Elliptic /(?)/

El·lip·tic

Elliptic

a.
  1. Of or pertaining to an ellipse; having the form of an ellipse; oblong, with rounded ends.
    The planets move in elliptic orbits.
    — Cheyne.
    The billiard sharp who any one catches, His doom's extremely hard -- He's made to dwell In a dungeon cell On a spot that's always barred. And there he plays extravagant matches In fitless finger-stalls On a cloth untrue With a twisted cue And elliptical billiard balls!
    — Gilbert and Sullivan (The Mikado: The More Humane Mikado Song)
  2. Having a part omitted; as, an elliptical phrase.
  3. leaving out information essential to comprehension; so concise as to be difficult to understand; obscure or ambiguous; -- of speech or writing; as, an elliptical comment.

Phrases & Compounds

Elliptic chuck
See under Chuck.
Elliptic compasses
an instrument arranged for drawing ellipses.
Elliptic function
See Function.
Elliptic integral
See Integral.
Elliptic polarization
See under Polarization.