perpendicular

/ˌpɜrpənˈdɪkjələr/
noun
  1. A line or position that is at a 90-degree angle to another line or surface.
    • The carpenter used a square to ensure the post was a true perpendicular.
    • In geometry class, we learned how to drop a perpendicular from a point to a line.
    • The two streets meet at a perpendicular, forming a perfect right angle.
adjective
  1. At an angle of 90 degrees to a given line, plane, or surface; standing or rising straight up.
    • The wall must be perpendicular to the floor, or the building will be unstable.
    • She drew a line perpendicular to the base of the triangle.
    • The cliff rose almost perpendicular from the ocean, making it impossible to climb.
  2. Very steep; nearly vertical.
    • We stared up at the perpendicular face of the mountain, feeling small.
    • The roof of the old church was extremely perpendicular, shedding snow easily.
    • The hiking trail became so perpendicular that we had to use our hands to climb.
What does "perpendicular" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean