skew JUST WRITTEN FOR YOU
/skjuː/ · skew
noun
- A thing that is positioned obliquely or at an angle. The picture hung at a noticeable skew on the wall.
- An oblique or sideways movement. The boat made a sudden skew to avoid the rocks.
- A bias or distortion in a particular direction, especially in data or results. The survey showed a skew toward younger respondents.
verb
- To shape or position something in an oblique way. He skewed the wooden plank to fit the uneven floor.
- To bias or distort something, especially data, in a particular direction. A disproportionate number of female subjects in the study group skewed the results.
- To hurl or throw. She skewed the ball across the field with a powerful swing.
adjective
- Neither parallel nor at right angles to a given line; askew. The architect designed a striking skew arch for the bridge.
- Describing two lines in three‑dimensional space that are neither intersecting nor parallel. The skew lines in the model illustrate non‑coplanar geometry.
- Of a statistical distribution: asymmetrical about its mean. The income data exhibited a positive skew, with a long tail toward higher values.
adverb
- Askew, obliquely; awry. The sign hung skew, catching the eye of every passerby.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Did you know? Although 'skew' originally meant 'to shoot' in Old Norse, its modern statistical sense of a 'skewed distribution' was coined only in the early 1900s.