elliptic

{ } a. [ Gr. &unr_;: cf. F. elliptique. See Ellipsis. ] 1. Of or pertaining to an ellipse; having the form of an ellipse; oblong, with rounded ends. [ 1913 Webster ]

The planets move in elliptic orbits. Cheyne. [ 1913 Webster ]

The billiard sharp who any one catches,
His doom's extremely hard --
He's made to dwell
In a dungeon cell
On a spot that's always barred.
And there he plays extravagant matches
In fitless finger-stalls
On a cloth untrue
With a twisted cue
And elliptical billiard balls!
Gilbert and Sullivan (The Mikado: The More Humane Mikado Song)

2. Having a part omitted; as, an elliptical phrase. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. leaving out information essential to comprehension; so concise as to be difficult to understand; obscure or ambiguous; -- of speech or writing; as, an elliptical comment. [ PJC ]

Elliptic chuck. See under Chuck. --
Elliptic compasses, an instrument arranged for drawing ellipses. --
Elliptic function. (Math.) See Function. --
Elliptic integral. (Math.) See Integral. --
Elliptic polarization. See under Polarization. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. 1. In the form of an ellipse. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. With a part omitted; as, elliptically expressed. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. ellipticité. ] Deviation of an ellipse or a spheroid from the form of a circle or a sphere; especially, in reference to the figure of the earth, the difference between the equatorial and polar semidiameters, divided by the equatorial; thus, the ellipticity of the earth is 1/29966. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Some writers use ellipticity as the ratio of the difference of the two semiaxes to the minor axis, instead of the major. Nichol. [ 1913 Webster ]