rhombus
Americannoun
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an oblique-angled equilateral parallelogram; any equilateral parallelogram except a square.
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an equilateral parallelogram, including the square as a special case.
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a rhombohedron.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of rhombus
First recorded in 1560–70; from Latin, from Greek rhómbos “anything that may be spun around,” derivative of rhémbein “to revolve”
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Explanation
A rhombus is a parallelogram with four equal sides and opposite equal angles. A rhombus can be a square, or if it has two acute angles and two obtuse angles, it takes the shape of a diamond. The rhombus gets its name from the Greek rhómbos, which means "a spinning top." This word describes the shape of a "bullroarer," an object that was tied to a cord and spun around, making a great noise. It was used to taunt bulls into action during bull-fighting events. This rhombus-shaped object has been documented as being used for religious rites and games all over the ancient world. Nowadays, we prefer to study the rhombus in geometry.
Vocabulary lists containing rhombus
Geometry - Introductory
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Geometry - Middle School
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Geometry (Base List)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Rhombus says it also alerts government customers, who it declines to name, to imminent North Korean missile launches and Chinese space operations.
From Seattle Times • May 23, 2024
All climbing routes from Peruvian Flake West to the Rhombus Wall are also closed, including the popular routes Serenity Crack/Sons of Yesterday and Super Slide.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 14, 2023
Even if you haven’t played the original “Psychonauts,” the sequel does a good job of catching you up with current events, including what happens in 2017′s virtual reality game “Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin.”
From Washington Post • Jul. 19, 2021
It was a rather thin thing, being part of the prefab “castle” in the Rhombus pavilion that served as the private office-cum-tearoom-cum-beanbag colony for staff working the expo hall.
From The Verge • Feb. 13, 2019
Of two cones of one common base is made Archimede's Rhombus, as here, whose geod�sy shall be cut of two cones.
From The Way To Geometry by Bedwell, William
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
