auxetically
|aux-et-ic-al-ly|
/ɔːkˈsɛtɪk/
(auxetic)
expands when stretched
Etymology
'auxetically' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'auxetikos' (from 'auxein'), where 'aux-' / 'auxein' meant 'to increase, grow'.
'auxetically' derived from the adjective 'auxetic,' a 20th-century technical coinage in materials science formed from Neo-Latin/Greek roots ('auxeticus'/'auxetikos'), and later given the adverbial suffix '-ally' to form 'auxetically'.
Initially from roots meaning 'tending to increase or grow'; in modern technical use it came to denote the specific mechanical behavior of materials (a negative Poisson's ratio) and the adverb describes that behavior.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
(Usually 'auxeticity') The property of being auxetic; the tendency of a material to expand laterally when stretched.
The material's auxeticity was measured at different strain rates.
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Adjective 1
having the property of auxeticity; exhibiting a negative Poisson's ratio (an auxetic material expands laterally when stretched).
Researchers reported an auxetic foam that becomes wider when stretched.
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Adverb 1
in a manner characteristic of an auxetic material — exhibiting a negative Poisson's ratio (expanding laterally when stretched).
The foam deformed auxetically under tension, getting wider as it was stretched.
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Last updated: 2025/11/30 00:00