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Curvature

 - 4 dictionary results

cur⋅va⋅ture

  [kur-vuh-cher, -choor]
Use Curvature in a Sentence
–noun
1. the act of curving or the state of being curved.
2. a curved condition, often abnormal: curvature of the spine.
3. the degree of curving of a line or surface.
4. Geometry.
a. (at a point on a curve) the derivative of the inclination of the tangent with respect to arc length.
b. the absolute value of this derivative.
5. something curved.
Origin:
1375–1425; late ME < L curvātūra, equiv. to curvāt(us) ptp. of curvāre to bend, curve + -ūra -ure. See -ate 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To Curvature
cur·va·ture   (kûr'və-chŏŏr', -chər)   
n.  

  1. The act of curving or the state of being curved.

  2. Mathematics

    1. The ratio of the change in the angle of a tangent that moves over a given arc to the length of the arc.

    2. The limit of this ratio as the length of the arc approaches zero.

    3. The reciprocal of the radius of a circle.

  3. Medicine A curving or bending, especially an abnormal one: curvature of the spine.


[Middle English, from Latin curvātūra, from curvātus, past participle of curvāre, to bend, from curvus, curved; see sker-2 in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: cur·va·ture
Pronunciation: 'k&r-v&-"chu(&)r, -ch&r, -"t(y)u(&)r
Function: noun
1 : an abnormal curving(as of the spine) —see KYPHOSIS, SCOLIOSIS
2 : a curved surface of an organ (as the stomach) —see GREATER CURVATURE, LESSER CURVATURE
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

curvature cur·va·ture (kûr'və-ch&oobreve;r', -chər)
n.
A curving or bending, especially an abnormal one.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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