elliptical
nounEtymology From elliptic + -al, from Ancient Greek ἐλλειπτικός (elleiptikós), from ἐλλείπω (elleípō, “I leave out, omit”).
1
Astronomy, Natural sciences An elliptical galaxy.
2
An elliptical trainer.
elliptical
adjUK /ɪˈlɪp.tɪk.əl/ · US /ɪˈlɪp.tɪ.kəl/
Etymology From elliptic + -al, from Ancient Greek ἐλλειπτικός (elleiptikós), from ἐλλείπω (elleípō, “I leave out, omit”).
1
In a shape of, or reminding of, an ellipse; oval.
- Having admitted that the projectile was describing an orbit around the moon, this orbit must necessarily be elliptical; science proves that it must be so.1876, “Chapter XIX”, in Edward Roth, transl., All Around the Moon:
2
Of, or showing ellipsis; having a word or words omitted.
- If he is sometimes elliptical and obscure, it is because he has so much to tell us.1940, Edmund Wilson, To the Finland Station:
3
Of speech Concise, condensed.
- Browning's dark and elliptical mode of speech, like his love of the grotesque, was simply a characteristic of his, a trick of his temperament, and had little or nothing to do with whether what he was expressing was profound or superficial.1903, Gilbert Keith Chesterton, “Chapter VI”, in Robert Browning:
- He was called a tramp; but that was only an elliptical way of saying that he was a philosopher, an artist, a traveller, a naturalist and a discoverer.early 20th century, O. Henry, The Making of a New Yorker:
4
Mathematics, Sciences Rare Elliptic.
- Synonyms
- elliptic
- Derived terms
- elliptically, ellipticalness, hyperelliptical, nanoelliptical, nonelliptical, overelliptical, quasielliptical, semi-elliptical, semielliptical, subelliptical, superelliptical, unelliptical