semimajor axis

noun

Half of the major axis of a circle or ellipse.

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Meanings

nounsemimajor axis (plural semimajor axes)

plural semimajor axes · alternative semi-major axis

  1. geometryHalf of the major axis of a circle or ellipse.
  2. geometryHalf of the distances between the two branches of a hyperbola.

Origin

From semi- + major axis.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 半長軸 /半长轴
  • 半長軸 /半长轴 (bànchángzhóu)half of the major axis of a circle or ellipse
French demi-grand axe
  • demi-grand axehalf of the major axis of a circle or ellipse
German Ellipsenhalbachse, Halbachse f der Ellipse
  • Ellipsenhalbachsehalf of the major axis of a circle or ellipse
  • Halbachse f der Ellipsehalf of the major axis of a circle or ellipse
Japanese 半長軸
  • 半長軸 (hanchōjiku)half of the major axis of a circle or ellipse
Turkish ana eksen, büyük eksen
  • ana eksenhalf of the major axis of a circle or ellipse
  • büyük eksenhalf of the major axis of a circle or ellipse
Cite this entry
APA

semimajor axis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/semimajor%20axis

MLA

“semimajor axis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/semimajor%20axis. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “semimajor axis,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/semimajor%20axis.

Source: semimajor axis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.