Axisymmetrical

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. An object can be described as displaying equal dimensions or patterns on opposite sides of a central line
2. This term refers to geometric forms that present identical features when divided by a central axis
3. A shape possesses uniform characteristics on either side of a dividing line through its center

Etymology: "Axisymmetrical" is a plain technical compound: "axi-", combining form of Latin "axis" meaning "axis" or "pivot line", joined to "symmetrical". The result describes a shape that stays the same when rotated around a central line, or that mirrors evenly across it. The "axi-" element is a modern scientific combining form, so the word was built deliberately from existing parts rather than inherited through centuries of speech. The second element carries most of the older history. "Symmetrical" traces back to Greek "symmetria", literally "measurement together" or "commensurability", built from "syn" (together) and "metron" (measure). Greek writers used the idea for proportion in architecture and the human body, and the sense of balanced correspondence on either side of a dividing line grew from there. Putting the two together gives a precise term: a cylinder, cone, or wheel looks identical as it turns about its central axis, and engineers, physicists and mathematicians use the word to name that quality.

Synonyms: cylindrical, symmetrical, balanced, even, uniform

Antonyms: asymmetrical, uneven, irregular, disproportionate, unbalanced