ellipses

noun

Definition of ellipsesnext
plural of ellipse
as in ovals
a shape that resembles a flattened circle The teacher drew an ellipse on the chalkboard that intended to illustrate the moon's orbit around the Earth.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ellipses
  1. eggs
  2. orbs
Noun
  • Years earlier at her former lab in Ohio, chromosomes in mouse eggs and embryos began dividing in bizarre ways, creating the kinds of genetic errors that can lead to Down syndrome and other chromosomal disorders.
    — Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Reduce soil moisture, avoid overwatering, ensure proper drainage, and let the soil dry between waterings to kill eggs.
    — Leah Chester-Davis, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of eggs
Noun
  • Considering that her designs—from the quirky and unmistakable totem collars to magic floating orbs and funky-fine rings—look like nothing else and immediately spark joy, Ashley Moubayed is keeping disco very much alive.
    — Madeline Hirsch, InStyle, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Onigiri Time is a tiny street cart in Pasadena that sells giant orbs of onigiri.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of orbs
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

ellipse
ellipses
elliptical
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ellipses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ellipses. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on ellipses

Nglish: Translation of ellipses for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of salvo

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All