rhomboid
rhomboid Lexical Profile
rhomboid Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Either of two rhomboid-shaped muscles of the upper back (rhomboid major and rhomboid minor) that connect the thoracic spine to the inner border of the scapula and retract the shoulder blade.
"Seated cable rows are an effective exercise for strengthening the rhomboids and improving upper-back posture."
A parallelogram in which adjacent sides are of unequal lengths and the interior angles are not right angles.
"The geometry students calculated the area of the rhomboid by multiplying the length of its base by its altitude."
• adjective
Shaped like a rhombus or rhomboid; roughly diamond-shaped with oblique angles.
"The species is easily identified by its broad, rhomboid leaves that taper to a sharp point."
Word Nuance & Usage
In strict Euclidean geometry, a rhomboid has adjacent sides of unequal length and non-right angles, distinguishing it from a rhombus (which has four equal sides) and a rectangle (which has right angles).
• Rhymes for rhomboid
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 16th century via French and Late Latin from Ancient Greek 'rhomboeides', combining 'rhombos' (a spinning top or magic wheel, and by extension a lozenge shape) with '-eides' (resembling in form).