Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A surface having parabolic sections parallel to a single coordinate axis and elliptic or circular sections perpendicular to that axis.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A solid or surface of the second degree some of whose plane-sections are parabolas.
  • Paraboloidal.
  • noun The solid generated by the revolution of a parabola about its axis; a parabolic conoid.
  • noun A curve whose equation is of the form ax = y.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Geom.) The solid generated by the rotation of a parabola about its axis; any surface of the second order whose sections by planes parallel to a given line are parabolas.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun mathematics A surface having a parabolic cross section parallel to an axis, and circular or elliptical cross section perpendicular to the axis; especially the surface of revolution of a parabola.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a surface having parabolic sections parallel to a single coordinate axis and elliptic sections perpendicular to that axis

Etymologies

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Examples

  • A paraboloid is a three-dimensional shape that has two terms of x, y, or z that are squared and one term of x, y, or z that is not.

    Conservapedia - Recent changes [en] 2010

  • When one squared term is negative and one is positive, like in the second equation, the paraboloid is a hyperbolic paraboloid (shaped like a saddle When both squared terms are positive, like in the first equation, the paraboloid is an

    Conservapedia - Recent changes [en] 2010

  • If you aren't quite sure what a hyperbolic paraboloid is, it's a mathematical term to describe a surface shaped like a saddle.

    Flip Saunders ready to zone out Michael Lee 2010

  • "Geometrically, it's a hyperbolic paraboloid, but that's not very sexy."

    Building a Better Future Richard B. Woodward 2011

  • We're back to my hyperbolic, paraboloid, transitional floating zone.

    Flip Saunders ready to zone out Michael Lee 2010

  • Gaudi, of course, is the leading genius: his structural experiments took off from Catalan Gothic to produce amazing paraboloid arches; his rich details of fauna and flora in iron, stone or wildly colorful bits of tile drew on the work of the best Catalonian craftsmen.

    Catalunya, Here I Come 2008

  • It has 4 nester hyperboloid mirrors and 4 nested paraboloid mirrors to focus the x-rays.

    Podcast: Steampunk Panel at ReaderCon maryrobinette 2008

  • It is not the scope of the synagogue that sets it apart, or the technical marvel of his hallmark hyperbolic paraboloid roofs — which he describes as being shaped something like a Pringles potato chip.

    A Shul Grows in Virginia | Jewschool 2004

  • The saddle-shaped structure is also known as a hyperbolic paraboloid surface, or an anticlastic surface.

    Sheila Patek clocks the fastest animals 2004

  • And interestingly, this turns out -- the stomatopod saddle turns out to be the first described biological hyperbolic paraboloid spring.

    Sheila Patek clocks the fastest animals 2004

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