ogive noun. ['ǝʊdʒʌɪv, ǝʊ'dʒʌɪv] LME.
[French from Hispano-Arab. al-jibb, Arab. al-jubb cistern.]
1. Architecture. The diagonal groin or rib of a vault, two of which cross each other at the vault's centre. LME.

2. Architecture. An ogee moulding. Only in E18.

3. a. Architecture. A pointed or Gothic arch. M19.
b. A thing, esp. the head of a projectile, having the profile of an ogive; such a profile. E20.

4. Statistics. A graph in which each ordinate represents the frequency with which a variate has a value less than or equal to that indicated by the corresponding abscissa, which for many unimodal frequency distributions has the form of an ogee. Formerly, the inverse of this. L19.

5. Geology. A stripe or band of dark material stretching across the surface of a glacier, usu. arched in the direction of flow and arranged with others in a parallel series. M20.

■ ogived adjective consisting of an ogive or ogives; having the form of an ogive or ogee: E17.

[TahlilGaran] English Dictionary ▲