anisotropy

American  

[an-ahy-so-truh-pee] / ˌæn aɪˈsɒ trə pi /

Rarely anisotropism

noun

1. Physics. the fact of having unequal physical properties along different axes.

   Even crystals with a simple cubic lattice structure, such as salt, display optical anisotropy; that is, the light propagates differently in different directions.

2. Botany. the fact of having different rates of growth in different directions.

   Anisotropy is a nearly ubiquitous feature of plant growth; it is necessary, if a growing plant organ is to produce any other form than a sphere.

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Etymology

Origin of anisotropy

First recorded in 1875–80; an- ¹ ( def. ) + isotrop(ic) ( def. ) + -y ³ ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

anisotropy

According to Wolf, one possibility is that the slabs retain some "fossil" anisotropy from when they were closer to the surface.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 23, 2026

Rather, it arises from a balance between several competing forces, including exchange interactions, magnetic anisotropy and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 2, 2026

If, over the next few years, no anisotropy emerges, that could point to stranger things as the source of low-frequency gravitational waves.

From Scientific American ● Aug. 4, 2023

So far, the potential hotspots seem to correlate with regions of the sky where fewer pulsars have been used in the data sets, meaning the anisotropy may simply be a miragelike artifact of data collection.

From Scientific American ● Aug. 4, 2023

And finally, perhaps, the most significant example for the effect of induced anisotropy lies in that differential impression made by stimulus on the sensory surfaces, which remains latent, and capable of revival, as the memory-image.

From Sir Jagadis Chunder Bose His Life and Speeches by Sir Jagadis Chandra Bose