elliptical
[ ih-lip-ti-kuhl ]
/ ɪˈlɪp tɪ kəl /
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adjective Also el·lip·tic.
pertaining to or having the form of an ellipse.
pertaining to or marked by grammatical ellipsis.
(of speech or writing) expressed with extreme or excessive economy; relieved of irrelevant matter: to converse in elliptical sentences.
(of a style of speaking or writing) tending to be ambiguous, cryptic, or obscure:an elliptical prose that is difficult to translate.
noun
Astronomy. elliptical galaxy.
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OTHER WORDS FROM elliptical
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for elliptical
British Dictionary definitions for elliptical
elliptical
/ (ɪˈlɪptɪkəl) /
adjective
relating to or having the shape of an ellipse
relating to or resulting from ellipsis
(of speech, literary style, etc)
- very condensed or concise, often so as to be obscure or ambiguous
- circumlocutory or long-winded
Also (for senses 1, 2): elliptic
Derived forms of elliptical
elliptically, adverbellipticalness, nounusage for elliptical
The use of elliptical to mean circumlocutory should be avoided as it may be interpreted wrongly as meaning condensed or concise
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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