hyperbola
noun
hy·per·bo·la
| \ hī-ˈpər-bə-lə
\
\
plural hyperbolas
or hyperbolae\ hī-ˈpər-bə-(ˌ)lē
\
\
Definition of hyperbola
: a plane curve generated by a point so moving that the difference of the distances from two fixed points is a constant : a curve formed by the intersection of a double right circular cone with a plane that cuts both halves of the cone
Illustration of hyperbola
hyperbola: AB, CD axes; F, F′ foci; xy, zw asymptotes; h, h′, h″, h′′′ hyperbola
Examples of hyperbola in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The graphs of such curves are the conic sections — circles, parabolas, ellipses and hyperbolas. — Quanta Magazine, "Mathematicians Shed Light on Minimalist Conjecture," 9 July 2013 The class doesn’t cover some lessons on circles, hyperbolas, and ellipses, but those topics are more relevant to precalculus, Gurule said. — Shaina Cavazos, The Atlantic, "A Math Class That Makes Tax Season Easier," 9 Feb. 2018 Clouds are never spheres, nor mountains cones, nor Ponderosa pines; bark is not smooth; and where the land and sea so variously lie about each other and lightly kiss, is no hyperbola. — Evelyn Lamb, Smithsonian, "How Poetry and Math Intersect," 24 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hyperbola.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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