perpendicular

adjective

/ˌpɜːpənˈdɪkjələ(r)/

/ˌpɜːrpənˈdɪkjələr/

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perpendicular (to something) forming an angle of 90° with another line or surface; vertical and going straight up垂直的；成直角的
- Are the lines perpendicular to each other?这些直线相互垂直吗？
- The staircase was almost perpendicular (= very steep).楼梯几乎成垂直的了。
Extra Examples
- an almost perpendicular staircase一段几乎垂直的楼梯
- two mutually perpendicular directions两个互为直角的方向
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
verbs
- be
adverb
- almost
- nearly
See full entry
Perpendicular
(architecture建筑) connected with a style of architecture common in England in the 14th and 15th centuries垂直式的（英格兰 14、15 世纪盛行的建筑风格）
CultureThe Perpendicular style in architecture was marked by large windows, lines going straight up and down, and ceiling patterns in stone called fan vaulting. An example of this style is the chapel of King's College, Cambridge.compare Decorated style, Early English
Topics Buildingsc2

Word Originlate Middle English (as an adverb meaning ‘at right angles’): via Old French from Latin perpendicularis, from perpendiculum ‘plumb line’, from per- ‘through’ + pendere ‘to hang’.

perpendicular

noun

/ˌpɜːpənˈdɪkjələ(r)/

/ˌpɜːrpənˈdɪkjələr/

the perpendicular

[singular]

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a line, position or direction that is exactly perpendicular垂直线（或位置、方向）
- The wall is a little out of the perpendicular.墙壁有点倾斜。
Word Originlate Middle English (as an adverb meaning ‘at right angles’): via Old French from Latin perpendicularis, from perpendiculum ‘plumb line’, from per- ‘through’ + pendere ‘to hang’.