cylindrical

American

[si-lin-dri-kuhl] / sɪˈlɪn drɪ kəl /

Also cylindric

adjective

of, relating to, or having the form of a cylinder.

cylindrical British

/ sɪˈlɪndrɪk, sɪˈlɪndrɪkəl /

adjective

of, shaped like, or characteristic of a cylinder

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

cylindricality noun
cylindrically adverb
cylindricalness noun
subcylindric adjective
subcylindrical adjective

Etymology

Origin of cylindrical

1640–50; < New Latin cylindric ( us ) (< Greek kylindrikós; cylinder, -ic ) + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Varda makes automated labs that look like cylindrical desktop speakers, which it sends into orbit in capsules and satellite platforms it also builds.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026

The machines essentially grow silicon crystals into cylindrical ingots that weigh hundreds of pounds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

A thousand small cylindrical acrylic mirrors planted in the sand compose a Morse code poem imagining a dialogue between Tangun, the legendary founder of the first Korean kingdom, and an Egyptian pharaoh.

From Barron's • Nov. 11, 2025

Under a strange pink-purple glow, illuminated panels buzz and cylindrical columns of water bubble away, as a futuristic crop of microalgae grows.

From BBC • Jan. 20, 2025

Dashing tears from her eyes, she pulled the carved cylindrical lid over the desk, hiding her writing instruments.

From "The Reader" by Traci Chee

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023