triangle

[trahy-ang-guhl]

noun

1. a closed plane figure having three sides and three angles.

2. a flat triangular piece, usually of plastic, with straight edges, used in connection with a T square for drawing perpendicular lines, geometric figures, etc.

3. any three-cornered or three-sided figure, object, or piece.

   a triangle of land.

4. a musical percussion instrument that consists of a steel triangle, open at one corner, that is struck with a steel rod.

5. a group of three; triad.

6. a situation involving three persons, especially one in which two of them are in love with the third.

7. Astronomy.,  Triangle, the constellation Triangulum.

triangle

/ ˈtraɪˌæŋɡəl /

noun

1. geometry a three-sided polygon that can be classified by angle, as in an acute triangle, or by side, as in an equilateral triangle. Sum of interior angles: 180°; area: 1/ 2 base × height

2. any object shaped like a triangle

3. any situation involving three parties or points of view See also eternal triangle

4. music a percussion instrument consisting of a sonorous metal bar bent into a triangular shape, beaten with a metal stick

5. a group of three

triangle

1. A closed geometric figure consisting of three sides.

Other Word Forms

• triangled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of triangle¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin triangulum, noun use of neuter of triangulus “three-cornered”, tri-, angle ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of triangle¹

C14: from Latin triangulum (noun), from triangulus (adjective), from _tri- + angulus corner

Idioms and Phrases

see eternal triangle.

Example Sentences

Hershey HSY 1.83%increase; green up pointing triangle entered the second quarter worried about tariffs on cocoa imports and retaliatory duties by Canada, as rising cocoa prices and other factors were also driving up costs.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Target’s TGT 0.06%increase; green up pointing triangle plan to fix its continuing sales slump involves billions of dollars in investment.

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All three of us are tied up together, in a triangle of frustration and annoyance.

Read more on Literature

But that is quite enough about isosceles triangles.

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Alexander held several sheets of graph paper, all covered with drawings of triangles.

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Related Words

• adultery 
• affair 
• courtship 
• dalliance 
• devotion 
• fling 
• flirtation 
• infidelity 
• involvement 
• liaison 
• love 
• passion 
• relationship 
• tryst