Merriam Webster’s definition of asymptote is "a straight line
associated with a curve such that as a point moves along an infinite branch of
the curve the distance from the point to the line approaches zero and the slope
of the curve at the point approaches the slope of the line,"
In other words, the
curve approaches the line, gets infinitely close to it, yet never crosses it.
One
person asked about the origin of the word. Asymptote likely comes from Greek
asymptōtos not meeting, from a- + sympiptein to
meet.” (also Merriam Webster)
To
my surprise, I discovered Merriam Webster lists rhyming words. I don’t write in
rhyme, but consider the possibilities of billy goat, sticky note, or even
quarter note. Here’s Merriam Webster’s list:
anecdote, antidote, assault boat, billy goat, Capriote, cashmere goat, casting vote, Corfiote, creosote, dead man's float, entrecôte, ferryboat, flying boat, get one's goat, Huhehot, locomote, matelote, miss the boat, morning coat, motorboat, mountain goat, nanny goat, overcoat, paddleboat, papillote, passing note, pedal-note, petticoat, picketboat, polo coat, powerboat, quarter note, redingote, riverboat, rock the boat, rubythroat, Shabuoth, Sialkot, sixteenth note, sticky note, sugarcoat, symbiote, table d'hôte, undercoat, yellowthroat
anecdote, antidote, assault boat, billy goat, Capriote, cashmere goat, casting vote, Corfiote, creosote, dead man's float, entrecôte, ferryboat, flying boat, get one's goat, Huhehot, locomote, matelote, miss the boat, morning coat, motorboat, mountain goat, nanny goat, overcoat, paddleboat, papillote, passing note, pedal-note, petticoat, picketboat, polo coat, powerboat, quarter note, redingote, riverboat, rock the boat, rubythroat, Shabuoth, Sialkot, sixteenth note, sticky note, sugarcoat, symbiote, table d'hôte, undercoat, yellowthroat
4 comments:
I needed the explanation, but I get it - all too well!
Kristin: There does seem to be an invisible boundary - at least for me. I wouldn't have understood the bit about maintaining meter when rhyming if Debbie Diesen hadn't explained it to me.
You need to do some Quantum Tunneling to make the connection. (At least, I think that's what it's called.)
Wyman: It's worth a try.
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