Incuneate
/ɪnˈkjuːniˌeɪt/noun
Having the shape of a wedge or tapering to a point at the base.
Did you know?Its core root is Latin *cuneus* (“wedge”), the same ancient image that shaped both tools and Mesopotamian writing systems, because a wedge could become a weapon, a symbol, or a letter.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*keuh₂-
“to bend, curve, or make a wedge-like shape”
Latin
Latin
cuneus
“wedge”
Late Latin
Latin
incuneatus
“shaped like a wedge; wedged in”
19th Century
English
incuneate
“having the form of a wedge, especially broad at the top and narrow at the base”
Modern English
English
incuneate
“wedge-shaped, especially broad at the top and tapering toward the base”