asymptote

See also: Asymptote

English

Etymology

circa 1650, from Ancient Greek ἀσύμπτωτη (asúmptōtē), the feminine of Apollonius Pergaeus' (circa 200 BC) Ancient Greek adjective ἀσύμπτωτος (asúmptōtos, “not falling together”), from ἀ- (a-, “not”) +‎ συν- (sun-, “together”) +‎ πτωτός (ptōtós, “fallen”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈæsɪmptoʊ̯t/, /ˈæsɪmtoʊ̯t/, /ˈeɪ̯sɪmtoʊ̯t/, /ˈæsɪmtɒt/

Noun

asymptote (plural asymptotes)

1. (mathematical analysis) A straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely as it goes to infinity. The limit of the curve; its tangent "at infinity".
2. (by extension, figuratively) Anything which comes near to but never meets something else.
   • 1860, Frederic William Farrar, An Essay on the Origin of Language, page 117:

     Language, in relation to thought, must ever be regarded as an asymptote.

Derived terms

• asymptotia
• asymptotic
• asymptotical
• asymptotically
• asymptotics

 

Translations

a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely

• Basque: asintota
• Bengali: অসীমতট (ośimotoṭ)
• Catalan: asímptota (ca) f
• Czech: asymptota f
• Dutch: asymptoot (nl) m
• Finnish: asymptootti (fi)
• French: asymptote (fr) f
• German: Asymptote (de) f
• Greek: ασύμπτωτος (el) f (asýmptotos)
• Hebrew: אָסִימְפְּטוֹטָה (he) f (asimptotá)
• Icelandic: aðfella f, ósnertill m
• Ido: asimptoto (io)
• Italian: asintoto (it) m
• Japanese: 漸近線 (zenkinsen)
• Maori: rārangi pātata, tepe whakatata
• Polish: asymptota (pl) f
• Portuguese: assíntota f (Portugal), assímptota f (Brazil, Portugal), assintota f (Portugal), assimptota f (Brazil, Portugal)
• Romanian: asimptotă (ro) f
• Russian: асимпто́та (ru) f (asimptóta)
• Spanish: asíntota f
• Swedish: asymptot (sv) c
• Turkish: asimptot (tr)

Verb

asymptote (third-person singular simple present asymptotes, present participle asymptoting, simple past and past participle asymptoted)

1. (mathematical analysis) To approach, but never quite touch, a straight line, as something goes to infinity.
   • 2006: Neil deGrasse Tyson, The Perimeter of Ignorance

     As you become more scientific, yes, the religiosity drops off, but it asymptotes.

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἀσύμπτωτος (asúmptōtos).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.sɛ̃p.tɔt/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

asymptote f (plural asymptotes)

1. (mathematical analysis) asymptote

Derived terms

• asymptotique

Further reading

• “asymptote”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.