Catenary

Quick meaning: Catenary is an adjective meaning Relating to a chain; like a chain.

Meaning

Relating to a chain; like a chain.

More Meanings

1. Relating to a catena.
2. (nautical) The curve of an anchor cable from the seabed to the vessel; it should be horizontal at the anchor so as to bury the flukes.
3. (engineering) Any physical cable, rope, chain, or other weight-supporting structure taking such geometric shape, as a suspension cable for a bridge or a power-transmission line or an arch for a bridge or roof.
4. (geometry) The curve described by a flexible chain or a rope if it is supported at each end and is acted upon by no other forces than a uniform gravitational force due to its own weight and variations involving additional and non-uniform forces. It is described by the hyperbolic cosine function.
5. (transport) A cable, the segments of which between supports take a catenary geometric shape, supporting in turn an overhead conductor that provides trains, trams or trolley buses with electricity, or (metonymic) the combination of the conductor, the cable, and supports.

Example Sentences

The result was catenary being torn down several hundred feet at a time.

In Europe, the organizer was the hostess and her principle was catenary.

The sequence of soils of a more or less catenary nature as seen on the Martin Estate is about as follows :

The electric overhead was catenary, using 0000 contact wire, and the new railway employed the latest in electric block signal systems.

Word Forms

• catenaries

Synonyms for catenary

Depending on context, synonyms include alysoid, chainette.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include catenal, catenoidal, cataractal, chaetal, caryatidal, condylar.

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