Involute

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Involute \In"vo*lute\, n. (Geom.)
     A curve traced by the end of a string wound upon another
     curve, or unwound from it; -- called also {evolvent}. See
     {Evolute}.
     [1913 Webster]



From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Involute \In"vo*lute\, Involuted \In"vo*lu`ted\, a. [L.
     involutus, p. p. of involvere. See {Involve}.]
     1. (Bot.) Rolled inward from the edges; -- said of leaves in
        vernation, or of the petals of flowers in [ae]stivation.
        --Gray.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Zool.)
        (a) Turned inward at the margin, as the exterior lip of
            the Cyprea.
        (b) Rolled inward spirally.
            [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  involute
       adj 1: especially of petals or leaves in bud; having margins rolled
              inward [syn: {rolled}]
       2: (of some shells) closely coiled so that the axis is obscured