cone

1 of 2

noun

ˈkōn 

1

a

: a solid generated by rotating a right triangle about one of its legs

called also right circular cone

b

: a solid bounded by a circular or other closed plane base and the surface formed by line segments joining every point of the boundary of the base to a common vertex see Volume Formulas Table

c

: a surface traced by a moving straight line passing through a fixed vertex

2

a

: a mass of ovule-bearing or pollen-bearing scales or bracts in most conifers or in cycads that are arranged usually on a somewhat elongated axis

b

: any of several flower or fruit clusters suggesting a cone

3

: something that resembles a cone in shape: such as

a

: any of the conical photosensitive receptor cells of the vertebrate retina that function in color vision compare rod sense 3

b

: any of a family (Conidae) of tropical marine gastropod mollusks that inject their prey with a potent toxin

c

: the apex of a volcano

d

: a crisp usually cone-shaped wafer for holding ice cream

Illustration of cone

• 1 Sitka spruce
• 2 Japanese cedar
• 3 giant sequoia
• 4 white spruce
• 5 redwood
• 6 lodgepole pine
• 7 Douglas fir
• 8 bald cypress
• 9 jack pine

cone

2 of 2

verb

coned; coning

transitive verb

1

: to make cone-shaped

2

: to bevel like the slanting surface of a cone

cone a tire

Examples of cone in a Sentence

Noun

He scooped out the popcorn with a paper cone.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

His three-cone and short-shuttle times figure to be important, but his on-field work showing his bench and flexibility will be key as well. —Austin American Statesman, 23 Feb. 2026

Order your flavor in a waffle cone baked fresh daily, or follow Kish’s lead with a cup of rainbow sherbet. —Karla Walsh, Travel + Leisure, 22 Feb. 2026

Outside, neighbors marked their parking spots with caution tape and orange cones. —Literary Hub, 20 Feb. 2026

In a new video posted on TikTok today, the Jersey Shore alum shared a devastating update following a recent cone biopsy. —Hannah Malach, InStyle, 20 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, "cone in geometry," borrowed from Latin cōnus, borrowed from Greek kônos "pine cone, cone in geometry," probably of pre-Greek substratal origin

Verb

derivative of cone entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1562, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Verb

1845, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing cone

• cinder cone
• cone-like
• cone off
• growth cone
• ice-cream cone
• nose cone
• pine cone
• right circular cone
• shatter cone
• sno-cone
• snow cone
• traffic cone

Rhymes for cone

• blown
• clone
• crone
• drone
• flown
• groan
• grown
• hone
• joan
• known
• loan
• lone

Kids Definition

cone

noun

ˈkōn

1

: a mass of overlapping woody scales that especially in the pines and other conifers are arranged on a structure like a stem and produce seeds between them

also : any of several flower or fruit clusters resembling such cones

2

a

: a solid figure formed by rotating a right triangle about one of its legs

called also right circular cone

b

: a solid figure that slopes evenly to a point from a usually circular base

3

: something shaped like a cone: as

a

: any of the cells of the retina that are sensitive to light and function in color vision

b

: the tip of a volcano

c

: ice-cream cone

Medical Definition

cone

noun

ˈkōn 

1

: a solid having a circular base and sides that slope evenly to a point

2

a

: any of the conical photosensitive receptor cells of the vertebrate retina that function in color vision compare rod

b

: any of a family (Conidae) of numerous somewhat conical tropical gastropod mollusks that include a few highly poisonous forms see conus

3

: a cusp of a tooth especially in the upper jaw