French Conversation · Level 17
90 words
French word
ellipse
Pronunciation
IPA/elips/
Meaning
- feminine nounellipse
Example
Cette table est en forme d'ellipse.
This table is shaped like an ellipse.
More examples
La trajectoire de la comète est une ellipse.
The comet's trajectory is an ellipse.
Core concept
A smooth oval path organized around two fixed points, with every point keeping the same combined distance from them.
Common phrases
une ellipse orbitale
elliptical orbit
tracer une ellipse au compas
draw an ellipse with a compass
Similar words
cercle: A round plane shape whose points are all equally distant from its center.
ovale: A flat, elongated shape with rounded ends.
forme: The outer shape or outline of an object or figure.
courbe: A curved line or the shape it traces.
Definition in French
Courbe plane fermée, symétrique par rapport à deux axes, définie par la somme constante des distances à deux points fixes (les foyers).
Word origin
French ellipse comes through Latin from Greek elleipsis, meaning a leaving out or deficiency, and the term was later applied to the geometric curve.
Usage tips
- In French, ellipse is feminine, so the usual forms are une ellipse and cette ellipse.
Other meanings
- ellipsisnoun