elliptical

1 of 2

adjective

el·​lip·​ti·​cal i-ˈlip-ti-kəl How to pronounce elliptical (audio)
e-
variants or elliptic
1
: of, relating to, or shaped like an ellipse
2
a
: of, relating to, or marked by ellipsis or an ellipsis
b(1)
: of, relating to, or marked by extreme economy of speech or writing
(2)
: of or relating to deliberate obscurity (as of literary or conversational style)
elliptically adverb

elliptical

2 of 2

noun

plural ellipticals
1
: elliptical galaxy
In Hubble's scheme, galaxies are divided into ellipticals and spirals.Roberto G. Abraham et al.
2
: elliptical trainer
Ellipticals move in a smooth, oval motion, like riding a bike standing up, and offer great features like your beloved treadmill.Monique Savin

Examples of elliptical in a Sentence

Adjective The moon follows an elliptical path around the Earth. a writer with an elliptical style
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Its elliptical orbit is also why, technically, Mars was slightly closer to Earth on Sunday, Jan. 12, than tonight, at 59.7 million miles (96.1 million kilometers). Jamie Carter, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025 Within about an hour, Blue Ghost separated from the Falcon 9 rocket on an elliptical Earth orbit before establishing communications with Firefly’s mission operations center in Cedar Park, Texas. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 15 Jan. 2025
Noun
This is where an elliptical can come in.1 These machines are easy on the joints and versatile—allowing for a forward or backward stride with an adjusted incline and resistance.2 Elliptical trainers may protect against making a previous injury worse, as well as help prevent injuries. Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 5 Jan. 2025 Save on a workout rack that's 73 percent off — that's a savings of almost $1,000 — in addition to treadmills, ellipticals, and rowers, all under $400 ahead of Cyber Monday. Toni Sutton, People.com, 30 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for elliptical 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Greek elleiptikos defective, marked by ellipsis, from elleipein

First Known Use

Adjective

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1936, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of elliptical was in 1656

Dictionary Entries Near elliptical

Cite this Entry

“Elliptical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elliptical. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

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