Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. An apparent change in the direction of an object, caused by a change in observational position that provides a new line of sight.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. An apparent displacement of an object observed, due to real displacement of the observer, so that the direction of the former with reference to the latter is changed. In the cut, the angle BCD, being the semidiameter of AB as seen from C, is the parallax of C as seen from B. In astronomy, parallax is due either to our daily motion round the center of the earth, or to our yearly motion round the sun. Parallax is observed, also, when the head is moved before two images or other objects in the region of distinct vision and at unequal distances. There is also an effect of parallax when we alternately shut one eye and open the other.
- n. In optics, an apparent shifting of the spider-lines in a telescope-reticle as the eye is moved before the eyepiece: it is due to the non-coincidence of the threads with the focal plane of the object-glass.
Wiktionary
- n. The change of angular position of two stationary points relative to each other as seen by an observer, due to the motion of an observer.
- n. The apparent shift of an object against a background due to a change in observer position.
- n. The angle of seeing of the astronomical unit.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. The apparent displacement, or difference of position, of an object, as seen from two different stations, or points of view.
- n. (Astron.) 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.
- n. (Astron.) The annual parallax. See annual parallax, below.
WordNet 3.0
- n. the apparent displacement of an object as seen from two different points that are not on a line with the object
Etymologies
- French parallaxe, from Greek parallaxis, from parallassein, to change : para-, among; see para-1 + allassein, to exchange (from allos, other). (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Do not let us fear," wrote Lalande in his _Astronomie des Dames_, "do not let us fear to use the term parallax, despite its scientific aspect; it is convenient, and this term explains a very simple and very familiar effect.”
“I get the impression the author in the last link should have actually read the Wikipedia article he linked to, because what he calls parallax it calls stereopsis.”
“The term parallax proving “caviare to the general,” they further explained that it meant the angle formed by the inclination of two straight lines drawn from either extremity of the earth’s radius to the moon.”
“If they do, the parallax is not set for the range of the target you are using.”
“Not to mention that a fixed 10 power scope with no adjustable parallax is problematic at best, in an urban combat environment.”
“They were as much puzzled about the meaning of the word parallax as I had been with regard to the word algebra, and only learnt what it meant when Brewster went to study for the kirk in Edinburgh.”
Personal Recollections, from Early Life to Old Age, of Mary Somerville
“To be able to do this, astronomers have developed what's known as parallax, which is then used to calibrate distance indicators for objects further away, which are then used to calibrate even further objects, etc ....”
“All the planets have disappeared, the moon’s phases are screwy, and the sun’s parallax is too large.”
365 tomorrows » Patricia Stewart : A New Free Flash Fiction SciFi Story Every Day
“If that doesn’t impress you, consider the vertical and horizontal parallax is so smooth and perfect you’ll be able to walk around the setup and swear you could reach out and touch it.”
“One method uses what is known as a parallax barrier in front of a conventional liquid-crystal display screen, a layer of material with precisely placed slits that allow each eye to see a different set of pixels on the display.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘parallax’.
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A-R-A Words
It's an odd-looking pattern in English. Please add words if it makes you happy. :) K-POW! Wow @gulyasrobi!
scarab, Arawak, Sahara, Arab, pharaoh, caravan, carat, parachute, arachnid, Saran Wrap, Sarah, tarantella and 492 more...
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phrontistery - p
from phrontistery.info
pabouche, pabulous, pabulum, pacable, pace, pachydermia, pachyglossal, pachymeter, pachynsis, paciferous, pacificate, pactolian and 1766 more...
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Words build meanings from origins( et...
These come from gamma meditation ,I think.
discursive, exogenous, machinations, purportedly, sumptuous, congruity, cantankerous, incongruous, festoon, hessian, ratiocinative, stratigraphic and 2057 more...
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Steampunk
Words used quite often in steampunk
ansible, airship, chymical, valve, clockwork, dirigible, thaumaturgy, copper, bronze, difference engine, gear, rivets and 521 more...
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Philosophic , etymology
every major discipline has uniquely developed esoteric nomenclature to facilitate interdisciplinary dissemination
quale , qualia, elegy, tacet, lexicon, annunciate, caste, eros, contrive, purlicue, irony, venacular, dilapidate and 569 more...
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My favorites
foible, sidereal, amygdala, woodnote, cogitate, silvern, ollalieberry, ramify, diaphanous, surreality, myopia, subcelestial and 75 more...
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Astronomical Words
Words used in Astronomy
perihelion, perigee, apoapsis, periastron, apastron, apsis, zenith, aphelion, perturbations, barycenter, equinox, nadir and 21 more...
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Favorites
disparage, partisan, cupidity, hokum, tussle, odious, dastardly, overture, plane, chronic, peering, peer and 328 more...
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marginalia
exuberance, potsherds, earthbound, marcher, märchen, pastiche, transliterated, crocodile, oxbridge, jejune, publican, antithesis and 143 more...
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X Marks the Spot
Words ending in "x" (except proper nouns and trademarks)
ax, ex, ox, soapbox, smallpox, six, sex, sax, rex, pressbox, climax, chickenpox and 208 more...
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Twitter favourites
The new favourite words of people on Twitter.
A script searches Twitter for "X is my new favourite word" and adds it to this list.
See also:
thunderfuck, incredible, merp, sara, flopparoo, smother, fugly, buer, plum, canny, nefelibata, cuntbucket and 2455 more... -
Infinite Jest
Words taken from Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace.
prorector, monograph, post-fourier, snuffle, rototremble, creatus, enfilade, subanimalistic, balletic, espadrilles, leonine, cirri and 1153 more...
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List Erine
cool mint antiseptic
shalom, cattywampus, bourgeoisie, aerophile, traverse, grotto, epicurean, ex cathedra, nautilus, epitaph, lathe, continuum and 753 more...
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Necessary?
"Words are very..."
The above was the original description for this list. Unfortunately, it doesn't convey much about the list contents.
I'm leaving you to draw your own conclusions abo...supererogation, fruitcake, unbeknownst, melifluous, bane, cavy, unnecessary, lyrical, question, undertow, weapon, arduous and 200 more...
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Blood Meridian
Or, Evening Redness in the West.
parallax, ciboleros, pyrolatrous, tatterdemalion, enfilade, fond, ciborium, holothurian, archimandrite, thaumaturge
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pixistix's Words
cumquat, circumlocution, panoply, propinquity, contumely, quietus, fardel, tmesis, tipsy, giddy, trudge, vortex and 211 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for parallax.

oroboros Super-important in astronomy...and target practice with your .22! Jan 4, 2007