catenary

Fetched 2026-10-30 (live).

Synonyms: canary, carnary, category, centenary, catena, catery, calendry, catenate, catenae, calendary, catenane

Antonyms: canary, carnary, category, centenary, catena, catery, calendry, catenate, catenae, calendary, catenane

Related words from Datamuse; suggestions, not definitions.

Adjective

1. Relating to a chain; like a chain.
2. Relating to a catena.

Noun

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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 the combination of the conductor, the cable, and supports.

Source: Wiktionary · CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wiktionary) · cached copy, not a rewrite.