tractrix

English

Etymology

Formed after tractor, as if from a Latin *tractrīx (from trahō (“to pull”) +‎ -trīx).

Pronunciation

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Noun

tractrix (plural tractrices)

  1. (geometry) A curve that satisfies the following property: that segment of the tangent line that lies between the point of tangency and a fixed line has length independent of the point of tangency chosen.

Translations

Further reading

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