Crossword clues for ellipticity
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Ellipticity \El`lip*tic"i*ty\, n. [Cf. F. ellipticit['e].] Deviation of an ellipse or a spheroid from the form of a circle or a sphere; especially, in reference to the figure of the earth, the difference between the equatorial and polar semidiameters, divided by the equatorial; thus, the ellipticity of the earth is 1/29966.
Note: Some writers use ellipticity as the ratio of the
difference of the two semiaxes to the minor axis,
instead of the major.
--Nichol.
Wiktionary
n. 1 (context uncountable English) The condition of being elliptical (flattened from perfect circular or spherical form) 2 (context countable mathematics English) A measure of this flattening that is a function of the ellipse's equatorial and polar radius
WordNet
n. the property possessed by a rounded shape that is flattened at the poles; "the oblateness of the planet" [syn: oblateness]
Usage examples of "ellipticity".
So many took part in these singular experiments, which assumed rather the appearance of outdoor sports than of scientific demonstrations, that in a short time we had provided the asteroid with a very large number of little moons, or satellites, of gold, which revolved around it in orbits of various degrees of ellipticity, taking, on the average, about three-quarters of an hour to complete a circuit.