concavity

noun

con·​cav·​i·​ty kän-ˈka-və-tē How to pronounce concavity (audio)
plural concavities
1
: a concave line, surface, or space : hollow
2
: the quality or state of being concave

Examples of concavity in a Sentence

the concavity of the lens The lower back forms a concavity. The large concavities along the wall of the restaurant are like private rooms.
Recent Examples on the Web Antonio Stradivari, for instance, carefully tinkered with the geometry of his violins—the relative concavity of the back and the front, the thickness of the wood—to produce his legendary results. Chris Almeida, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2024 Fluted white marble columns sit on black granite pedestals, carrying the eye upward to where lines slide over, folds narrow, and concavities become convex. Justin Davidson, Curbed, 3 Aug. 2023 The bump settled into the concavity of the sink. Morgan Thomas, The Atlantic, 16 May 2021 In addition to measurements, scientists were also able to detect a large, broad concavity in one of the asteroid's two hemispheres as well as subtle dark and lighter regions that indicate small-scale surface features a few dozen meters across. Ariana Garcia, Chron, 22 Feb. 2023 The right side of the head was one enormous concavity, which Lacassagne attributed to strikes from the bottle. Douglas Starr, Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2011 Father pushed boards with his palm to make the concavity recede into dust. Oliver De La Paz Victoria Chang, New York Times, 23 Nov. 2022 Trick skis are more likely to have a subtle concavity or flat bottom. Chris Meehan, Popular Mechanics, 12 June 2022 However, toward the edges, the concavity flattens out, allowing a flat surface for riding straight. Chris Meehan, Popular Mechanics, 12 June 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'concavity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of concavity was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near concavity

Cite this Entry

“Concavity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/concavity. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

concavity

noun
con·​cav·​i·​ty kän-ˈkav-ət-ē How to pronounce concavity (audio)
plural concavities
1
: a concave surface or space
2
: the quality or state of being concave
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