Nodularity

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality or state characterized by small, rounded structures distributed within a physical substance
2. The characteristic of containing small, rounded masses dispersed throughout a substance
3. A state where tiny spherical formations appear throughout a material's structure

Etymology: "Nodularity" is a plain formation: it is "nodular" with the suffix "-ity" added. "Nodular" comes from "nodule," a small knot or lump, borrowed from Latin "nodulus," a diminutive of "nodus," meaning knot. The suffix "-ity" turns an adjective into a noun naming a quality, so "nodularity" names the state of being nodular, that is, having small rounded masses scattered through a substance. The base word carries the picture. A nodule is literally a little knot, and the same Latin root gives English "node" and "nodus," which is why the idea of a knot or swelling on a stem or within tissue runs through the family. The -ity ending follows the pattern of many English nouns made from Latin-derived adjectives, such as "regularity" or "solidity."

Synonyms: lumpiness, bumpiness, nodular structure, pebbled texture, granularity

Antonyms: smoothness, flatness, uniformity, evenness, planarity