hodograph

H4O1D2O1G2R1A1P3H4

noun

A curve described by the moving extremity of a line whose other end is fixed, this line being constantly parallel to the direction of motion of, and having its length constantly proportional to the velocity of, a point moving in any path; used in investigations respecting central forces.

UncommonScrabble 19

Meanings

nounhodograph (plural hodographs)

plural hodographs

  1. mathematicsA curve described by the moving extremity of a line whose other end is fixed, this line being constantly parallel to the direction of motion of, and having its length constantly proportional to the velocity of, a point moving in any path; used in investigations respecting central forces.
    1 more example

    The following is Sir W R. Hamilton's theorem of hodographical isochranism: "if two circular hodegraphs having a common chord, which passes through or tends towards a common centre of force, be cut perpendicularly by a third circle, the times of hodographically describing the intercepted arcs will be equal."

    1847, editorial staff, “Knowledge is Power”, in Scientific American, series 1, Volume 3, Issue 10, page 74

Origin

Translations

Finnish hodografi
  • hodografiTranslations
French hodographe
  • hodographeTranslations
Hungarian hodográf
  • hodográfTranslations
Italian odografo
  • odografoTranslations
Russian годо́граф
  • годо́граф (godógraf)Translations
Cite this entry
APA

hodograph. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hodograph

MLA

“hodograph.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hodograph. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hodograph,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hodograph.

Source: hodograph on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.