- (n.) One of a group of curves defined by the equation y = axn where n is a positive whole number or a positive fraction. For the cubical parabola n = 3; for the semicubical parabola n = /. See under Cubical, and Semicubical. The parabolas have infinite branches, but no rectilineal asymptotes.
- (n.) A kind of curve; one of the conic sections formed by the intersection of the surface of a cone with a plane parallel to one of its sides. It is a curve, any point of which is equally distant from a fixed point, called the focus, and a fixed straight line, called the directrix. See Focus.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). parabola. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/parabola/definitions/2041882 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "parabola" http://smartdefine.org/parabola/definitions/2041882 (accessed September 26, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, parabola, Smart Define, viewed 26 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/parabola/definitions/2041882>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "parabola" 27 May 2011. Web. 26 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/parabola/definitions/2041882> |