perpendicular — at an angle of 90° to a given line, plane, or surface; exactly upright
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: at an angle of 90° to a given line, plane, or surface; exactly upright
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˌpɜːrpənˈdɪkjələr/
Example Sentences
- The leaning tower of Pisa is definitely not perpendicular to the ground.
- My yoga instructor insists that my warrior pose should be perpendicular, but I look more like a wobbly penguin.
- In geometry class, we learned to construct perpendicular bisectors.
perpendicular
ADJECTIVE[/ˌpɜːrpənˈdɪkjələr/]
at an angle of 90° to a given line, plane, or surface; exactly upright
While the old wooden post leaned heavily to the side, the builder placed the new steel beam in a perfectly perpendicular position to the ground.
PER(completely) + PEND(hang) — by letting the heavy metal weight PEND(hang) PER(completely) straight down, the builder created a perfect perpendicular line to the floor.
Because the gallery owner was extremely particular about details, she angrily adjusted the tilted frame until it was perfectly perpendicular to the floor.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Latin perpendicularis, derived from the verb pendere meaning 'to hang' or 'to suspend'. The prefix per- (thoroughly) combined with pendere evokes the image of something hanging completely vertically under the force of gravity, establishing the geometric meaning of a line at right angles to another.
Breakdown
per- (thoroughly, completely) + pendere (to hang, suspend) + -icular (adjective suffix, resembling or relating to). The compound literally describes something that hangs straight down or is oriented at a right angle.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The leaning tower of Pisa is definitely not perpendicular to the ground.”
“My yoga instructor insists that my warrior pose should be perpendicular, but I look more like a wobbly penguin.”
“In geometry class, we learned to construct perpendicular bisectors.”
“The new building stands perpendicular to the street, creating an impressive skyline.”
📚Related Words
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