You searched for: “hyperbola”
hyperbola
1. A conic section formed by a point that moves in a plane so that the difference in its distance from two fixed points in the plane remains constant.

A cone is an object or shape that has a circular base and tapers to a point at the top, or has a circular top and tapers to a point at the bottom.

2. A plane curve having two branches, formed by the intersection of a plane with both halves of a right circular cone at an angle parallel to the axis of the cone.

It is the locus of points for which the difference of the distances from two given points is a constant.

This entry is located in the following units: ballo-, ball-, balo-, bolo-, bol-, -bola, -bole, -bolic, -bolism, -bolite, -boly (page 2) hyper-, hyp- (page 3)
hyperbola, hyperbole
hyperbola (high PUR buh luh) (noun)
A mathematical term indicating a part of a curve: Every draftsman must learn the formula for the hyperbola.
hyperbole (high PUR buh lee) (noun)
1. An extravagant overstatement or exaggerated language that distorts facts by making them much bigger than they are if looked at objectively: Too much use of hyperbole can cast doubt on anything a person says.
2. A figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect: Examples of hyperbole are illustrated by the following statements:

I'm so tired, I could sleep for a year.

This book weighs a ton.

I could eat a million of these cookies.

It is taking an eternity to finish the research!

It might be a hyperbole to describe the hyperbola as reaching to the moon instead of just stating that is was large and graceful.

This entry is located in the following units: Confusing Words Clarified: Group H; Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs, Synonyms, Polysemes, etc. + (page 5) hyper-, hyp- (page 3)
Word Entries at Get Words: “hyperbola”
hyperbola
A conic section.

Some comets enter the solar system on hyperbolic paths, which indicates that they swing around the sun and leave the solar system, never to return.

This entry is located in the following unit: Astronomy and related astronomical terms (page 13)