side-on

American

[sahyd-on, -awn] / ˈsaɪdˈɒn, -ˈɔn /

adjective

(of two objects) meeting with the sides foremost.

adverb

with the side or sides foremost, especially in a collision.

The other car struck me side-on.

Etymology

Origin of side-on

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Nottinghamshire Police said John and Lewis were travelling along Chesterfield Road North just after 18:00 GMT when an Audi being driven by Gibson, 31, hit their vehicle side-on.

From BBC • Jul. 24, 2023

Plotting the distances in 3D produces a trace of the Galaxy’s spiral arms, and shows how the disk warps at its farthest reaches, forming an S-shape when seen side-on.

From Nature • Aug. 6, 2019

One limitation of the K2 mission is that Kepler must keep the Sun side-on as it orbits, forcing the telescope to switch its field of view roughly every 80 days.

From Nature • Oct. 20, 2014

When you pick up a child hold them side-on.

From BBC • Jul. 9, 2013

When the heavy scow threatened to turn side-on, the sweeps at either end churned the water frantically in an endeavour to straighten her out.

From The Riverman by White, Stewart Edward

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023