lemniscate means A closed curve having the shape of a figure eight or an infinity symbol (∞).
lemniscate is pronounced /lɛmˈnɪs.kɪt/.
Why “lemniscate” is a great word
A closed curve, especially in mathematics, having the shape of a figure eight or an infinity symbol (∞). From New Latin lēmniscāta (figūra), from Latin lēmniscātus ('decorated with ribbons'), from lēmniscus ('a sort of ribbon'), first attested in English in 1781. Unlike the 'infinity symbol' (a specific glyph of endlessness) or an 'oval' (a simple, unwinding ellipse), the lemniscate is the precise geometry of a ribbon folded back upon itself. It is the path traced by a celestial body in a gravitational dance, the magnetic field lines between two opposing poles, and the twin eddies in a stream’s current circling a central stone—a single line where beginning and end are lost in perpetual return.
Etymology
First attested in 1781; borrowed from New Latin lēmniscāta (figūra), substantivized from lēmniscātus (“decorated with ribbons”), from lēmniscus (“a sort of ribbon”).
noun
- A closed curve having the shape of a figure eight or an infinity symbol (∞).
- The lemniscate of Bernoulli
- Any of a variety of quartic functions producing similar figure-of-eight closed curves.
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- asymptote 81% match — A straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely as it goes to infinity. The limit of the curve; its tangent "at infinity". vs lemniscate →
- quatrefoil 80% match — A symmetrical shape that forms the overall outline of four partially-overlapping circles of the same diameter. vs lemniscate →
- triskeles 80% match — A symbol consisting of three spirals, or three bent human legs. vs lemniscate →
- infinitude 80% match — The state or quality of being infinite or having no limit. vs lemniscate →
- curlicue 79% match — A fancy twisting or curling shape usually made from a series of spirals and loops. vs lemniscate →
- cardioid 79% match — An epicycloid with exactly one cusp; the plane curve with polar equation ρ=1+ cos ,θ - approximately heart-shaped vs lemniscate →
- osculate 79% match — To kiss. vs lemniscate →
- ouroboros 79% match — A serpent, dragon or worm that eats its own tail, a representation of the continuous cycle of life and death. vs lemniscate →