trapezoid

[ trap-uh-zoid ]

noun

Geometry.
- a quadrilateral plane figure having two parallel and two nonparallel sides.
- British. trapezium (def. 1b).
Anatomy. a bone in the wrist that articulates with the metacarpal bone of the forefinger.

adjective

Also trap·e·zoi·dal. Geometry. of, relating to, or having the form of a trapezoid.

Origin of trapezoid

First recorded in 1695–1705; from New Latin trapezoīdēs, from Late Greek trapezoeidḗs “trapezium-like”; see trapezium, -oid

Other words from trapezoid

post·trap·e·zoid, adjective
sub·trap·e·zoid, adjective
sub·trap·e·zoi·dal, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use trapezoid in a sentence

In channels of trapezoidal form the velocity increases and diminishes with the discharge.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 14, Slice 1 | Various
The superstructure is of wrought iron, mainly trapezoidal trusses, varying in length from 45 feet to 150 feet.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 613, October 1, 1887 | Various
It has a roughly oval beehive shape with a trapezoidal framed opening in which a pottery door fits snugly.
North Devon Pottery and Its Export to America in the 17th Century | C. Malcolm Watkins
Side and top sections are joined with seams, reinforced by finger impressions, meeting at top of trapezoidal opening.
North Devon Pottery and Its Export to America in the 17th Century | C. Malcolm Watkins
Median occipital trapezoidal, margins underlapped conspicuously by the external occipitals.
A Guide to the Study of Fishes, Volume 1 (of 2) | David Starr Jordan

British Dictionary definitions for trapezoid

trapezoid

/ (ˈtræpɪˌzɔɪd) /

noun

a quadrilateral having neither pair of sides parallel
Also called: (Brit, Austral., NZ, and South African) trapezium US and Canadian a quadrilateral having two parallel sides of unequal length

a small bone of the wrist near the base of the index finger

Origin of trapezoid

C18: from New Latin trapezoidēs, from Late Greek trapezoeidēs trapezium-shaped, from trapeza table

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

Scientific definitions for trapezoid

trapezoid

[ trăp′ĭ-zoid′ ]

A four-sided plane figure having two parallel sides.

Cultural definitions for trapezoid

trapezoid

[ (trap-uh-zoyd) ]

A four-sided polygon in which two sides are parallel and two are not.

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