Main Entry: ver·tex

Pronunciation: \ˈvər-ˌteks\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural ver·ti·ces \ˈvər-tə-ˌsēz\ also ver·tex·es

Etymology: Middle English, top of the head, from Latin vertic-, vertex, vortic-, vortex whirl, whirlpool, top of the head, summit, from vertere to turn

Date: 14th century

1 : the top of the head
2 a : the point opposite to and farthest from the base in a figure b : a point (as of an angle, polygon, polyhedron, graph, or network) that terminates a line or curve or comprises the intersection of two or more lines or curves c : a point where an axis of an ellipse, parabola, or hyperbola intersects the curve itself
3 : a principal or highest point : summit <the vertex of the hill>