convex
/ˈkɒnvɛks
/adjective
1Having an outline or surface curved like the exterior of a circle or sphere: a convex lens...Compare with concave.
- Galileo's telescope had a convex object lens but a concave eye-piece.
- Carve out squares of curving surfaces, concave and convex.
- While the pillows are still partially molten they are compacted together so that they display convex upper surfaces and downwards-facing cusps at their contacts.
Synonyms
curved outwards, cambered;
rounded, bulging, swelling, protuberant;
curvilinear;
gibbous
rare outcurved
2(Of a polygon) not having any interior angles greater than 180°.A convex polygon with a triangle attached to one of its edges in this way is called a barbed polygon....
- We used convex polygons to estimate distances between colony centers and the size of each colony to define the area of burrows in use by a family group in a current season.
- The 95% minimum convex polygon was estimated for each bird using all sightings.
Derivatives
convexity
- In addition to curve degree, physicians should describe curves as ‘right’ or ‘left,’ based on their curve convexity.
- The stronger the convexity of the basic curve of the rotating body of the element, the higher the critical interlocking force.
- In the present model, on the contrary, the rotating angle of the generating curve is standardized by the rate of enlargement of the curve, so as to define the convexity of the shell.
convexly
- The smooth external surface of the axial rings of the anterior seven segments in the thorax of S. pronus suggests that the thorax could be flexed strongly both concavely and convexly.
- A cube at first glance shows the inside, and at second glance, the outside, protruding convexly into space.
- The inner edge of the doublure appears to be entire, curved convexly outward.
Origin
Late 16th century: from Latin convexus 'vaulted, arched'.
cave from Middle English:
Latin cavus, ‘hollow’, is the origin of a number of English words, including cave, cavern (Late Middle English), cavity (mid 16th century), and excavate (late 16th century). Concave (Late Middle English) is from cavus preceded by con ‘with’, while convex (late 16th century) is from the Latin for ‘vaulted, arched’. In the days when more people knew Latin, there was a second English word spelled cave. This one, pronounced kah-vay, meant ‘beware!’, and was used from the mid 19th century by schoolchildren to warn their friends that a teacher was coming.