Transverse is an adjective meaning lying or placed crosswise — going across something, rather than along it. Picture a long ladder: the two long side pieces run lengthwise, and every step is transverse, cut across them. That image covers nearly every use.

Transverse is an adjective meaning lying or placed crosswise是形容詞，意思是橫著放、橫著擺 going across something, rather than along it是橫向穿過某樣東西，而不是沿著它的方向走。 Picture a long ladder想像一把長梯子 the two long side pieces run lengthwise兩根長長的側邊是沿著長邊走的 and而 every step is transverse, cut across them每一根橫檔都是transverse，橫切過它們。 That image這個畫面 covers nearly every use幾乎涵蓋了它所有的用法。

It is a formal, technical word, at home in science, medicine, engineering and building, not in everyday talk.

It它 is a formal, technical word是個正式、專業的字 at home in science, medicine, engineering and building在科學、醫學、工程和建築裡很自在 not in everyday talk日常說話裡就不常見。

Doctors use it constantly: the transverse colon is the part of the large intestine that crosses the belly from side to side, and a transverse cut in surgery goes across the body rather than up and down. Physics teachers use it for transverse waves, where the shaking goes across the direction the wave travels — shake a rope up and down and the wave runs away from you sideways; light works this way, sound does not. Car engineers speak of a transverse engine, one mounted sideways in the car instead of front-to-back, which is how most small modern cars are built. Builders use transverse beams.

Doctors醫生 use it constantly經常用它 the transverse colontransverse colon（橫結腸） is the part of the large intestine that crosses the belly from side to side是大腸裡橫著穿過肚子的那一段 and而 a transverse cut in surgery手術裡的transverse cut（橫向切口） goes across the body rather than up and down是橫著切過身體，而不是上下切。 Physics teachers物理老師 use it for transverse waves用它來說transverse waves（橫波） where the shaking goes across the direction the wave travels也就是震動的方向跟波前進的方向垂直 shake a rope up and down and the wave runs away from you sideways把繩子上下甩，波就會往旁邊跑走 light works this way, sound does not光是這樣運作的，聲音不是。 Car engineers汽車工程師 speak of a transverse engine會說transverse engine（橫置引擎） one mounted sideways in the car instead of front-to-back也就是引擎橫著裝在車裡，而不是前後裝 which is how most small modern cars are built這也是大多數小型現代汽車的做法。 Builders建築師 use transverse beams會用transverse beams（橫樑）。

In ordinary conversation an English speaker would just say 'across' or 'crosswise'; if a student says 'transverse' at dinner it will sound like a textbook talking. There is also a rarer noun use, for a thing that lies across — a crosspiece — but you can safely leave that one alone.

In ordinary conversation在一般對話裡 an English speaker would just say 'across' or 'crosswise'英文母語者只會說「across」或「crosswise」 if a student says 'transverse' at dinner如果學生在吃飯時說「transverse」 it will sound like a textbook talking聽起來就會像教科書在說話。 There is also a rarer noun use它還有一個比較少見的名詞用法 for a thing that lies across指橫放的東西 a crosspiece也就是橫木 but但 you can safely leave that one alone這個用法你可以放心先不管。