Word
curvature
Phoneticscur·va·ture
US/ˈkɝvətʃɝ/
UK/kˈɜːvətʃɐ/
Definition
n. the degree to which something is curved or bent. You use this to describe the shape of a line or a surface.
n. the degree or amount of bending in a line, surface, or solid object. Often used in technical contexts to measure the deviation from a flat or straight state.
Examples
“The curvature of the road makes it dangerous to drive fast.”
“Engineers must carefully calculate the curvature of the bridge to ensure it can support the weight of heavy traffic.”
“From a high altitude, the subtle curvature of the Earth becomes visible against the darkness of space, proving the planet is not a flat plane.”
Examples
simple
“The curvature of the road makes it dangerous to drive fast.”
contextual
“Engineers must carefully calculate the curvature of the bridge to ensure it can support the weight of heavy traffic.”
complex
“From a high altitude, the subtle curvature of the Earth becomes visible against the darkness of space, proving the planet is not a flat plane.”
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the general property of being curved; countable when referring to a specific mathematical value or instance.
Real-World Examples
Common in science writing
“The curvature of spacetime and the sun’s radiation pressure did the steering instead, for months, until a predictable, computable trajectory ended predictably, in a fresh scar.” “Matter influences the geometry of spacetime, and changes in the distribution of particles can therefore alter its curvature.” Etymology
From Latin curvare, from Latin curvatura. See also curve. Displaced native Old English ġebīeġednes.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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englishreference.com/q/curvature