parallax

noun par·al·lax \ˈpa-rə-ˌlaks\

Definition of PARALLAX

: the apparent displacement or the difference in apparent direction of an object as seen from two different points not on a straight line with the object; especially : the angular difference in direction of a celestial body as measured from two points on the earth's orbit

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Origin of PARALLAX

Middle French parallaxe, from Greek parallaxis, from parallassein to change, from para- + allassein to change, from allos other

First Known Use: 1580

Other Astronomy Terms

gibbous, nadir, nebulous, penumbra, retrograde, sidereal, syzygy, wane, wax, zenith

Rhymes with PARALLAX

battle-ax, direct tax, disclimax, estate tax, hidden tax, income tax, Japan wax, mineral wax, minimax, nuisance tax, prothorax, sealing wax, single tax, supertax, telefax, to the max

Medical Dictionary

parallax

noun par·al·lax \ˈpar-ə-ˌlaks\

Medical Definition of PARALLAX

: the apparent displacement or the difference in apparent direction of an object as seen from two different points not on a straight line with the object <motion parallax governs the way objects appear to move when the eyes or head are shifted—Edmund Andrews>