pa·rab·o·la (p -r b -l)n. 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 parabol  , 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.] |   Any point on a parabola is the same distance from the directrix as it is from the focus. AC equals CF and BD equals DF. |
parabola [pəˈræbələ]
n
(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
[via New Latin from Greek parabolē a setting alongside; see parable]
| parabola (p-rb-l) 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 parabola of the function y = x2. |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  parabola - a plane curve formed by the intersection of a right circular cone and a plane parallel to an element of the curveconic, conic section - (geometry) a curve generated by the intersection of a plane and a circular cone |
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