curtate cycloid
- noun
- /ˈkɜrˌteɪt ˈsaɪkˌlɔɪd/
- Specialized
- The curtate cycloid can be complex.
Examples
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The trajectory described by the center of a wheel is a special case of the curtate cycloid.
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If the tracing point is moved closer to the center, a curtate cycloid is formed instead of a standard cycloid.
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Mechanical engineers may use a curtate cycloid to design gear tooth profiles for reduced wear.
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A curtate cycloid forms inside a rolling circle.
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The path of a pendulum can be modeled as a curtate cycloid when the bob swings back and forth.
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You can visualize the motion of a point on a wheel as it rolls, creating a curtate cycloid path.
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Trying to understand the trajectory of objects, we explored how a curtate cycloid is formed by points inside the circle.
Surface Forms
Morphology
curtate + cycloid
The noun is compositionally formed (adjective + noun) and if a learner knew 'curtate' as meaning 'shortened/curtailed' and 'cycloid' as the path from a rolling circle, they could infer a 'shortened' or reduced form of a cycloid. However, 'curtate' is a rare technical adjective and the precise geometric condition (point located inside the circle) is specialist information not fully predictable from the constituents, so the transparency is partial.
Etymology
The noun curtate cycloid comes from a simple picture: a point set inside a rolling wheel traces a flattened path. Because the point is inside the rim the loop is 'shorter' than a normal cycloid, so curtate means 'shortened' and the name tells you the curve is a shortened type of cycloid.