pentagon

[ pen-tuh-gon, -guhn ]

noun

1. a polygon having five angles and five sides.
2. the Pentagon,
   1. a building in Arlington, Virginia, having a plan in the form of a regular pentagon, containing most U.S. Defense Department offices.
   2. the U.S. Department of Defense; the U.S. military establishment.

Pentagon

¹

/ ˈpɛntəˌɡɒn /

noun

1. the five-sided building in Arlington, Virginia, that houses the headquarters of the US Department of Defense
2. the military leadership of the US

pentagon

²

/ ˈpɛntəˌɡɒn; pɛnˈtæɡənəl /

noun

1. a polygon having five sides

pentagon

/ pĕn′tə-gŏn′ /

1. A polygon having five sides.

Pentagon

¹

1. An immense five-sided building in Virginia , just outside Washington, D.C. , that serves as headquarters for the Department of Defense .

pentagon

²

1. A polygon having five sides.

Notes

The term is often used to refer to the Department of Defense or the military: “The Pentagon agreed today to submit the modified weapons plan to the president.”

The Pentagon was severely damaged by the September 11 attacks .

Derived Forms

• pentagonal, adjective

Other Words From

• pen·tag·o·nal [pen-, tag, -, uh, -nl], adjective
• pen·tago·nal·ly adverb
• subpen·tago·nal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pentagon¹

1560–70; < Late Latin pentagōnum < Greek pentágōnon, noun use of neuter of pentágōnos five-angled. See penta-, -gon

Example Sentences

Instead of transporting prisoners to the town jail — known as “the pentagon” — cops “would just turn them over to the Zetas,” one police officer informed investigators.

From Los Angeles Times

This process starts with the assembly of small, triangular parts into hexagons, which subsequently join up with pentagons to form the icosahedral structures of viral capsids.

From Science Daily

The vision involves developing human capital, the digital economy and inclusivity and sustainability, he said, referring to it as the "pentagon strategy".

From Reuters

“Saw a pentagon report saying that ⅓rd of the force is being used to invade,” he wrote.

From New York Times

“Saw a pentagon report saying that ⅓rd of the force is being used to invade,” the user wrote.

From New York Times