isometry

[ ahy-som-i-tree ]

noun

1. equality of measure.
2. Biology. equal growth rates in two parts of a developing organism.
3. Geography. equality with respect to height above sea level.
4. Mathematics. a function from one metric space onto a second metric space having the property that the distance between two points in the first space is equal to the distance between the image points in the second space.

isometry

/ aɪˈsɒmɪtrɪ /

noun

1. maths rigid motion of a plane or space such that the distance between any two points before and after this motion is unaltered
2. equality of height above sea level

isometry

/ ī-sŏm′ĭ-trē /

1. Equality of measure.
2. Equality of elevation above sea level.
3. A function between two metric spaces (such as two coordinate systems) which preserves distances. A rotation or translation in a plane is an isometry, since the distances between two points on the plane remain the same after the rotation or translation.

Word History and Origins

Origin of isometry¹

From the Greek word isometría, dating back to 1940–45. See iso-, -metry