ellipse

el·lipse | \ i-ˈlips

How to pronounce ellipse (audio)

, e- \

Definition of ellipse

1a : oval

b : a closed plane curve generated by a point moving in such a way that the sums of its distances from two fixed points is a constant : a plane section of a right circular cone that is a closed curve

The Property of an Ellipse Example Sentences Learn More about ellipse

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Examples of ellipse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Kepler himself later rejected this model, after concluding that the orbits of the planets did not form the singular perfect shape of a circle, but instead had the ugly appearance of an ellipse, which can take one of a whole range of shapes. — Quanta Magazine, "The Two Forms of Mathematical Beauty," 16 June 2020 In other words, the orbit can be elliptical, but the ellipse can have any orientation in space. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "We now have more evidence that Galileo likely never said “And yet it moves”," 17 May 2020 Supermoons occur because the moon orbits the Earth in the shape of an ellipse. — Isabel Garcia, House Beautiful, "The Most Incredible Photos of March's Super Worm Moon," 11 Mar. 2020 Instead of sinking below the horizon, the sun moves in an ellipse, perpetually overhead and completely disorienting to anyone who’s never experienced it. — BostonGlobe.com, "In Norway, so much beauty — 24 hours a day — and fear of its demise - The Boston Globe," 26 Sep. 2019 Any straight line drawn from one focus to the circumference of the ellipse is reflected to the other focus. — Quanta Magazine, "Solution: ‘Is Infinity Real?’," 30 June 2016 An ellipse is a geometric figure that has two foci. — Quanta Magazine, "Solution: ‘Is Infinity Real?’," 30 June 2016 The ellipse, heretofore so carefully constructed, appears doomed. — Sharon Mizota, latimes.com, "‘Migrant Caravan’ isn’t so different from ‘Disco!’ in this artist’s hands," 1 July 2019 The circle became an ellipse, expanding east, pushed by the gust. — Kevin Dupzyk, Popular Mechanics, "Charred and Burned: The School That Turns Firefighters Into Fire Detectives," 4 Oct. 2018

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.

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Dictionary Entries near ellipse

Elliot's pheasant

Statistics for ellipse

Last Updated

30 Jun 2020

Cite this Entry

“Ellipse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ellipse. Accessed 2 Jul. 2020.

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