tessellation
Americannoun
-
the act of tessellating
-
the form or a specimen of tessellated work
Usage
What does tessellation mean?
A tessellation is a pattern of shapes that fit together perfectly, without any gaps.Tessellation often refers to a pattern that includes a repetition of one particular shape, such as the repetition of squares in a checkerboard. But tessellations can be formed from multiple shapes. For example, a classic black-and-white soccer ball is an example of a tessellation that consists of two different shapes: hexagons and pentagons.A tessellation is a kind of mosaic. They’re often seen on surfaces that have been covered in tiles. Because floor and wall tiles are often designed to fit together perfectly, without any overlap or gaps, the resulting pattern is often a tessellation.The word tessellation can also refer to the act of tessellating—forming such a pattern. Such a pattern can be described as tessellated.Tessellation is sometimes spelled with one l, as tesselation.[caption id="attachment_169801" align="alignnone" width="300"]
Source: Getty. An example of a tessellation formed from hexagons.[/caption]Example: The building was designed to look like a tessellation in the form of a honeycomb pattern.
Etymology
Origin of tessellation
1650–60; tessellate (verb) + -ion
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While origami-inspired materials have been explored at various scales, the challenge of creating molecular materials based on origami tessellations has remained.
From Science Daily
Doris Schattschneider, a retired mathematician affiliated with Moravian University with expertise in tessellations, had been skeptical about the likelihood of a true einstein ever being discovered.
From Scientific American
It was a microcosm for the tessellation Queeman saw in late '90s Harlem even if it wasn't painted with such nuance in national media at the time.
From Salon
This tells us that the tessellation must be aperiodic.
From Scientific American
The tiles in the Alhambra, which Escher described studying, for instance, transform into some of his well-known tessellations.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
