parabola

American  

[puh-rab-uh-luh] / pəˈræb ə lə /

noun

Geometry.

1. a plane curve formed by the intersection of a right circular cone with a plane parallel to a generator of the cone; the set of points in a plane that are equidistant from a fixed line and a fixed point in the same plane or in a parallel plane. Equation: y 2 = 2 px or x 2 = 2 py.

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parabola British  

/ pəˈræbələ /

noun

1. a conic section formed by the intersection of a cone by a plane parallel to its side. Standard equation: y ² = 4 ax , where 2 a is the distance between focus and directrix

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parabola Scientific  

/ pə-răb′ə-lə /

1. The curve formed by the set of points in a plane that are all equally distant from both a given line (called the directrix) and a given point (called the focus) that is not on the line.

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parabola Cultural  

1. A geometrical shape (see geometry) consisting of a single bend and two lines going off to an infinite distance.

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Discover More

An object that is propelled away from the Earth and then drawn back by gravity, such as a fly ball in baseball, follows a path shaped like a parabola.

Etymology

Origin of parabola

1570–80; < New Latin < Greek parabolḗ an application. See parable

Related Words

• arc
• arch
• contour
• loop
• trajectory