Concave

Pronunciation

Origin

From Old French concave, from Latin concavus.

Full definition of concave

Adjective

1. curved like the inner surface of a sphere or bowl
2. (set theory, not comparable, of a set) not convex; arranged such that there exist at least two points for which a straight line between these points does not lie wholly within the set.
3. (functional analysis, not comparable, of a real-valued function on the reals) having an epigraph which is a concave set.
4. hollow; empty
• Shakespeareas concave ... as a worm-eaten nut

Antonyms

• convex

Derived terms

• concavely
• concaveness
• concavity

Noun

1. A concave surface or curve.
2. The vault of the sky.
3. One of the celestial spheres of the Ptolemaic or geocentric model of the world.Aristotle makes Fire to move to the concave of the Moon. - Thomas Salusbury (1661).
4. (industry) An element of a curved grid used to separate desirable material from tailings or chaff in mining and harvesting.
5. (surfing) An indentation running along the base of a surfboard, intended to increase lift.
6. (skateboarding) An indented area on the top of a skateboard, providing a position for foot placement and increasing board strength.

Verb

1. To render concave, or increase the degree of concavity.

Derived terms

• concaver