oblique.

1. Slanting rather than being parallel or perpendicular to a stated line, surface, or direction.

2. Expressed or approached indirectly rather than openly or straightforwardly.

3. A muscle named for an oblique orientation, especially one of the abdominal oblique muscles.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• an oblique passage
• oblique light

On the page

An oblique passage connected the two wings of the house.

Oblique light revealed the shallow marks in the stone.

Usage notes

Primary category: setting. Forms: Comparative more oblique; superlative most oblique where gradation is meaningful. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.