Origlossary

 The Origlossary

For all your origami terminology-defining needs

Welcome to the Origlossary! This page will cover everything from design techniques to paper preparation to origami in-jokes. This is a dynamic list, and I'll keep updating it over time when I find things worth putting down.

 Some things that aren't included here:

• What origami diagrams mean – An explanation of how to read origami diagrams can be found in any origami book, or on the back of most standard kami packs. I feel that it would be a waste of time for me to reproduce them here (especially without pictures). Similarly, names of common folds (e.g. rabbit-ear, swivel fold, open sink) aren't included, because these have been well explained elsewhere.
  
• Mathematical terminology – Many mathematical concepts take a lot of background and prior explanation to understand properly (e.g. tree theory, bouncing creases, anything complexity theory-related). For the sake of keeping the entries short, I've limited myself to the most general, commonly used terms.
  
• Names of specific papers – If you're looking to learn more about specific paper types for origami, Robert Lang's article on origami paper or the r/origami FAQ's will do the trick. I can't do much better on this page.
  

 

Base

A rudimentary form of a model, typically with all flaps in the correct position but before any shaping has taken place.

Bone folder

A tool used to sharpen creases. Old ones were made of actual bone; newer ones tend to be made from plastic instead.

Box pleating

A method of origami design where creases are positioned around a square grid. Extraordinarily complex models have been made possible by box pleating, as the method scales up easily and is amenable to mathematical design techniques.

Classic Bases

A set consisting of the oldest bases in frequent use: the Kite Base, Fish Base, Bird Base, and Frog Base. Some folders include the Waterbomb Base and Windmill Base among these. These predate contact between Asian and European folding and are not known to originate from any single folder.

Crease pattern

A set of creases for a model represented on a flat piece of paper. Many crease patterns for models only give the creases of the base; the shaping is left up to interpretation.

Creep

Refers to the slight displacement of paper caused by folding thick layers over one another. If you've ever folded a crane and found that the head or tail has a bit of overlap and won't fold neatly, this is the reason why. Coined by Jeremy Shafer.

Hex pleating

Similar to box pleating, but based on a grid of equilateral triangles rather than squares. Understandably somewhat less utilized than box pleating.

Huzita-Justin Axioms

Originally formulated independently by Humiaki Huzita and Jacques Justin, these are a group of seven distinct varieties of folds, each one aligning different combinations of points and lines. The seven axioms can be used in tandem to make various geometric constructions.

Methylcellulose

A common surface-sizing agent (see: surface-sizing). Makes wet-folding possible for a large variety of papers.

Origamistic

Very roughly, a model is origamistic if it displays a full understanding of the constraints of the specific medium of origami. Symmetry, regular angles, and usage of corner flaps are common origamistic features. Coined by myself, by analogy with terms like pianistic or cinematic.

Pureland origami

A narrower subset of pure origami, using only basic mountain and valley folds. Coined by John Smith, likely as a reference to Pure Land Buddhism.

Surface-sizing

Size is an adhesive substance that can be added to paper during the creation process to bind the fibers more strongly to each other; the addition of size makes wet-folding possible. Surface-sizing is the addition of a sizing agent to the paper after it has already been formed.

"Three easy steps"

An ironic term for the process behind many ultra-complex models: "precrease, collapse, shape." Coined by Brian Chan.

Wet-folding

The use of slightly dampened paper to create curved folds, which harden again after the paper is dried. Popularized by Akira Yoshizawa.

Yoshizawa notation

A common term for the modern origami diagramming system. Sometimes called Yoshizawa-Randlett notation. Despite the name, folders before Yoshizawa did in fact develop precursors to it, and it has been heavily altered by many folders after him. Still, the name persists.