conic section

2 definitions found

conic section - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  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
        vessel.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Of or pertaining to a cone; as, conic sections.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Conic section (Geom.), a curved line formed by the
        intersection of the surface of a right cone and a plane.
        The conic sections are the parabola, ellipse, and
        hyperbola. The right lines and the circle which result
        from certain positions of the plane are sometimes, though
        not generally included.
  
     Conic sections, that branch of geometry which treats of the
        parabola, ellipse, and hyperbola.
  
     Conical pendulum. See Pendulum.
  
     Conical projection, a method of delineating the surface of
        a sphere upon a plane surface as if projected upon the
        surface of a cone; -- much used by makers of maps in
        Europe.
  
     Conical surface (Geom.), a surface described by a right
        line moving along any curve and always passing through a
        fixed point that is not in the plane of that curve.
        [1913 Webster]

conic section - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  conic section
      n 1: (geometry) a curve generated by the intersection of a plane
           and a circular cone [syn: conic section, conic]