anisotropic

American  

[an-ahy-suh-trop-ik, -troh-pik, an-ahy-] / ænˌaɪ səˈtrɒp ɪk, -ˈtroʊ pɪk, ˌæn aɪ- /

adjective

1. Physics. of unequal physical properties along different axes.

2. Botany. of different dimensions along different axes.

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anisotropic British  

/ ˌænaɪ-, ænˌaɪsəʊˈtrɒpɪk, ˌænaɪˈsɒtrəpɪ /

adjective

1. not isotropic; having different physical properties in different directions

   anisotropic crystals

2. (of a plant) responding unequally to an external stimulus in different parts of the plant

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anisotropic Scientific  

/ ăn-ī′sə-trō′pĭk,-trŏp′ĭk,ăn′ī- /

1. Differing according to orientation, as light scattered by a liquid crystal; light striking the liquid crystal's surface at a 90° angle might not be reflected (so the surface appears dark when viewed head-on), while light striking it at shallower angles is reflected (so the surface appears illuminated when viewed from a shallow angle).

2. Compare isotropic

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Other Word Forms

• anisotropically
  adverb
• anisotropism
  noun
• anisotropy
  noun

Etymology

Origin of anisotropic

First recorded in 1875–80; an- ¹ + isotropic

Compare meaning

How does anisotropic compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• isotropic vs. anisotropic

Example Sentences

Using a combination of advanced techniques including single crystal X-ray diffraction, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance and scanning transmission electron microscopy, the researchers found evidence of anisotropic atomic displacements of the titanium atoms in BaTiS3.

From Science Daily • May 7, 2024

"This is particularly attractive when we wish to quantify anisotropic crystal growth, such as that in aqueous solutions and slurries, in which crystals extend in the different crystal directions at different velocities," says García-Moreno.

From Science Daily • Apr. 25, 2024

To complicate things further, seismic-wave speeds in the upper oceanic mantle are anisotropic — they depend on the direction of propagation.

From Nature • Nov. 13, 2018

This anisotropic constriction can lead to the formation of different contacts between neighbouring cells at the apical end of the cell from contacts at the basal end.

From Nature • Sep. 9, 2018

To this conception was soon added the notion of a chemical current, the notion of an electric, magnetic, and anisotropic optical field, intimately connected with the path of the current.

From Popular scientific lectures by Mach, Ernst