rectangle
rectangle Lexical Profile
rectangle Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A four-sided plane geometric figure (quadrilateral) with four right angles, especially one with unequal adjacent sides, in contrast to a square.
"To find the area of the rectangle, multiply its length by its width."
An object, area, or surface shaped like a four-sided figure with four right angles.
"Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a bright rectangle of light across the wooden floor."
Word Nuance & Usage
In strict mathematical geometry, a square is considered a special type of rectangle where all four sides have equal length, whereas in everyday language 'rectangle' usually refers specifically to an oblong figure whose adjacent sides are unequal.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 16th century from Middle French rectangle, from Medieval Latin rectangulum, a compound of Latin rectus ('straight' or 'right') and angulus ('corner' or 'angle').