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Definitions from WordNet
Noun ellipse has 1 sense
- ellipse, oval - 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"
--1 is a kind of conic section, conic
--1 has particulars: circle
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Definitions from the Web
Ellipse
Definition:
An ellipse is a closed curve that is shaped like an elongated circle or oval, where the sum of the distances from any point on the curve to two fixed points (called the foci) remains constant.
Parts of Speech:
Senses:
- Sense 1: (Geometry) A plane curve that results from the intersection of a cone by a plane in a way that produces a closed curve resembling an elongated circle or oval.
- Sense 2: (Mathematics) The set of all points in a plane whose distances to two fixed points (the foci) have a constant sum.
- Sense 3: (Astronomy) The apparent path described by a celestial body, such as a planet or comet, moving in an orbit that is not a perfect circle.
Usages:
- Usage 1: In geometry, an ellipse can be defined as a closed curve formed by the intersection of a cone and a plane that is not parallel to the base of the cone.
- Usage 2: In mathematics, the equation of an ellipse can be represented as (x - h)^2/a^2 + (y - k)^2/b^2 = 1, where (h, k) denotes the center of the ellipse and 'a' and 'b' are the semi-major and semi-minor axes, respectively.
- Usage 3: In astronomy, the elliptical-shaped orbit of a planet around the sun or a moon around a planet is referred to as an ellipse.
Sample Sentences:
- Sentence 1: The artist created a beautiful painting by using a variety of ellipses to create a sense of movement.
- Sentence 2: Math class requires an understanding of how to calculate the properties of an ellipse.
- Sentence 3: The elliptical path of a comet around the sun can often be observed from Earth.
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