noun
- a curve traced by a point on the circumference of a circle that rolls around the outside of another fixed circle
Usage: geometry; mathematics
Examples
- The engineer used an epicycloid to design the gear teeth for optimal meshing.
- In mathematics class, we studied how an epicycloid is generated by rolling one circle around another.
- The decorative pattern on the ceiling resembled an epicycloid curve.
- Gear manufacturers often employ epicycloid shapes to reduce friction and noise.
- The student plotted an epicycloid using parametric equations on her graphing calculator.
- Ancient astronomers used epicycloid models to explain planetary motion.