perpendicular
perpendicular Lexical Profile
perpendicular Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
At an angle of 90 degrees to a given line, plane, or surface.
"The carpenter checked that the new wall was strictly perpendicular to the floorboards."
Standing straight up at a right angle to the horizon; vertical or very steep.
"The hikers stood at the base of a nearly perpendicular rock face."
• noun
A straight line or plane at an angle of 90 degrees to a given line, plane, or surface.
"To find the area of the triangle, first drop a perpendicular from the apex to the base."
A vertical line, direction, or position, or an instrument such as a plumb line used to determine it.
"Over centuries of soil movement, the ancient bell tower has leaned noticeably out of the perpendicular."
Word Nuance & Usage
In geometry, 'perpendicular' specifically means intersecting at a 90-degree right angle relative to another line or surface, whereas 'vertical' strictly means oriented straight up and down relative to gravity or the horizon.
• Rhymes for perpendicular
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in Middle English via Old French from Latin 'perpendicularis', derived from 'perpendiculum' meaning 'plumb line', from 'per-' (thoroughly) and 'pendere' (to hang).