geodesic
ge·o·de·sic/ˌd͡ʒiː.əˈdɛs.ɪk/noun, adjective
geodesic is spelled G-E-O-D-E-S-I-C: 8 letters and 4 syllables (ge·o·de·sic). It appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 59,387th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, geodesic means “The shortest curve between two points on a specific surface” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of geodesic is geodesics.
How many letters and syllables are in geodesic?
| Letters | 8: G-E-O-D-E-S-I-C |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4: ge·o·de·sic |
| In writing | about once in every 4 million words; the 59,387th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is geodesic?
Geodesic appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 59,387th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce geodesic?
- /ˌd͡ʒiː.əˈdɛs.ɪk/
- /ˌd͡ʒiː.əˈdiː.sɪk/
Geodesic has 4 syllables, split ge·o·de·sic in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Flame,_not_lame-geodesic.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of geodesic
- geodesics plural
- more geodesic comparative
- most geodesic superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does geodesic mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The shortest curve between two points on a specific surface.
- 2
A segment of a great circle.
- 3
A course allowing the parallel-transport of vectors along a course that causes tangent vectors to remain tangent vectors throughout that course (a straight curve, a line that is straight).
adjective
- 1
Of or relating to geodesy.
- 2
Of or relating to a geodesic dome.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Geodesic in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | géodésique |
| German | Geodäte , geodätisch |
| Portuguese | geodésica |
| Spanish | geodésica , geodésico |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does geodesic come from?
From French géodésique. By surface analysis, geodesy + -ic.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).