Definitions

1. noun

A surface of minimum area generated by a flexible wire that is free to move in a plane, in which the wire is in the shape of a catenary curve.

“The engineer studied the properties of catenoids in designing the new bridge.”

2. noun

A three-dimensional surface generated by a curve that is a catenary curve, typically a parabola.

“The mathematician analyzed the geometry of catenoids in her research paper.”