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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

From Literature

"Restoring France's sovereignty will be the major axis of our campaign," Jean Messiha, who has overseen the drafting of Le Pen's manifesto, told Reuters.

From Reuters

“The targeted orbit was circular, inclined at 55 degrees with a semi major axis of 29,900 kilometers,” the company said in a statement.

From Forbes

The number of the craters is seven; of these five form a vast elliptical enclosure, the major axis of which is directed toward the north-east.

From Project Gutenberg

The two axes of the ellipse are the major axis and the minor axis, and the two axes of the hyperbola are the transverse axis and the conjugate axis.

From Project Gutenberg

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