anelasticity
|an-e-las-tic-i-ty|
/ˌænɪˌlæˈstɪsəti/
gradual recovery from deformation
Etymology
'anelasticity' originates from the prefix 'an-' meaning 'not' and 'elasticity' from Greek 'elastikos', meaning 'able to resume shape'.
'anelasticity' was formed in English by combining 'an-' and 'elasticity' in the early 20th century to describe a specific physical property.
Initially, it meant 'not elastic', but over time it evolved to specifically refer to materials that recover deformation gradually rather than instantly.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the property of a material in which deformation is not immediately reversible when the stress is removed, but recovers gradually over time.
Anelasticity is important in the study of seismic waves in the Earth.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/04 20:21