noun
- A plane curve traced by a point on a line at a fixed distance from a circle as the line rotates around a point on the circle.
Usage: mathematics; geometry
Examples
- The limacon is a classic curve studied in polar coordinate geometry.
- When you plot the equation r = a + b cos(θ), you get a limacon.
- The shape of a limacon can resemble a heart or a snail shell depending on the parameters.
- In calculus, students often encounter the limacon as an example of a polar curve.