parabola

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parabola

Any point on a parabola is the same distance from the directrix as it is from the focus (F). AC equals CF and BD equals DF.

pa·rab·o·la

(pə-răb′ə-lə)

A plane curve formed by the intersection of a right circular cone and a plane parallel to an element of the cone or by the locus of points equidistant from a fixed line and a fixed point not on the line.

[New Latin, from Greek parabolē, comparison, application, parabola (from the relationship between the line joining the vertices of a conic and the line through its focus and parallel to its directrix), from paraballein, to compare; see parable.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

parabola

(pəˈræbələ)

(Mathematics) a conic section formed by the intersection of a cone by a plane parallel to its side. Standard equation: y² = 4ax, where 2a is the distance between focus and directrix

[C16: via New Latin from Greek parabolē a setting alongside; see parable]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

pa•rab•o•la

(pəˈræb ə lə)

n., pl. -las.

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. See also diag. at conic section.

[1570–80; < New Latin < Greek parabolḗ an application]

parabola

The parabola at left is formed by graphing the function y = x².

pa·rab·o·la

(pə-răb′ə-lə)

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.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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Noun

parabola - a plane curve formed by the intersection of a right circular cone and a plane parallel to an element of the curve

conic, conic section - (geometry) a curve generated by the intersection of a plane and a circular cone

Translations

parabola

paraabeli

parabola

parabola

parabel

parabola

[pəˈræbələ] N → parábola f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

parabola

[pəˈræbələ] n → parabole f (MATH)

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

parabola

n (Math) → Parabel f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

parabola

[pəˈræbələ] n → parabola (Mat)

References in classic literature ?

"Yes," said Nicholl, "it will follow either a parabola or a hyperbola."

"With a certain speed it will assume the parabola, and with a greater the hyperbola."

"My friend," answered the captain, "the parabola is a curve of the second order, the result of the section of a cone intersected by a plane parallel to one of the sides."

One maintained the hyperbola, the other the parabola. They gave each other reasons bristling with x .

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On being fired, the projectile rose with great velocity, described a majestic parabola, attained a height of about a thousand feet, and with a graceful curve descended in the midst of the vessels that lay there at anchor.

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At the same moment, as if the vessel was responsive to the appeal of Aramis, a second cloud of smoke mounted slowly to the heavens, and from the bosom of that cloud sparkled an arrow of flame, which described a parabola like a rainbow, and fell into the sea, where it continued to burn, illuminating a space of a quarter of a league in diameter.

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With a roar that mingled with the booming thunder from above he leaped toward the panther, who could only claw futilely with one huge paw while he clung to the branch with the other; but the ape-man did not come within that parabola of destruction.

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But year after year our tables get no completeness, and at last we discover that our curve is a parabola, whose arcs will never meet.

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For example, if you fall over a cliff, you move under the influence of gravitation, and your centre of gravity describes just as correct a parabola as if you were already dead.

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But from the right pocket a piece of paper flew out and describing a parabola in the air fell at Luzhin's feet.

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No doubt about it--I was in the air, and my body was describing a short parabola. But short as it was, I had the time to think several thoughts in, as far as I can remember, the following order: 'This can't be the carpenter--What is it?--Some accident--Submarine volcano?--Coals, gas!--By Jove!

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The outline which would bound my walks would be, not a circle, but a parabola, or rather like one of those cometary orbits which have been thought to be non-returning curves, in this case opening westward, in which my house occupies the place of the sun.