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radial symmetry
noun
: the condition of having similar parts regularly arranged around a central axis
radially symmetrical
adjective
Examples of radial symmetry in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
No other fossils from the Ediacara period have shown this type of organization so definitively, with most showing a simple radial symmetry (like modern jellyfish).
—David Bressan, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024
This new June 1 image is from almost directly over the volcano, showing the radial symmetry of the volcano formed by lava and debris flows cascading down the slopes of the volcano.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 3 June 2010
But starfish—as well as sand dollars and sea anemones—have radial symmetry, with identical segments of their body radiating out from a central point.
—Lori Youmshajekian, Scientific American, 3 Nov. 2023
In particular, starfish, also called sea stars, have fivefold radial symmetry, so the animal can be divided into five identical segments.
—Lori Youmshajekian, Scientific American, 3 Nov. 2023
The end result, constructed at Harvard, resembled the nave of a cathedral built by aliens to worship radial symmetry, or an iron maiden for punishing giant cubes.
—Caity Weaver, New York Times, 23 Nov. 2022
At the Rubenstein Arts Center on Duke University’s campus, an image from a microscope makes an alien landscape out of the knobby, radial symmetry of a sea urchin skeleton.
—Marissa Fessenden, Smithsonian, 12 July 2018
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Word History
First Known Use
1872, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near radial symmetry
Cite this Entry
“Radial symmetry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/radial%20symmetry. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
radial symmetry
noun
: plant and animal symmetry in which similar parts are arranged in a balanced way around the center of the body compare bilateral symmetry
Medical Definition
radial symmetry
noun
: the condition of having similar parts regularly arranged around a central axis
radially symmetrical
adjective
More from Merriam-Webster on radial symmetry
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about radial symmetry
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