as in oval
a shape that resembles a flattened circle
The teacher drew an ellipse on the chalkboard that intended to illustrate the moon's orbit around the Earth.
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Recent Examples of ellipse
The spacecraft traced a long ellipse, reaching lunar distance but then falling back to Earth and burning up on reentry over the Pacific Ocean.
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IEEE Spectrum, 15 Feb. 2024
In 2010, astrophysicists including Sean Raymond at the University of Bordeaux in France simulated the evolution of planetary systems and found that when one gas giant planet punts a sibling from their home system, as sometimes happens, the expulsion stretches the survivor’s orbit into an ellipse.
—Charlie Wood, WIRED, 31 Dec. 2023
At around 125 miles in altitude, mission controllers would adjust the ISS’s trajectory, tweaking the rocket’s burn to reshape the station’s roughly circular orbit into an ellipse, with its closest earthward point, or perigee, perhaps 90 miles above the planet.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 21 Nov. 2023
Astronomers continue to take a page from Hubble’s playbook and scrutinize Andromeda, the faint ellipse in the northern sky.
—WIRED, 12 Nov. 2023
See all Example Sentences for ellipse 
IEEE Spectrum, 15 Feb. 2024
In 2010, astrophysicists including Sean Raymond at the University of Bordeaux in France simulated the evolution of planetary systems and found that when one gas giant planet punts a sibling from their home system, as sometimes happens, the expulsion stretches the survivor’s orbit into an ellipse.
—Charlie Wood, WIRED, 31 Dec. 2023
At around 125 miles in altitude, mission controllers would adjust the ISS’s trajectory, tweaking the rocket’s burn to reshape the station’s roughly circular orbit into an ellipse, with its closest earthward point, or perigee, perhaps 90 miles above the planet.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 21 Nov. 2023
Astronomers continue to take a page from Hubble’s playbook and scrutinize Andromeda, the faint ellipse in the northern sky.
—WIRED, 12 Nov. 2023
See all Example Sentences for ellipse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ellipse
Noun
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Shapes of all kinds have been trending for the past five years, but primarily almond (oval with a more pointed tip), square, and coffin.Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 8 Dec. 2024
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The auroral oval typically sits at about 65 degrees north latitude in northern Norway, northern Sweden, northern Finland, Iceland, Alaska and northern Canada.Jamie Carter, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Food prices are on the rise again Many grocery shoppers have seen price jumps in eggs, beef, coffee and non-alcoholic beverages.Alexandra Banner, CNN, 16 Dec. 2024
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Russian consumers have been hit especially hard as basic foodstuffs, such as butter, eggs, sunflower oil and vegetables, have seen high double-digit price increases as demand outstrips supply.Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 16 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Mantis' kit has her generating life orbs to buff herself and her allies, or spend them and heal up her party members over time.Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
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There’s been drama in your orb, and getting in front of matters is challenging.Lisa Stardust, People.com, 5 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Ellipse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ellipse. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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