I. əˈblēk, ōˈ-, -līk adjective
Etymology: Middle English oblike, from Latin obliquus, from ob- to, towards, over + -liquus (akin to Latin liquis oblique); akin to Latin ulna elbow — more at ob- , ell
1.
a. : neither perpendicular nor parallel : having a slanting direction or position : inclined
b. of a solid : having the axis not perpendicular to the base
2.
a. : not straightforward : indirect , obscure
oblique glances
oblique accusations
oblique perspective
b. : devious , underhand , perverse , sinister
behaving in a curiously oblique manner
c.
(1) : skew
an oblique arch
oblique bridges
(2) of a leaf : having the two sides of the blade unequal especially at the base
3. : not direct in descent : collateral
4. of a muscle : situated obliquely and having one end that is not inserted on bone
the oblique muscles of the eye or abdomen
5. : taken from an airplane with the camera axis intentionally directed horizontally or downward but not vertically — used of a photograph of the surface of the earth
• oblique·ly adverb
• oblique·ness noun -es
II. noun
( -s )
1. : an oblique thing (as a line or photograph)
2. : any of several oblique muscles: as
a. : one of the thin flat muscles forming the middle and outer layers of the lateral walls of the abdomen and having aponeuroses that extend medially to ensheathe the rectus muscles and fuse in the midventral line in the linear alba
b.
(1) : a long thin muscle that is inserted on the upper part of the eyeball and that moves the eye downward and laterally — called also superior oblique
(2) : a short muscle that is inserted slightly in front of and below the superior oblique and that moves the eye upward and laterally — called also inferior oblique
3. : diagonal 4
4. : a printed letter characterized by essentially the same form and degree of inclination as italic
5.
a. : oblique case
b. : an inflection of an oblique case
III. əˈblīk, ōˈ- intransitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: French obliquer, from Latin obliquare to bend aside, turn aside, from obliquus oblique
of a military formation : to march or advance obliquely at an angle of about 45 degrees to the original front formerly by oblique steps but now by direct steps with the participants half-faced to right or left and marching forward