cone

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noun \ˈkōn\

Definition of cone

1a : a solid generated by rotating a right triangle about one of its legs —called also right circular coneb : 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 tablec : a surface traced by a moving straight line passing through a fixed vertex
2a : 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 axisb : any of several flower or fruit clusters suggesting a cone
3 : something that resembles a cone in shape: such asa : any of the conical photosensitive receptor cells of the vertebrate retina that function in color vision — compare rod 3b : any of a family (Conidae) of tropical marine gastropod mollusks that inject their prey with a potent toxinc : the apex of a volcanod : a crisp usually cone-shaped wafer for holding ice cream

See cone defined for English-language learners

See cone defined for kids

Examples of cone in a Sentence

He scooped out the popcorn with a paper cone.

Recent Examples of cone from the Web

The leitmotif of small cone hats and sensual face veils gave the silken 61-piece show a feel for the theatricality of the 1920s.

— Bloomberg.com, "Chanel Aims High With Starry 'Eiffel Tower' Paris Show", 4 July 2017
The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, where judges eventually ruled in favor of the tax department, declaring that soft ice cream cones must attract duty.

— upmanyu trivedi, Bloomberg.com, "India's New Tax May Unleash a Flood of Litigation", 26 June 2017
U of L pitcher Sam Bordner enjoyed an ice cream cone with two small children in tow.

— danielle lerner, The Courier-Journal, "Lerner | Win or lose, the College World Series is an intoxicating experience", 24 June 2017
Caramel-popcorn soft serve, cones swathed in cotton candy, candied peanuts and rainbow sprinkles are some of the treats for sale inside a room transformed to look like a striped circus tent.

— florence fabricant, New York Times, "Ice Cream Carnival Pops Up in NoLIta", 19 June 2017
Some dog and cat owners are swapping hard-plastic, post-surgical veterinary cones with softer contrivances that can resemble airplane neck pillows.

— sarah krouse, WSJ, "Guilt-Wracked Pet Owners Try Making the ‘Cone of Shame’ More Comfortable", 16 June 2017
Shake Shack Treat your dad to a good burger, and Shake Shack will throw in a free cup or cone of dad's favorite custard.

— lisa fu, Fortune, "Here’s Where to Find the Best Food Deals for Dad on Father’s Day", 16 June 2017
The cinder cone is but a tiny pimple on the Earth’s crust, and one of hundreds inside the vast Newberry volcanic complex.

— jeff layton, The Seattle Times, "Lava lands add geologic ‘wow’ to Bend’s big attractions", 14 June 2017
The cars can detect walls and cones through laser sensors and stereo cameras, respectively.

— jennifer lu, miamiherald, "From prosthetic hands to bands that jam, innovations shine at eMerge Americas", 12 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cone'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of cone

Origin and Etymology of cone

Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin conus, from Greek kōnos

NEW!

First Known Use: 1545

See Words from the same year

cone

verb

Definition of cone

coned

;

coning

transitive verb
1 : to make cone-shaped
2 : to bevel like the slanting surface of a cone cone a tire

See cone defined for English-language learners

First Known Use of cone

1845

CONE Defined for English Language Learners

cone

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noun

Definition of cone for English Language Learners

: a shape that has a pointed top and sides that form a circle at the bottom
: a hard and dry part that is the fruit of a pine tree or other evergreen plant and contains many seeds
: something that looks like a cone

CONE Defined for Kids

cone

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noun \ˈkōn\

Definition of cone for Students

1 : a thin crisp cookie shaped to hold ice cream
2 : a scaly structure of certain trees (as the pine or fir) that produces pollen or egg cells and seeds
3 : a shape with a circular base and sides that taper evenly to a point
4 : a cell of the retina of the eye that is sensitive to colored light

Medical Dictionary

cone

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noun \ˈkōn\

Medical Definition of cone

1: a solid having a circular base and sides that slope evenly to a point
2a: any of the conical photosensitive receptor cells of the vertebrate retina that function in color vision—compare rodb: 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