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.

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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

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geodesic dome Scientific  

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

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Etymology

Origin of geodesic dome

First recorded in 1955–60

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

geodesic dome

In the early ’90s, he had attended Long Beach’s mythic Spruce Goose rave, which took over the hulking geodesic dome that once housed eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes’ failed wooden plane.

From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026

The 60-foot geodesic dome provided a place for people to cool down and take in breakbeats, dubstep and, eventually, other electronic subgenres.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026

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

Repurposed billboards became casing for the geodesic dome; wood from defunct water towers became cabin walls.

From New York Times ● Sep. 30, 2022

The reading comer was jammed with pillows and was sheltered by half of an old cardboard geodesic dome.

From "The Landry News" by Andrew Clements

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