tractrix

American

[trak-triks] / ˈtræk trɪks /

noun

Geometry.

PLURAL

tractrices

a curve whose tangents are all of equal length; the involute of a catenary.

Etymology

Origin of tractrix

1720–30; < New Latin, equivalent to Latin trac-, variant stem of trahere to draw, pull + -trīx -trix

Example Sentences

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The involute of the catenary is called the tractory, tractrix or antifriction curve; it has a cusp at the vertex of the catenary, and is asymptotic to the directrix.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023