Convolution
noun ·4 syllables ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 A twist or fold. countable, uncountable
- 2 the action of coiling or twisting or winding together wordnet
- 3 Any of the folds on the surface of the brain. countable, uncountable
- 4 a convex fold or elevation in the surface of the brain wordnet
- 5 The shape of something rotating; a vortex. countable, uncountable
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- 6 the shape of something rotating rapidly wordnet
- 7 The state or condition of being convoluted. countable, uncountable
- 8 A mathematical operation on two functions that produces a third that expresses how the shape of one is modified by the other; the integral of the product of the two functions after one is reflected about the y-axis and shifted along the x-axis. countable, uncountable
"1934, Aurel Wintner, The proper method in dealing with distribution functions and their convolutions (“Faltungen”) is the method of Fourier transforms, first applied systematically by Levy in his book on the calculus of probability."
- 9 A function which maps a tuple of sequences into a sequence of tuples. countable, uncountable
- 10 One 360° turn in a spring or similar helix. countable, uncountable
Example
More examples"1934, Aurel Wintner, The proper method in dealing with distribution functions and their convolutions (“Faltungen”) is the method of Fourier transforms, first applied systematically by Levy in his book on the calculus of probability."
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin convolutus (“to roll together”), past participle of convolvere, from con- + volvere (“to roll”), with the suffix -tion. Equivalent to convolute + -ion. The mathematical sense is a semantic calque from Faltung.
Related phrases
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.