curvature
Deviation from straight
Curvature is the degree to which something curves or bends away from being straight or flat.
In geometry, curvature measures how sharply a line or surface deviates from a straight line or plane: the curvature of the Earth, spinal curvature.
The word appears in technical contexts—optics, mathematics, medicine—but also describes any gentle bending: the curvature of her smile.
Curved line segment
Outward curved projection
- domeRounded vault forming roof
- protrusionPart extending outward
- bellyFront midsection
- bumpSlight collision or protrusion
swell · camber · vault · bubble · mound · protuberance · rise · pout
Curved line segment
- radiusCenter-to-perimeter distance
- tangentLine touching curve once
- chordNotes sounded simultaneously
- secantTrig ratio, 1/cos
cycloid · ellipse · hyperbola · parabola · spline · geodesic · conic · circumference
Many and various
- surfaceOutermost boundary layer
- geodesicShortest curved-surface path
- principalChief school administrator
- sectionalSofa made of units
intrinsic · extrinsic · differential · metric · tensor · hyperbolic · spherical
Mutual mass attraction
- relativityHow observers differ
- warpingBecoming bent or twisted
- geodesicShortest curved-surface path
- gravitational lensingMass distorting light's path
mass · fabric · cosmological · singularity · event horizon
Column of vertebrae
- spinalOf the backbone
- lordosisAbnormal spinal curvature inward
- kyphosisHunched back condition
- scoliosisLateral vertebral deviation
lumbar · cervical · thoracic · vertebral · posture · backbone · skeletal · orthopedic
Empty within
- depressionProlonged low state
- dimpleFacial skin depression
- indentationInward cut or setback
- recessPause in activity
scoop · bowl · valley · crater · cavity · basin · dip · dent
Light-focusing curved glass
- focalOf a central point
- diopterUnit of focal power
- refractionWave bending between media
- cornealOf the eye's outer layer
astigmatism · optical · mirror · convex lens · concave lens · magnification
arc
Curved line segment
bow · crook · coil · spiral · curl · swerve · turn · hook · loop · warp
bulge
Outward curved projection
- domeRounded vault forming roof
- protrusionPart extending outward
- bellyFront midsection
bump · swell · camber · vault · bubble · mound · protuberance · rise · pout · convex
arc
Curved line segment
secant · cycloid · ellipse · hyperbola · parabola · spline · geodesic · conic · circumference · inflection point
manifold
Many and various
- surfaceOutermost boundary layer
- geodesicShortest curved-surface path
- principalChief school administrator
sectional · intrinsic · extrinsic · differential · metric · tensor · hyperbolic · spherical
gravity
Mutual mass attraction
- relativityHow observers differ
- warpingBecoming bent or twisted
- geodesicShortest curved-surface path
gravitational lensing · mass · fabric · cosmological · singularity · event horizon
spine
Column of vertebrae
scoliosis · lumbar · cervical · thoracic · vertebral · posture · backbone · skeletal · orthopedic
hollow
Empty within
- depressionProlonged low state
- dimpleFacial skin depression
- indentationInward cut or setback
recess · scoop · bowl · valley · crater · cavity · basin · dip · dent · pocket
lens
Light-focusing curved glass
- focalOf a central point
- diopterUnit of focal power
- refractionWave bending between media
corneal · astigmatism · optical · mirror · convex lens · concave lens · magnification
- gravitygravity, graviton, gravity well, gravitational pull, gravity wave
- Curved Geometrygeodesic, geodesics, great circle, great circles
- Earthearth, Earth, globe, continent, axis
- circlesfull circle, circle, radius, circumference, pie chart
- curvesarc, curls, curl, bend, spiral
- design qualitieselegance, proportion, balance, texture, color
curvaturestraightness
Absence of curvature
linearity · straight line · line · directness · angularity
- spinal curvatureAbnormal bend in backbone
- Gaussian curvatureIntrinsic surface bending measure
- space-time curvatureGeometric warping from gravity
- spine curvatureBent vertebral column
- spacetime curvatureDistortion of dimensional fabric