Concave
/kənˈkeɪv/noun
Curved inward like the inside of a bowl.
Did you know?Its Latin ancestor, *concavus*, comes from *con-* (“with, together”) + *cavus* (“hollow”), the same ancient root behind words for caves and cavities—so the geometry term began as a word for emptiness.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*keu̯h₂-
“to swell, be hollow, or bend”
Latin
Latin
cavus
“hollow, empty, or concave”
Latin
Latin
concavus
“arched inward, hollowed together”
Old French
Old French
concave
“hollowed inward”
Late Middle English
English
concave
“curved inward; hollowed”
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