great circle
11great circle — great′ cir′cle n. 1) math. a circle on a sphere such that the plane containing the circle passes through the center of the sphere 2) naut. geo a circle of which a segment represents the shortest distance between two points on the surface of the… …
12Great-circle distance — The great circle distance is the shortest distance between any two points on the surface of a sphere measured along a path on the surface of the sphere (as opposed to going through the sphere s interior). Because spherical geometry is rather… …
13great-circle sailing — noun : the navigation or conducting of a ship on a great circle track or on a course determined in relation to a great circle track compare sailing * * * /grayt serr keuhl/, Navig. sailing between two points more or less according to an arc of a… …
14great circle route — ▪ navigation the shortest course between two points on the surface of a sphere. It lies in a plane that intersects the sphere s centre and was known by mathematicians before the time of Columbus. Until the 19th century ships generally… …
15great circle route — noun A route, taken by intercontinental aircraft for instance, which is the shortest distance between two destinations on the surface of the Earth; an arc of a great circle. See Also: great circle …
16great-circle course — The route between two points on the earth’s surface measured along the shortest segment of the circumference of the great circle on which the two points are located. A great circle establishes the shortest distance over the surface of the earth… …
17great-circle route — The route that follows the shortest arc of a great circle between two points. See great circle course …
18great-circle track — noun : the track of a ship following or navigating on or in relation to a great circle * * * the route of a ship following the arc of a great circle, appearing as a curved line on a Mercator chart and as a straight line on a gnomonic chart. [1955 …
19great-circle sailing — /grayt serr keuhl/, Navig. sailing between two points more or less according to an arc of a great circle, in practice almost always using a series of rhumb lines of different bearings to approximate the arc, whose own bearing changes constantly… …
20great-circle track — the route of a ship following the arc of a great circle, appearing as a curved line on a Mercator chart and as a straight line on a gnomonic chart. [1955 60] * * * …
