geoid

[ jee-oid ]

noun
  1. an imaginary surface that coincides with mean sea level in the ocean and its extension through the continents.

  2. the geometric figure formed by this surface, an ellipsoid flattened at the poles.

Origin of geoid

1
First recorded in 1880–85, geoid is from the Greek word geoeidḗs earthlike. See geo-, -oid

Other words from geoid

  • ge·oi·dal, adjective

Words Nearby geoid

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How to use geoid in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for geoid

geoid

/ (ˈdʒiːɔɪd) /


noun
  1. a hypothetical surface that corresponds to mean sea level and extends at the same level under the continents

  2. the shape of the earth

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

Scientific definitions for geoid

geoid

[ oid′ ]


  1. The hypothetical surface of the Earth that coincides everywhere with mean sea level and is perpendicular, at every point, to the direction of gravity. The geoid is used as a reference surface for astronomical measurements and for the accurate measurement of elevations on the Earth's surface.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.