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
That’s because the moon’s orbital path around Earth is a slight ellipse, so there’s always a near-point (perigee) and a far-point (apogee) every month.
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Jamie Carter, Forbes, 16 Aug. 2024
Right now Bennu is 89 percent as far from the sun as Earth is, but to rendezvous with Earth, the spacecraft will have to follow an ellipse that takes it 40 percent farther out—almost as far from the sun as Mars is.
—IEEE Spectrum, 7 May 2021
The spacecraft traced a long ellipse, reaching lunar distance but then falling back to Earth and burning up on reentry over the Pacific Ocean.
—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
See all Example Sentences for ellipse 
Jamie Carter, Forbes, 16 Aug. 2024
Right now Bennu is 89 percent as far from the sun as Earth is, but to rendezvous with Earth, the spacecraft will have to follow an ellipse that takes it 40 percent farther out—almost as far from the sun as Mars is.
—IEEE Spectrum, 7 May 2021
The spacecraft traced a long ellipse, reaching lunar distance but then falling back to Earth and burning up on reentry over the Pacific Ocean.
—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
See all Example Sentences for ellipse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ellipse
Noun
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The small oval painting features a tranquil scene with a figure fishing near a church and a mill.Daniel Cassady for ARTnews, Robb Report, 8 Jan. 2025
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This experience gives him some familiarity with the venue that hosts NASCAR’s biggest race, though the Daytona 500 is held on the 2 1/2-mile oval.Jordan Bianchi, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Recent shortages have driven egg prices sharply higher and limited availability.George Avalos, The Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2025
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The pop-up caters not only to these fans, who no doubt delighted in looking for even more Easter eggs inside the mini-Lumon office, but also to passersby on their daily commute who may never have watched an episode but will now, thanks to this curiosity.Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 15 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The design features detailed scales and the brand’s signature orb motif clasped in the serpent’s jaws.Ty Gaskins, WWD, 10 Jan. 2025
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Designed to be a serious chef’s kitchen, the space is outfitted with a BlueStar range, Waterworks plumbing fixtures, and plenty of light from In Common With orb pendants, Allied Maker orb flush mounts, and, for more precise culinary efforts, a Jieldé retractable sconce.David Foxley, Architectural Digest, 10 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Ellipse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ellipse. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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