ellipse: Meaning and Definition of

el•lipse

1. a plane curve such that the sums of the distances of each point in its periphery from two fixed points, the foci, are equal. It is a conic section formed by the intersection of a right circular cone by a plane that cuts the axis and the surface of the cone. Typical equation: (x/a) + (y/b) = 1. If a = b the ellipse is a circle. See diag. under