catenary

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: cat=e=nar=y

CIDE DICTIONARY

catenary, a. [L. catenarius, fr. catena a chain. See Chain.].

 Relating to a chain; like a chain; as, a catenary curve.  [1913 Webster]

catenary, n. 

 The curve formed by a rope or chain of uniform density and perfect flexibility, hanging freely between two points of suspension, not in the same vertical line.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

catenary, n. & adj.
--n. (pl. -ies) a curve formed by a uniform chain hanging freely from two points not in the same vertical line.
--adj. of or resembling such a curve.

Idiom

catenary bridge a suspension bridge hung from such chains.

Etymology

L catenarius f. catena chain

THESAURUS

catenary

arc, bow, cadence, catacaustic, caustic, circle, conchoid, crook, curl, curve, decline, decurrence, diacaustic, droop, ellipse, festoon, hook, hyperbola, lapse, lituus, lowering, parabola, sag, sinkage, sinus, slump, submergence, subsidence, swag, tracery

ROGET THESAURUS

catenary

Curvature

N curvature, curvity, curvation, incurvature, incurvity, incurvation, bend, flexure, flexion, flection, conflexure, crook, hook, bought, bending, deflection, deflexion, inflection, inflexion, concameration, arcuation, devexity, turn, deviation, detour, sweep, curl, curling, bough, recurvity, recurvation, sinuosity, kink, carve, arc, arch, arcade, vault, bow, crescent, half-moon, lunule, horseshoe, loop, crane neck, parabola, hyperbola, helix, spiral, catenary, festoon, conchoid, cardioid, caustic, tracery, arched ceiling, arched roof, bay window, bow window, sine curve, spline, spline curve, spline function, obliquity, curved, curviform, curvilineal, curvilinear, devex, devious, recurved, recurvous, crump, bowed, vaulted, hooked, falciform, falcated, semicircular, crescentic, sinusoid, parabolic, paraboloid, luniform, lunular, semilunar, conchoidal, helical, double helical, spiral, kinky, cordiform, cordated, cardioid, heart shaped, bell shaped, boat shaped, crescent shaped, lens shaped, moon shaped, oar shaped, shield shaped, sickle shaped, tongue shaped, pear shaped, fig shaped, kidney-shaped, reniform, lentiform, lenticular, bow-legged, oblique, circular, aduncated, arclike, arcuate, arched, beaked, bicorn, bicornuous, bicornute, clypeate, clypeiform, cymbiform, embowed, galeiform, hamate, hamiform, hamous, hooked, linguiform, lingulate, lobiform, lunate, navicular, peltate, remiform, rhamphoid, rostrate, rostriferous, rostroid, scutate, scaphoid, uncate, unguiculate, unguiform.