elliptic

3 definitions found

elliptic - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Elliptic \El*lip"tic\, Elliptical \El*lip"tic*al\, a. [Gr. ?:
     cf. F. elliptique. See Ellipsis.]
     1. Of or pertaining to an ellipse; having the form of an
        ellipse; oblong, with rounded ends.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The planets move in elliptic orbits.  --Cheyne.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The billiard sharp who any one catches,
              His doom's extremely hard 
              He's made to dwell
              In a dungeon cell
              On a spot that's always barred.
              And there he plays extravagant matches
              In fitless finger-stalls
              On a cloth untrue
              With a twisted cue
              And elliptical billiard balls!
                                                    --Gilbert and
                                                    Sullivan (The
                                                    Mikado: The
                                                    More Humane
                                                    Mikado Song)
  
     2. Having a part omitted; as, an elliptical phrase.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. leaving out information essential to comprehension; so
        concise as to be difficult to understand; obscure or
        ambiguous; -- of speech or writing; as, an elliptical
        comment.
        [PJC]
  
     Elliptic chuck. See under Chuck.
  
     Elliptic compasses, an instrument arranged for drawing
        ellipses.
  
     Elliptic function. (Math.) See Function.
  
     Elliptic integral. (Math.) See Integral.
  
     Elliptic polarization. See under Polarization.
        [1913 Webster]

elliptic - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  elliptic
      adj 1: (of a leaf shape) in the form of an ellipse
      2: rounded like an egg [syn: egg-shaped, elliptic,
         elliptical, oval, oval-shaped, ovate, oviform,
         ovoid, prolate]
      3: characterized by extreme economy of expression or omission of
         superfluous elements; "the dialogue is elliptic and full of
         dark hints"; "the explanation was concise, even elliptical to
         the verge of obscurity"- H.O.Taylor [syn: elliptic,
         elliptical]

elliptic - Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 :

  72 Moby Thesaurus words for "elliptic":
     Spartan, abbreviated, abridged, abstracted, aposiopestic,
     bell-like, bell-shaped, bobbed, brief, brusque, campaniform,
     campanular, campanulate, capsule, capsulized, clipped, close,
     compact, compendious, compressed, concise, condensed, contracted,
     crisp, cropped, curt, curtailed, cut, cut short, digested, docked,
     elided, ellipsoid, elliptical, elongated, epigrammatic, gnomic,
     laconic, mowed, mown, nipped, oblong, oblongated, oblongitudinal,
     parabolic, pithy, pointed, pollard, polled, pruned, reaped,
     rectangular, reserved, saucer-shaped, sententious, shaved, sheared,
     short, short and sweet, short-cut, shortened, snub, snubbed,
     succinct, summary, synopsized, taciturn, terse, tight,
     to the point, trimmed, truncated