Illustration of parabola
- F fixed point
- CD fixed line
- x moving point
- AB axis
- xy distance from x to CD
- pp′ parabola
parabola
noun
pa·rab·o·la
pə-ˈra-bə-lə 
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 (such as an antenna or microphone reflector)
Examples of parabola in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
On the first weightless parabola, my shoelaces came undone.
—
Nicola Twilley, WIRED, 11 Feb. 2020
The results surprised him: the parabola was no longer a lens, but at full opacity, a mirror.
—Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 22 July 2024
Your eye is a parabola that focuses light, funneling it to your brain.
—Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 22 July 2024
The mass splashes out toward the periphery, forming something concave—a parabola.
—Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 22 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for parabola 
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Nicola Twilley, WIRED, 11 Feb. 2020
The results surprised him: the parabola was no longer a lens, but at full opacity, a mirror.
—Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 22 July 2024
Your eye is a parabola that focuses light, funneling it to your brain.
—Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 22 July 2024
The mass splashes out toward the periphery, forming something concave—a parabola.
—Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 22 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for parabola
Dictionary Entries Near parabola
Cite this Entry
“Parabola.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parabola. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
parabola
noun
pa·rab·o·la
pə-ˈrab-ə-lə
1
: a curve formed by the intersection of a cone with a plane parallel to a straight line in its surface : a curve formed by a point moving so that its distance from a fixed point is equal to its distance from a fixed line
2
: something that is bowl-shaped
parabolic
adjective
ˌpar-ə-ˈbäl-ik
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