Geodesic Definition
jēə-dĕsĭk, -dēsĭk
adjective
Webster's New World
Designating the shortest surface line between two points on a surface, esp. a curved surface.
Webster's New World
Of or relating to geodesy.
Wiktionary
Of or pertaining to the geometry of such lines.
Webster's New World
Having a structurally strong surface made up of short, straight, lightweight bars that form a grid of polygons.
Geodesic dome.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
- geodesical
- geodetic
noun
A geodesic line.
Webster's New World
The shortest path between two points on any mathematically defined surface.
American Heritage
A curve that locally minimizes the distance between two points on any mathematically defined space, such as a curved manifold. Equivalently, it is a path of minimal curvature. In noncurved three-dimensional space, the geodesic is a straight line. In General Relativity , the trajectory of a body with negligible mass on which only gravitational forces are acting (i.e. a free falling body) is a geodesic in (curved) 4-dimensional space-time.
American Heritage Science
Synonyms:
- geodesic line
Other Word Forms of Geodesic
Noun
Singular:
geodesic
Plural:
geodesicsOrigin of Geodesic
From geodesy
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Geodesic Is Also Mentioned In
Find Similar Words
Find similar words to geodesic using the buttons below.