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Glite Dictionary
trigonal

trigonal

9.2
Having three parts arranged around a center like a triangle
  • adjective
  • /ˈtraɪɡənl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : trigonal
  • Outwardly, this formation resembled quartz in that it crystallized in the trigonal trapezohedral class of the rhombohedral subsystem of hexagonal symmetry.

There are three things bonded to the central atom, and its shape is trigonal planar.

Examples

  • The crystal structure of the mineral shows a clear trigonal symmetry.

  • Now, when you go from a tetrahedral carbon, the starting material, you pull off an H and get a radical, which is trigonal, right?

  • And such a solid would be a trigonal triangular prism.

  • Bond O trigonal planer, trigonal planer slightly bent.

  • In trigonal geometry, three atoms are evenly spaced around a central atom.

  • A molecule with a trigonal structure has a symmetrical arrangement of three bonds.

Synonyms

rhombohedral
vstrigonal
  • Specialized
9.9

Shaped like a slanted box with all faces equal

is the general term for having threefold symmetry in geometry or crystals

Surface Forms

trigonal positive

Morphology

trigonal = trigon (semi-transparent) = trigon + al

The word clearly contains the geometric base 'trigon', but the specialized sense 'having threefold symmetry' is somewhat technical rather than fully transparent.

Etymology

Trigonal comes from the parts tri- and -gon, meaning 'three' and 'angle', just like in triangle. So a trigonal shape or structure has three sides or a three-point pattern, which is why the word describes things with 'threefold' symmetry.