Pentagram
/ˈpɛn.tə.ɡræm/noun
A five-pointed star, especially one drawn with a continuous line.
Did you know?The pentagram’s name comes from Greek and originally referred to the shape’s five intersecting lines, long before later occult traditions made it a symbol of magic and protection.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*penkwe
“five”
Ancient Greek
Greek
pénte
“five”
Ancient Greek
Greek
grámma
“something written; a line or stroke”
Late Greek
Greek
pentágrammon
“a figure with five lines or angles”
Late Latin
Latin
pentagramma
“five-lined figure”
Middle English / Modern English
English
pentagram
“a five-pointed star figure”
Explore more surprising origins