synclastic
|syn-cla-stic|
/sɪnˈklæs.tɪk/
curved the same way
Etymology
'synclastic' is a modern technical formation combining Greek 'syn-' meaning 'together' and the combining element '-clastic' (from Greek 'klastos'), used in scientific compounds to denote a particular relation of form or break; formed in English usage as a technical adjective.
'synclastic' was coined in modern scientific English (19th–20th century) from Neo-Latin/Greek combining elements ('syn-' + '-clastic'), analogous to the formation of related technical terms such as 'anticlastic'.
The term was created to name a specific geometric property (curving together); its meaning has remained a specialized technical sense referring to like-signed curvature.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
(geometry/geomorphology) Describing a surface or shape whose curvatures in all directions at a point have the same sign, i.e. it curves the same way (either all convex or all concave) in every direction; elliptic in curvature.
The geometer noted that the hilltop was synclastic, with the surface curving the same way in every direction.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/21 03:16