catenary
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catenary¹
- /kəˈtiːnəɹi/ UK
- /kəˈtɛnəɹi/ UK
- /ˈkætəˌnɛɹi/ US
Where it comes from
From Latin catenarius, from Latin catēna (“chain”).
adjective more catenary · most catenary
- Relating to a chain; like a chain. In Europe, the organizer was the hostess and her principle was catenary.
- Relating to a catena. The sequence of soils of a more or less catenary nature as seen on the Martin Estate is about as follows :
catenary²
- /kəˈtiːnəɹi/ UK
- /kəˈtɛnəɹi/ UK
- /ˈkætəˌnɛɹi/ US
Where it comes from
From Late Latin catenaria, in turn from Latin catēna (“chain”). Attested since 1788.
noun catenaries
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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. The result was catenary being torn down several hundred feet at a time.
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adj Translations
| Español | catenario |
|---|
noun power lines above tracks
| Español | catenaria |
|---|---|
| Français | caténaire |
| Deutsch | Oberleitung |
| Română | linie aeriană de contact |
| Русский | контактная сеть kontaktnaja setʹ |
| العربية | سِلْك silk |
noun curve of a flexible chain
| Español | catenaria |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 懸垂曲線 kensuikyokusen, 懸垂線 kensuisen |
| 中文 | 懸鏈線 /悬链线 xuánliànxiàn |
| Français | chaînette |
| Deutsch | Kettenlinie |
| Italiano | catenaria |
| Русский | цепная ли́ния cepnaja |
| עברית | קו שרשרת kav sharshéret |
Talk about this word "catenary." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/catenary. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. catenary. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/catenary "catenary." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/catenary.Cite this
@misc{catenary_2026,
title = {catenary},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/catenary},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
