sidelong
advEtymology 1520s, from Middle English sidlyng (early 14th century), from side + -lyng (“(frequentative)”) (modern English -le (“(frequentative)”)). Reanalyzed as side + long.
1
Towards the side; sideways.
2
obliquely
sidelong
adjUS /ˈsaɪd.lɑŋ/ · UK /ˈsaɪd.lɒŋ/
Etymology 1520s, from Middle English sidlyng (early 14th century), from side + -lyng (“(frequentative)”) (modern English -le (“(frequentative)”)). Reanalyzed as side + long.
1
Directed to the side; sideways.
- He cast me a sidelong glance.
2
Slanting or sloping; oblique.
3
Indirect; suggestive; not straightforward.
- She made some sidelong remarks about his manhood.
4
Along the side of something.
- The passenger train was signalled from one of the west end bay platforms along the Down South Line; as it passed through a crossover to the Up South Line the freight train, which had been travelling slowly to the Up South Line, over-ran the signal protecting the crossover and came into sidelong collision with it.1961 February, “Talking of Trains: Collision at Newcastle”, in Trains Illustrated, page 76:
- Synonyms
- inside-out