curvature
part of speech
noun (curvature, a curvature — mostly uncountable)
meaning for a pupil
1) Curvature is how much something curves or bends. tree →
2) (medicine) A curvature of the spine is when the backbone bends sideways or too much. tree →
sense in the lessons
In science and geography, you can see the curvature of the Earth from a high plane or from space — evidence that the Earth is round. In maths, curvature describes how sharply a curve bends: a small circle has more curvature than a big one. Phrases: «the curvature of the Earth», «curvature of the spine».
examples
- From the top of the mountain we could almost see the curvature of the Earth. tree →
- Ships disappear bottom first because of the Earth's curvature. tree →
- The curvature of the bridge makes it strong. tree →
- A small circle has a greater curvature than a large one. tree →
- The doctor checked her back for any curvature of the spine. tree →
- The lens's curvature bends the light. tree →
note
Usually uncountable; «a curvature» for a particular bend. Related: curve, curved, curvy. Myth: from a normal plane the curve is hard to see clearly; ships vanishing over the horizon show it better.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «curvature» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.