asymptote
[ as-im-toht ]
/ ˈæs ɪmˌtoʊt /
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noun Mathematics.
a straight line approached by a given curve as one of the variables in the equation of the curve approaches infinity.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
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British Dictionary definitions for asymptote
asymptote
/ (ˈæsɪmˌtəʊt) /
noun
a straight line that is closely approached by a plane curve so that the perpendicular distance between them decreases to zero as the distance from the origin increases to infinity
Word Origin for asymptote
C17: from Greek asumptōtos not falling together, from a- 1 + syn- + ptōtos inclined to fall, from piptein to fall
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Scientific definitions for asymptote
asymptote
[ ăs′ĭm-tōt′ ]
A line whose distance to a given curve tends to zero. An asymptote may or may not intersect its associated curve.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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