trapezoid

American  

[trap-uh-zoid] / ˈtræp əˌzɔɪd /

noun

1. Geometry.

   1. a quadrilateral plane figure having two parallel and two nonparallel sides.

   2. British.  trapezium.

2. Anatomy.  a bone in the wrist that articulates with the metacarpal bone of the forefinger.

---

adjective

1. Geometry.  Also trapezoidal. of, relating to, or having the form of a trapezoid.

trapezoid British  

/ ˈtræpɪˌzɔɪd /

noun

1. a quadrilateral having neither pair of sides parallel

2. Also called: trapezium.  a quadrilateral having two parallel sides of unequal length

3. a small bone of the wrist near the base of the index finger

---

trapezoid Scientific  

/ trăp′ĭ-zoid′ /

1. A four-sided plane figure having two parallel sides.

---

trapezoid Cultural  

1. A four-sided polygon in which two sides are parallel and two are not.

---

Other Word Forms

• posttrapezoid adjective
• subtrapezoid adjective
• subtrapezoidal adjective

Etymology

Origin of trapezoid

First recorded in 1695–1705; from New Latin trapezoīdēs, from Late Greek trapezoeidḗs “trapezium-like”; trapezium, -oid

Example Sentences

This bold diagonal, cut through the prim Quaker street grid, produced a great many awkwardly shaped blocks, including the pointy trapezoid between the Parkway and the Vine Street Expressway that houses Calder Gardens.

From The Wall Street Journal

Each wire branch — ending in sheet-metal trapezoid and triangular petals painted primary blue, yellow, red and white — holds the next aloft, like dancers balancing on each other’s shoulders.

From Seattle Times

During those experiments, Schwartz cut open a Möbius band and realized, “Oh, my God, it’s not the parallelogram. It’s a trapezoid.”

From Scientific American

After a series of emergency meetings, the circle became a trapezoid.

From Washington Post

So he pairs two pictures, one featuring pulpy dots and the other straight-edged triangles and trapezoids.

From Washington Post