Perpendicular
Per`pen`dic´u`lar
| a. | 1. | Exactly upright or vertical; pointing to the zenith; at right angles to the plane of the horizon; extending in a right line from any point toward the center of the earth. | |||
| 2. | (Geom.) At right angles to a given line or surface;
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| n. | 1. | A line at right angles to the plane of the horizon; a vertical line or direction. | |||
| 2. | (Geom.) A line or plane falling at right angles on another line or surface, or making equal angles with it on each side. | ||||
| Noun | 1. |  perpendicular - a straight line at right angles to another line |
| 2. |  perpendicular - a Gothic style in 14th and 15th century England; characterized by vertical lines and a four-centered (Tudor) arch and fan vaulting | |
| 3. |  perpendicular - a cord from which a metal weight is suspended pointing directly to the earth's center of gravity; used to determine the vertical from a given pointSynonyms: plumb line | |
| 4. | perpendicular - an extremely steep face | |
| Adj. | 1. | perpendicular - intersecting at or forming right angles; "the axes are perpendicular to each other" Antonyms: oblique - slanting or inclined in direction or course or position--neither parallel nor perpendicular nor right-angular; "the oblique rays of the winter sun"; "acute and obtuse angles are oblique angles"; "the axis of an oblique cone is not perpendicular to its base" parallel - being everywhere equidistant and not intersecting; "parallel lines never converge"; "concentric circles are parallel"; "dancers in two parallel rows" |
| 2. | perpendicular - at right angles to the plane of the horizon or a base line; "a vertical camera angle"; "the monument consists of two vertical pillars supporting a horizontal slab"; "measure the perpendicular height" Synonyms: vertical | |
| 3. | perpendicular - extremely steep; "the great perpendicular face of the cliff" |