Parallax
//ˈpæɹ.əˌlæks// noun, verb
noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 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. countable, uncountable
"[…] Heliocentrick places, to which the Parallaxes being applied, give the Geocentrick."
- 2 the apparent displacement of an object as seen from two different points that are not on a line with the object wordnet
- 3 The angle of seeing of the astronomical unit. countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To measure (a distance) based on parallax observations. transitive
- 2 To produce an illusion of levels of distance by shifting layers at different rates.
Example
More examples"Does bump mapping generate more graphics load than parallax?"
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”). By surface analysis, par- + all- + -ax.
Related phrases
More for "parallax"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.