Trapezoid
/ˈtræp.ə.zɔɪd/noun
A four-sided geometric figure with at least one pair of parallel sides.
Did you know?The word comes from Greek τραπεζοειδής (trapezoeidēs), literally “table-shaped,” built from trapeza (“table”) + -oeidēs (“resembling”), so a basic geometry term began as a description of furniture.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
τραπεζοειδής (trapezoeidēs)
“Table-shaped; resembling a table”
Late Greek
Greek
τραπέζιον (trapezion)
“A small table or four-legged stand”
Medieval Latin
Latin
trapezium / trapezoides
“A geometric figure, especially one with unequal or nonparallel sides”
17th Century
English
trapezoid
“A geometric term adopted into English from Latin and Greek mathematical usage”
Modern English
English
trapezoid
“A quadrilateral with at least one pair of parallel sides”