plural tori
ˈtȯr-ˌī 
-ˌē
1
: a large molding of convex profile commonly occurring as the lowest molding in the base of a column
2
: the thickening of a membrane closing a wood-cell pit (as of gymnosperm tracheids) having the secondary cell wall arched over the pit cavity
3
: a doughnut-shaped surface generated by a circle rotated about an axis in its plane that does not intersect the circle
broadly
: toroid
4
: a smooth rounded anatomical protuberance (such as a bony ridge on the skull)
Examples of torus in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Webb’s instruments were able to tell that most of the droplets of water from the vapor Enceladus regularly spews out don’t stay within the torus near the moon.
—
Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 13 June 2023
Billiard trajectories on the table correspond to trajectories on the torus, and vice versa.
—Quanta Magazine, 15 Feb. 2024
In 2020, Denne and two of her undergraduate students — John Carr Haden and Troy Larsen — were studying knots that can be drawn on the surface of a torus, or doughnut.
—Kevin Hartnett, Quanta Magazine, 5 Jan. 2024
Why should anyone other than a mathematician care about a torus or a string hidden within higher dimensions?Because topology can affect and constrain geometry in the physical world.
—Pamela Weintraub, Discover Magazine, 28 June 2023
The simplest torus knot — indeed, the simplest nontrivial knot, period — is called a trefoil.
—Kevin Hartnett, Quanta Magazine, 5 Jan. 2024
The torus, a sphere with a hole in the middle, is a different form.
—Pamela Weintraub, Discover Magazine, 28 June 2023
The observations Webb beamed back indicate that only about 30 percent of that water stays in the torus, while 70 percent is dispersed throughout the rest of the Saturnian system.
—Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 13 June 2023
Next, map the circle onto the two-dimensional surface of an inner tube (a one-holed torus).
—Kevin Hartnett, Quanta Magazine, 22 Aug. 2023
Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 13 June 2023
Billiard trajectories on the table correspond to trajectories on the torus, and vice versa.
—Quanta Magazine, 15 Feb. 2024
In 2020, Denne and two of her undergraduate students — John Carr Haden and Troy Larsen — were studying knots that can be drawn on the surface of a torus, or doughnut.
—Kevin Hartnett, Quanta Magazine, 5 Jan. 2024
Why should anyone other than a mathematician care about a torus or a string hidden within higher dimensions?Because topology can affect and constrain geometry in the physical world.
—Pamela Weintraub, Discover Magazine, 28 June 2023
The simplest torus knot — indeed, the simplest nontrivial knot, period — is called a trefoil.
—Kevin Hartnett, Quanta Magazine, 5 Jan. 2024
The torus, a sphere with a hole in the middle, is a different form.
—Pamela Weintraub, Discover Magazine, 28 June 2023
The observations Webb beamed back indicate that only about 30 percent of that water stays in the torus, while 70 percent is dispersed throughout the rest of the Saturnian system.
—Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 13 June 2023
Next, map the circle onto the two-dimensional surface of an inner tube (a one-holed torus).
—Kevin Hartnett, Quanta Magazine, 22 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'torus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near torus
Cite this Entry
“Torus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/torus. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
torus
noun
to·rus
ˈtōr-əs, ˈtȯr-
plural tori
ˈtō(ə)r-ˌī
ˈtȯ(ə)r-
ˈtȯ(ə)r-
-ˌē
1
: a doughnut-shaped surface generated by a circle rotated about an axis in its plane that does not intersect the circle
2
: a smooth rounded anatomical protuberance (as a bony ridge on the skull)
a supraorbital torus
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