convex

[ adjective kon-veks, kuhn-; noun kon-veks ]
See synonyms for: convexconvexesconvexedness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. having a surface that is curved or rounded outward.: Compare concave (def. 1).

  2. Mathematics.

    • (of a polygon) having all interior angles less than or equal to 180°.

    • (of a set) having the property that for each pair of points in the set the line joining the points is wholly contained in the set.

noun
  1. a convex surface, part, or thing.

Origin of convex

1
1565–75; <Latin convexus equivalent to con-con- + -vexus, perhaps <*wek-sos, derivative of base of vehere to convey, if original sense was “brought together (to a single point)”

Other words from convex

  • con·vex·ly, con·vex·ed·ly [kuhn-vek-sid-lee], /kənˈvɛk sɪd li/, adverb
  • con·vex·ed·ness, noun
  • sub·con·vex, adjective

Words Nearby convex

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use convex in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for convex

convex

/ (ˈkɒnvɛks, kɒnˈvɛks) /


adjective
  1. curving or bulging outwards

  2. physics having one or two surfaces curved or ground in the shape of a section of the exterior of a sphere, paraboloid, ellipsoid, etc: a convex lens

  1. maths (of a polygon) containing no interior angle greater than 180°

verb
  1. (tr) to make convex

Origin of convex

1
C16: from Latin convexus vaulted, rounded

Derived forms of convex

  • convexly, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for convex

convex

[ kŏnvĕks′ ]


  1. Curving outward, like the outer boundary of a circle or sphere.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.