torus

noun

to·​rus ˈtȯr-əs 

plural tori ˈtȯr-ˌī  -ˌē 

1

: a large molding of convex profile commonly occurring as the lowest molding in the base of a column

2

: the thickening of a membrane closing a wood-cell pit (as of gymnosperm tracheids) having the secondary cell wall arched over the pit cavity

3

: a doughnut-shaped surface generated by a circle rotated about an axis in its plane that does not intersect the circle

broadly : toroid

4

: a smooth rounded anatomical protuberance (such as a bony ridge on the skull)

Examples of torus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

So, for instance, if a quantum computer was designed to run 96 logical qubits, it would be equipped with eight torus code blocks (8 x 12 = 96) which would require a total of approximately 2,304 physical qubits (8 x 288) plus eight LPUs. —Paul Smith-Goodson, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025

First the flat map becomes a cylinder, and then the ends of the cylinder meet, creating a torus. —Shalma Wegsman, Quanta Magazine, 6 June 2025

It's surrounded by what's called an accretion disk, which is a torus of hot gas swirling around the black hole, waiting to be consumed. —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 9 May 2025

So the ordinary torus has a Kervaire invariant of zero, while the twisted torus has a Kervaire invariant of 1. —Erica Klarreich, Quanta Magazine, 5 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin, protuberance, bulge, torus molding

First Known Use

1563, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for torus

• chloris
• chorus
• horus
• lores
• morrice
• morus
• orris
• porous
• porus
• authorise
• clitoris
• liquorice

Medical Definition

torus

noun

to·​rus ˈtōr-əs, ˈtȯr- 

plural tori ˈtō(ə)r-ˌī  ˈtȯ(ə)r- 

-ˌē

1

: a doughnut-shaped surface generated by a circle rotated about an axis in its plane that does not intersect the circle

2

: a smooth rounded anatomical protuberance (as a bony ridge on the skull)

a supraorbital torus