geometry | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

53 entries found.

early 14c., also gemetrie, gemetry, from Old French geometrie (12c., Modern French géométrie), from Latin geometria, from Greek geometria "measurement of earth or land; geometry," from combining form of gē "earth, land" (see Gaia) + -metria "a measuring of" (see -metry). Old English used eorðcræft "earth-craft" as a loan-translation of Latin geometria.

geometer (n.)

"one skilled in geometry," late 15c., from Latin geometres (in Late Latin also geometra), from Greek geometres "land-measurer" (see geometry).

geometrical (adj.)

late 14c., from Latin geometricus "of geometry" (from geometria; see geometry) + -al. Since 16c. it has been opposed to arithmetical in ratio, proportion, etc., reflecting the fact that problems of multiplication formerly were dealt with by geometry, not arithmetic. Related: Geometrically.

gematria (n.)

1680s, from Hebrew gematriya, a transliteration of Greek geometria (see geometry). "[E]xplanation of the sense of a word by substituting for it another word, so that the numerical value of the letters constituting either word is identical" [Klein].

*me- (2)

*mē-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to measure." Some words may belong instead to root *med- "to take appropriate measures."

It forms all or part of: amenorrhea; centimeter; commensurate; diameter; dimension; gematria; geometry; immense; isometric; meal (n.1) "food, time for eating;" measure; menarche; meniscus; menopause; menses; menstrual; menstruate; mensural; meter (n.1) "poetic measure;" meter (n.2) unit of length; meter (n.3) "device for measuring;" -meter; Metis; metric; metrical; metronome; -metry; Monday; month; moon; parameter; pentameter; perimeter; piecemeal; semester; symmetry; thermometer; trigonometry; trimester.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit mati "measures," matra "measure;" Avestan, Old Persian ma- "to measure;" Greek metron "measure," metra "lot, portion;" Latin metri "to measure."

isometry (n.)

in mathematics, 1941, probably from isometric (q.v.) on the model of geometry/geometric.

subnormal (adj.)

1875, from sub- + normal. The noun is from 1710 in geometry; 1916, of persons.

coordinal (adj.)

also co-ordinal, 1849, in mathematics and geometry, "having (a certain number) of coordinates;" see co- + ordinal.

decahedron (n.)

in geometry, "a solid having ten faces," 1828, from deca- "ten" + -hedron, from Greek hedra "seat, base, chair, face of a geometric solid," from PIE root *sed- (1) "to sit." Related: Decahedral.

reductio ad absurdum

Latin, literally "reduction to the absurd." Absurdum is neuter of absurdus. See reduction + absurd. The tactic is useful and unobjectionable in proofs in geometry.

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