lemniscate

[lem-nis-kit, lem-nis-keyt, -kit]

noun Analytic Geometry.

a plane curve generated by the locus of the point at which a variable tangent to a rectangular hyperbola intersects a perpendicular from the center to the tangent. Equation: r2 = 2a2cosθ.

Origin of lemniscate

First recorded in 1775–85, lemniscate is from the Latin word lēmniscātus adorned with ribbons. See lemniscus, -ate¹

Also called Bernoulli's lemniscate.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for lemniscate

lemniscate

noun

a closed plane curve consisting of two symmetrical loops meeting at a node. Equation: (x ² + y ²)² = a ²(x ² – y ²), where a is the greatest distance from the curve to the origin. The symbol for infinity (∞) is an example

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