trapezium
pronunciation
How to pronounce trapezium in British English:
UK [trəˈpi:ziəm]
How to pronounce trapezium in American English:
US [trə'pizɪrm]
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- Noun:
- a quadrilateral with no parallel sides
- the wrist bone on the thumb side of the hand that articulates with the 1st and 2nd metacarpals
Word Origin
- trapezium (n.)
- 1560s, from Late Latin trapezium, from Greek trapezion "irregular quadrilateral," literally "a little table," diminutive of trapeza "table, dining table," from tra- "four" (see four) + peza "foot, edge," related to pous, from PIE root *ped- (1) "a foot" (see foot (n.)). Before 1540s, Latin editions of Euclid used the Arabic-derived word helmariphe. As the name of a bone in the wrist, it is recorded from 1840.