definitions

quadrilateral

[ kwod-ruh-lat-er-uh l ]
/ ˌkwɒd rəˈlæt ər əl /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR quadrilateral ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

having four sides.

noun

a plane figure having four sides and four angles.
something of this form.
Geometry.
  1. a figure formed by four straight lines that have six points of intersection.
  2. a polygon with four sides.
the space enclosed between and defended by four fortresses.

RELATED WORDS

square, rectangle, parallelogram, rhombus

Nearby words

quadrigatus, quadrigeminal, quadrigeminal body, quadrigeminal rhythm, quadrigeminum, quadrilateral, quadrilingual, quadriliteral, quadrille, quadrillion, quadrinomial

Origin of quadrilateral

1640–50; < Latin quadrilater(us) four-sided + -al1. See quadri-, lateral
Related formsquad·ri·lat·er·al·ly, adverbquad·ri·lat·er·al·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for quadrilateral

British Dictionary definitions for quadrilateral

quadrilateral

/ (ˌkwɒdrɪˈlætərəl) /

adjective

having or formed by four sides

noun

Also called: tetragon a polygon having four sides. A complete quadrilateral consists of four lines and their six points of intersection
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for quadrilateral

quadrilateral

n.

"four-sided," 1640s, with -al (1) + Latin quadrilaterus, from quadri- "four" (see quadri-) + latus (genitive lateris) "side" (see oblate (n.)). As an adjective from 1650s. Related: Quadrilaterally.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Science definitions for quadrilateral

quadrilateral

[ kwŏd′rə-lăt′ər-əl ]

A polygon that has four sides, such as a rectangle or rhombus.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.