elliptical means in a shape of, or reminding of, an ellipse; oval. It carries an Arena rating of 1454, earned across 5 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, elliptical ranks #1,917 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #1,949 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #3,459 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #4,339 of 17,143 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words.
elliptical is pronounced /ɪˈlɪp.tɪk.əl/.
Why “elliptical” is a great word
Describing a shape defined by two foci or a mode of expression defined by omission. From elliptic + -al, from Ancient Greek ἐλλειπτικός (elleiptikós), from ἐλλείπω (elleípō, "I leave out, omit"). Unlike "oval," which suggests a simple, organic curve, or "concise," which denotes general brevity, "elliptical" implies a precise geometry or a grammatical lacuna that the mind must complete. It is the orbit of a planet, the hushed conversation where everything necessary remains unsaid, and the elegant, vacant center of a well-wrought poem—a form of silence that is more articulate than noise.
Etymology
From elliptic + -al, from Ancient Greek ἐλλειπτικός (elleiptikós), from ἐλλείπω (elleípō, “I leave out, omit”).
adj
- In a shape of, or reminding of, an ellipse; oval.e.g.“Having admitted that the projectile was describing an orbit around the moon, this orbit must necessarily be elliptical; science proves that it must be so.” — 1876, “Chapter XIX”, in Edward Roth, transl., All Around the Moon:
- Of, or showing ellipsis; having a word or words omitted.e.g.“If he is sometimes elliptical and obscure, it is because he has so much to tell us.” — 1940, Edmund Wilson, To the Finland Station:
- Concise, condensed.
- Elliptic.
noun
- An elliptical galaxy.
- An elliptical trainer.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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