Latticelike

Latticelike is an adjective used to describe objects, structures, or patterns that resemble a lattice: a regular, repeating network of points connected by edges, forming a discrete, translationally symmetric arrangement. In mathematics and physics, latticelike patterns can be described by a lattice or Bravais lattice, defined by a basis and lattice vectors. In two dimensions this includes square and hexagonal tilings; in three dimensions common examples include cubic and hexagonal close-packed arrangements.

In addition to crystallography, latticelike is used in graph theory and materials science to characterize gridlike networks, porous media, and metamaterials. Latticelike structures often serve as models for diffusion, wave propagation, and electronic behavior because their regular connectivity enables analytic and computational treatment. In computational science, latticelike grids underpin finite difference methods and other mesh-based discretizations of continuous domains, providing a simple, uniform scaffold for simulations.

Real materials and systems rarely form perfect lattices. Defects, disorder, finite size, and boundary effects produce deviations from ideal lattices, so latticelike is typically used descriptively to indicate a prominent grid-like regularity rather than crystalline perfection.