Dictionary Thesaurus Word Dynamo Quotes Reference Translator Spanish

parallax

[par-uh-laks]

Example Sentences Origin

Parallax at DigiKey www.digikey.com Authorized Parallax Distributor. Same Day Shipping at DigiKey!

Parallax www.parallaxdigital.com Corporate/Retail/Display Graphics One source print, finish, fulfill

Parallax Definition Dictionary.com Find Definitions For Any Word.Get Your Free Dictionary.com Toolbar.

Ads

noun

the apparent displacement of an observed object due to a change in the position of the observer.

Astronomy. the apparent angular displacement of a celestial body due to its being observed from the surface instead of from the center of the earth (diurnal parallax or geocentric parallax) or due to its being observed from the earth instead of from the sun (annual parallax or heliocentric parallax). Compare parallactic ellipse.

the difference between the view of an object as seen through the picture-taking lens of a camera and the view as seen through a separate viewfinder.

an apparent change in the position of cross hairs as viewed through a telescope, when the focusing is imperfect.

Origin:
1585–95; < Greek parállaxis change, equivalent to parallak- (stem of parallássein to cause to alternate, equivalent to para- para-¹ + allássein to vary, akin to állos other; see else, allo-) + -sis -sis

Related forms

par·al·lac·tic

[par-uh-lak-tik] , adjective

par·al·lac·ti·cal·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source

Link To parallax

:10

:09

:08

:07

:06

:05

:04

:03

:02

:01

Parallax is always a great word to know.

So is crescent. Does it mean:

marking the time when the sun is at the north most point from the celestial equator occurring around June 21

the figure of the moon in its first or last quarter, resembling a segment of a ring tapering to points at the ends

LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

Example Sentences

Motion parallax governs the way objects appear to move when the eyes or head are shifted.

When switched on, the parallax barrier controls the direction at which the light leaves the display and the way it hits your eyes.

Then you have a parallax correction for the upper and lower limb''.

EXPAND

Collins

World English Dictionary

parallax (ˈpærəˌlæks)

—n
1.	an apparent change in the position of an object resulting from a change in position of the observer
2.	astronomy the angle subtended at a celestial body, esp a star, by the radius of the earth's orbit. Annual or heliocentric parallax is the apparent displacement of a nearby star resulting from its observation from the earth. Diurnal or geocentric parallax results from the observation of a planet, the sun, or the moon from the surface of the earth

[C17: via French from New Latin parallaxis, from Greek: change, from parallassein to change, from para-¹ + allassein to alter]

parallactic

—*adj*

paral'lactically

—*adv*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

parallax

1580, from M.Fr. parallaxe (1557), from Gk. parallaxis "change, alteration, inclination of two lines meeting at an angle," from parallassein "to alter, make things alternate," from para- "beside" + allassein "to change," from allos "other" (see alias).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source

American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

parallax par·al·lax (pār'ə-lāks')
n.
The apparent displacement of an object caused by a change in the position from which it is viewed.

par'al·lac'tic (-lāk'tĭk) adj.

American Heritage

Science Dictionary

parallax

(pār'ə-lāks') Pronunciation Key

(click for larger image in new window)

An apparent shift in the position of an object, such as a star, caused by a change in the observer's position that provides a new line of sight. The parallax of nearby stars caused by observing them from opposite points in Earth's orbit around the Sun is used in estimating the stars' distance from Earth through triangulation.

Word Dynamo By Dictionary.com

Searching for parallax?
How many words do you actually know?

FIND OUT

heliocentric parallax parallactic ellipse parsec

Matching Quote

"Writers may be classified as meteors, planets, and fixed stars. A meteor makes a striking effect for a moment. You look up and cry "There!" and it is gone forever. Planets and wandering stars last a much longer time. They often outshine the fixed stars and are confounded by them by the inexperienced; but this only because they are near. It is not long before they must yield their place; nay, the light they give is reflected only, and the sphere of their influence is confined to their orbit—their contemporaries. Their path is one of change and movement, and with the circuit of a few years their tale is told. Fixed stars are the only ones that are constant; their position in the firmament is secure; they shine with a light of their own; their effect today is the same as it was yesterday, because, having no parallax, their appearance does not alter with a difference in our standpoint. They belong not to one system, one nation only, but to the universe. And just because they are so very far away, it is usually many years before their light is visible to the inhabitants of this earth."

-Arthur Schopenhauer

Partners:Word Bloglines Citysearch The Daily Beast Ask Answers Ask Kids Life123 Sendori Thesaurus

About Privacy Policy Terms of Use API Careers Advertise with Us Contact Us Help