Parallax
/ˈpær.ə.læks/noun
The apparent shift in an object's position when viewed from different angles.
Did you know?Parallax comes from Greek roots meaning a “change beside,” and astronomers used it to measure the staggering distance to stars by comparing how they shift against the background sky.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
parallaxis
“an alteration or change of position”
Late Greek
Greek
parallassein
“to change back and forth, alternate, make appear different”
14th Century
Latin
parallaxis
“an apparent displacement, especially in astronomy”
16th Century
English
parallax
“the apparent shift in the position of an object when viewed from different points”
Modern English
English
parallax
“the apparent change in an object's position due to a change in the observer's point of view”