diameter
UK /daɪˈæmɪtə(ɹ)/ · US /daɪˈæmɪdɚ/ noun
Forms diameters diametre
- noun (geometry) Any straight line between two points on the circumference of a circle that passes through the center of the circle; a chord that passes through the center of the circle.
- noun (geometry) The length of such a line.
- noun (geometry) The maximum distance between any two points in a metric space.
- noun (graph theory) The maximum eccentricity over all vertices in a graph.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Old French diametre (French diamètre), from Latin diametros, from Ancient Greek διάμετρος (diámetros) (γραμμή (grammḗ)) (diametros grammē, “line measuring across”), from διά (diá, “across”) + μέτρον (métron, “measure”). By surface analysis, dia- + -meter.
Webster’s 1913
- noun (a) Any right line passing through the center of a figure or body, as a circle, conic section, sphere, cube, etc., and terminated by the opposite boundaries; a straight line which bisects a system of parallel chords drawn in a curve.
- noun The length of a straight line through the center of an object from side to side; width; thickness; as, the diameter of a tree or rock.
Etymology [F. diamètre, L. diametros, fr. Gr. Meter.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “diameter”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details