Parabolic

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Parabolic \Par`a*bol"ic\, Parabolical \Par`a*bol"ic*al\, a. [Gr.
     paraboliko`s figurative: cf. F. parabolique. See {Parable}.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. Of the nature of a parable; expressed by a parable or
        figure; allegorical; as, parabolical instruction.
        [1913 Webster]


  
     2. [From {Parabola}.] (Geom.)
        (a) Having the form or nature of a parabola; pertaining
            to, or resembling, a parabola; as, a parabolic curve.
        (b) Having a form like that generated by the revolution of
            a parabola, or by a line that moves on a parabola as a
            directing curve; as, a parabolic conoid; a parabolic
            reflector; a parabolic antenna.
            [1913 Webster +PJC]
  
     {Parabolic conoid}, a paraboloid; a conoid whose directing
        curve is a parabola. See {Conoid}.
  
     {Parabolic mirror} (Opt.), a mirror having a paraboloidal
        surface which gives for parallel rays (as those from very
        distant objects) images free from aberration. It is used
        in reflecting telescopes.
  
     {Parabolic spindle}, the solid generated by revolving the
        portion of a parabola cut off by a line drawn at right
        angles to the axis of the curve, about that line as an
        axis.
  
     {Parabolic spiral}, a spiral curve conceived to be formed by
        the periphery of a semiparabola when its axis is wrapped
        about a circle; also, any other spiral curve having an
        analogy to the parabola.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  parabolic
       adj 1: resembling or expressed by parables [syn: {parabolical}]
       2: having the form of a parabola [syn: {parabolical}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  18 Moby Thesaurus words for "parabolic":
     allegoric, bell-like, bell-shaped, campaniform, campanular,
     campanulate, ellipsoid, elliptic, fabulous, fictional, legendary,
     mythic, mythological, mythopoeic, mythopoetic, romantic,
     romanticized, saucer-shaped