as in oval
a shape that resembles a flattened circle
The teacher drew an ellipse on the chalkboard that intended to illustrate the moon's orbit around the Earth.
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Recent Examples of ellipse
There is also the matter of landing accuracy, typically described as a landing ellipse, or the elliptical area on a planetary surface that defines the range of possible touchdown spots for a spacecraft.
—
Andrew Jones, Space.com, 1 Oct. 2025
That orbit in general is an ellipse, an oval shape.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 25 July 2025
The Oakley Ellipse 50th Anniversary pair, designed to reflect the ellipse of the Oakley logo, retains the brand's futurist aesthetic with the lens shape and curve, known at Oakley as the PhysioMorphic Geometry.
—Cassell Ferere, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
The above pic shows how the landing target for the rover, also known as Curiosity, has been changed: from an ellipse 20 kilometers by 25 kilometers, the new target is just 7 kilometers by 20 kilometers.
—IEEE Spectrum, 12 June 2012
See All Example Sentences for ellipse
Andrew Jones, Space.com, 1 Oct. 2025
That orbit in general is an ellipse, an oval shape.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 25 July 2025
The Oakley Ellipse 50th Anniversary pair, designed to reflect the ellipse of the Oakley logo, retains the brand's futurist aesthetic with the lens shape and curve, known at Oakley as the PhysioMorphic Geometry.
—Cassell Ferere, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
The above pic shows how the landing target for the rover, also known as Curiosity, has been changed: from an ellipse 20 kilometers by 25 kilometers, the new target is just 7 kilometers by 20 kilometers.
—IEEE Spectrum, 12 June 2012
See All Example Sentences for ellipse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ellipse
Noun
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The last caution came when Byron hit the wall in the final laps, erasing Hamlin’s comfortable lead with just three laps remaining around the one-mile Phoenix oval.—
Jordan Bianchi,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
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The Yukon is a prime place to witness the northern lights, since parts of the territory lie directly beneath the auroral oval, a region of the atmosphere located near the poles, where the aurora borealis is most likely to occur.—
Mae Hamilton,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Sour cream dressing Tracing back to Central and Eastern Europe, sour cream dressing is thinned with lemon juice or vinegar, brightened with Dijon mustard and sometimes sweetened with sugar and paprika for dressings that shine on potato or egg salads.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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Add eggs, flour, spices and salt; beat until thoroughly mixed.—
Molly Guthrey,
Twin Cities,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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But the silvery orb will be below the horizon at that time, so take the time to look outside during the evening hours for the best view.—
Gina Park,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
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Instead of stacks of money or safety deposit boxes, there are cameras, lights and screens fastened together to create two giant orbs.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ellipse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ellipse. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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