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major axis

American  

noun

Mathematics.
  1. the axis of an ellipse that passes through the two foci.


major axis British  

noun

  1. the longer or longest axis of an ellipse or ellipsoid

"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

Etymology

Origin of major axis

First recorded in 1850–55

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.

See Examples For:

Determine whether the major axis is horizontal or vertical.

From Textbooks May 6, 2020

Since the major axis is horizontal and the distance from the center to the vertex is 40, we know a = 40 and so a2 = 1600 .

From Textbooks May 6, 2020

The ratio of the distance between the foci to the length of the major axis is called the eccentricity of the ellipse.

From Textbooks Oct. 13, 2016

The major axis of the orbit of a planet, such as Mercury, rotates in space slightly because of various perturbations.

From Textbooks Oct. 13, 2016

They were most rapid in Eurasia, because of its east-west major axis and its relatively modest ecological and geographical barriers.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

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