pons asinorum

[ as-uh-nawr-uhm, -nohr- ]

/ ˌæs əˈnɔr əm, -ˈnoʊr- /

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noun Geometry.

a geometric proposition that if a triangle has two of its sides equal, the angles opposite these sides are also equal: so named from the difficulty experienced by beginners in mastering it. Euclid, 1:5.

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Also called asses' bridge .

Origin of pons asinorum

First recorded in 1745–55; from Latin pōns asinōrum “bridge of asses”

Words nearby pons asinorum

Pongidae, pongo, poniard, ponograph, pons, pons asinorum, Ponselle, pons Varolii, pont, Ponta Delgada, Ponta Grossa

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use pons asinorum in a sentence

His most recent assignment was the 84th Precinct, at the Brooklyn end of the Brooklyn Bridge.
In The Shadow of Murdered Cops|Michael Daly|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The same night the “dead cops” chant was recorded, two police officers were attacked on the Brooklyn Bridge.
The Monsters Who Screamed for Dead Cops|Jacob Siegel|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Today, the train chugs north out of Kanchanaburi over the famous bridge before it hits a spectacular bend in the river.
Riding Thailand’s WWII Death Railway|Liza Foreman|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Linsker initially escaped after the clash on the bridge but was arrested a short time later.
The High-Priced Union Rep Charged With Attacking a Cop|Jacob Siegel|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST

“The golden bridge for the departing lover I have always, I hope, provided when it became necessary,” he says.
Owning Up to Possession’s Downside|Samantha Harvey|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The engineer officer charged with preparing the line of retreat reported that the one bridge across the Elster was not sufficient.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
It was a direct lie to tell the Austrian commander that an armistice had been arranged and the bridge ceded to the French.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
The ruse by which he and Lannes captured the bridge below Vienna was discreditable no doubt from the point of view of morality.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
"There is a bridge up yonder, monsieur," returned the servant, thankful to have the conversation changed.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
They crossed the bridge and rode up the gently rising, bare, and rugged ground towards Condillac.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini

British Dictionary definitions for pons asinorum

pons asinorum

/ (ˌæsɪˈnɔːrəm) /

noun

the geometric proposition that the angles opposite the two equal sides of an isosceles triangle are equal

Word Origin for pons asinorum

Latin: bridge of asses, referring originally to the fifth proposition of the first book of Euclid, which was considered difficult for students to learn

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012