01 a. Of or pertaining to an ellipse; having the form of an ellipse; oblong, with rounded ends.
-
1.
Of or pertaining to an ellipse; having the form of an ellipse; oblong, with rounded ends.“The planets move in elliptic orbits.” — Cheyne.“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.
-
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.
Phrases & compounds
Elliptic chuck —
See under Chuck.
Elliptic compasses —
an instrument arranged for drawing ellipses.
Elliptic function —
See Function.
Elliptic integral —
See Integral.
Elliptic polarization —
See under Polarization.