horizontal
adjective
hor·​i·​zon·​tal
| \ ˌhȯr-ə-ˈzän-tᵊl
, ˌhär-\
, ˌhär-\
Definition of horizontal
1a
: of or relating to the apparent junction of earth and sky : situated near the horizon
2
: relating to, directed toward, or consisting of individuals or entities of similar status or on the same level
horizontal mergers horizontal hostility
3
medical
: relating to or being transmission (as of a disease) by physical contact or proximity in contrast with inheritance
Genes are normally inherited from parents, but they can also be inserted into a genome by viruses, plasmids, and other foreign agents—a phenomenon called horizontal transfer.— Stephan Reebs
— compare vertical sense 4
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Other Words from horizontal
horizontal
noun
horizontality
\ ˌhȯr-​ə-​ˌzän-​ˈta-​lə-​tē
, ˌhär-​ \
noun
, ˌhär-​ \
noun
horizontally
\ ˌhȯr-​ə-​ˈzän-​tᵊl-​ē
, ˌhär-​ \
adverb
, ˌhär-​ \
adverb
Examples of horizontal in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
With a knife dipped into flour, make 2 horizontal cuts and 2 vertical cuts to form 9 biscuits. — Lisa Yockelson, BostonGlobe.com, "Recipe: Fill these golden cheese biscuits with turkey, mustard-mayo, chutney, and arugula," 5 Aug. 2019 Now the dangers of horizontal gene transfer in India are being felt globally. — Ranjit Devraj, Quartz India, "Superbugs have returned to haunt India’s hospitals," 23 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'horizontal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for horizontal
horizontal
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of horizontal
: positioned from side to side rather than up and down : parallel to the ground
See the full definition for horizontal in the English Language Learners Dictionary
horizontal
adjective
hor·​i·​zon·​tal
| \ ˌhȯr-ə-ˈzän-tᵊl
\
\
Kids Definition of horizontal
(Entry 1 of 2)
: lying flat or level : parallel to the horizon
horizontal
nounKids Definition of horizontal (Entry 2 of 2)
: something (as a line or plane) that is parallel to the horizon
horizontal
adjective
hor·​i·​zon·​tal
| \ ˌhȯr-ə-ˈzänt-ᵊl, ˌhär-
\
\
Medical Definition of horizontal
1
: relating to or being a transverse plane or section of the body
2a
: relating to or being transmission (as of a disease) by physical contact or proximity in contrast with inheritance — compare vertical
b
: of or relating to horizontal gene transfer
Other Words from horizontal
horizontally
\ -​ᵊl-​ē
\
adverb
\
adverb
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horizontal
adjective
hor·​i·​zon·​tal
| \ ˌhȯr-ə-ˈzän-təl, ˌhär-
\
\
Legal Definition of horizontal
: relating to, directed toward, or consisting of individuals or entities of similar status or on the same level