brachistochrone
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˌbrækɪstəˈkroʊn/
- Specialized
- The brachistochrone is fundamental to understanding problems of quickest descent in physics.
Examples
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On a blackboard, the professor drew the brachistochrone curve for the students to examine.
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Mathematicians in the eighteenth century competed to solve the brachistochrone problem.
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The brachistochrone is a fascinating concept in physics.
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Have you ever studied the brachistochrone curve?
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Mathematicians in the eighteenth century competed to solve the brachistochrone problem.
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On a blackboard, the professor drew the brachistochrone curve for the students to examine.
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The brachistochrone is fundamental to understanding problems of quickest descent in physics.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A curve that a point on a circle's edge makes when the circle rolls along a straight line without slipping
Surface Forms
Morphology
brachistochrone = brachisto + chrone
The term is built from Greek combining forms (brachisto- 'shortest' + -chrone 'time') that are not productive or recognizable standalone English words, so learners cannot reliably derive the meaning from known English vocabulary.
Etymology
The word brachistochrone comes from Greek roots brachistos ('shortest') and chronos ('time'), so it names the curve down which an object moves between two points in the 'shortest time' under gravity.