ellipse
Use Ellipse in a sentence
noun Geometry.
a plane curve such that the sums of the distances of each point in its periphery from two fixed points, the foci, are equal. It is a conic section formed by the intersection of a right circular cone by a plane that cuts the axis and the surface of the cone. Typical equation: ( x 2 / a 2 ) + ( y 2 / b 2 ) = 1. If a = b the ellipse is a circle.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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|
Link To ellipse
00:10
Ellipse
is always a great word to know.
So is inverse function. Does it mean:
| obtained by expressing the dependent variable of function as the independent variable of another |
| axis of an ellipse that is perpendicular to the major axis |
Collins
World English Dictionary
ellipse (ɪˈlɪps) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| a closed conic section shaped like a flattened circle and formed by an inclined plane that does not cut the base of the cone. Standard equation x²/a² + y²/b² = 1, where 2a and 2b are the lengths of the major and minor axes. Area: πab | |
| [C18: back formation from | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
ellipse
1656 (implied in ellpitical), from Fr. ellipse, from L. ellipsis "ellipse," also, "a falling short, deficit," from Gk. elleipsis (see ellipse), because the conic section of the cutting plane makes a smaller angle with the base than does the side of the cone, hence, a "falling
short." First applied by Apollonius of Perga (3c. B.C.E.).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
| ellipse (ĭ-lĭps') Pronunciation Key
A closed, symmetric curve shaped like an oval, which can be formed by intersecting a cone with a plane that is not parallel or perpendicular to the cone's base. The sum of the distances of any point on an ellipse from two fixed points (called the foci) remains constant no matter where the point is on the curve. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
ellipse [(i-lips)]In geometry, a curve traced out by a point that is required to move so that the sum of its distances from two fixed points (called foci) remains constant. If the foci are identical with each other, the ellipse is a circle; if the two foci are distinct from each other, the ellipse looks like a squashed or elongated circle.
Note: The orbits of the planets and of many comets are ellipses.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
Over time, each vector's head wanders within the ellipse.
When a clause begins with as if, it must be remembered that there is an ellipse.
The ellipse superimposed on this image indicates the intended landing area.
But over tens of thousands of years, the ellipse itself shifts around, so the northern summer becomes the more intense one.
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