hexagram

American  

[hek-suh-gram] / ˈhɛk səˌgræm /

noun

1. a six-pointed starlike figure formed of two equilateral triangles placed concentrically with each side of a triangle parallel to a side of the other and on opposite sides of the center.

2. Geometry. a figure of six lines.

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hexagram British  

/ ˈhɛksəˌɡræm /

noun

1. a star-shaped figure formed by extending the sides of a regular hexagon to meet at six points

2. a group of six broken or unbroken lines which may be combined into 64 different patterns, as used in the I Ching

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Other Word Forms

• hexagrammoid adjective

Etymology

Origin of hexagram

First recorded in 1860–65; see origin at hexa-, -gram ¹

Example Sentences

The group's logo comprises a symbol, hexagram 46, used in the text that represents the word "army."

From Salon • Oct. 17, 2022

“The doors are originals. We are told the hexagram paver floors are originals, so we kept them too.”

From Washington Times • Mar. 21, 2021

The Star of David, known in Hebrew as the Shield of David, is shaped like a hexagram and is a widely recognized symbol of modern Jewish identity and Judaism.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 25, 2020

She left her copy of the I Ching open to a hexagram that was interpreted to mean “time to move on”—most likely number 18, an ideogram of three maggots and an urn, which represents decay.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2016

Eventually she came to the numbers that indicated the hexagram she was being given, the group of six broken or unbroken lines, and then she looked up the meaning.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman