geoid

noun

ge·​oid ˈjē-ˌȯid How to pronounce geoid (audio)
: the surface within or around the earth that is everywhere normal to the direction of gravity and coincides with mean sea level in the oceans
geoidal
jē-ˈȯi-dᵊl How to pronounce geoid (audio)
adjective

Examples of geoid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
West and her colleagues used the data to create ever more accurate models of the geoid—the shape of the Earth—factoring in gravitational fields and the planet’s rotation. — IEEE Spectrum, 30 July 2024 This theoretical version of our watery world is known as the geoid. — Brooke Jarvis, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

German, from Greek geoeidēs earthlike, from gē

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of geoid was in 1881

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Cite this Entry

“Geoid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/geoid. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about geoid

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