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Definition of ellipse
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Recent Examples of ellipse from the Web
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In the absence of psychological development or real suspense, chapters end with portentous rhetorical ellipses.
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Official transcripts replace expletives with ellipses after the first letter of the word, as most local newspapers also do.
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The floor of the upper ellipse also curves up and down, giving the hall an unfixed, fluctuating profile.
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When talking about Wilson, Ciara's elocution is dotted with ellipses and hyperbole.
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The ASU team found room for two target ellipses 80 kilometers long by 50 kilometers wide on either side of a five-kilometer crater at their site’s center.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ellipse'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
A closed curve consisting of points whose distances from each of two fixed points (foci) all add up to the same value is an ellipse. The midpoint between the foci is the center. One property of an ellipse is that the reflection off its boundary of a line from one focus will pass through the other. As a result, in an elliptical room, a person whispering at one focus is easily heard by someone at the other. An oval may or may not fit the definition of an ellipse.
Illustration of ellipse
Origin and Etymology of ellipse
Greek elleipsis
Other Mathematics and Statistics Terms
ELLIPSE Defined for English Language Learners
ellipse
playDefinition of ellipse for English Language Learners
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: a shape that resembles a flattened circle
ELLIPSE Defined for Kids
ellipse
playDefinition of ellipse for Students
: a shape that looks like a flattened circle
Learn More about ellipse
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See words that rhyme with ellipse Spanish Central: Translation of ellipse Nglish: Translation of ellipse for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ellipse
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