diagonal
pronunciation
How to pronounce diagonal in British English:
UK [daɪˈægənl]
How to pronounce diagonal in American English:
US [daɪˈæɡənəl]
-
- Noun:
- (geometry) a straight line connecting any two vertices of a polygon that are not adjacent
- a line or cut across a fabric that is not at right angles to a side of the fabric
- an oblique line of squares of the same color on a checkerboard
- (mathematics) a set of entries in a square matrix running diagonally either from the upper left to lower right entry or running from the upper right to lower left entry
- a punctuation mark (/) used to separate related items of information
-
- Adjective:
- at an angle; especially connecting two nonadjacent corners of a plane figure or any two corners of a solid that are not in the same face
- having an oblique or slanted direction
Word Origin
- diagonal
- diagonal: [16] Diagonal is commonly used simply as a synonym for oblique, but in strict mathematical terms it denotes a line joining two non-adjacent angles of a polygon. This reveals far more clearly its origins. It comes from diagōnālis, a Latin adjective derived from Greek diagónios. This was a compound formed from the prefix dia- ‘across’ and gōníā ‘angle’ (as in English polygon), meaning ‘from angle to angle’. Gōníā is related ultimately to English knee and genuine.=> genuine, knee, polygon
- diagonal (adj.)
- 1540s (implied in diagonally), from Middle French diagonal, from Latin diagonalis, from diagonus "slanting line," from Greek diagonios "from angle to angle," from dia- "across" (see dia-) + gonia "angle" (see -gon). As a noun, from 1570s.
Example
- 1. However , when you started , the cards on the diagonal were the wrong way up compared to the chessboard pattern .
- 2. Diagonal lines tend to have the appearance of falling .
- 3. Finally , choose a relatively large display . For a desktop computer , select a display that has a diagonal screen size of at least 19 inches .
- 4. The front of the new nano sports a square ( 1.54-inch diagonal ) lcd display with a resolution of 240 by 240 pixels .
- 5. Sampling the signal at a rate much higher than needed to satisfy nyquist helps avoid " aliasing " - the step-like edges to diagonal lines in images caused by a sensor 's square pixels .