unidirectionaladj.
/ˌjuːnɪdʌɪˈrɛkʃn̩l/, /ˌjuːnɪdʌɪˈrɛkʃənəl/, /ˌjuːnɪdᵻˈrɛkʃn̩l/, /ˌjuːnɪdᵻˈrɛkʃənəl/, U.S. /ˌjunədəˈrɛkʃ(ə)nəl/, /ˌjunəˌdaɪˈrɛkʃ(ə)nəl/ Having or being motion in one direction; operating or functional in one direction only.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > direction > [adjective] > having one direction
one-way1824
unidirectional1883
one-directional1910
monodirectional1962
1883 Knowledge 13 July 25/2 Intermittent, unidirectional currents in the brushes.
1894 Athenæum 9 June 745/3 Note on the Possibility of obtaining a Unidirectional Current to Earth from the Mains of an Alternating Current System.
1946 Nature 9 Nov. 674/2 The simplified apparatus was..actuated by unidirectional air flow.
1955 O. G. Sutton Sci. of Flight 36 The effect is to give an additional but unidirectional motion to the molecules of air.
1961 A. Nisbett Technique Sound Studio i. 23 Cardioids—sometimes called unidirectional microphones—have a heart-shaped response.
1962 Y. Malkiel in F. W. Householder & S. Saporta Probl. Lexicogr. 13 The kernel of Howell's..Lexicon tetraglotton (1660) is a unidirectional dictionary providing for the translation of each English entry into French, Italian, and Spanish.
1971 I. G. Gass et al. Understanding Earth xiii. 174/2 The uni-directional flow of rivers is complicated by the development of meanders.
1975 Sci. Amer. Mar. 36/1 For years psychologists have been concerned with the effectiveness of unidirectional modes of communication such as highway signs, books, lectures and television programs.
1983 Trans. Philol. Soc. 6 The impression that [linguistic] evolution is neat, continual and unidirectional is a mirage.
1984 What Video? Aug. 59/1 1·5 in. electronic viewfinder, unidirectional mike but it is heavy.
Derivatives
ˌunidirectioˈnality n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > direction > [noun] > directional quality > one or all
unidirectionality1960
omnidirectionality1966
1960 A. C. Spaulding in Dole & Carneiro Essays in Science of Culture 454 Unidirectionality of formal changes through time is simply the idea of cultural evolution.
1968 Science 21 June 1365/3 The unidirectionality observation..may be placed in correspondence with certain findings concerning functional neuroanatomy of OKN [sc. optokinetic nystagmus].
1970 Proc. I.E.E.E. Aug. 1252/1 Unidirectionality increases transducer conversion efficiency by 3 dB.
1980 Eng. World-wide 1 i. 16 If there was initially unresolved conflict at the level of decision-making this lack of unidirectionality can be expected to re-emerge at the implementation stage.
unidiˈrectionally adv.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > direction > [adverb] > in one or two direction(s)
unidirectionally1958
bidirectionally1966
1958 W. D. Kingery Ceramic Fabrication Processes viii. 70/2 A much more suitable method is to apply pressure from all sides instead of unidirectionally.
1976 Nature 10 June 516/1 Replication..proceeds either unidirectionally or bidirectionally away from this site.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1986; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1883