polyhedron
polyhedron Lexical Profile
polyhedron Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A three-dimensional geometric solid bounded completely by flat polygonal faces, straight edges, and sharp corners or vertices, such as a cube, prism, or pyramid.
"In geometry class, the students folded cardboard templates to construct a regular twenty-sided polyhedron."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse a polyhedron (a three-dimensional solid with flat polygonal faces, such as a cube or pyramid) with a polygon (a two-dimensional flat shape with straight sides, such as a square or triangle). Both the Greek plural 'polyhedra' and the regular English plural 'polyhedrons' are standard, though 'polyhedra' is preferred in formal mathematics.
• Rhymes for polyhedron
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 16th century from New Latin, from Ancient Greek 'polyedron', the neuter of 'polyedros' ('having many bases or faces'), formed from 'polys' ('many') and 'hedra' ('seat, base, or geometric face').