Associations to the word «Parabola»

Wiktionary

PARABOLA, noun. (geometry) 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).
PARABOLA, noun. (rhetoric) The explicit drawing of a parallel between two essentially dissimilar things, especially with a moral or didactic purpose. A parable.

Dictionary definition

PARABOLA, noun. A plane curve formed by the intersection of a right circular cone and a plane parallel to an element of the curve.

Wise words

The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.
Mark Twain