anhedral
|an-he-dral|
/ænˈhiːdrəl/
without faces; downward (negative) tilt
Etymology
'anhedral' originates from Greek, specifically the privative prefix 'an-' meaning 'without' and 'hédra' (via '-hedron/-hedral') meaning 'seat, base, face (surface)', adopted through scientific Latin/English formation.
'Anhedral' was first used in 19th-century crystallography for crystals lacking faces; in the 20th century an aviation sense arose by analogy with 'dihedral' to denote a negative (downward) wing angle.
Initially, it meant 'without crystal faces'; later it also came to mean 'a downward, negative wing angle' in aeronautics while retaining the original geological sense.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the downward inclination of an aircraft’s wings or stabilizers from the horizontal; negative dihedral.
The designer increased anhedral to enhance low-altitude stability.
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Adjective 1
in aircraft design, having wings or stabilizers that slope downward from the fuselage toward the tips; negative dihedral.
The fighter’s anhedral wings improve roll response at high speed.
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Adjective 2
in mineralogy, lacking well-formed crystal faces; xenomorphic.
The basalt contains anhedral olivine grains.
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Last updated: 2025/08/10 14:37