slant

Slant is a noun and verb that denotes an inclination or oblique orientation. Something slanted is tilted relative to a reference line, and the term can apply to physical objects, lines, directions, or the way information is presented.

In geometry and engineering, slant describes a line or surface not perpendicular or parallel to a reference axis. The slant height of a cone is the distance from the apex to any point on the base along the side, reflecting both the cone's radius and height.

In poetry and prosody, slant rhyme or near rhyme involves consonant and vowel sounds that are similar but not exact, creating an imperfect rhyme that can contribute to tone and mood. In broader language use, slant can also describe an oblique or biased presentation of a subject.

In media and typography, slant has specialized senses: as bias in reporting, and as the tilt of letters in fonts. A story may be described as slanted if its presentation emphasizes a particular viewpoint. In typography, slant refers to the tilt of characters; italics use an angled type with often distinct letterforms, while oblique styles are simply slanted counterparts of the roman forms.