elliptical

play

adjective el·lip·ti·cal \ i-ˈlip-ti-kəl , e- \

variants: or elliptic play \i-ˈlip-tik, e-\

Definition of elliptical

1 :of, relating to, or shaped like an ellipse

2 a :of, relating to, or marked by ellipsis or an ellipsis

b (1) :of, relating to, or marked by extreme economy of speech or writing

(2) :of or relating to deliberate obscurity (as of literary or conversational style)

—

elliptically

play \i-ˈlip-ti-k(ə-)lē, e-\ adverb

See elliptical defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of elliptical from the Web

The orbits of the Earth, moon, and sun are elliptical, so at times these bodies are closer and farther away from each other.

— jay bennett, Popular Mechanics, "One Day There Will Be No More Total Solar Eclipses," 18 Aug. 2017
Every 16 years, its highly elliptical orbit takes it in close to the black hole—

— daniel clery, Science | AAAS, "Star hurtling towards massive black hole may seal deal for Einstein’s theory of general relativity," 9 Aug. 2017
The new fitness room has step machines, a four station weight machine, an upright bike, an elliptical trainer, a treadmill, hand weights, and medicine balls.

— michael walsh, Courant Community, "Farmington Senior Center Opens Fitness Center," 7 July 2017
In any case, the second stage engine was expected to fire for nearly six minutes to complete the climb to an initial, highly elliptical orbit.

— william harwood, CBS News, "3rd time's the charm for SpaceX comsat launch," 5 July 2017
This has finally eased a little of my chronic pain and even allowed me to resume some of my former activities, like swimming, walking longer distances, and using the elliptical.

— laura kiesel, SELF, "I Depend on Medicaid to Survive, but Congress Wants to Take It Away," 29 June 2017
Martinez used an elliptical machine for 10 minutes on Wednesday and took swings off a batting tee.

— anthony fenech, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Tigers' Victor Martinez cleared to participate in light workouts," 22 June 2017
Walking Elliptical training Low-grade terrain hikes High-Impact Aim for 30-45 minutes, 2-3 days each week.

— Philly.com, "Healthy Bones 101: A fitness routine to help fight bone loss," 21 June 2017
The misalignment is the unique result of the Earth’s 23.5-degree tilt and our elliptical orbit around the sun (read more).

— justin grieser, Washington Post, "The summer solstice is Wednesday — here’s a guide to the longest day of the year," 20 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'elliptical.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of elliptical

Greek elleiptikos defective, marked by ellipsis, from elleipein

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1656

See Words from the same year

elliptical Synonyms

Synonyms

ambiguous, arcane, cryptic, dark, deep, Delphic, double-edged, obscure (or elliptic), enigmatic (also enigmatical), equivocal, fuliginous, inscrutable, murky, mysterious, mystic, nebulous, occult, opaque

Antonyms

accessible, clear, nonambiguous, obvious, plain, unambiguous, unequivocal

Near Antonyms

comprehensible, fathomable, intelligible, knowable, legible, pellucid, understandable; bright, distinct, evident, self-evident, self-explanatory; certain, firm, strong, sure; defined, determined; direct, straightforward; definite, exact, explicit; appreciable, palpable, tangible, visible; blatant, patent, unmistakable

elliptical

noun

Definition of elliptical

plural ellipticals

1 :elliptical galaxy

In Hubble's scheme, galaxies are divided into ellipticals and spirals.
—Roberto G. Abraham et al.

2 :elliptical trainer

Ellipticals move in a smooth, oval motion, like riding a bike standing up, and offer great features like your beloved treadmill.
—Monique Savin

Recent Examples of elliptical from the Web

Colleagues chimed in to say the images looked like ellipticals and spirals—familiar species of galaxies.

— science news staff, Science | AAAS, "AI is changing how we do science. Get a glimpse," 5 July 2017
Right after the New Year, people are seen waiting in line for the treadmills, ellipticals and weight machines.

— debbie bosak, Post-Tribune, "Warm weather can put a wrench in fitness routine," 28 June 2017
If losing some weight joins cutting your cable bill on your list of resolutions, check our reviews of diet plans and exercise equipment such as ellipticals, rowing machines, spin bikes, and treadmills.

— Fox News, "5 ways to slash your monthly cable TV bill," 1 Jan. 2014