3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Perpendicular  \Per`pen*dic"u*lar\,  n. 
  1.  A  line  at  right  angles  to  the  plane  of  the  horizon;  a 
  vertical  line  or  direction. 
 
  2.  (Geom.)  A  line  or  plane  falling  at  right  angles  on  another 
  line  or  surface,  or  making  equal  angles  with  it  on  each 
  side 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Perpendicular  \Per`pen*dic"u*lar\,  a.  [L.  perpendicularis 
  perpendicularius:  cf  F.  perpendiculaire  See  {Perpendicle}, 
  {Pension}.] 
  1.  Exactly  upright  or  vertical;  pointing  to  the  zenith;  at 
  right  angles  to  the  plane  of  the  horizon;  extending  in  a 
  right  line  from  any  point  toward  the  center  of  the  earth. 
 
  2.  (Geom.)  At  right  angles  to  a  given  line  or  surface;  as 
  the  line  ad  is  perpendicular  to  the  line  bc 
 
  {Perpendicular  style}  (Arch.),  a  name  given  to  the  latest 
  variety  of  English  Gothic  architecture,  which  prevailed 
  from  the  close  of  the  14th  century  to  the  early  part  of 
  the  16th;  --  probably  so  called  from  the  vertical  style  of 
  its  window  mullions. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  perpendicular 
  adj  1:  intersecting  at  or  forming  right  angles;  "the  axes  are 
  perpendicular  to  each  other"  [ant:  {oblique},  {parallel}] 
  2:  at  right  angles  to  the  plane  of  the  horizon  or  a  base  line 
  "a  vertical  camera  angle";  "the  monument  consists  of  two 
  vertical  pillars  supporting  a  horizontal  slab";  "measure 
  the  perpendicular  height"  [syn:  {vertical}]  [ant:  {inclined}, 
  {horizontal}] 
  3:  extremely  steep;  "the  great  perpendicular  face  of  the  cliff" 
  n  1:  a  straight  line  at  right  angles  to  another  line 
  2:  a  Gothic  style  in  14th  and  15th  century  England; 
  characterized  by  vertical  lines,  a  four-centered  (Tudor) 
  arch,  fan  vaulting  [syn:  {perpendicular  style},  {English-Gothic}, 
  {English-Gothic  architecture}] 
  3:  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  [syn:  {plumb 
  line}] 
  4:  an  extremely  steep  face 

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