concave
concave Lexical Profile
concave Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Having an outline or surface that curves inward like the interior of a circle, sphere, or bowl.
"concaving lenses are commonly used in eyeglasses to correct nearsightedness by diverging light rays."
Of a polygon, having at least one interior angle greater than 180 degrees so that a line segment between two points inside it can pass outside the figure.
"A five-pointed star is a classic example of a concave polygon."
• noun
A surface, line, or structure that curves inward; a hollow or vaulted recess.
"The skateboarder practiced riding along the steep concave of the wooden ramp."
• verb
To make or become curved inward or hollowed out.
"The glassblower carefully heated and concaved the base of the bottle to give it stability."
Word Nuance & Usage
"Concave" and "convex" are frequently confused; a helpful mnemonic is that a "concave" surface curves inward like the entrance to a "cave", whereas a "convex" surface bulges outward.
• Rhymes for concave
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 14th century from Old French concave or directly from Latin concavus ('hollow, vaulted'), formed from the intensive prefix com- and cavus ('hollow').