Trochoid
/ˈtrɒk.ɔɪd/noun
A curve generated by a point on or attached to a rolling circle, or something shaped like such a curve.
Did you know?Trochoid was built from Greek trokhós, meaning “wheel” or “running wheel,” plus -oeidḗs, “resembling,” so the word itself is a tiny fossil of ancient motion.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
trokhós (τροχός)
“wheel; something that runs or rolls”
Ancient Greek
Greek
-oeidḗs ( -ειδής )
“resembling; having the form of”
Late Latin / Scientific Latin
Latin
trochoides
“wheel-like; trochoid”
18th–19th Century
French/English
trochoïde
“a geometric curve related to a rolling wheel”
Modern English
English
trochoid
“a curve traced by a point on or near a rolling circle”