superimposable

[ soo-per-im-poh-zuh-buhl ]

adjective

1. able to be placed or set over, above, or on something else:

   This new version contains over 1,200 light and electron microscopic images, each with superimposable labels and descriptive legends.

2. identical or close to identical when placed or set over, above, or on something else:

   A 3-dimensional object that is not superimposable with its mirror image is chiral, a term derived from the Greek word for “hand.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of superimposable¹

superimpos(e) ( def ) + -able ( def )

Example Sentences

"Chirality -- also called handedness because of the way in which left and right hands mirror each other without being superimposable -- should not affect the energies of the electrons' spin. But in this instance, the chiral movement of the atomic lattice polarizes the spins inside the material as if a large magnetic field were applied."

From Science Daily

In 2000, the two men developed organic catalysts that enable chemists to build asymmetric molecules—ones which are not superimposable on their mirror image, like hands.

From Science Magazine

At the molecular level some objects are like cue balls, and they are always superimposable.

From New York Times