elongation
the act of elongating or the state of being elongated.
something that is elongated.
Astronomy. the angular distance, measured from the earth, between a planet or the moon and the sun or between a satellite and the planet about which it revolves.
Origin of elongation
1Other words from elongation
- non·e·lon·ga·tion, noun
Words Nearby elongation
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use elongation in a sentence
Therefore what we see doesn’t tell us anything about the origins of snakes or the evolutionary progression of body elongation, limb loss, and skull specialization in snakes.
This four-legged snake fossil was probably a skinny lizard | Kate Baggaley | November 19, 2021 | Popular-ScienceDuring peduncle elongation, the stalks bearing the blossom buds extend and the flowers become visible.
Cherry blossoms reach ‘peduncle elongation’ stage; peak bloom likely about a week away | Jason Samenow | March 25, 2021 | Washington PostThe common condition can get progressively worse as a person ages and that ocular elongation extends.
The 9 top health and medicine breakthroughs of 2020 | Claire Maldarelli | December 2, 2020 | Popular-ScienceThough when the cleavage is covered-up, embellishments and elongation come out in full-force.
Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik, Vibram: Toe Shoes Are In for Spring! | Misty White Sidell | April 12, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTAs the hind foot elongates the index will increase; elongation of the hind foot is interpreted as a specialization.
Speciation in the Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys ordii | Henry W. Setzer
But they told what they knew; that Venus was past her eastern elongation, was approaching the earth.
In that case a little extra tension may be given to offset the probable elongation of the loops.
The Aeroplane Speaks | H. BarberIn the Blue Ridge it has undergone no greater change than a slight elongation of its particles and development of a little mica.
The deflecting power exerted by the elastic bond is also increased by its elongation.
British Dictionary definitions for elongation
/ (ˌiːlɒŋˈɡeɪʃən) /
the act of elongating or state of being elongated; lengthening
something that is elongated
astronomy the difference between the celestial longitude of the sun and that of a planet or the moon
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for elongation
[ ĭ-lông′gā′shən ]
The angular distance between two celestial bodies as seen from a third. Elongation is normally conceived as a measure of the angle formed between the Sun and a celestial body, such as a planet or the Moon, with Earth at the vertex. In terms of the celestial sphere, elongation is the distance between the Sun and the body as measured in degrees of celestial longitude. When the body lies on a direct line drawn from Earth to or through the Sun, its elongation is 0° and it is said to be in conjunction. It is said to be in quadrature when it lies at a right angle to a line between the Earth and Sun with an elongation of 90°, and it is in opposition when it lies on the opposite side of Earth from the Sun with an elongation of 180°. Superior planets (those that are farther from the Sun than Earth) have a full range of elongations between 0° and 180°. Inferior planets (those closer to the Sun than Earth) have limited elongations due to their smaller orbits; Venus has a greatest elongation of about 48°, while Mercury's greatest elongation is about 28°. See more at conjunction opposition.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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