# convolution

> English word · Noun · frequency rank #54,706

## Definitions
1. A twist or fold.
2. Any of the folds on the surface of the brain.
3. The shape of something rotating; a vortex.
4. The state or condition of being convoluted.
5. 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.
6. A function which maps a tuple of sequences into a sequence of tuples.
7. One 360° turn in a spring or similar helix.

## 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.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/convolution