elongation

[ ih-lawng-gey-shuhn, ih-long-, ee-lawng-, ee-long- ]

noun

1. the act of elongating or the state of being elongated.
2. something that is elongated.
3. 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.

elongation

/ ĭ-lông′gā′shən /

1. 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°.
2. See more at conjunction

Other Words From

• none·lon·gation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of elongation¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin ēlongātiōn- (stem of ēlongātiō ), equivalent to ēlongāt ( us ) ( elongate ) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

Using their technique, the team was able to observe, for the first time, the elongation of multiple pollen tubes within a living pistil and their unique attraction to female tissue.

From Science Daily

Prodding individual rotors in the metamaterial and tracking the resulting displacements and elongations in the system, the researchers identified different 'mechanical molecules': groups of rotors and springs which move as a single unit.

From Science Daily

This gearing mechanism not only contributes to the overall elongation of the muscle but reduces the elongation of individual fascicles at any given time, preventing them from overstretching and getting injured.

From Science Daily

That gradual elongation happened because workers were moving farther from their workplaces, often forced to the margins by the rising cost of housing in job centers.

From Seattle Times

By revealing the exact mechanism through which SCFAs trigger dendritic elongation, this study has paved the way for new drugs that directly target dendritic cells.

From Science Daily