semiminor axis

[ sem-ee-mahy-ner, sem-ahy-, sem-ee-, sem-ahy- ]

noun
  1. Geometry. one half the minor axis of an ellipse.

  2. Astronomy. one half the minor axis of the ellipse that one celestial body describes around another, as a planet around the sun.

Origin of semiminor axis

1
First recorded in 1925–30; semi- + minor

Words Nearby semiminor axis

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024