curvature: Meaning and Definition of

cur•va•ture

Pronunciation: (kûr'vu-chur, -choor"), [key]
— n.
  1. the act of curving or the state of being curved.
  2. a curved condition, often abnormal: curvature of the spine.
  3. the degree of curving of a line or surface.
    1. (at a point on a curve) the derivative of the inclination of the tangent with respect to arc length.
    2. the absolute value of this derivative.
  4. something curved.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
See also: