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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.

The segment connecting the vertices is called the major axis.

From Textbooks • May 6, 2020

The widest diameter of the ellipse is called its major axis.

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

The result is to make the major axis of Mercury’s orbit rotate slowly in space because of the Sun’s gravity alone.

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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