trapezium

American  

[truh-pee-zee-uhm] / trəˈpi zi əm /

noun

trapeziums, plural trapezia plural

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.

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trapezium British  

/ 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

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trapezium Scientific  

/ trə-pē′zē-əm /

trapeziums plural

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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• trapezial
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• trapezia
  plural
• trapeziums
  plural

Etymology

Origin of trapezium

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; see tetra-, foot) + -ion diminutive suffix

Example Sentences

Along with the quartet of bright suns at its centre called the Trapezium, this region of space is visible to the naked eye as a smudge on the sky.

From BBC • Oct. 2, 2023

An infrared composite image of the inner Orion Nebula and Trapezium Cluster captured by the James Webb Space Telescope.Credit...NASA,

From New York Times • Oct. 2, 2023

The conversation moves on to the Trapezium Cluster — the stellar nursery under Orion’s belt — and the delimiter, also known as the moon’s sunset line.

From New York Times • Mar. 27, 2023

The four bright stars in the center of the visible-light image are the Trapezium stars.

From Textbooks • Oct. 13, 2016

The same manner of Geodesy is also to be used in the measuring of a Rhombe, Rhomboides, Trapezium or mensall, and any kinde of multangled body.

From The Way To Geometry by Bedwell, William