped; upright (in a vertical position; not sloping)

upended (turned up on end)

plumb (exactly vertical)

Also:

steep (having a sharp inclination)

straight (having no deviations)

Attribute:

orientation (position or alignment relative to points of the compass or other specific directions)

Antonym:

horizontal (parallel to or in the plane of the horizon or a base line)

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

Derivation:

vertical (a vertical structural member as a post or stake)

vertical (something that is oriented vertically)

verticality; verticalness (position at right angles to the horizon)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Relating to or involving all stages of a business from production to distribution

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Pertainym:

vertical integration (absorption into a single firm of several firms involved in all aspects of a product's manufacture from raw materials to distribution)

Derivation:

vertical integration (absorption into a single firm of several firms involved in all aspects of a product's manufacture from raw materials to distribution)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Upright in position or posture

Synonyms:

erect; upright; vertical

Context example:

he sat bolt upright

Similar:

straight; unbent; unbowed (erect in posture)

statant (standing on four feet)

stand-up (requiring a standing position)

standing (having a supporting base)

semi-upright (of animals that are partly erect)

semi-erect (of plants that are partly erect)

semi-climbing (of plants that are semi-climbers)

rampant; rearing (rearing on left hind leg with forelegs elevated and head usually in profile)

passant (in walking position with right foreleg raised)

orthostatic (pertaining to an upright standing posture)

fastigiate (having clusters of erect branches (often appearing to form a single column))

erectile (capable of being raised to an upright position)

Attribute:

attitude; position; posture (the arrangement of the body and its limbs)

Derivation:

vertical (a vertical structural member as a post or stake)

verticalness (position at right angles to the horizon)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Of or relating to different levels in a hierarchy (as levels of social class or income group)

Context example:

vertical social mobility

Similar:

hierarchal; hierarchic; hierarchical (classified according to various criteria into successive levels or layers)

 Context examples 

A rare variant of melanoma with a vertical growth phase.

(Balloon Cell Melanoma, NCI Thesaurus)

It happened to come to rest with its long dimension vertical.

(Tall boulder rolls down martian hill, lands upright, NASA)

The vertical measurement or distance from the base to the top of an object; the vertical dimension of extension.

(Height, NCI Thesaurus)

He changed his position to a vertical one.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

They found that worms migrated at angles consistent with vertical movement in their native soil.

(Magnetic Field Sensor Unearthed in Worms, NIH)

We created two different designs, horizontal and vertical.

(Tiny swimming 'doughnuts' deliver the biomedical goods, National Science Foundation)

A disorder characterized by vertical or horizontal ridges on the nails.

(Nail Ridging, NCI Thesaurus/CTCAE)

The vertical, hierarchical relationships may be referred to as Parent, Child, Broader, Narrower, isa, inverse-isa, Super Concept, Subconcept, etc. The horizontal named relationships include Roles and Associations.

(Concept Relationship, NCI Thesaurus)

A rare syndrome affecting conjugate vertical eye movement.

(Parinaud Syndrome, NCI Thesaurus)

These slices are perpendicular to vertical long axis views as well as short axis views.

(Horizontal Long Axis of Heart, NCI Thesaurus)