ALL meanings of parabola
pa·rab·o·la
P p - noun parabola geometry: type of curve 1
- noun parabola 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. 1
- countable noun parabola A parabola is a type of curve such as the path of something that is thrown up into the air and comes down in a different place. 0
- noun parabola 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 0
- noun parabola a plane curve which is the path, or locus, of a moving point that remains equally distant from a fixed point (focus) and from a fixed straight line (directrix); curve formed by the section of a cone cut by a plane parallel to the side of the cone 0