n.
Pronunciation: p ə - ' ra-b ə -l ə
Function: noun
Etymology: New Latin, from Greek parabol ē , literally, comparison
Date: 1579
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)
parabola 1: F fixed point; CD fixed line; x moving point; AB axis; xy distance from x to CD; pp ′ parabola