vertical
[vur-ti-kuhl]
- being in a position or direction perpendicular to the plane of the horizon; upright; plumb.
- of, relating to, or situated at the vertex.
- of or relating to the cranial vertex.
- Botany.
- (of a leaf) having the blade in a perpendicular plane, so that neither of the surfaces can be called upper or lower.
- being in the same direction as the axis; lengthwise.
- of, constituting, or resulting in vertical combination.
- of or relating to a product or service from initial planning to sale.
- of, relating to, or noting a stratified society, nation, etc.
Show More
- something vertical, as a line or plane.
- a vertical or upright position.
- a vertical structural member in a truss.
Show More
Origin of vertical
Synonyms
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com1. See upright.
Antonyms
1. horizontal.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for vertical
Contemporary Examples
Two police assigned to the apartment on a detail were doing a “vertical patrol” up the stairs when the door opened.
They structured themselves not in vertical hierarchies but in networks, each member responding to conditions on the ground.
There was one very large and easily identifiable piece of debris floating, the vertical stabilizer.
The hybrid aircraft have a vertical takeoff and landing capability.
And yet Breitbart decided to commission him, of all available artists, to create the face of its California vertical.
Historical Examples
This consists of two sections, one horizontal, the other vertical.
Flying MachinesW.J. Jackman and Thos. H. Russell
Vertical staving was used to carry the wale around the stern.
The Migrations of an American Boat TypeHoward I. Chapelle
They had neither water nor provisions, and were exposed to a vertical sun.
The Pirate and The Three CuttersFrederick Marryat
The worst form it can have is that of a vertical plane or upright flat, and next to this the worst form is an inclined plane.
About 15th January we crossed the sun, which for a short time was vertical at noon.
Six Letters From the ColoniesRobert Seaton
vertical
- at right angles to the horizon; perpendicular; uprighta vertical wall Compare horizontal (def. 1)
- extending in a perpendicular direction
- at or in the vertex or zenith; directly overhead
- economics of or relating to associated or consecutive, though not identical, stages of industrial activityvertical integration; vertical amalgamation
- of or relating to the vertex
- anatomy of, relating to, or situated at the top of the head (vertex)
Show More
- a vertical plane, position, or line
- a vertical post, pillar, or other structural member
Show More
Word Origin
C16: from Late Latin verticālis, from Latin vertex
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
Word Origin and History for vertical
adj.
1550s, "of or at the vertex, directly overhead," from Middle French vertical (1540s), from Late Latin verticalis "overhead," from Latin vertex (genitive verticis) "highest point" (see vertex). Meaning "straight up and down" is first recorded 1704.
Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
vertical
(vûr′tĭ-kəl)- Of or relating to the vertex of the head.
- Being or situated at right angles to the horizon; upright.
Show More
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.