ellipse, oval
(noun) a closed plane curve resulting from the intersection of a circular cone and a plane cutting completely through it; “the sums of the distances from the foci to any point on an ellipse is constant”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
ellipse (plural ellipses)
(geometry) A closed curve, the locus of a point such that the sum of the distances from that point to two other fixed points (called the foci of the ellipse) is constant; equivalently, the conic section that is the intersection of a cone with a plane that does not intersect the base of the cone.
• oval (in non-technical use)
ellipse (third-person singular simple present ellipses, present participle ellipsing, simple past and past participle ellipsed)
(grammar) To remove from a phrase a word which is grammatically needed, but which is clearly understood without having to be stated.
Source: Wiktionary
El*lipse", n. Etym: [Gr. ellipse. See Ellipsis.]
1. (Geom.)
Definition: An oval or oblong figure, bounded by a regular curve, which corresponds to an oblique projection of a circle, or an oblique section of a cone through its opposite sides. The greatest diameter of the ellipse is the major axis, and the least diameter is the minor axis. See Conic section, under Conic, and cf. Focus.
2. (Gram.)
Definition: Omission. See Ellipsis.
3. The elliptical orbit of a planet. The Sun flies forward to his brother Sun; The dark Earth follows wheeled in her ellipse. Tennyson.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
26 March 2025
(noun) bandage consisting of a firm covering (often made of plaster of Paris) that immobilizes broken bones while they heal
Coffee dates back to the 9th century. Goat herders in Ethiopia noticed their goats seem to be “dancing” after eating berries from a particular shrub. They reported it to the local monastery, and a monk made a drink out of it. The monk found out he felt energized and kept him awake at night. That’s how the first coffee drink was born.
