Rectangle
/ˈrɛk.tæŋ.ɡəl/noun
A four-sided plane figure with four right angles.
Did you know?Rectangle comes through French and Latin from words meaning “right” or “straight,” because in classical geometry a rectangle was literally defined by its right angles.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
orthogōnion
“a right-angled figure”
Late Latin
Latin
rectangulum
“a right-angled figure”
Old French
French
rectangle
“a rectangle, right-angled figure”
Late Middle English
English
rectangle
“a four-sided figure with right angles”
Modern English
English
rectangle
“a four-sided plane figure with four right angles”