conic section

Conic section — Conic Con ic, Conical Con ic*al, a. [Gr. ?: cf. F. conique. See {Cone}.] 1. Having the form of, or resembling, a geometrical cone; round and tapering to a point, or gradually lessening in circumference; as, a conic or conical figure; a conical… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

conic section — ► NOUN ▪ the figure of a circle, ellipse, parabola, or hyperbola formed by the intersection of a plane and a circular cone …   English terms dictionary

conic section — 1. a curve, either an ellipse, circle, parabola, or hyperbola, produced by the intersection of a plane with a right circular cone 2. [pl., with sing. v.] the branch of geometry dealing with ellipses, circles, parabolas, and hyperbolas: also… …   English World dictionary

Conic section — Types of conic sections: 1. Parabola 2. Circle and ellipse 3. Hyperbola …   Wikipedia

conic section — Geom. a curve formed by the intersection of a plane with a right circular cone; an ellipse, a circle, a parabola, or a hyperbola. Also called conic. [1655 65] * * * Any two dimensional curve traced by the intersection of a right circular cone… …   Universalium

conic section — noun (geometry) a curve generated by the intersection of a plane and a circular cone • Syn: ↑conic • Derivationally related forms: ↑conic (for: ↑conic) • Topics: ↑geo …   Useful english dictionary

conic section — noun Any of the four distinct shapes that are the intersections of a cone with a plane, namely the circle, ellipse, parabola and hyperbola. Syn: conic …   Wiktionary

conic section — con′ic sec′tion n. math. a curve formed by the intersection of a plane with a right circular cone; an ellipse, a circle, a parabola, or a hyperbola Also called conic 2) • Etymology: 1655–65 …   From formal English to slang

conic section — noun Date: 1664 1. a plane curve, line, pair of intersecting lines, or point that is the intersection of or bounds the intersection of a plane and a cone with two nappes 2. a curve generated by a point which always moves so that the ratio of its… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

conic section — noun the figure of a circle, ellipse, parabola, or hyperbola formed by the intersection of a plane and a circular cone …   English new terms dictionary

conic section — noun (C) technical a shape made in geometry when an imaginary flat surface is passed through a cone 1 (1) …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English