Glossary of Shapes With Metaphorical Names - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Many shapes have metaphorical names, i.e., their names are metaphors: these shapes are named after a mostcommon object that has it. For example, "U-shape" is a shape that resembles the letter U, a bell-shaped curvehas the shape of the vertical cross-section of a bell, etc.

These terms may variously refer to objects, their cross sections or projections.

Some of these names are "classical terms", i.e., words of Latin or Ancient Greek etymology. Others are Englishlanguage constructs (although the base words may have non-English etymology). In some disciplines, whereshapes of subjects in question are a very important consideration, the shape naming may be quite elaborate, see,e.g., the taxonomy of shapes of plant leaves in botany.

Astroid

Bell-shaped curve

Biconic shape, a shape in a way opposite to the hourglass: it is based on two oppositely oriented cones or

truncated cones with their bases joined. The cones are not necessarily the same.

Bowtie shape, in two dimensions

Atmospheric reentry apparatus

Centerbody of an inlet cone in ramjets

Bow shape

Bow curve

Bullet Nose[1] an open-ended hourglass

Butterfly curve[2]

Cocked Hat curve, also known as Bicorn[3]

Cone (from the Greek word for « pine cone »)

Egg-shaped, see "Oval", below

Fish bladder or Lens shape (the latter taking its name from the shape of the lentil seed)

Geoid (From Greek Ge (γη) for "Earth"), the term specifically introduced to denote the approximation of

the shape of the Earth, which is approximately spherical, but not exactly so.

Heart shape, long been used for its varied symbolism

Hourglass shape or hourglass figure, the one that resembles an hourglass. If one takes two copies of a

shape wide at one end that narrows to the other end and connects them symmetrically by the narrow ends,

the resulting shape is usually called an "hourglass shape". In other words, an hourglass shape is a (nearly)

symmetric shape wide at its ends and narrow in the middle. Some flat shapes may be alternatively

compared to the figure eight or hourglass. The classical female body shape is often compared to an

hourglass.

Dog bone shape, an hourglass with rounded ends[4]

Hourglass corset

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Ntama

Hourglass Nebula

Inverted bell

Lune, from the Latin word for the Moon

Maltese Cross curve[5]

Mushroom shape, which became infamous as a result of the mushroom cloud.

Oval (from the Latin "ovum" for « egg »), a descriptive term applied to several kinds of "rounded"

shapes, including the egg shape

Pear shaped, in reference to the shape of a pear, i.e., a generally rounded shape, tapered towards the top

and more spherical/circular at the bottom. The term acquired a number of metaphorical meanings.

Rod, a 3-dimensional, solid (filled) cylinder.

Rod shaped bacteria

Scarabaeus curve[6] resembling a scarab

serpentine, shaped like a snake

Stadium, two half-circles joined by straight sides[7]

Stirrup curve[8]

Star a figure with multiple sharp points.

Sunburst

Tomahawk

Figure 8, the shape that resembles the numeral 8, symbol for infinity when laid on its side

A-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter A

A-Frame, the shape of a common structure that resembles the capital letter A

A-Frame house, a common style of house construction

A-shirt

C-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter C

D-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter D

D-ring

Deltoid, the shape that resembles the Greek capital letter Δ

Deltahedron

Deltoid muscle

River delta

E-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter E

Magnetic cores of transformers may be E-shaped

A number of notable buildings have an E-shaped floorplan


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H-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter H

H-beam, a beam with H-shaped section

Goals in several sports (gridiron football (old style), Gaelic football, rugby, hurling) are described

as "H-shaped"

I-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter I in a serif font, i.e., with horizontal strokes

I-beam, a beam with an I-shaped section

The court in the Mesoamerican ballgame is I-shaped

J-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter J

K-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter K

K Turn

L-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter L

The L-Shaped Room

L game

L-shaped recession

N-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter N (interchangeable with the Z-shape)

O-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter O

O-ring

P-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter P

P-trap, a P-shaped pipe under a sink or basin

S-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter S

The sigmoid colon, an S-shaped bend in the human intestine

T-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter T

T junction

T-shaped (chemistry)

T-shaped skills, a format for résumés

T-shirt

U-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter U

U-shaped valley

U-turn

U-shaped recession

Hyoid, the shape that resembles the Greek letter υ

Hyoid bone

V-shape, the shape that resembles the letter V, also known as the Chevron (which includes the inverted-V

shape)

V-shaped valley

V-shaped recession

V-shaped body - Male human body shape with broad shoulders.


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V-shaped passage grave

V sign

W-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter W

W-shaped recession

X-shape, the shape that resembles the letter X

Saltire

Chiasm, crossings that resemble the Greek letter Χ

Chiasmus

Chiastic structure

Optic chiasm

Y-shape, the shape that resembles the letter Y

Y-front briefs

List of geometric shapes

The Category:Curves lists numerous metaphorical names, such as

Bean curves, also called Nephroids, from the Greek word for « kidney »

^ "Bullet Nose - from Wolfram MathWorld" (http://mathworld.wolfram.com/BulletNose.html).

Mathworld.wolfram.com. 2013-05-08. Retrieved 2013-05-20.

1.

^ "Butterfly Curve - from Wolfram MathWorld" (http://mathworld.wolfram.com/ButterflyCurve.html).


2.

^ "Bicorn - from Wolfram MathWorld" (http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Bicorn.html). Mathworld.wolfram.com.

2013-05-08. Retrieved 2013-05-20.

3.

^ "Cassini Ovals - from Wolfram MathWorld" (http://mathworld.wolfram.com/CassiniOvals.html).


4.

^ "Maltese Cross Curve - from Wolfram MathWorld" (http://mathworld.wolfram.com/MalteseCrossCurve.html).


5.

^ "Scarabaeus - from Wolfram MathWorld" (http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Scarabaeus.html).


6.

^ "Stadium - from Wolfram MathWorld" (http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Stadium.html). Mathworld.wolfram.com.

2013-05-08. Retrieved 2013-05-20.

7.

^ "Stirrup Curve - from Wolfram MathWorld" (http://mathworld.wolfram.com/StirrupCurve.html).


8.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Glossary_of_shapes_with_metaphorical_names&oldid=594327323"


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