ellipsoid

noun

el·lip·soid | \ i-ˈlip-ˌsȯid

How to pronounce ellipsoid (audio)

, e- \

Definition of ellipsoid

: a surface all plane sections of which are ellipses or circles

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Examples of ellipsoid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web When the geoid is above the ellipsoid, the difference is subtracted. — Freddie Wilkinson, National Geographic, "How do you measure Everest? It's complicated by frostbite—and politics.," 28 Sep. 2020 Again, by elementary optics and geometry, light rays originating at one focus of a hollow reflective ellipsoid are reflected to the other focus by its inside surface. — Quanta Magazine, "How to Design a Perpetual Energy Machine," 1 Apr. 2020 The earth is slightly thicker in the equator, making it an ellipsoid, technically. — Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, "Magnetic North Pole Changes Time Zones, Just Keeps Drifting," 17 Dec. 2019 From radar observations, Psyche the asteroid appears ellipsoid in shape, about as wide as Massachusetts. — Kenneth Chang, New York Times, "A Metal Ball the Size of Massachusetts That NASA Wants to Explore," 6 Jan. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ellipsoid.' 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 ellipsoid

ellipsoidal spotlight

ellipsoid of revolution

Statistics for ellipsoid

Cite this Entry

“Ellipsoid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ellipsoid. Accessed 25 Feb. 2021.

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