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blate, n. Oblate ellipsoid or spheroid (Geom.), a solid generated by the revolution of an ellipse about its minor axis; an oblatum. See Ellipsoid of revolution, under Ellipsoid.

An oblate spheroid; a figure described by the revolution of an ellipse about its minor axis. Cf. Oblongum.

A prolate spheroid; a figure described by the revolution of an ellipse about its greater axis. Cf. Oblatum, and see Ellipsoid of revolution, under Ellipsoid.

A body or figure in the shape of an egg, or popularly, of an ellipse. Cassinian oval (Geom.), the locus of a point the product of whose distances from two fixed points is constant; -- so called from Cassini, who first investigated the curve. Thus, in the diagram, if P moves so that P A.P B is constant, the point P desc…

Specifically (Conic Sections), in the ellipse and hyperbola, a third proportional to any diameter and its conjugate, or in the parabola, to any abscissa and the corresponding ordinate.

The circumference of a circle, ellipse, or other figure.

raw or exhibit, as the form of anything; to delineate; as, to project a sphere, a map, an ellipse, and the like; -- sometimes with on, upon, into, etc.; as, to project a line or point upon a plane. See Projection, 4.

id. -- Prolate ellipsoid or spheroid (Geom.), a figure generated by the revolution of an ellipse about its major axis. See Ellipsoid of revolution, under Ellipsoid.

occupied, or to a point relatively the same; a rolling back; return; as, revolution in an ellipse or spiral. That fear Comes thundering back, with dreadful revolution, On my defenseless head. Milton.

Having a curved outline or form; especially, one like the arc of a circle or an ellipse, or a portion of the surface of a sphere; rotund; bulging; protuberant; not angular or pointed; as, a round arch; round hills. "Their round haunches gored." Shak.

to a sphere, but not perfectly spherical; esp., a solid generated by the revolution of an ellipse about one of its axes. Oblate spheroid, Prolate spheroid. See Oblate, Prolate, and Ellipsoid.

ch can not be done by amendment. Burrill. Daniel. -- Supplementary chords (Math.), in an ellipse or hyperbola, any two chords drawn through the extremities of a diameter, and intersecting on the curve.

An instrument for drawing ellipses, one part of which consists of a cross with two grooves at right angles to each other, the other being a beam carrying two pins (which slide in those grooves), and also the describing pencil.

osswise direction; athwart; -- often opposed to Ant: longitudinal. Transverse axis (of an ellipse or hyperbola) (Geom.), that axis which passes through the foci. -- Transverse partition (Bot.), a partition, as of a pericarp, at right angles with the valves, as in the siliques of mustard.

One of foci of an ellipse, or other curve. [Obs.]