elongation
[ih-lawng-gey-shuh n, ih-long-, ee-lawng-, ee-long-]
- the act of elongating or the state of being elongated.
- something that is elongated.
- Astronomy. the angular distance, measured from the earth, between a planet or the moon and the sun or between a satellite and the planet about which it revolves.
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Origin of elongation
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for elongation
Contemporary Examples
Though when the cleavage is covered-up, embellishments and elongation come out in full-force.
Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik, Vibram: Toe Shoes Are In for Spring!Misty White Sidell
April 12, 2012
Historical Examples
The history of the plough goes back to the elongation of a bent stick.
Progress and HistoryVarious
That can be due only to the strain of elongation produced by the stress of tension.
The Aeroplane SpeaksH. Barber
A haughty spirit seemed to rise in her by the mere process of the elongation.
The Dust FlowerBasil King
The awn or beard is merely an elongation of the palea inferior.
The elongation of the crown is also similar to what is termed hypsodont.
Men of the Old Stone AgeHenry Fairfield Osborn
elongation
- the act of elongating or state of being elongated; lengthening
- something that is elongated
- astronomy the difference between the celestial longitude of the sun and that of a planet or the moon
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for elongation
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
elongation
[ĭ-lông′gā′shən]
- The angular distance between two celestial bodies as seen from a third. Elongation is normally conceived as a measure of the angle formed between the Sun and a celestial body, such as a planet or the Moon, with Earth at the vertex. In terms of the celestial sphere, elongation is the distance between the Sun and the body as measured in degrees of celestial longitude. When the body lies on a direct line drawn from Earth to or through the Sun, its elongation is 0° and it is said to be in conjunction. It is said to be in quadrature when it lies at a right angle to a line between the Earth and Sun with an elongation of 90°, and it is in opposition when it lies on the opposite side of Earth from the Sun with an elongation of 180°. Superior planets (those that are farther from the Sun than Earth) have a full range of elongations between 0° and 180°. Inferior planets (those closer to the Sun than Earth) have limited elongations due to their smaller orbits; Venus has a greatest elongation of about 48°, while Mercury's greatest elongation is about 28°. See more at conjunction opposition.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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