meshlike

Meshlike describes a structure in which a network of interconnecting strands forms a repetitive, open framework similar to a fabric mesh. Such configurations feature pores or openings created by intersections of filaments, wires, fibers, or plates, and can be arranged periodically or quasi-periodically. Materials and patterns described as meshlike are typically characterized by porosity, pore size distribution, connectivity, and potential anisotropy.

The term is used across disciplines to characterize natural and engineered structures that resemble a net. In materials science, meshlike networks appear in woven or knitted fabrics, metal or polymer meshes, perforated membranes, and nanostructured films with interconnected pores. In biology and geology, meshlike arrangements can describe extracellular matrices, cytoskeletal networks, and porous rocks where fluid pathways follow a net-like geometry.

Fabrication methods include weaving, knitting, electrospinning of nanofibers, laser perforation, sintering, and additive manufacturing, all capable of producing controlled pore sizes and orientations. Related descriptors include open or closed mesh, regular or irregular mesh, and planar or three-dimensional architectures. Applications span filtration and separation, tissue engineering scaffolds, catalysis and energy storage supports, sensors, and photonic or acoustic metamaterials.

In mathematics and computing, meshlike refers to discretized grids or network structures used in simulations, finite element analysis, and data representations that reflect a net-like topology. The concept emphasizes connectivity and porosity as defining features across contexts.