Dictionary

parabola

noun pa·rab·o·la \pə-ˈra-bə-lə\

: a curve that is shaped like the path of something that is thrown forward and high in the air and falls back to the ground

Full Definition of PARABOLA

1
:  a plane curve generated by a point moving so that its distance from a fixed point is equal to its distance from a fixed line :  the intersection of a right circular cone with a plane parallel to an element of the cone
2
:  something bowl-shaped (as an antenna or microphone reflector)
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Illustration of PARABOLA

Origin of PARABOLA

New Latin, from Greek parabolē, literally, comparison
First Known Use: 1579

Other Mathematics and Statistics Terms

abscissa, denominator, divisor, equilateral, exponent, hypotenuse, logarithm, oblique, radii, rhomb

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