trapezium

[truh-pee-zee-uhm]

noun

plural

trapeziums, trapezia 

1. Geometry.

   1. (in Euclidean geometry) any rectilinear quadrilateral plane figure not a parallelogram.

   2. a quadrilateral plane figure of which no two sides are parallel.

   3. British.,  trapezoid.

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

trapezium

/ trəˈpiːzɪəm /

noun

1. Usual US and Canadian name: trapezoid. a quadrilateral having two parallel sides of unequal length

2. a quadrilateral having neither pair of sides parallel

3. a small bone of the wrist near the base of the thumb

trapezium

plural

trapeziums 

1. A four-sided plane figure having no parallel sides.

Other Word Forms

• trapezial adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of trapezium¹

1545–55; < New Latin < Greek trapézion kind of quadrilateral, literally, small table, equivalent to trápez ( a ) table (shortening of *tetrapeza object having four feet, equivalent to tetra- four + péza foot, akin to poús, podós; tetra-, foot ) + -ion diminutive suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of trapezium¹

C16: via Late Latin from Greek trapezion , from trapeza table

Example Sentences

In a series of 8½ -by-11 drawings, the artist brings out circles and semicircles as well as squares and a trapezium.

From Washington Post

Plans also call for an indoor trapeze center, which the school says would be the only trapezium in the country.

From Washington Times

Plus some work on shape, so “boys, this is a trapezium”, and the like.

From The Guardian

Sometimes, however, in certain varieties of horses the trapezium is developed, but then it is no more than a very small osseous nodule.

From Project Gutenberg

And let all quadrilaterals other than these be called trapezia.

From Project Gutenberg