Main Entry: pa·rab·o·la

Pronunciation: \pə-ˈra-bə-lə\

Function: noun

Etymology: New Latin, from Greek parabolē, literally, comparison

Date: 1579

1 : a plane curve generated by a point moving so that its distance from a fixed point is equal to its distance from a fixed line : the intersection of a right circular cone with a plane parallel to an element of the cone
2 : something bowl-shaped (as an antenna or microphone reflector)

[parabola illustration]