SEMIMAJORAXIS

Semi-major axis

In geometry, the major axis of an ellipse is the longest diameter: a line that runs through the center and both foci, with ends at the widest points of the shape. The semi-major axis is one half of the major axis, and thus runs from the centre, through a focus, and to the edge of the ellipse; essentially, it is the radius of an orbit at the orbit's two most distant points. For the special case of a circle, the semi-major axis is the radius. One can think of the semi-major axis as an ellipse's long radius.

The above text is a snippet from Wikipedia: Semi-major axis
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

semimajor axis

Noun

  1. Half of the major axis of a circle or ellipse.
  2. Half of the distances between the two branches of a hyperbola.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: semimajor axis
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

Need help with a clue?
Try your search in the crossword dictionary!