non-isometric
|non-is-o-met-ric|
🇺🇸
/ˌnɑn.aɪsəˈmɛtrɪk/
🇬🇧
/ˌnɒn.aɪsəˈmɛtrɪk/
not equal in measure / not preserving distance
Etymology
'non-isometric' originates from the negative prefix 'non-' (Modern English, ultimately from Latin 'non' meaning 'not') combined with 'isometric', which comes from Greek 'isometrikos' formed from 'isos' meaning 'equal' and 'metron' meaning 'measure'.
'isometric' entered English via Greek 'isometrikos' (through Late Latin/Medieval usage) meaning 'equal in measure'; the productive Modern English prefix 'non-' was subsequently attached to create the compound adjective 'non-isometric'.
Initially 'isometric' meant 'equal in measure'; 'non-isometric' originally meant simply 'not equal in measure.' Over time it acquired technical senses (particularly in mathematics and biology) denoting the absence of an isometry or of equal proportions.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
not isometric — in mathematics, describing two metric spaces or geometric objects for which no isometry (distance-preserving bijection) exists between them.
Although the shapes have the same volume, they are non-isometric and cannot be related by a distance-preserving map.
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Adjective 2
not equal in dimensions or scale — not having identical measures or proportions (general/engineering/geometry sense).
The two models are non-isometric; they cannot be overlaid without distortion.
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Adjective 3
showing non-isometric (allometric) growth — growth in which proportions change rather than remaining constant.
Many animals exhibit non-isometric growth during development, so juveniles and adults have different proportions.
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Last updated: 2025/12/08 01:11