Polar
n.
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The right line drawn through the two points of contact of
the two tangents drawn from a given point to a given conic section. The
given point is called the pole of the line. If the given point lies
within the curve so that the two tangents become imaginary, there is
still a real polar line which does not meet the curve, but which
possesses other properties of the polar. Thus the focus and directrix
are pole and polar. There are also poles and polar curves to curves of
higher degree than the second, and poles and polar planes to surfaces
of the second degree.