Word Study
Involute
CIDE DICTIONARY
Involute, a. [L. involutus, p. p. of involvere. See Involve.].
- Rolled inward from the edges; -- said of leaves in vernation, or of the petals of flowers in æstivation. Gray. [1913 Webster]
- Turned inward at the margin, as the exterior lip of the Cyprea. [1913 Webster]
Involute, n.
A curve traced by the end of a string wound upon another curve, or unwound from it; -- called also evolvent . See Evolute. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
Involute, adj. & n.
--adj.
1 involved, intricate.
2 curled spirally.
3 Bot. rolled inwards at the edges.
--n. Geom. the locus of a point fixed on a straight line that rolls without sliding on a curve and is in the plane of that curve (cf. EVOLUTE).
--adj.
1 involved, intricate.
2 curled spirally.
3 Bot. rolled inwards at the edges.
--n. Geom. the locus of a point fixed on a straight line that rolls without sliding on a curve and is in the plane of that curve (cf. EVOLUTE).
Etymology
L involutus past part. of involvere: see INVOLVE
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