rectangle

American  

[rek-tang-guhl] / ˈrɛkˌtæŋ gəl /

noun

1. a parallelogram having four right angles.

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rectangle British  

/ ˈrɛkˌtæŋɡəl /

noun

1. a parallelogram having four right angles Compare rhombus

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rectangle Scientific  

/ rĕk′tăng′gəl /

1. A four-sided plane figure with four right angles.

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Etymology

Origin of rectangle

1565–75; < Medieval Latin rēctangulum, Late Latin rēctiangulum right-angled triangle (noun use of neuter of rēctiangulus having a right angle), equivalent to rēcti- recti- + angulum angle ¹

Example Sentences

Carrots and papaya plants have already pushed up through a rectangle of dark soil, thanks to a technique based on organic fertilisers made from a mixture of compost and chicken manure.

From Barron's

A “salon” of multiple smaller works introduced each section, enlarging on Mr. Whitney’s shift from gatherings of blunt, sometimes layered, rounded forms to the abutments of rectangles that have preoccupied him since the 1990s.

From The Wall Street Journal

Once the dough had risen, I rolled it into a rectangle, spread on a thin layer of the miso-béchamel, showered it with Parmesan, Pecorino Romano and a very healthy amount of black pepper.

From Salon

A jumble of rectangles snaps into a rigidly composed vista of a white gate set into an earthy wall.

From The Wall Street Journal

To start, you’ll need to cut a fabric rectangle that’s twice as long as it is wide and make a pouch by stitching the short sides together.

From Salon

Related Words

• square