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major axis

American

noun

Mathematics.

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

major axis British

noun

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

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major axis

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 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

Because the major axis is parallel to the y-axis.

From Textbooks ● Feb. 13, 2015

Because the major axis is on the y-axis.

From Textbooks ● Feb. 13, 2015

In contrast, the major axis of Eurasia is east-west.

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023