geodesic dome

American  

noun

1. a light, domelike structure developed by R. Buckminster Fuller to combine the properties of the tetrahedron and the sphere and consisting essentially of a grid of compression or tension members lying upon or parallel to great circles running in three directions in any given area, the typical form being the projection upon a sphere of an icosahedron, the triangular faces of which are filled with a symmetrical triangular, hexagonal, or quadrangular grid.

---

geodesic dome British  

noun

1. a light structural framework arranged as a set of polygons in the form of a shell and covered with sheeting made of plastic, plywood, metal, etc; developed by Buckminster Fuller

---

geodesic dome Scientific  

1. A domed or vaulted structure of straight elements that form interlocking polygons.

---

Etymology

Origin of geodesic dome

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

In the atrium of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, volunteers recently finished reassembling “Weatherbreak,” a geodesic dome built more than 70 years ago and briefly used as a home in the Hollywood Hills.

From New York Times • Jul. 16, 2023

The players are the two inhabitants of a biosphere sealed off from the toxic outside world, a self-sustaining geodesic dome, with a hydroponic garden as a food source.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 5, 2023

This horror show resembles something you might see in a David Cronenberg film, or perhaps a geodesic dome one would spot at Burning Man.

From Salon • Apr. 30, 2023

Fuller’s favorite example of ephemeralization was the geodesic dome.

From Slate • Dec. 26, 2022

Billy is speaking before a capacity audience in a baseball park, which is covered by a geodesic dome.

From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut