TRAPEZIUM

trapezium, trapezium bone, os trapezium

(noun) the wrist bone on the thumb side of the hand that articulates with the 1st and 2nd metacarpals

Trapezium

(noun) a multiple star in the constellation of Orion

trapezium

(noun) a quadrilateral with no parallel sides

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

trapezium (plural trapeziums or trapezia)

(geometry, British, AU, NZ) A four-sided polygon with two sides parallel

(geometry, US, dated) A four-sided polygon with no parallel sides and no sides equal; a simple convex irregular quadrilateral.

(anatomy) The trapezium bone of the wrist.

A region on the ventral side of the brain, either just back of the pons Varolii, or, as in man, covered by the posterior extension of its transverse fibers.

Usage notes

• (geometry): The terms trapezium and trapezoid have swapped meanings in the US and Canada as compared with the rest of the world.

Synonyms

• (archaic) trapeze

• (geometry, British, four-sided polygon with two parallel sides): (US) trapezoid

• (geometry, US, four-sided polygon with no sides parallel and no equal sides): (British) trapezoid, (British) irregular quadrilateral.

Source: Wiktionary


Tra*pe"zi*um, n.; pl. E. Trapeziums, L. Trapezia. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. Tetra-) + Foot.]

1. (Geom.)

Definition: A plane figure bounded by four right lines, of which no two are parallel.

2. (Anat.) (a) A bone of the carpus at the base of the first metacarpal, or thumb. (b) A region on the ventral side of the brain, either just back of the pons Varolii, or, as in man, covered by the posterior extension of its transverse fibers.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

3 May 2025

DESIRABLE

(adjective) worth having or seeking or achieving; “a desirable job”; “computer with many desirable features”; “a desirable outcome”


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Coffee Trivia

According to Guinness World Records, the largest coffee press is 230 cm (7 ft 6 in) in height and 72 cm (2 ft 4 in) in diameter and was created by Salzillo Tea and Coffee (Spain) in Murcia, Spain, in February 2007. The cafetière consists of a stainless steel container, a filtering piston, and a superior lid.

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