parabola

Meaning

Noun

• The conic section formed by the intersection of a cone with a plane parallel to a tangent plane to the cone; the locus of points equidistant from a fixed point (the focus) and line (the directrix).
• The explicit drawing of a parallel between two essentially dissimilar things, especially with a moral or didactic purpose. A parable.

Origin

• Borrowed from New Latin parabola, from Ancient Greek παραβολή, from παραβάλλω, from παρά + βάλλω. parable, parole, and palaver.