pyramid
/ˈpɪɹ.ə.mɪd/ noun, verb, proper noun
Forms pyramids pyramiding pyramided piramis pyramis
- noun An ancient massive construction with a square or rectangular base and four triangular sides meeting in an apex, such as those built as tombs in Egypt or as bases for temples in Mesoamerica.
- noun A construction in the shape of a pyramid, usually with a square or rectangular base.
- noun (geometry) A solid with triangular lateral faces and a polygonal (often square or rectangular) base.
- noun (by extension) Any structure or diagram with many members at the bottom and progressively fewer towards the top. “The company was organized as a pyramid, with a CEO in charge of four directors, each heading up a department.”
- noun (neuroanatomy) A medullary pyramid, the medial-most bumps on the ventral side of the medulla oblongata
- noun (UK, dated) The game of pool in which the balls are placed in the form of a triangle at spot.
- noun A pyramid scheme.
- noun (card games) The triangular layout of cards in the game of Pyramid. “Build your pyramid with all cards face down, except the cards in the bottom row.”
- verb To build up or be arranged in the form of a pyramid.
- verb (transitive, genetics) To combine (a series of genes) into a single genotype.
- verb (intransitive) To employ, or take part in, a pyramid scheme.
- verb (finance) To engage in pyramid trading.
- verb (dated) To increase to or towards a peak.
- proper noun (card games) A solitaire card game where the cards are arranged as a triangle (a "pyramid") and the object is to get the cards from the bottom to the top.
Synonyms
Etymology
From French pyramide, from Old French piramide, from Latin pȳramis, pȳramidis, from Ancient Greek πῡραμίς (pūramís), possibly from πῡρός (pūrós, “wheat”) + ἀμάω (amáō, “reap”) or from Egyptian pr-m-ws (“height of a pyramid”), from pr (“(one that) comes forth”) + m (“from”) + ws (“height”). Schenkel and K. Lang proposed hypothetical Coptic *ⲡⲓⲣⲁⲙ (*piram) or *ⲫⲣⲁⲙ (*phram) derived from Egyptian mr via metathesis as a source of πῡραμίς (pūramís) while Schenkel also suggested it being the source of Arabic هَرَم (haram) although the latter is considered far-fetched by Takacs.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A solid body standing on a triangular, square, or polygonal base, and terminating in a point at the top; especially, a structure or edifice of this shape.
- noun A solid figure contained by a plane rectilineal figure as base and several triangles which have a common vertex and whose bases are sides of the base.
Etymology [L. pyramis, -idis, fr. Gr. pyramide.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “pyramid”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details