from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Symmetrical \Sym*met"ric*al\, a. [Cf. F. sym['e]trique. See
{Symmetry}.]
1. Involving or exhibiting symmetry; proportional in parts;
having its parts in due proportion as to dimensions; as, a
symmetrical body or building.
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2. (Biol.) Having the organs or parts of one side
corresponding with those of the other; having the parts in
two or more series of organs the same in number;
exhibiting a symmetry. See {Symmetry}, 2.
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3. (Bot.)
(a) Having an equal number of parts in the successive
circles of floral organs; -- said of flowers.
(b) Having a likeness in the form and size of floral
organs of the same kind; regular.
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4. (Math.) Having a common measure; commensurable.
(b) Having corresponding parts or relations.
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Note: A curve or a plane figure is symmetrical with respect
to a given line, and a line, surface, or solid with
respect to a plane, when for each point on one side of
the line or plane there is a corresponding point on the
other side, so situated that the line joining the two
corresponding points is perpendicular to the line or
plane and is bisected by it. Two solids are symmetrical
when they are so situated with respect to an
intervening plane that the several points of their
surfaces thus correspond to each other in position and
distance. In analysis, an expression is symmetrical
with respect to several letters when any two of them
may change places without affecting the expression; as,
the expression a^{2}b + ab^{2} + a^{2}c + ac^{2} +
b^{2}c + bc^{2}, is symmetrical with respect to the
letters a, b, c.
[1913 Webster] -- {Sym*met"ric*al*ly}, adv. --
{Sym*met"ric*al*ness}, n.
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