parallelogram

[ par-uh-lel-uh-gram ]

noun

1. a quadrilateral having both pairs of opposite sides parallel to each other.

parallelogram

/ ˌpærəˈlɛləˌɡræm /

noun

1. a quadrilateral whose opposite sides are parallel and equal in length See also rhombus rectangle trapezium trapezoid

parallelogram

/ păr′ə-lĕl′ə-grăm′ /

1. A four-sided plane figure with opposite sides parallel. Rhombuses and rectangles are parallelograms.

Other Words From

• par·al·lel·o·gram·mat·ic [par-, uh, -lel-, uh, -gr, uh, -, mat, -ik], paral·lelo·gram·mati·cal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of parallelogram¹

First recorded in 1560–70; from Late Latin parallēlogrammum, from Greek parallēlógrammon; equivalent to parallel + -o- + -gram ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of parallelogram¹

C16: via French from Late Latin, from Greek parallēlogrammon, from parallēlos parallel + grammē line, related to graphein to write

Example Sentences

For this step, in Schwartz’s 2021 paper, he incorrectly concluded that this shape was a parallelogram.

From Scientific American

During those experiments, Schwartz cut open a Möbius band and realized, “Oh, my God, it’s not the parallelogram. It’s a trapezoid.”

From Scientific American

They could arrange four hat tiles into a hexagonlike structure, two tiles into a pentagon and another combination of two tiles into a parallelogram.

From Scientific American

In the postwar period, when Americans were in thrall with the automobile and the federal government unfurled highways across the land, parking minimums were enshrined in zoning codes to ensure that Americans would always find a paved parallelogram waiting for them at the end of their trip.

From New York Times

Now, we have to get it square since at this point it’s probably a parallelogram, not a right rectangle!

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• square