Curvature

Curvature
Curvature Cur"va*ture (k?r"v?-t?r; 135), n. [L. curvatura. See {Curvate}.] 1. The act of curving, or the state of being bent or curved; a curving or bending, normal or abnormal, as of a line or surface from a rectilinear direction; a bend; a curve. --Cowper. [1913 Webster]

The elegant curvature of their fronds. --Darwin. [1913 Webster]

2. (Math.) The amount of degree of bending of a mathematical curve, or the tendency at any point to depart from a tangent drawn to the curve at that point. [1913 Webster]

{Aberrancy of curvature} (Geom.), the deviation of a curve from a circular form.

{Absolute curvature}. See under {Absolute}.

{Angle of curvature} (Geom.), one that expresses the amount of curvature of a curve.

{Chord of curvature}. See under {Chord}.

{Circle of curvature}. See {Osculating circle of a curve}, under {Circle}.

{Curvature of the spine} (Med.), an abnormal curving of the spine, especially in a lateral direction.

{Radius of curvature}, the radius of the circle of curvature, or osculatory circle, at any point of a curve. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • curvature — [kʉr′və chər] n. [ME < L curvatura < curvare: see CURVE] 1. a curving or being curved 2. a curve; curved part of anything 3. Geom. the rate of deviation of a curve or curved surface from a straight line or plane surface tangent to it 4. Med …   English World dictionary

  • curvature — 1660s, from L. curvatura a bending, from curvatus, pp. of curvare to bend (see CURVE (Cf. curve)). In non Euclidian geometry, from 1873 …   Etymology dictionary

  • curvature — [n] rounded part of thing, usually body part arc, arch, arching, bend, bow, curve, curving, curvity, deflection, flexure, incurvation, round, shape; concepts 754,757 …   New thesaurus

  • curvature — ► NOUN ▪ the fact of being curved or the degree to which something is curved …   English terms dictionary

  • Curvature — In mathematics, curvature refers to any of a number of loosely related concepts in different areas of geometry. Intuitively, curvature is the amount by which a geometric object deviates from being flat, or straight in the case of a line, but this …   Wikipedia

  • curvature — /kerr veuh cheuhr, choor /, 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. 4. Geom. a. (at a point on a curve) the derivative of …   Universalium

  • Curvature — (Roget s Thesaurus) < N PARAG:Curvature >N GRP: N 1 Sgm: N 1 curvature curvature curvity curvation Sgm: N 1 incurvature incurvature incurvity| Sgm: N 1 incurvation incurvation Sgm: N 1 bend bend Sgm: N 1 flexure …   English dictionary for students

  • curvature — cur|va|ture [ˈkə:vətʃə US ˈkə:rvətʃər] n [U and C] technical [Date: 1400 1500; : Latin; Origin: curvatura, from curvare; CURVE2] the state of being curved, or the degree to which something is curved curvature of ▪ the curvature of the Earth s… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • curvature — [[t]kɜ͟ː(r)vətʃə(r)[/t]] N UNCOUNT: oft N of n The curvature of something is its curved shape, especially when this shape is part of the circumference of a circle. [TECHNICAL] ...the curvature of the earth... He suffered from curvature of the… …   English dictionary

  • curvature — A bending or flexure. See angulation. SYN: curvatura. [L. curvatura, fr. curvo, pp. atus, to bend, curve] angular c. a gibbous deformity, i.e., a sharp angulation of the spine, occurring in Pott disease. SYN: Pott c …   Medical dictionary

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