Conchoid
noun ·2 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 Any of a family of curves defined as the locus of points p, such that each p is on a line that passes through a given fixed point P and intersects a given curve, C, and the distance from p to the point of intersection with C is a specified constant (note that for nontrivial cases two such points p satisfy the criteria, and the resultant curve has two parts).
"The conchoid of a circle with respect to a point on the circle is a cardioid if the fixed distance is equal to the diameter of the circle."
- 2 Any of a family of curves defined as the locus of points p, such that each p is on a line that passes through a given fixed point P and intersects a given curve, C, and the distance from p to the point of intersection with C is a specified constant (note that for nontrivial cases two such points p satisfy the criteria, and the resultant curve has two parts). wordnet
- 3 A conchoidal fracture in rock.
"Conchoids of sound rock, from a few feet to 20 or more feet in diameter, entirely surrounded by comparatively thin layers of weathered material, were frequently encountered, sometimes in adjacent series."
Example
More examples"The conchoid of a circle with respect to a point on the circle is a cardioid if the fixed distance is equal to the diameter of the circle."
Etymology
From Latin concha (“mussel”) (from Ancient Greek κόγχη (kónkhē)) + -oid or directly from Ancient Greek κογχοειδής (konkhoeidḗs), referring to the curved outline of a mussel shell or anything in this form. By surface analysis, conch + -oid.
Related phrases
More for "conchoid"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.