The Collaborative International Dictionary
Curvature \Cur"va*ture\ (k?r"v?-t?r; 135), n. [L. curvatura. See Curvate.]
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The act of curving, or the state of being bent or curved; a curving or bending, normal or abnormal, as of a line or surface from a rectilinear direction; a bend; a curve.
--Cowper.The elegant curvature of their fronds.
--Darwin. -
(Math.) The amount of degree of bending of a mathematical curve, or the tendency at any point to depart from a tangent drawn to the curve at that point.
Aberrancy of curvature (Geom.), the deviation of a curve from a circular form.
Absolute curvature. See under Absolute.
Angle of curvature (Geom.), one that expresses the amount of curvature of a curve.
Chord of curvature. See under Chord.
Circle of curvature. See Osculating circle of a curve, under Circle.
Curvature of the spine (Med.), an abnormal curving of the spine, especially in a lateral direction.
Radius of curvature, the radius of the circle of curvature, or osculatory circle, at any point of a curve.
Usage examples of "curvature of the spine".
Her apparent obesity is aggravated by permanent curvature of the spine resulting from body adjustments to the deformities and from the fact that breasts and fat hang as dead weight.
Anna found out recently that she has scoliosis, which is curvature of the spine, and even though it's not a bad case, she has to wear a brace for awhile.
Another point was the forward carriage of the head and the clumsy and inhuman curvature of the spine.