skew

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skew / skyoō/ • adj. 1. neither parallel nor at right angles to a specified or implied line; askew; crooked: his hat looked slightly skew a skew angle. ∎  Statistics (of a statistical distribution) not symmetrical.2. Math. (of a pair of lines) neither parallel nor intersecting. ∎  (of a curve) not lying in a plane.• n. an oblique angle; a slant. ∎  a bias toward one particular group or subject: the paper had a working-class skew. ∎  Statistics the state of not being symmetrical.• v. [intr.] suddenly change direction or position: the car had skewed across the track. ∎  twist or turn or cause to do this: he skewed around in his saddle | [tr.] his leg was skewed in and pushed against the other one. ∎  [tr.] make biased or distorted in a way that is regarded as inaccurate, unfair, or misleading: the curriculum is skewed toward the practical subjects. ∎  [tr.] Statistics cause (a distribution) to be asymmetrical.DERIVATIVES: skew·ness n.

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