SYMMETRY

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does symmetry mean? 

• SYMMETRY (noun)
  The noun SYMMETRY has 3 senses:

1. (mathematics) an attribute of a shape or relation; exact reflection of form on opposite sides of a dividing line or plane

2. balance among the parts of something

3. (physics) the property of being isotropic; having the same value when measured in different directions

  Familiarity information: SYMMETRY used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SYMMETRY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(mathematics) an attribute of a shape or relation; exact reflection of form on opposite sides of a dividing line or plane

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

balance; correspondence; symmetricalness; symmetry

Hypernyms ("symmetry" is a kind of...):

spatial property; spatiality (any property relating to or occupying space)

Domain category:

math; mathematics; maths (a science (or group of related sciences) dealing with the logic of quantity and shape and arrangement)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "symmetry"):

geometrical regularity; regularity (a property of polygons: the property of having equal sides and equal angles)

bilateral symmetry; bilateralism; bilaterality (the property of being symmetrical about a vertical plane)

radial symmetry (the property of symmetry about an axis)

Antonym:

asymmetry ((mathematics) a lack of symmetry)

Derivation:

symmetric (having similarity in size, shape, and relative position of corresponding parts)

symmetrise; symmetrize (make symmetric)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Balance among the parts of something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes

Synonyms:

proportion; symmetry

Hypernyms ("symmetry" is a kind of...):

balance; counterbalance; equilibrium; equipoise (equality of distribution)

Derivation:

symmetric (having similarity in size, shape, and relative position of corresponding parts)

symmetrise; symmetrize (make symmetric)

Sense 3

Meaning:

(physics) the property of being isotropic; having the same value when measured in different directions

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

isotropy; symmetry

Hypernyms ("symmetry" is a kind of...):

property (a basic or essential attribute shared by all members of a class)

Domain category:

natural philosophy; physics (the science of matter and energy and their interactions)

 Context examples 

A species of enveloped and spherical viruses with a capsid with T=16 icosahedral symmetry and surrounded by amorphous tegument, in the Herpesviridae family and Simplexvirus genus.

(Human Herpesvirus 2, NCI Thesaurus)

A species of non-enveloped, spherical viruses with a capsid with T=3 icosahedral symmetry in the Picornaviridae family and Enterovirus genus.

(Coxsackie A Virus, NCI Thesaurus)

A species of enveloped and spherical viruses with a capsid with T=16 icosahedral symmetry and surrounded by amorphous tegument, in the Herpesviridae family and Cytomegalovirus genus.

(Human Herpesvirus 5, NCI Thesaurus)

A species of enveloped and spherical viruses with a capsid with T=16 icosahedral symmetry and surrounded by amorphous tegument, in the Herpesviridae family and Roseolovirus genus.

(Human Herpesvirus 7, NCI Thesaurus)

A species of non-enveloped and spherical viruses with a capsid with T=3 icosahedral symmetry in the Caliciviridae family and Norovirus genus.

(Norwalk Virus, NCI Thesaurus)

A genus of non-enveloped, capsid covered viruses with T=3 icosahedral symmetry, in the family Caliciviridae.

(Norovirus, NCI Thesaurus)

The coronavirus genome exhibits helical symmetry.

(Coronavirus, NCI Thesaurus)

Virions are enveloped, ether-sensitive, and vary up to 200 nm in diameter; the nucleocapsids are 100 nm in diameter and of icosahedral symmetry, with 162 capsomeres.

(Herpesvirus, NCI Thesaurus)

A genus of enveloped, spherical, or pleomorphic viruses with T=4 icosahedral symmetry, in the family Togaviridae.

(Alphavirus, NCI Thesaurus)

She was a striking-looking woman, a little short and thick for symmetry, but with a beautiful olive complexion, large, dark, Italian eyes, and a wealth of deep black hair.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)