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anisotropic

anisotropic

1 9.9
A material that has different properties in different directions
  • adjective
  • /ˌænɪsəˈtrɒpɪk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : anisotrópico
  • The highly anisotropic nature of wood means it is stronger along the grain than across it.
  • anisotropic materials
  • anisotropic medium
  • anisotropic solids

Examples

  • The wanderings of Si and Ge atoms on Si(001) turn out to be highly anisotropic.

    Academic text (1993)
  • In reality, the soft tissue is anisotropic, nonlinear, viscoelastic, and discontinuous with several inhomogeneities.

    Academic text (1995)
  • This came about because we were interested in anisotropic structures.

  • The highly anisotropic nature of wood can be described at two different scales.

    Academic text (2018)
  • The plate may consist of several layers of anisotropic material.

    Academic text (2018)
  • The plate may consist of several laminas made of anisotropic material.

    Academic text (2018)
  • Two experiments measured the anisotropic hydrodynamic expansion of an atomic cloud after it was released from its trap.

    Academic text (2005)
  • Thin and thick laminated plates made of various layers of anisotropic materials are extensively used in modern structures.

    Academic text (2018)
  • All three are magnetic and have anisotropic behavior, exhibiting an entirely new category of macroscopically observable quantum behavior.

    Academic text (1996)
  • The semiclassical analysis predicts a buildup of highly anisotropic Rayleigh scattering from a nonspherical sample of atoms.

    Academic text (1999)

Synonyms

eolotropic
vsanisotropic
  • Specialized
9.9

Having different properties in different directions, like wood or crystal

describes the property varying when measured in different directions

Antonyms

isotropic
  • Specialized
1 8.9

A material that is the same in every direction

How Directional

anisotropic
  • Specialized
1 9.9
isotropic
  • Specialized
1 8.9

Surface Forms

anisotropic positive

Morphology

anisotropic = tropic (semi-transparent) = aniso + tropic

While 'aniso' suggests 'unequal' and 'tropic' relates to direction, the specific scientific meaning may not be immediately clear to all learners.

Etymology

Anisotropic comes from Greek parts a- 'not', iso- 'equal', and tropos 'turn' or 'direction', so something anisotropic is 'not equal in all directions'.