longitudinal

longitudinal — 形容詞

1. relating to the imaginary north-south lines on maps that help measure how far ea

1.形容詞B2
釋義

經度的

與地球經線座標有關的

relating to the imaginary north-south lines on maps that help measure how far east or west a place is from a starting point known as the prime meridian.

例句

The map shows the longitudinal lines that help sailors find their position at sea.

這張地圖顯示出經度線，能幫助水手在海上找到自己的位置。

attributive before noun: longitudinal lines

Sari checked the longitudinal coordinates before planning her trip across Asia.

Sari 在規劃亞洲之旅前，先查閱了經度座標。

同義詞
  • meridional

    purely technical synonym used mainly in geography and astronomy; not common in everyday English

反義詞
  • latitudinal

    refers to lines of latitude, which run east-west rather than north-south

文法句型

longitudinal + noun (lines, coordinates, position)

用法筆記

Frequently appears paired with 'latitudinal' in geography contexts. The longitudinal lines themselves are also called 'meridians'.

常見錯誤

❌The equator is a longitudinal line.
✅The equator is a latitudinal line.
💡Longitudinal lines run north-south, not east-west.

2. running in the head-to-foot direction of a living body, or along the longest sid

2.形容詞C1
釋義

縱向的

沿身體或器官長軸方向的

running in the head-to-foot direction of a living body, or along the longest side of an organ or limb — for example, a surgical cut that follows the length of an arm instead of going across it.

例句

The surgeon made a longitudinal cut along Ife's arm to reach the damaged muscle.

外科醫生沿著 Ife 的手臂做了一道縱向切口，以觸及受損的肌肉。

anatomical context: longitudinal cut along [body part]

The MRI scan showed a longitudinal tear in Paloma's shoulder tendon.

核磁共振影像顯示 Paloma 的肩膀肌腱有一道縱向撕裂。

同義詞
  • axial

    broader term used in anatomy and engineering; not limited to body orientation

  • sagittal

    more specific — refers to the plane dividing left and right, which is also longitudinal but not all longitudinal cuts are sagittal

反義詞
  • transverse

    going across the body's width rather than along its length

文法句型

longitudinal + noun (axis, cut, section, tear, muscle)

用法筆記

Contrasts with 'transverse' or 'crosswise' in medical descriptions. Not used in everyday conversation — appears mainly in clinical notes, anatomy textbooks, and physical therapy reports.

常見錯誤

❌The surgeon made a longitudinal cut across the patient's stomach.
✅The surgeon made a transverse cut across the patient's stomach.
💡A longitudinal cut goes along the length, not across the width.

3. describing a type of research that follows the same group of people over many mo

3.形容詞B2
釋義

縱貫的

長期追蹤同一群體的研究方法

describing a type of research that follows the same group of people over many months or years, watching how they change, develop, or respond to factors over time.

例句

A longitudinal study followed five hundred families in Taiwan for twenty years.

一項縱貫研究追蹤了台灣五百個家庭長達二十年。

attributive before noun: longitudinal study

Researchers used longitudinal data to understand how diet affects children's learning.

研究人員利用縱貫資料來了解飲食如何影響兒童的學習能力。

同義詞
  • long-term

    less formal and broader in meaning; not restricted to research methodology

反義詞
  • cross-sectional

    describes research that observes different groups at one point in time, like a snapshot

文法句型

longitudinal + noun (study, research, data, survey)

用法筆記

Common in academic and public-health writing. Distinguish from 'cross-sectional' studies, which observe different groups at a single point in time. A longitudinal study is the opposite — it watches the same people repeatedly.

常見錯誤

❌The scientist conducted a longitudinal study over one week.
✅The scientist conducted a longitudinal study over six years.
💡Longitudinal research requires repeated observation over a long period.

4. placed, arranged, or moving along the longer side or dimension of an object, rat

4.形容詞B2
釋義

直向的

沿物體較長一側排列的，而非橫向

placed, arranged, or moving along the longer side or dimension of an object, rather than across its width.

例句

Lisa cut the carrot into thin longitudinal slices for the salad.

Lisa 把紅蘿蔔切成薄薄的直向薄片來做沙拉。

attributive: longitudinal slices

The carpenter placed the boards in a longitudinal direction along the floor.

木匠將木板沿著地板以直向排列。

attributive: longitudinal direction

同義詞
  • lengthwise

    more common in everyday language; 'longitudinal' sounds more technical or formal

  • axial

    used in technical contexts; refers to the central axis of an object

反義詞
  • transverse

    going across the width rather than along the length

  • crosswise

    everyday equivalent of transverse

文法句型

longitudinal + noun (cut, slice, groove, direction)

用法筆記

Often contrasts with 'transverse' or 'crosswise'. Common in carpentry, textiles, engineering, and food preparation contexts. In everyday English, 'lengthwise' is more common than 'longitudinal' for this sense.

常見錯誤

❌She made a longitudinal cut across the width of the fabric.
✅She made a longitudinal cut along the length of the fabric.
💡Longitudinal means lengthwise, not across.