释义 |
di·ag·o·nal I. \(ˈ)dī|agənəl, -aig-, -g(ə)nəl, -gnəl\ adjective Etymology: Latin diagonalis, from Greek diagōnios from angle to angle (from dia- + -gōnios, from gōnia angle) + Latin -alis -al; akin to Greek gony knee — more at knee 1. a. : joining two nonadjacent vertices of a rectilinear or polyhedral figure : running across from corner to corner b. : passing through two nonadjacent edges of a polyhedron < a diagonal plane > 2. a. : inclined obliquely from a reference line (as the vertical or an axis) < wood with a diagonal grain > < a map with a number of diagonal lines > < a diagonal white cross on a blue ground > b. : having diagonal markings or parts < a diagonal weave > 3. crystallog a. : having reference to certain axes of the isometric system which are the intersections between the principal and the secondary planes of symmetry b. : having reference to the directions bisecting the angles between lateral axes in the tetragonal and hexagonal systems • di·ag·o·nal·ly \-gənəl]ē, -gnəl], ]i\ adverb II. noun (-s) 1. : a straight line joining any two nonadjacent vertices of a polygon or any two vertices of a polyhedron not in the same face 2. a. : a diagonal direction : a diagonal row, arrangement, or pattern < water bugs skated hither and thither in apparently purposeless diagonals — S.E.White > < neckties with colorful diagonals > b. : a twill weave : a twilled fabric especially of wool c. : a line of squares running obliquely across a chessboard or checkerboard < one bishop moves along white diagonals > d. : something lying in a diagonal position (as in an inclined plane) < its gable wall rises from the falling diagonal of the ground — American Guide Series: Maryland > 3. : the secondary mirror in a Newtonian reflecting telescope that is used to bring the focus to the side of the tube and is usually a flat mirror but sometimes a totally reflecting 45 degrees prism 4. : the symbol / used especially to denote “or” (as in and/or), “and or” (as in straggler/deserter form), “per” (as in feet/second), “in” or “of” (as in U.S. Embassy/Paris), “shilling” (as in 6/8d), or “for” (as in 2/39) to indicate division (as in birth/death ratio) or the end of a line of verse or of a display line when quoted in running text, to separate terms of quantity (as in 5 tons/7 cwts/57 lbs) or the figures of a date (as in 1/9/56), or to enclose phonemic rather than phonetic symbols — called also oblique, scratch comma, separatrix, slant, slash, slash mark, solidus, virgule 5. : an inclined member of a truss or bracing system excepting the end post of a truss and the top chord of a roof truss whose top chords are inclined |