WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
lim•a•çon
(lim′ə son′),USA pronunciation n. [Geom.]
- Mathematicsa plane curve generated by the locus of a point on a line at a fixed distance from the point of intersection of the line with a fixed circle, as the line revolves about a point on the circumference of the circle. Equation:r = acosθ + b. Also called Pascal's limaçon.
- Latin līmācem, accusative of līmāx snail, slug
- French: literally, snail, Old French, derivative of limaz
- 1575–85
'limaçon' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):