curvature of space
Americannoun
-
(in relativity) a property of space near massive bodies in which their gravitational field causes light to travel along curved paths.
-
(in cosmology) a large-scale property of the universe that has an algebraic sign that depends upon whether the density of matter and radiation of the universe exceeds, equals, or is less than the critical density, leading, respectively, to a closed universe with a positive sign, a flat universe with value zero, or an open universe with a negative sign.
Etymology
Origin of curvature of space
First recorded in 1915–20
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Furthermore, the bubble could not be controlled by occupants of the spaceship itself because they would lose contact with the outside world, owing to the extremely strong curvature of space around them.
From Scientific American • Jul. 13, 2021
Note that the red lines in each diagram show what happens in each kind of space—they are initially parallel but follow different paths depending on the curvature of space.
From Textbooks • Oct. 13, 2016
Will Albert Einstein’s energy-mass equation continue its connection to the curvature of space time?
From Slate • Mar. 13, 2015
Einstein's theory of relativity, which explains gravity as the curvature of space, also gets a few nods.
From Reuters • Jan. 15, 2012
General relativity predicts that heavy objects that are moving will cause the emission of gravitational waves, ripples in the curvature of space that travel at the speed of light.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
