Definition

Describing a crystal that has only half of the faces needed for full symmetry.

Example

The hemihedral crystal structure gives the mineral a unique appearance.

Conversation

Did you know that some crystals are hemihedral?

Really? I had no idea what that meant.

It means they only show half the faces needed for symmetry.

That's interesting! I want to learn more about crystals now.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Hemihedral → It is formed from "hemi-" (from Greek "hēmi-", meaning half) and "hedron" (from Greek "hedra", meaning face or base). The word describes a solid figure that has half the number of faces of a regular polyhedron.

Memory Tip

Think of 'half' ('hemi-') and 'face' ('hedron') to remember that 'hemihedral' refers to a shape with half the usual number of faces.

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