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ellipses

  • plural
    of ellipse.
    ellipse
    noun
    a plane curve such that the sums of the distances of each point in its periphery from two fixed points, the foci, are equal. It is a conic section formed by the intersection of a right circular cone by a plane that cuts the axis and the surface of the cone. Typical equation: (x 2 / a2 ) + (y 2 / b2 ) = 1. If a = b the ellipse is a circle.
  • plural
    of ellipsis.
    ellipsis

Example Sentences

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Hide location: To temporarily shield your location without notifying them, go to Find My > People, select a contact, tap the ellipses and choose Hide Location.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

In the simulations the researchers observed ellipses, triangles and squares.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2023

“Masterpiece” then pans very slowly — with lots of emphatic italics, arch ellipses and a few footnotes — over the full arc of the fake movie’s development.

From New York Times ● May 7, 2023

“Everyone was aware of the ellipses that my mom left after ‘knew.’

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2023

Before Martin’s mother passed, it was her lot to translate the ellipses and muttered asides that constituted conversation between father and son.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead