The meaning of Elliptical

adjective

Difficult to understand; obscure.

Usage examples:

An abstruse philosophical inquiry

adjective

Not known or understood by many people

Usage examples:

An abstruse philosophical essay

adjective

Open to more than one interpretation; not having one obvious meaning.

Usage examples:

Ambiguous phrases

adjective

Of short duration; not lasting for long.

Usage examples:

The president made a brief working visit to moscow

noun

A set of instructions given to a person about a job or task.

Usage examples:

His brief is to turn round the county's fortunes

verb

Instruct or inform (someone) thoroughly, especially in preparation for a task.

Usage examples:

She briefed him on last week's decisions

adjective

(of speech) having short, sharp vowel sounds and clear pronunciation.

Usage examples:

His cold clipped tones

verb

Fasten or be fastened with a clip or clips.

Usage examples:

She clipped on a pair of diamond earrings

verb

Cut short or trim (hair, vegetation, etc.) with shears or scissors.

Usage examples:

I was clipping the hedge

adjective

Closely and neatly packed together; dense.

Usage examples:

A compact cluster of houses

verb

Exert force on (something) so that it becomes more dense; compress.

Usage examples:

The rubbish was taken to the depot to be compacted

noun

A small flat case containing face powder, a mirror, and a powder puff.

Usage examples:

Looking once more in her compact's mirror, she got out of the limo and ran up to hug him.

adjective

Giving a lot of information clearly and in a few words; brief but comprehensive.

Usage examples:

A concise account of the country's history

adjective

Expressing what needs to be said without unnecessary words; short and clear

Usage examples:

She wrote up a concise summary of the day’s events.

adjective

Having a meaning that is mysterious or obscure.

Usage examples:

He found his boss's utterances too cryptic

adjective

Mysterious and difficult to understand

Usage examples:

A cryptic message/remark

adjective

Rudely brief.

Usage examples:

His reply was curt

adjective

Relating to the ancient greek sanctuary (= holy place) at delphi, or the oracle (= female priest) who gave advice there

Usage examples:

Croesus, king of lydia, asked the delphic oracle if he should attack persia., a delphic pronounceme…

adjective

Relating to economics or the economy.

Usage examples:

The government's economic policy

adjective

Relating to trade, industry, and money

Usage examples:

Economic growth/policies

adjective

Relating to trade, industry, and money

Usage examples:

Economic conditions/situation the plan also recognized the need to react to the challenging economi…

adjective

Relating to or having the form of an ellipse.

Usage examples:

Lechea minor can be easily distinguished from that species by its stems more than 5 cm tall, ovate …

adjective

Shaped like an ellipse

adjective

Not able to be understood; not intelligible.

Usage examples:

A language which is incomprehensible to anyone outside the office

adjective

(of a person, speech, or style of writing) using very few words.

Usage examples:

His laconic reply suggested a lack of interest in the topic

adjective

Using very few words to express what you mean

Usage examples:

“i might,” was the laconic reply.

adjective

Neither parallel nor at right angles to a specified or implied line; slanting.

Usage examples:

We sat on the settee oblique to the fireplace

noun

Another term for slash1 (sense 2 of the noun).

adjective

(of a leaf) ovate with the narrower end at the base.

Usage examples:

Juvenile plants and regrowth stems usually have obovate leaves, but these are soon deciduous and ra…

adjective

Not discovered or known about; uncertain.

Usage examples:

His origins and parentage are obscure

verb

Keep from being seen; conceal.

Usage examples:

Grey clouds obscure the sun

adjective

Not known to many people

Usage examples:

An obscure 18th-century painter, official policy has changed for reasons that remain obscure.

adjective

Having a rounded and slightly elongated outline or shape like that of an egg.

Usage examples:

Her smooth oval face

noun

A body, object, or design with an oval shape or outline.

Usage examples:

Cut out two small ovals from the felt

adjective

Having an oval outline or ovoid shape, like an egg.

Usage examples:

The lobes, which are preserved as carbonized remains of round or ovate outline, have a thickened or…

noun

A member of an order of welsh bards recognized at an eisteddfod.

adjective

Shaped like an egg

Usage examples:

The leaves are ovate.

adjective

Egg-shaped.

Usage examples:

A 19th century staffordshire octagonal oviform jug with branch handle, the sides painted with flowe…

adjective

(of a solid or a three-dimensional surface) more or less egg-shaped.

Usage examples:

Three flowerpots rest on an ovoid surface, perhaps a ceramic tray or table top whose legs have vani…

noun

An ovoid body or surface.

Usage examples:

And the ovoids, too small to hold the molecules needed to carry out the chemical reactions of life,…

adjective

Having the same shape as an egg, or of a similar shape

Usage examples:

The egg is ovoid and yellowish, with a thick shell., the ovoid seed pods burst when ripe., a melon …

adjective

(of a fruit or plant) containing much pith.

Usage examples:

When the trees bloom in march or april, the walkers try to remove any remaining old, pithy fruit.

adjective

(of speech or writing) brief and full of meaning

Usage examples:

Pithy comments, a pithy quote

adjective

(of a subject or knowledge) little known; abstruse.

Usage examples:

The book is full of recondite information

adjective

Not known about by many people and difficult to understand

Usage examples:

We had to work from material that was both complex and recondite.

adjective

Moderate; economical.

Usage examples:

Physicians advised sparing use of the ointment

verb

Give (something of which one has enough) to (someone).

Usage examples:

She asked if i could spare her a bob or two

adjective

(especially of something written or spoken) briefly and clearly expressed.

Usage examples:

Use short, succinct sentences

adjective

(of writing or speech) clear and short; expressing what needs to be said without unnecessary words

Usage examples:

Keep your letter succinct and to the point.

adjective

Sparing in the use of words; abrupt.

Usage examples:

A terse statement

adjective

Incapable of being fully explored or understood.

Usage examples:

Her grey eyes were dark with some unfathomable emotion

adjective

Impossible to understand

Usage examples:

For some unfathomable reason they built the toilet next to the kitchen.