Asymmetric meaning
A difference in two related modes, often referring to a speed disparity. For example, it may take longer to compress or encrypt than to decompress or decrypt the data. Contrast with symmetric. See asymmetric compression and public key cryptography.
(chemistry) Of or relating to a carbon atom having four different atoms or structural groups attached to it, resulting in an unbalanced spatial arrangement of atoms in a molecule, so that the molecule cannot be superimposed on its mirror image; chiral.
adjective
(chemistry) Of or relating to a carbon atom having four different atoms or structural groups attached to it, resulting in an unbalanced spatial arrangement of atoms in a molecule, so that the molecule cannot be superimposed on its mirror image; chiral.
adjective
Lack of symmetry, i.e. lack of balance or proportion. 1. In telecommunications, a link that supports more bandwidth in one direction than another. Asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL), for example, supports more bandwidth downstream than upstream. Bluetooth supports an asynchronous data channel that can operate in asymmetric mode at up to 721 kbps in either direction and 57.6 kbps in the reverse direction.Alternatively, the Bluetooth data channel can operate in symmetric mode at speeds of up to 432.6 kbps. See also ADSL, asynchronous, bandwidth, Bluetooth, channel, downstream, symmetric, and upstream. 2. In compression, a process that is not equally time-consuming and processor-intensive in terms of compression and decompression. See also compression.
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Origin of asymmetric
- A- + symmetric, as Ancient Greek ἀσυμμετÏία (asymmetria), "disproportion", "deformity".
From Wiktionary