octahedron

[ ok-tuh-hee-druhn ]

noun

, plural oc·ta·he·drons, oc·ta·he·dra [ok-t, uh, -, hee, -dr, uh].

1. a solid figure having eight faces.

octahedron

/ ˌɒktəˈhiːdrən /

noun

1. a solid figure having eight plane faces

octahedron

/ ŏk′tə-hē′drən /

, Plural octahedrons

1. A polyhedron that has eight faces.

Word History and Origins

Origin of octahedron¹

1560–70; < Greek oktáedron eight-sided (neuter of oktáedros ), equivalent to okta- octa- + -edron -hedron

Example Sentences

"Specifically, these molecules introduce in-plane hydrogen bonding that is compatible with both the ionic nature and octahedron spacing of halide perovskites," she said.

From Science Daily

All of this is enough to send any mother into a spiral of madness, or an even more elaborate shape — a Möbius strip of insanity, an octahedron of derangement.

From New York Times

Adjacent octahedrons were rotated 90 degrees from one another and connected at the corners.

From Scientific American

The Feb. 22 Local Living article “Give your bookshelf a little more character” included a geometric object labeled “large octahedron.”

From Washington Post

The second is a specific bonding geometry, which is achieved when octahedra formed from metal and oxygen ions share their edges to form a honeycomb lattice.

From Nature