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geodesic

[ jee-uh-des-ik, -dee-sik ]

adjective

  1. Also geodesical. pertaining to the geometry of curved surfaces, in which geodesic lines take the place of the straight lines of plane geometry.


geodesic

/ -ˈdiː-; ˌdʒiːəʊˈdɛsɪk /

adjective

  1. Alsogeodeticgeodesical relating to or involving the geometry of curved surfaces
“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


noun

  1. Also calledgeodesic line the shortest line between two points on a curved or plane surface
“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

geodesic

/ jē′ə-dĕsĭk,-dēsĭk /

Noun

  1. A curve that locally minimizes the distance between two points on any mathematically defined space, such as a curved manifold. Equivalently, it is a path of minimal curvature. In noncurved three-dimensional space, the geodesic is a straight line. In General Relativity , the trajectory of a body with negligible mass on which only gravitational forces are acting (i.e. a free falling body) is a geodesic in (curved) 4-dimensional space-time.


Adjective

  1. Of or relating to the branch of geometry that deals with geodesics.
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Word History and Origins

Origin of geodesic1

From the French word géodésique, dating back to 1815–25. See geodesy, -ic
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Example Sentences

This shows that every geodesic from A to A on the surface of the tetrahedron must pass through another vertex.

To see what our cube-world geodesic looks like, just put the cube back together.

On a sphere, straight paths follow “great circles,” which are geodesics like the equator.

We use these shortest paths, called geodesics, to plan airplane routes and satellite orbits.

Some restaurants such as East Eats, a Detroit restaurant made entirely from geodesic domes, rose to this challenge by constructing seating on platforms that allow for air circulation and investing in domes with windows.

From Eater

He has access to more than 4,000 feet of elevated tunnels connecting geodesic domes and large enclosures.

The world line of a ray of light is a geodesic in the continuum.

His experiments on the pendulum and Geodesic surveys rendered him famous.

The orders I have to give are simple: The Fleet will head for home by the most direct possible geodesic.

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geodemographicsgeodesic dome