Perpendicular Meaning
/ˌpɜː.pənˈdɪk.jə.lə(ɹ)/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjAt or forming a right angle (to something).
adjExactly upright; extending in a straight line toward the centre of the earth, etc.
Sentence Examples
Dancing is a perpendicular expression of a horizontal desire.
Lift is directed perpendicular to the flight direction.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The two streets are ____ to each other, forming a right angle at the intersection.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The two walls met at a ____ angle, forming a perfect right angle at the corner.
Word Origin & History
Derived from Middle French perpendiculaire, from Old French perpendiculer, from Latin perpendiculum (“plumb line”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"A doorknob of whatever roundish shape is effectively a continuum of levers, with the axis of the latching mechanism—known as the spindle—being the fulcrum about which the turning takes place. Applying a force tangential to the knob is essentially equivalent to applying one perpendicular to a radial line defining the lever."
— 2012 March 26, Henry Petroski, “Opening Doors”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, pages 112–3:
"Hey, I'm not unsabotaging anything! This is completely perpendicular sabotage!"
— 2019 May 31, David M. Willis, “Wrangled”, in Dumbing of Age:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
The two streets are ____ to each other, forming a right angle at the intersection.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The two walls met at a ____ angle, forming a perfect right angle at the corner.