I.sidelong, slanting, awry, oblique (freq. and class.; cf.: transversus, imus).
I. Lit.: “motus corporis, pronus, obliquus, supinus,” Cic. Div. 1, 53, 120: “hos partim obliquos, partim aversos, partim etiam adversos stare vobis,” on one side of you, sideways, id. Rep. 6, 19, 20: “obliquo claudicare pede,” Ov. Am. 2, 17, 20: “sublicae,” Caes. B. G. 4, 17: “ordines,” id. ib. 7, 73: “iter,” id. B. C. 1, 70: “obliquam facere imaginem,” a side-likeness, profile, Plin. 35, 10, 36, § 90: “chordae,” i. e. of the triangular harp, Juv. 3, 64: “verris obliquum meditantis ictum Sanguine donare,” Hor. C. 3, 22, 7: “obliquo dente timendus aper,” Ov. H. 4, 104: “rex aquarum cursibus obliquis fluens,” id. M. 9, 18: “radix,” id. ib. 10, 491: “obliquo capite speculari,” Plin. 8, 24, 36, § 88: “non istic obliquo oculo mea commoda quisquam Limat,” with a sidelong glance, an envious look, Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 37: “non obliquis oculis sed circumacto capite cernere,” Plin. 11, 37, 55, § 151: “obliquoque notat Proserpina vultu,” Stat. S. 2, 6, 102.— Adverbial phrases: ab obliquo, ex obliquo, per obliquum, in obliquum, obliquum, from the side, sideways, not straight on: “ab obliquo,” Ov. R. Am. 121: “nec supra ipsum nec infra, sed ex obliquo,” Plin. 2, 31, 31, § 99: “serpens per obliquum similis sagittae Terruit mannos,” Hor. C. 3, 27, 6: “cancri in obliquom aspiciunt,” Plin. 11, 37, 55, § 152: obliquum, obliquely, askance: “oculis obliquum respiciens,” App. M. 3, p. 140.—Comp.: “quia positio signiferi circa media sui obliquior est,” Plin. 2, 77, 79, § 188.—
II. Fig.
A. Of relationship, not direct, collateral (poet. and late Lat.): “obliquum a patre genus,” i. e. not born of the same mother with myself, Stat. Th. 5, 221: “obliquo maculat qui sanguine regnum,” by collateral consanguinity, Luc. 8, 286; cf.: “tertio gradu veniunt ... ex obliquo fratris sororisque filius,” Paul. Sent. 4, 11, 3.—
B. Of speech.
1. Indirect, covert: “obliquis orationibus carpere aliquem,” Suet. Dom. 2: “insectatio,” Tac. A. 14, 11: “dicta,” Aur. Vict. Epit. 9: “verba,” Amm. 15, 5, 4.—
2. In a bad sense, envious, hostile (post-class.): “Cato adversus potentes semper obliquus,” Flor. 4, 2, 9.—
3. In gram.
a. Obliquus casus, an oblique case (i. e. all the cases except the nom. and voc.), opp. rectus: “alia casus habent et rectos et obliquos,” Varr. L. L. 8, § 49 Müll.—
b. Obliqua oratio, indirect speech: apud historicos reperiuntur obliquae allocutiones, ut in T. Livii primo statim libro (c. 9): urbes quoque, ut cetera, ex infimo nasci; “deinde, etc.,” Quint. 9, 2, 37: “oratio,” Just. 38, 3, 11.— Hence, adv.: oblīquē , sideways, athwart, obliquely.
A. Lit. (class.): “quae (atomi) recte, quae oblique ferantur,” Cic. Fin. 1, 6, 20: “sublicae oblique agebantur,” Caes. B. G. 4, 17, 9: procedere. Plin. 9, 30, 50, § 95: “situs signifer,” id. 2, 15, 13, § 63.—
B. Trop., indirectly, covertly (post-Aug.): “aliquem castigare,” Tac. A. 3, 35: “perstringere aliquem,” id. ib. 5, 2: “admonere,” Gell. 3, 2, 16: “agere,” id. 7, 17, 4.