Affine refers to a type of transformation in mathematics and computer graphics that preserves points, straight lines, and planes. It includes operations such as translation, scaling, rotation, and shearing. Affine transformations can be represented using matrices, allowing for efficient calculations and manipulations of geometric shapes. In the context of linear algebra, affine transformations are often described using affine spaces, which extend vector spaces by adding a notion of points. This allows for the combination of both geometric and algebraic properties, making it useful in various applications, including image processing and computer-aided design.