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Polyhedron: meaning, definitions and examples

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polyhedron

 

[ ˌpɒl.iˈhiː.drən ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

geometry

A polyhedron is a solid figure with many plane faces, typically more than four. Each face is a polygon, and the edges of the faces meet at vertices. Polyhedra are commonly classified by the number of faces they have, such as tetrahedron, cube, or dodecahedron.

Synonyms

solid figure, three-dimensional shape.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
polyhedron

This word is often used in geometry or mathematical contexts to describe a three-dimensional shape with flat polygonal faces, straight edges, and sharp corners or vertices.

  • The geometry teacher asked us to draw a polyhedron with six faces.
  • A cube is a type of polyhedron.
solid figure

This term is more general and is used to describe any three-dimensional shape, especially when discussing basic properties like volume and surface area. It's often used in basic geometry classes.

  • In today's lesson, we learned about different solid figures and their volumes.
  • A pyramid is an example of a solid figure with a polygonal base.
three-dimensional shape

This term is very broad and can be used in everyday language, as well as in academic contexts, to refer to any object that has depth in addition to height and width.

  • The artist created a sculpture that was a complex three-dimensional shape.
  • What three-dimensional shape is formed by combining these two shapes?

Examples of usage

  • The cube is a regular polyhedron with six square faces.
  • The dodecahedron is a polyhedron with twelve pentagonal faces.
  • The octahedron is a polyhedron with eight triangular faces.

Translations

Translations of the word "polyhedron" in other languages:

🇵🇹 poliedro

🇮🇳 बहुफलक (bahufalak)

🇩🇪 Polyeder

🇮🇩 polihedron

🇺🇦 многогранник

🇵🇱 wielościan

🇯🇵 多面体 (ためんたい, tamentai)

🇫🇷 polyèdre

🇪🇸 poliedro

🇹🇷 çokyüzlü

🇰🇷 다면체 (damyeonche)

🇸🇦 متعدد السطوح (muta'addid al-sutooh)

🇨🇿 mnohostěn

🇸🇰 mnohosten

🇨🇳 多面体 (duōmiàntǐ)

🇸🇮 mnogokotnik

🇮🇸 fjölflötungur

🇰🇿 көпжақ (kópjaq)

🇬🇪 ბევერფერი (bevṛperi)

🇦🇿 çoxüzlü

🇲🇽 poliedro

Etymology

The word 'polyhedron' originated from the Greek words 'poly-' meaning 'many' and 'hedra' meaning 'base.' The concept of polyhedra has been studied since ancient times, with notable contributions from mathematicians like Euclid and Archimedes.

Word Frequency Rank

At rank #27,583, this word represents specialized academic or technical vocabulary. It's less frequently encountered but may be valuable in specific contexts.