Symmetrician

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A specialist who studies or works with symmetry, especially in mathematics, physics, chemistry or the arts
2. Someone who is an expert in the properties and patterns of symmetry within a scientific or mathematical field
3. A person skilled in analysing balance, proportion and symmetrical structure in mathematics, crystallography or design

Etymology: "Symmetrician" is a plain formation: it combines "symmetric," the adjective meaning having balanced proportions on either side of a dividing line, with the suffix "-ian," which denotes a person skilled in or concerned with a particular field. A symmetrician, then, is someone who studies or works with symmetry, as a mathematician, artist or crystallographer might. The suffix "-ian" is a familiar English device, found in words such as "mathematician," "electrician" and "musician," where it attaches to a noun or adjective to name a practitioner. Its use here follows that pattern exactly, so the word needs no special explanation beyond the two parts that make it up.