Shaped like an ellipse or oval; in mathematics, relating to curves called ellipses.
From Greek ellipsis meaning 'falling short' or 'omission,' because an ellipse falls short of being a perfect circle. The mathematical meaning developed in the 17th century.
Ellipses appear everywhere in space—planetary orbits are elliptical, not perfectly circular, which is why Earth's distance from the sun varies throughout the year!
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