transverse

[ trans-vurs, tranz-; trans-vurs, tranz- ]

See synonyms for transverse on Thesaurus.com

adjective

lying or extending across or in a cross direction; cross.
(of a flute) having a mouth hole in the side of the tube, near its end, across which the player's breath is directed.: Compare end-blown.

(of an automotive engine) mounted with the crankshaft oriented sideways.

noun

something that is transverse.
Nautical. web frame.

Geometry. transverse axis.
a city road that cuts through a park or other area of light traffic; shortcut.

Origin of transverse

First recorded in 1610–20, transverse is from the Latin word trānsversus going or lying across, athwart. See traverse

Other words from transverse

trans·verse·ly, adverb
sub·trans·verse, adjective
sub·trans·verse·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use transverse in a sentence

The horizontal pressure due to a wind blowing transversely to the span, which becomes of importance in long and high bridges.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3 | Various
The four ropes are connected together by thinner ones of the same material, fastened over them transversely.
Travels in Peru, on the Coast, in the Sierra, Across the Cordilleras and the Andes, into the Primeval Forests | J. J. von Tschudi
They are not perfectly flat; for besides the longitudinal curvature already mentioned, they are curved transversely.
The Book of Curiosities | I. Platts
The male has very large horns, with three rounded angles at the base, flattened in front, and striated transversely.
A Treatise on Sheep: | Ambrose Blacklock
His horns are of great size, transversely crumpled, with a simple curve, and a sharp extremity.
The Desert World | Arthur Mangin

British Dictionary definitions for transverse

transverse

/ (trænzˈvɜːs) /

adjective

crossing from side to side; athwart; crossways
geometry denoting the axis that passes through the foci of a hyperbola

(of a flute, etc) held almost at right angles to the player's mouth, so that the breath passes over a hole in the side to create a vibrating air column within the tube of the instrument
astronomy another word for tangential (def. 2)

noun

a transverse piece or object

Origin of transverse

C16: from Latin transversus, from transvertere to turn across, from trans- + vertere to turn

Derived forms of transverse

transversely, adverb
transverseness, noun

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

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