rhombus

Etymology

From Latin rhombus, from Ancient Greek ῥόμβος (rhómbos, “rhombus, spinning top”), from ῥέμβω (rhémbō, “I turn around”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈɹɒmbəs/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈɹɑːmbəs/

• Audio (AUS)

  (file)

Noun

rhombus (plural rhombi or rhombuses)

1. (zoology, now rare) Any of several flatfishes, including the brill and turbot, once considered part of the genus Rhombus, now in Scophthalmus. [from 16th c.]
   • 1638, Thomas Herbert, Some Yeares Travels, I:

     the greedy Tuberon or Shark arm'd with a double row of venemous teeth pursues them, directed by a little Rhombus, Musculus or pilot-fish that scuds to and fro to bring intelligence [...].

2. (zoology, archaic) Snails, now in Conus or Conidae.
3. (geometry) A parallelogram having all sides of equal length. [from 16th c.]

References

• rhombus at OneLook Dictionary Search
• rhombus in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ῥόμβος (rhómbos, “rhombus, spinning top”), from ῥέμβω (rhémbō, “I turn around”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈrom.bus/, [ˈrɔm.bʊs]

Noun

rhombus m (genitive rhombī); second declension

1. rhombus (geometry)
2. flatfish

References

• rhombus in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• rhombus in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• rhombus in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
• rhombus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Hachette
• rhombus in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• rhombus in William Smith et al., editor (1890) A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin