Elliptical

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ɪˈlɪp.tɪk.əl/

Definitions

1. Having an oval or elongated circular shape, or characterized by deliberate omission of words while maintaining intelligible meaning
2. Having a stretched circle shape resembling an oval ; conveyed in a way that leaves out some elements but still makes sense
3. Forming a smooth oval outline or curve ; delivered in a style that intentionally skips parts of phrasing yet remains clear

Etymology: The Greek verb "elleipein" meant "to leave in, fall short, be wanting," built from "en" (in) and "leipein" (to leave). Greek geometers later used the related adjective "elleiptikos" for a figure that falls short of a circle, and the Greek word for the ellipse itself came from this same sense of falling short. The adjective "elliptical" in English is simply "elliptic" with the common adjective suffix "-al" added, so the shape-based sense has been there since the start of the word's life in English. The English noun "ellipse" and its adjective "elliptic" were borrowed from Greek through Latin, and the extra "-al" form appeared later as a variant that sounds slightly more ordinary. The main surprise is that the word carries no hint of oval shape in its roots: it names a figure defined by something lacking, one that was described as leaving something out of the circle.

Synonyms: oval, ovate, rounded

Antonyms: circular, linear