noun
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the state or quality of being convex
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a convex surface, object, etc; bulge
Etymology
Origin of convexity
From the Latin word convexitās, dating back to 1590–1600. See convex, -ity
Explanation
The quality of something being round or curved in shape is its convexity. You could describe the convexity of a round, squat vase. The noun convexity is somewhat technical for everyday use — you're more likely to see it in a math textbook than to hear a friend use it to talk about a goldfish bowl. Still, it is a perfectly good way to describe anything that curves or bulges outward, whether it's the belly of a Chinese Buddha or a balloon. Convexity comes from the adjective convex, with its Latin root word convexus, "vaulted or arched."
Vocabulary lists containing convexity
The Lightning Thief
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The Call of Chtulhu
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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.
The net of his discourse was that if you live inside a ball, you cannot have any conception of its outside convexity, until you get outside.
From Time Magazine Archive
This convexity extends aft to an efficient 13-degree deadrise at the transom.
From Time Magazine Archive
This convexity, this pimple of curiosity, this wart of circumspection, is indeed worthy of jest.
From Time Magazine Archive
The new 64 Convertible, as with other models recently designed in-house at Hatteras, incorporates a slight degree of convexity forward.
From Time Magazine Archive
His mouth was set in its habitual glower, the corners bent downward in perfect convexity, and his ashen head blended seamlessly into the white clouds overhead.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
