adj., n., & v.
--adj.
1. a slanting; declining from the vertical or horizontal. b diverging from a straight line or course.
2 not going straight to the point; roundabout, indirect.
3 Geom. a (of a line, plane figure, or surface) inclined at other than a right angle. b (of an angle) acute or obtuse. c (of a cone, cylinder, etc.) with an axis not perpendicular to the plane of its base.
4 Anat. neither parallel nor perpendicular to the long axis of a body or limb.
5 Bot. (of a leaf) with unequal sides.
6 Gram. denoting any case other than the nominative or vocative.
--n.
1. an oblique stroke (/).
2 an oblique muscle.
--v.intr. (obliques, obliqued, obliquing) esp. Mil. advance obliquely.
Phrases and idioms:
oblique oration (or speech) reported speech (see REPORT). oblique sphere see SPHERE.
Derivatives:
obliquely adv. obliqueness n. obliquity n.
Etymology: ME f. F f. L obliquus