a. [ Hemi- + Gr. &unr_; seat, base, fr. &unr_; to sit. ] (Crystallog.) Having half of the similar parts of a crystals, instead of all; consisting of half the planes which full symmetry would require, as when a cube has planes only on half of its eight solid angles, or one plane out of a pair on each of its edges; or as in the case of a tetrahedron, which is hemihedral to an octahedron, it being contained under four of the planes of an octahedron. --
a. [ Holo- + hemihedral. ] (Crystallog.) Presenting hemihedral forms, in which all the sectants have halt the whole number of planes. Dana. [ 1913 Webster ]