Plural of evolute; in mathematics, the curve that traces the centers of curvature of another curve.
From Latin 'evolvere' (to unroll, unfold) + '-ute' suffix. The mathematical term emerged in the 17th century when calculus developers described how curves 'roll' and unfold geometrically.
Evolutes are literally the 'skeleton' of a curve—if you trace every center of curvature of a smooth shape, you get its evolute, which looks like bones supporting flesh. It's how engineers predict stress points in bridges!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.