Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Skew?

\Skew\, adv. [Cf. D. scheef. Dan. ski?v, Sw. skef, Icel. skeifr, G. schief, also E. shy, a. & v. i.] Awry; obliquely; askew.
\Skew\, a. Turned or twisted to one side; situated obliquely; skewed; -- chiefly used in technical phrases. {Skew arch}, an oblique arch. See under {Oblique}. {Skew back}. (Civil Engin.) (a) The course of masonry, the stone, or the iron plate, having an inclined face, which forms the abutment for the voussoirs of a segmental arch. (b) A plate, cap, or shoe, having an inclined face to receive the nut of a diagonal brace, rod, or the end of an inclined strut, in a truss or frame. {Skew bridge}. See under {Bridge}, n. {Skew curve} (Geom.), a curve of double curvature, or a twisted curve. See {Plane curve}, under {Curve}. {Skew gearing}, or {Skew bevel gearing} (Mach.), toothed gearing, generally resembling bevel gearing, for connecting two shafts that are neither parallel nor intersecting, and in which the teeth slant across the faces of the gears. {Skew surface} (Geom.), a ruled surface such that in general two successive generating straight lines do not intersect; a warped surface; as, the helicoid is a skew surface. {Skew symmetrical determinant} (Alg.), a determinant in which the elements in each column of the matrix are equal to the elements of the corresponding row of the matrix with the signs changed, as in (1), below. (1) 0 2 -3-2 0 53 -5 0 (2) 4 -1 71 8 -2-7 2 1 Note: This requires that the numbers in the diagonal from the upper left to lower right corner be zeros. A like determinant in which the numbers in the diagonal are not zeros is a skew determinant, as in (2), above.
\Skew\, n. (Arch.) A stone at the foot of the slope of a gable, the offset of a buttress, or the like, cut with a sloping surface and with a check to receive the coping stones and retain them in place.
\Skew\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Skewed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Skewing}.] 1. To walk obliquely; to go sidling; to lie or move obliquely. Child, you must walk straight, without skewing. --L'Estrange. 2. To start aside; to shy, as a horse. [Prov. Eng.] 3. To look obliquely; to squint; hence, to look slightingly or suspiciously. --Beau. & Fl.
\Skew\, v. t. [See {Skew}, adv.] 1. To shape or form in an oblique way; to cause to take an oblique position. 2. To throw or hurl obliquely.