polygon

[ pol-ee-gon ]

noun

1. a figure, especially a closed plane figure, having three or more, usually straight, sides.

polygon

/ pəˈlɪɡənəl; ˈpɒlɪˌɡɒn /

noun

1. a closed plane figure bounded by three or more straight sides that meet in pairs in the same number of vertices, and do not intersect other than at these vertices. The sum of the interior angles is ( n –2) × 180° for n sides; the sum of the exterior angles is 360°. A regular polygon has all its sides and angles equal. Specific polygons are named according to the number of sides, such as triangle, pentagon, etc

polygon

/ pŏl′ē-gŏn′ /

1. A closed plane figure having three or more sides. Triangles, rectangles, and octagons are all examples of polygons.
2. ◆ A regular polygon is a polygon all of whose sides are the same length and all of whose interior angles are the same measure.

polygon

1. In geometry , a closed figure having three or more sides and lying on one plane .

Derived Forms

• polygonal, adjective
• poˈlygonally, adverb

Other Words From

• po·lyg·o·nal [p, uh, -, lig, -, uh, -nl], adjective
• po·lygo·nal·ly adverb
• subpo·lygo·nal adjective
• subpo·lygo·nal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of polygon¹

First recorded in 1560–70; from Latin polygōnum, from Greek polýgōnon, noun use of neuter of polýgōnos “many-angled”; poly-, -gon

Word History and Origins

Origin of polygon¹

C16: via Latin from Greek polugōnon figure with many angles

Example Sentences

Part of the process is seeing that unfold, seeing how communities of interest identify their members, the polygon that contains their community and how they define that.

From Voice of San Diego

Everything in a game will look just a little more realistic, like they’re actual objects instead of well-made polygons.

From Popular-Science

The red polygon is one of a series of tornado warning boxes issued by the Weather Service.

From Washington Post

While technical shortcomings such as broken polygons or low-resolution textures are clear indicators of “poor graphics,” ultimately what is “good” comes down to taste.

From Popular-Science

I didn’t even have to sit through countless rubble-cities and the eternal melodrama and the endless wisecracking and the infinite polygons.

From MIT Technology Review

For longer bridges the funicular polygon affords a method of determining maximum bending moments which is perhaps more convenient.

From Project Gutenberg

Fig. 69 b is the polygon of external forces, and 69 c is half the reciprocal figure.

From Project Gutenberg

The regiment had evacuated Polygon Wood on the night of the third.

From Project Gutenberg

It is the most northern part of Central America, in shape like a polygon, with the southern side the longest.

From Project Gutenberg

The term polygon is applied to figures having flat sides equidistant from a common centre.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• shape