involute

(invə lo̵̅o̅t′)

adjective

  1. intricate; involved
  2. rolled up or curled in a spiral; having whorls wound closely around the axis: involute shells
  3. Bot. rolled inward at the edges: involute leaves

Origin: L involutus, pp. of involvere, involve

noun

Math.
  1. the curve traced by any point of a taut string when it is wound upon or unwound from a fixed curve on the same plane with it
  2. the locus of any fixed point on a moving tangent which rolls, but does not slide on a curve: correlative to evolute

intransitive verb involuted, involuting

to become involute or undergo involution

See involute in American Heritage Dictionary 4

adjective
  1. Intricate; complex.
  2. Botany
    a. Having the margins rolled inward.
    b. Having whorls that obscure the axis or other volutions, as the shell of a cowrie.
intransitive verb in·vo·lut·ed, in·vo·lut·ing, in·vo·lutes
  1. To curl inward.
  2. To return to a normal or former condition.
noun
The curve traced by a point on a taut, inextensible string as it unwinds from another curve.

Origin:

Origin: Latin involūtus

Origin: , past participle of involvere, to enwrap; see involve

.

Related Forms:

  • inˈvo·luteˌly adverb

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involute

x=r cosΘ + rΘ sinΘ

y=r sinΘ - rΘ cosΘ

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involute

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