diameter (n.)

late 14c., in geometry, "chord of a circle or sphere which passes through its center; the length of a diameter," from Old French diametre, from Latin diametrus, from Greek diametros (gramme) "diagonal of a circle," from dia "across, through" (see dia-) + metron "a measure" (from PIE root *me- (2) "to measure").

Entries linking to diameter

dia-

before vowels, di-, word-forming element meaning "through, in different directions, between," also often merely intensive, "thoroughly, entirely," from Greek dia "through; throughout," probably cognate with bi- and related to duo "two" (from PIE root *dwo- "two") with a base sense of "twice."

*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."

diametral

diametric

See all related words (4) >

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Definitions of diameter

diameter (n.)

a straight line connecting the center of a circle with two points on its perimeter (or the center of a sphere with two points on its surface);

diameter (n.)

the length of a straight line passing through the center of a circle and connecting two points on the circumference;

Synonyms: diam

From wordnet.princeton.edu

Dictionary entries near diameter

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diamante

diameter

diametral

diametric

diametrically

diamond

Diana