concave

1 of 2

adjective

con·​cave kän-ˈkāv  ˈkän-ˌkāv 

1

: hollowed or rounded inward like the inside of a bowl

a concave lens

2

: arched in : curving in

—used of the side of a curve or surface on which neighboring normals to the curve or surface converge and on which lies the chord joining two neighboring points of the curve or surface

concave

2 of 2

noun

con·​cave ˈkän-ˌkāv 

: a concave line or surface

Synonyms

Adjective

• dented
• depressed
• dished
• hollow
• indented
• recessed
• sunken

Examples of concave in a Sentence

Adjective

a concave lens

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The record is so timeless and concave, or whatever the metaphors are. —Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2024

The mass splashes out toward the periphery, forming something concave—a parabola. —Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 22 July 2024

Noun

Unlike other split keyboards that appeal to those who like to customize everything right down to the feel of the keys, the Flow uses proprietary rubber dome switches and custom backlit concave keycaps that aren’t designed to be swapped out with third-party alternatives. —Andrew Liszewski, The Verge, 15 Oct. 2024

At least as long ago as the time of Confucius, and possibly earlier, Chinese households used concave mirrors to focus sunlight onto kindling to light cooking fires. —Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 2 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Middle English, from Latin concavus, from com- + cavus hollow — more at cave

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1552, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing concave

• convexo-concave
• plano-concave

Kids Definition

concave

adjective

con·​cave

kän-ˈkāv,

ˈkän-ˌkāv

: hollowed or rounded inward like the inside of a bowl

concave lens

concavity

kän-ˈkav-ət-ē

noun

Medical Definition

concave

adjective

con·​cave kän-ˈkāv, ˈkän-ˌ 

: hollowed or rounded inward like the inside of a bowl