polygon

American  

[pol-ee-gon] / ˈpɒl iˌgɒn /

noun

polygons plural

1. a figure, especially a closed plane figure, having three or more, usually straight, sides.

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polygon British  

/ pəˈlɪɡənəl, ˈpɒlɪˌɡɒn /

noun

1. a closed plane figure bounded by three or more straight sides that meet in pairs in the same number of vertices, and do not intersect other than at these vertices. The sum of the interior angles is ( n –2) × 180° for n sides; the sum of the exterior angles is 360°. A regular polygon has all its sides and angles equal. Specific polygons are named according to the number of sides, such as triangle, pentagon, etc

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polygon Scientific  

/ pŏl′ē-gŏn′ /

1. A closed plane figure having three or more sides. Triangles, rectangles, and octagons are all examples of polygons.

2. ◆ A regular polygon is a polygon all of whose sides are the same length and all of whose interior angles are the same measure.

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polygon Cultural  

1. In geometry, a closed figure having three or more sides and lying on one plane.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• polygonal
  adjective
• subpolygonal
  adjective
• polygonally
  adverb
• subpolygonally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• polygons
  plural

Etymology

Origin of polygon

First recorded in 1560–70; from Latin polygōnum, from Greek polýgōnon, noun use of neuter of polýgōnos “many-angled”; see poly-, -gon

Explanation

A polygon is a closed shape with straight sides. Rectangles, triangles, hexagons, and octagons are all examples of polygons. The word polygon comes from the Greeks, like most terms in geometry, which they invented. It simply means many (poly) angles (gon). A polygon can’t have any curves or any gaps or openings in its shape. If you want to describe something as angular and closed, like, say, the Pentagon, or a stop sign, you could call it "polygonal."

Example Sentences

“I think it’s actually incredibly important to have some form of insider information in these markets,” says Polygon Labs CEO Marc Boiron, whose firm operates the blockchain used by Polymarket.

From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026

It was also named one of the 100 best games of the decade by gaming site Polygon, which described it as a model for "mobile games unapologetically tailored toward young women".

From BBC • Jan. 4, 2024

His work has been featured at SB Nation, New Republic and Polygon.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 27, 2023

The Coinbase and Binance suits this week expand that list to include some commonly traded tokens, such as Solana, Cardano and Polygon.

From Reuters • Jun. 8, 2023

Later messages showed that our troops were fighting their way into Polygon Wood.

From From Bapaume to Passchendaele, 1917 by Gibbs, Philip

Related Words

• shape