haversine

/ˈheɪvərˌsaɪn, -ˌsɪn/

Definitions

1. noun

A formula for calculating the distance between two points on a sphere, especially the Earth, given their longitudes and latitudes.

“The engineer used the haversine formula to determine the distance between two cities.”

2. proper noun

A unit of distance in the system used in astronomy to express the angular distance of stars from the celestial equator.

“The haversine is used to measure the distance between stars in the galaxy.”

Synonyms

  • angular distance
  • geographical distance

Antonyms

  • direct distance
  • linear distance