dihedral

[ dahy-hee-druhl ]

adjective

1. having or formed by two planes.
2. of or relating to a dihedron.

noun

1. dihedron.
2. Aeronautics. the angle at which the right and left wings or the halves of any other horizontal surface of an airplane or the like are inclined upward or downward.

dihedral

/ daɪˈhiːdrəl /

adjective

1. having or formed by two intersecting planes; two-sided

   a dihedral angle

noun

1. Also calleddihedrondihedral angle the figure formed by two intersecting planes
2. See corner
   the US name for corner
3. See anhedral
   the upward inclination of an aircraft wing in relation to the lateral axis Compare anhedral

dihedral

/ dī-hē′drəl /

1. Formed by a pair of planes or sections of planes that intersect.

Word History and Origins

Origin of dihedral¹

First recorded in 1790–1800; di- ¹ + -hedral

Example Sentences

A tetrahedron contains six “dihedral” angles formed along the edges where pairs of faces meet.

From Quanta Magazine

Pairs of faces meet along edges to create “dihedral” angles, of which a tetrahedron has six.

From Quanta Magazine

In determining the center of gravity, the bird was frozen in the soaring position, its wings making a dihedral angle of 150.

From Project Gutenberg

In order to secure the longitudinal dihedral, the angle of incidence has to be very much decreased towards the wing-tips.

From Project Gutenberg

It is now, I hope, clear to the reader that the lateral dihedral is not quite so effective as would appear at first sight.

From Project Gutenberg

This feature is still to be found in many aeroplanes to-day and has come to be known as the 'dihedral.'

From Project Gutenberg

The crystals of citric acid are oblique prisms with four faces, terminated by dihedral summits, inclined at acute angles.

From Project Gutenberg