parallax
/ˈpaɹəˌlaks/ noun, verb
Forms parallaxes parallaxing parallaxed
- noun An apparent shift in the position of two stationary objects relative to each other as viewed by an observer, due to a change in observer position.
- noun (astronomy) The angle of seeing of the astronomical unit.
- noun (astronomy) Any of several methods of determining distance.
- verb (transitive) To measure (a distance) based on parallax observations.
- verb (animation) To produce an illusion of levels of distance by shifting layers at different rates.
Etymology
From Middle French parallaxe, from Ancient Greek παράλλαξις (parállaxis, “alteration”) from παραλλάσσω (parallássō, “to cause to alternate”) from ἀλλάσσω (allássō, “to alter”) from ἄλλος (állos, “other”). See also para- and allo-.
Webster’s 1913
- noun The apparent displacement, or difference of position, of an object, as seen from two different stations, or points of view.
- noun The apparent difference in position of a body (as the sun, or a star) as seen from some point on the earth's surface, and as seen from some other conventional point, as the earth's center or the sun. Annual parallax, the greatest value of the heliocentric parallax, or the greatest annual apparent change of place of a body as seen from the earth and sun; as, the annual parallax of a fixed star.
Etymology [Gr. parallaxe. Cf. Parallel.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “parallax”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details