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parabola

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parabola

Main Entry:: pa·rab·o·la
Pronunciation:: \pə-ˈra-bə-lə\
Function:: noun
Etymology:: New Latin, from Greek parabolē, 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 illustration]

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