straight line

/streɪt laɪn/

/streɪt laɪn/

Other forms: straight lines

Definitions of straight line

1. noun

   a line traced by a point traveling in a constant direction; a line of zero curvature
   “the shortest distance between two points is a straight line”

   antonyms:

   curve

   the trace of a point whose direction of motion changes

   types:

   perpendicular

   a straight line at right angles to another line

   asymptote

   a straight line that is the limiting value of a curve; can be considered as tangent at infinity

   tangent

   a straight line or plane that touches a curve or curved surface at only one point

   secant

   a straight line that intersects a curve at two or more points

   radius

   a straight line from the center to the perimeter of a circle (or from the center to the surface of a sphere)

   diameter

   a straight line connecting the center of a circle with two points on its perimeter (or the center of a sphere with two points on its surface)

   chord

   a straight line connecting two points on a curve

   element

   a straight line that generates a cylinder or cone

   bias, diagonal

   a line or cut across a fabric that is not at right angles to a side of the fabric

   diagonal

   (geometry) a straight line connecting any two vertices of a polygon that are not adjacent

   vector

   a straight line segment whose length is magnitude and whose orientation in space is direction

   element of a cone

   a straight line joining the apex and a point on the base

   element of a cylinder

   a straight line running the length of the cylinder

   ray

   (mathematics) a straight line extending from a point

   type of:

   line

   a length (straight or curved) without breadth or thickness; the trace of a moving point