perpendicular

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: C1 — Advanced

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

noun a straight line at right angles to another line
noun a Gothic style in 14th and 15th century England; characterized by vertical lines and a four-centered (Tudor) arch and fan vaulting
noun a cord from which a metal weight is suspended pointing directly to the earth's center of gravity; used to determine the vertical from a given point

Derived from Middle French perpendiculaire, from Old French perpendiculer, from Latin perpendiculum (“plumb line”).

"It's extremely perpendicular on your part. — The Lady with the Dog and Other Stories, Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
This was evident from the perpendicular wrinkles. — Les Misérables, Victor Hugo
The descent was steep but not perpendicular. — Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, Complete, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson) Grant

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