Cone
/koʊn/noun
A solid or surface that tapers smoothly from a circular base to a point.
Did you know?English cone comes through Latin and Greek from a word for a pointed object, and the same ancient root also helped form words for a pine cone and even terms for a goad or spike.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ḱeh₂-
“to sharpen, point”
Ancient Greek
Greek
κῶνος (kônos)
“cone, pointed object; also a pine cone”
Latin
Latin
conus
“cone; cone-shaped object”
Old French
Old French
cone
“cone, conical object”
Middle English
English
cone
“a solid figure tapering to a point”
Modern English
English
cone
“a solid or surface tapering smoothly from a circular base to a point”
Explore more surprising origins