elliptic

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: el=lip=tic

CIDE DICTIONARY

elliptic, a. [Gr. : cf. F. elliptique. See Ellipsis.].

•  Of or pertaining to an ellipse; having the form of an ellipse; oblong, with rounded ends.  [1913 Webster]

  "The planets move in elliptic orbits."  [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!"
•  Having a part omitted; as, an elliptical phrase.  [1913 Webster]
•  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.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

elliptic, adj. (also elliptical) of, relating to, or having the form of an ellipse or ellipsis.

Derivative

elliptically adv. ellipticity n.

Etymology

Gk elleiptikos defective f. elleipo (as ELLIPSE)

THESAURUS

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

ROGET THESAURUS

elliptic

Circularity

N circularity, roundness, rotundity, circle, circlet, ring, areola, hoop, roundlet, annulus, annulet, bracelet, armlet, ringlet, eye, loop, wheel, cycle, orb, orbit, rundle, zone, belt, cordon, band, contrate wheel, crown wheel, hub, nave, sash, girdle, cestus, cincture, baldric, fillet, fascia, wreath, garland, crown, corona, coronet, chaplet, snood, necklace, collar, noose, lasso, lassoo, ellipse, oval, ovule, ellipsoid, cycloid, epicycloid, epicycle, semicircle, quadrant, sextant, sector, sphere, round, rounded, circular, annular, orbicular, oval, ovate, elliptic, elliptical, egg-shaped, pear-shaped, cycloidal, spherical, I watched the little circles die.