Dráha

Dráha is a common noun in Czech and Slovak meaning a path, track, course, or trajectory. In everyday usage it denotes the route that something follows, for example the flight path of a projectile, the route of a vehicle, or the career path of a person. In physics and geometry the term refers to the locus of points that a moving object traces in space as a function of time; it is the spatial curve that results from the motion, distinct from the instantaneous velocity.

In astronomy and space science, dráha denotes the orbit of a celestial body around another body. Orbital shapes include circular and elliptical trajectories, as well as parabolic and hyperbolic paths; orbital elements such as the semi-major axis, eccentricity, inclination, and argument of periapsis characterize the dráha.

In figurative use, dráha describes the development or progression of a process, project, or career—the trajectory or path of growth over time.

Etymology: the word derives from Proto-Slavic roots meaning path or course. It is cognate with similar terms in related Slavic languages. See also trajectory, orbit, path, curve.