a. [ L. curtatus, p. p. of curtare to shorten, fr. curtus. See Curt. ] (Astron.) Shortened or reduced; -- said of the distance of a planet from the sun or earth, as measured in the plane of the ecliptic, or the distance from the sun or earth to that point where a perpendicular, let fall from the planet upon the plane of the ecliptic, meets the ecliptic. [ 1913 Webster ]

Curtate cycloid. (Math.) See Cycloid. [ 1913 Webster ]