angle
/ˈeɪ̯ŋ.ɡəl/ noun, verb
- noun (geometry) A figure formed by two rays which start from a common point (a plane angle) or by three planes that intersect (a solid angle). “the angle between lines A and B”
- noun (geometry) The measure of such a figure. In the case of a plane angle, this is the ratio (or proportional to the ratio) of the arc length to the radius of a section of a circle cut by the two rays, centered at their common point. In the case of a solid angle, this is the ratio of the surface area to the square of the radius of the section of a sphere. “The angle between lines A and B is π/4 radians, or 45 degrees.”
- noun A corner where two walls intersect. “an angle of a building”
- noun A change in direction. “The horse took off at an angle.”
- noun A viewpoint; a physical position to observe something.
- noun (used figuratively) A point of view; a perspective of thought.
- noun (media) The focus of a news story.
- noun Any of various hesperiid butterflies.
- verb (transitive, often in the passive) To place (something) at an angle. “The roof is angled at 15 degrees.”
- verb (intransitive, informal) To change direction rapidly. “The five ball angled off the nine ball but failed to reach the pocket.”
- verb (transitive, informal) To present or argue something in a particular way or from a particular viewpoint. “How do you want to angle this when we talk to the client?”
- verb (transitive, billiards) To hamper (oneself or one's opponent) by leaving the cue ball in the jaws of a pocket such that the surround of the pocket (the "angle") blocks the path from cue ball to object ball.
- noun A fishhook; tackle for catching fish, consisting of a line, hook, and bait, with or without a rod.
- verb (intransitive) To try to catch fish with a hook and line.
- verb (figurative, informal, with for) To attempt to subtly persuade someone to offer a desired thing. “He must be angling for a pay rise.”
- noun (historical) A member of a Germanic tribe first mentioned by Tacitus, one of several which invaded Britain and merged to become the Anglo-Saxons; an Anglian.
Synonyms
swerve -gon corner nook opinion perspective point of view slant view viewpoint lean tilt tip fish weight
Etymology
From Middle English angle, angul, angule, borrowed from Middle French angle, from Latin angulus, anglus (“corner, remote area”). Cognate with Old High German ancha (“nape of the neck”), Middle High German anke (“joint of the foot, nape of neck”). Doublet of angulus and ankle.
From Middle English anglen (“to meet at an angle, converge”), from the noun (see above).
From Middle English angel (“fishhook”), from Old English angel (“hook, fishhook”), from Proto-West Germanic *angul, from Proto-Germanic *angulaz (“hook”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂enk- (“to make crooked, bend”).
Cognate with Saterland Frisian Ongle (“fishhook; fishing pole”), West Frisian angel (“fishing rod, stinger”), Dutch angel (“fishhook”), German Angel (“fishing pole”), Luxembourgish Aangel (“fishing rod”), Icelandic öngull (“fishhook”), Norwegian Nynorsk angel, ongel, ongul (“fishhook”), Swedish angel (“pike hook”), Prasuni uku (“shoulder”).
From Middle English anglen (“to fish, fish with a hook”, literally “to fish-hook”), perhaps from Old English *anglian, from Proto-West Germanic *anglōn (“to hook”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian ongelje (“to fish, angle”), Dutch hengelen (“to fish, angle”), German Low German angeln (“to fish, angle”), German angeln (“to fish, angle”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun The inclosed space near the point where two lines; a corner; a nook.
- noun (a) The figure made by. two lines which meet.
- verb To fish with an angle (fishhook), or with hook and line.
- verb To use some bait or artifice; to intrigue; to scheme; as, to angle for praise.
Etymology [F. angle, L. angulus angle, corner; akin to uncus hook, Gr. angel hook, fish-hook, G. angel, and F. anchor.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “angle”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details