leptokurtic, a. Statistics.
(lɛptəʊˈkɜːtɪk)
[f. lepto- + Gr. κυρτ-ός bulging + -ic.]
Of a frequency distribution or its graphical representation: having greater kurtosis than the normal distribution.
| 1905 K. Pearson in Biometrika IV. 173 Given two frequency distributions which have the same variability as measured by the standard deviation, they may be relatively more or less flat-topped than the normal curve. If more flat-topped I term them platykurtic, if less flat-topped leptokurtic, and if equally flat-topped mesokurtic. 1954 Brit. Jrnl. Psychol. XLV. 96 These curves were clearly leptokurtic as well as skewed. 1966 New Scientist 28 July 213/1 The leptokurtic or ‘peaked’ distributions that geodesists often meet with. |
Hence ˌleptokurˈtosis [kurtosis], the property of being leptokurtic.
| 1907 Phil. Mag. XIII. 372 There is..sensible skewness and sensible leptokurtosis. 1937 Yule & Kendall Introd. Theory Statistics (ed. 11) ix. 165 By a slip leptokurtosis is there [sc. in Biometrika (1905) IV. 169 ff.] inadvertently applied to distributions for which β2 2 > 3]. 1949 Darlington & Mather Elem. Genetics 401 Kurtosis, the departure of a symmetrical frequency distribution from the normal by excess (platykurtosis) or deficiency (leptokurtosis) in its shoulders as opposed to tails and centre. |