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perpendicular

[ pur-puhn-dik-yuh-ler ]
/ ˌpɜr pənˈdɪk yə lər /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR perpendicular ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

noun

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Origin of perpendicular

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Latin perpendiculāris “vertical,” equivalent to perpendicul(um) “plumb line” (see perpend2, -i-, -cule2) + -āris-ar1; replacing Middle English perpendiculer(e) (adjective and adverb), from Old French perpendiculiere

synonym study for perpendicular

1. See upright.

OTHER WORDS FROM perpendicular

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to perpendicular

standing, vertical, straight, plumb, upright, horizontal, steep, erect, sheer, on end, stand-up

Example sentences from the Web for perpendicular

British Dictionary definitions for perpendicular

perpendicular
/ (ˌpɜːpənˈdɪkjʊlə) /

adjective

Also: normal at right angles to a horizontal plane
denoting, relating to, or having the style of Gothic architecture used in England during the 14th and 15th centuries, characterized by tracery having vertical lines, a four-centred arch, and fan vaulting
upright; vertical

noun

geometry a line or plane perpendicular to another
any instrument used for indicating the vertical line through a given point
mountaineering a nearly vertical face

Derived forms of perpendicular

perpendicularity (ˌpɜːpənˌdɪkjʊˈlærɪtɪ), nounperpendicularly, adverb

Word Origin for perpendicular

C14: from Latin perpendiculāris, from perpendiculum a plumb line, from per- through + pendēre to hang
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for perpendicular

perpendicular
[ pûr′pən-dĭk′yə-lər ]

Adjective

Intersecting at or forming a right angle or right angles.

Noun

A line or plane that is perpendicular to a given line or plane.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.