1520s, fromMiddle Englishsidlyng (early 14th century), fromside +-lyng(“(frequentative)”) (modern English-le(“(frequentative)”)). Reanalyzed asside +long.[1]
sidelong (notcomparable)
- Directed to theside;sideways.
He cast me asidelong glance.
- Slanting orsloping;oblique.
- Indirect;suggestive; notstraightforward.
She made somesidelong remarks about his manhood.
- Along the side of something.
1961 February, “Talking of Trains: Collision at Newcastle”, inTrains Illustrated, page76: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 intosidelong collision with it.
sidelong (comparativemoresidelong,superlativemostsidelong)
- Towards the side; sideways.
- obliquely
