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curvature

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curvature


  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  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. 
 
  The  elegant  curvature  of  their  fronds.  --Darwin. 
 
  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. 
 
  {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. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  curvature 
  n  1:  (medical)  a  curving  or  bending;  often  abnormal;  "curvature 
  of  the  spine" 
  2:  the  rate  of  change  (at  a  point)  of  the  angle  between  a  curve 
  and  a  tangent  to  the  curve 
  3:  the  property  possessed  by  the  curving  of  a  line  or  surface 
  [syn:  {curve}] 




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