tessellation

American  

[tes-uh-ley-shuhn] / ˌtɛs əˈleɪ ʃən /

Or tesselation

noun

1. the art or practice of tessellating.

2. tessellated form or arrangement.

3. tessellated work.

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tessellation British  

/ ˌtɛsɪˈleɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of tessellating

2. the form or a specimen of tessellated work

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Usage

What does tessellation mean? A tessellation is a pattern of shapes that fit together perfectly, without any gaps. Tessellation often refers to a pattern that includes a repetition of one particular shape, such as the repetition of squares in a checkerboard. But tessellations can be formed from multiple shapes. For example, a classic black-and-white soccer ball is an example of a tessellation that consists of two different shapes: hexagons and pentagons. A tessellation is a kind of mosaic. They’re often seen on surfaces that have been covered in tiles. Because floor and wall tiles are often designed to fit together perfectly, without any overlap or gaps, the resulting pattern is often a tessellation. The word tessellation can also refer to the act of tessellating—forming such a pattern. Such a pattern can be described as tessellated. Tessellation is sometimes spelled with one l, as tesselation.[caption id="attachment_169801" align="alignnone" width="300"] Source: Getty. An example of a tessellation formed from hexagons.[/caption]Example: The building was designed to look like a tessellation in the form of a honeycomb pattern.

Etymology

Origin of tessellation

1650–60; tessellate (verb) + -ion

Explanation

Tessellation is a mosaic pattern, a design made of shapes fitted together. You could compliment your friend's newly tiled kitchen floor by saying, "What gorgeous tessellation!" If you imagine a patchwork of tiles, or the patterns in a quilt, you're picturing one kind of tessellation. Another type is mathematical tessellation, which is closely related to the first kind — it's the geometric repetition of one shape over and over again. The Latin root word tessellatus describes something made of small stones or tiles.

Example Sentences

Last year I saw several posts about how to celebrate Tessellation Day.

From Scientific American • Jun. 17, 2017

For more information about tessellation and World Tessellation Day:

From Scientific American • Jun. 17, 2017

Tessellation is a kind of patterning in which the units cover a surface without gaps or overlaps — a checkerboard, for example.

From New York Times • Feb. 24, 2012

Related Words

• chain
• grid
• net
• organization
• structure
• system
• web