trapezium

[ truh-pee-zee-uhm ]

noun

, plural tra·pe·zi·ums, tra·pe·zi·a [tr, uh, -, pee, -zee-, uh].

1. Geometry.
   1. (in Euclidean geometry) any rectilinear quadrilateral plane figure not a parallelogram.
   2. a quadrilateral plane figure of which no two sides are parallel.
   3. British. trapezoid ( def 1a ).
2. Anatomy. a bone in the wrist that articulates with the metacarpal bone of the thumb.

trapezium

/ trəˈpiːzɪəm /

noun

1. a quadrilateral having two parallel sides of unequal length Usual US and Canadian nametrapezoid
2. a quadrilateral having neither pair of sides parallel
3. a small bone of the wrist near the base of the thumb

trapezium

/ trə-pē′zē-əm /

, Plural trapeziums

1. A four-sided plane figure having no parallel sides.

Derived Forms

• traˈpezial, adjective

Other Words From

• tra·pezi·al adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of trapezium¹

1545–55; < New Latin < Greek trapézion kind of quadrilateral, literally, small table, equivalent to trápez ( a ) table (shortening of *tetrapeza object having four feet, equivalent to tetra- four + péza foot, akin to poús, podós; tetra-, foot ) + -ion diminutive suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of trapezium¹

C16: via Late Latin from Greek trapezion , from trapeza table

Example Sentences

Along with the quartet of bright suns at its centre called the Trapezium, this region of space is visible to the naked eye as a smudge on the sky.

From BBC

An infrared composite image of the inner Orion Nebula and Trapezium Cluster captured by the James Webb Space Telescope.Credit...NASA,

From New York Times

The conversation moves on to the Trapezium Cluster — the stellar nursery under Orion’s belt — and the delimiter, also known as the moon’s sunset line.

From New York Times

The Australian will move CirQus this month, sharing space in an old church with Trapezium, another local troupe.

From Washington Post

But the five-inch goes a step farther and enables us, with steady gazing to see even a sixth star, of only the twelfth magnitude, just outside the Trapezium, near the brightest member of the quartet.

From Project Gutenberg