elliptical

adjective

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el·lip·ti·cal | \ i-ˈlip-ti-kəl

, e- \

variants: or elliptic \ i-ˈlip-tik

, e- \

Definition of elliptical

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

2a : 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)

elliptical

noun

plural ellipticals

Definition of elliptical (Entry 2 of 2)

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

Other Words from elliptical Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing elliptical Learn More About elliptical

Examples of elliptical in a Sentence

Adjective The moon follows an elliptical path around the Earth. a writer with an elliptical style

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Earth’s elliptical orbit around the sun changes its shape slightly on periods of 100,000 and 400,000 years known as the Milankovitch cycles. — Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Apr. 2022 Juno flies on an unusual elliptical orbit of Jupiter, which takes it far from the planet only to swing in close every 43 days. — Jamie Carter, Forbes, 12 Apr. 2022 He's been posting Instagram videos of himself working out on an elliptical machine and lifting weights. — Khari Thompson, USA TODAY, 31 Mar. 2022 The moon's orbit of Earth follows what scientists call an elliptical path, shaped more like an oval than a circle. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, 13 Jan. 2022 Well, shortly after this eclipse—just under 2 days later—the Moon reaches the apogee of its slightly elliptical orbital path around the Earth. — Jamie Carter, Forbes, 11 Nov. 2021 What emerges is a kind of forensic examination of Garrett family relations, a look at how their elliptical style of interaction came to be. — New York Times, 20 Mar. 2022 Take a gown from the 1860s, for which O’Neil had to sew an elliptical cage crinoline, a mid-19th century undergarment used to give volume to skirts, that requires hours of hand sewing. — Frances Solá-santiago, refinery29.com, 6 Mar. 2022 In an elliptical sense, these parallel views come together as a meta-exhibition about the relationship between art and commerce. — Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun This afternoon’s double was a steady hour on the elliptical, with my heart rate between 130-140. — Outside Online, 4 Nov. 2020 From there, the former White House official set up a home gym in his basement with dumbbells and an elliptical. — Janine Henni, PEOPLE.com, 7 Jan. 2022 Over the past century, most home-workout equipment — the treadmill, the exercise bike, the elliptical, the Mirror, the Tonal — is centered around creating identical lean and lithe bodies. — Diana Budds, Curbed, 4 Nov. 2021 Just like with other new forms of exercise, start out slowly on the elliptical. — Korin Miller, Good Housekeeping, 12 Oct. 2021 Adults, freed from offices and their old, rigid hours, are jogging at noon, instead of going nowhere on an elliptical or Peloton in the tiny office gym. — Amanda Long, Washington Post, 29 Sep. 2021 Speaking in a higher-than-usual voice that rumbles with torment, rage and pop gravitas, Leung sets the vengeful tone for a drama that’s Oedipal in its overtones and elliptical in its structure. — Tribune News Service, cleveland, 31 Aug. 2021 Speaking in a higher-than-usual voice that rumbles with torment, rage and pop gravitas, Leung sets the vengeful tone for a drama that’s Oedipal in its overtones and elliptical in its structure. — Tribune News Service, cleveland, 31 Aug. 2021 Speaking in a higher-than-usual voice that rumbles with torment, rage and pop gravitas, Leung sets the vengeful tone for a drama that’s Oedipal in its overtones and elliptical in its structure. — Tribune News Service, cleveland, 31 Aug. 2021 See More

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.