Evolute
/ˈiːvəluːt/noun
A curve traced by the end of a taut string as it is unwound from another curve, or the locus of centers of curvature of a curve.
Did you know?Evolute comes from Latin roots meaning “to unroll,” and in geometry it names the invisible shape formed by the centers of curvature—like a secret shadow of the original curve.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
evolvere
“to roll out, unroll, unroll a scroll”
Late Latin
Latin
evolutus
“unrolled; rolled out”
17th Century
English
evolute
“a thing unrolled or developed”
19th Century
English
evolute
“in geometry, the curve traced by the end of a taut string unwound from another curve”
Modern English
English
evolute
“the geometric curve associated with another curve; also used in broader technical senses”