Concentric

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Arranged in a series of circles or spheres sharing the same center point
2. Consisting of shapes or forms nested within each other while sharing a common center point
3. Describes shapes or objects organized as multiple circles or spheres that all have a single shared midpoint

Etymology: Ancient Greek geometers had the root idea long before English had the word: "kentron" meant a sharp point or goad, the spike used to prick oxen, and it came to mean the fixed point a compass pivots on. Latin borrowed it as "centrum," and Medieval Latin built "concentricus" from "con-" (together) plus "centrum," describing circles that share one center. English took the word through Middle French "concentrique" and entered Middle English as "concentrik." The "-ic" ending is the same adjective-forming suffix found in words like "electric" or "magnetic," so the word is a straightforward compound: circles gathered around a single point.

Synonyms: coaxial, central

Antonyms: eccentric