Orbicularity

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A quality or state characterized by being circular or rounded in form
2. The condition of being shaped like a sphere or circle, relating to curvature and symmetry
3. An attribute that denotes circularity or spherical shape in objects or concepts

Etymology: "Orbicularity" is a plain formation: the adjective "orbicular," meaning round or spherical, with the abstract-noun suffix "-ity" attached. The adjective itself comes from Latin "orbicularis," from "orbiculus," a diminutive of "orbis," meaning circle or disc, so the word is essentially "roundness" dressed in Latin clothing. English speakers added "-ity" to form a noun naming the quality of being round, in the same way "regularity" or "familiarity" name a quality. The word's most useful connection is to its relatives. "Orbit" comes from the same Latin "orbis," originally a wheel or ring before it described the path of a planet. "Orb," "orbicular," and "orbicularity" all trace back to that same circular image, so the term is a close cousin of the everyday word for a celestial path.