From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishobliqueo‧blique1 /əˈbliːk/ adjective 1 CLEAR/EASY TO UNDERSTANDnot expressed in a direct way SYN indirect an oblique reference to his drinking problem2 SIDEnot looking, pointing etc directly at something an oblique glance3 → oblique line/stroke etc4 → oblique angle —obliquely adverb
Examples from the Corpus
oblique• Press him too closely about his family, though, and he becomes oblique and evasive.• Albeit in an oblique fashion, Soviet Socialist Realism thus influenced the development of western high art.• Also it should be lit at night and have traffic cones placed in an oblique line on the approach to it.• an oblique line• She gave me an oblique look.• She changed the subject when I posed an oblique question about the boys' father.• Reneé made oblique references to his drinking problem.• an oblique route• Both conventional and oblique viewing are possible.• It was only in such oblique ways that he referred to his state of deserted, now divorced, husband.oblique reference• Cuthbert's oblique reference to Aldfrith in his reply seems to have satisfied her.• The story of Aphrodite does include an oblique reference to Demeter.• It contains one direct and one oblique reference to electrical shocks.obliqueoblique2 noun [countable] British English HMNa mark (/) used for writing fractions or for separating numbers, letters, words etc SYN slashExamples from the Corpus
oblique• You get internal obliques and then external obliques on the way up, correct?• Single-frame shots of a site or feature are usual, although stereoscopic pairs of obliques considerably assist subsequent interpretation.• It is the obliques and abdominals which create the well trained look.Origin oblique (1400-1500) Latin obliquus 