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

Example Sentences

I’m also old enough to remember the craze over geodesic dome houses and A-frames, among other housing fads.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 19, 2024

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

Some I like just for their names: the barndominium, the geodesic dome, and the Queenslander; a saltbox, a snout house, or a Yaodong.

From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio