oblique

ob·lique (ō blēk′, ə-; also, esp. in mil. use, -blīk′)

adjective

having a slanting position or direction; neither perpendicular nor horizontal; not level or upright; inclined
not straight to the point; not straightforward; indirect
evasive, disingenuous, underhanded, etc.
indirectly aimed at or attained oblique results
Anat. designating or of any of certain muscles obliquely placed and attached
Bot. having the sides unequal, as some leaves
Geom. with its axis not perpendicular to its base an oblique cone
Gram. designating or of any case except the nominative and the vocative

Etymology: ME oblike < L obliquus < ob- (see ob-) + liquis, awry < IE *leik-, var. of base *elei-, to bend > ell

noun

an oblique angle, muscle, etc.

intransitive verb ob·liqued′, ob·liqu′·ing

to veer from the perpendicular; slant

adverb

Mil. with a change of direction of approximately 45 degrees

ob·lique′ly adverb ob·lique′·ness noun

modif.

Slanting
inclined, inclining, diverging, leaning, sloping, angled, diagonal, cater-cornered, kitty-cornered, unperpendicular, unvertical, skew, askew, asymmetrical, turned, twisted, awry, strained, askance, distorted, unhorizontal, off level, sideways, slanted, tipping, tipped, aslant, athwart, at an angle, skewwise, on the bias, skewy*, slaunchwise*, geewhacky*, northeast by southwest*; see also askew, awry, bent, crooked 1.
Antonyms vertical*, perpendicular*, straight. *
Indirect
obscure, circuitous, roundabout; see indirect, vague 2.

Sloping, slanting, or indirect, i.e., neither perpendicular nor parallel. See also angle of incidence and obtuse.

Converse of object

work: Movements: Forward and backward Muscles involved: These movements work the obliques.

Adjective modifier

external: Exercise 5 - Lateral Dips ( right hand ) Internal and external obliques.

Modifies a noun

illumination: Also a look at some rather bizarre 19th century microscopes which took the use of oblique illumination a bit too far!
aponeurosis: The rectus sheath or external oblique aponeurosis was clearly exposed around the circumference of the defect.
angle: Posters are viewed from an oblique angle which can distort the typeface to some extent.
fracture: They revealed an oblique fracture of the medial malleolus.
ray: Thus, only when the most oblique rays were cut off, did the sensation of solidarity in the image disappear.
stroke: It is separated from the series code by an oblique stroke.

Modifying Another Word

slightly: Eyes: Shape - Large and oval, well opened, set slightly oblique.
rather: But Clear is a peculiar novel - if anything, rather oblique.
too: Or are we British just too aloof, too cynical, too oblique?
often: The result is a unique, often oblique look at the falconer's art over the past 500 years or more.
very: Hence, in the second image a face has been chosen for viewing at a very oblique angle.
also: Also oblique metaphors had taken the place of explicit similes [ Miles, 1964 ] .

Used with adjective complement

use: When using oblique the side of the object you are looking at is drawn in two dimensions, i.e. flat.

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