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

As light dims, our eyes transition from photopic vision, associated with the retina's cone cells that deliver full colors and fine detail, toward scotopic night vision that relies on rod cells to detect objects in low light. —Bill Chappell, NPR, 6 Apr. 2024

Expect delays, look for alternate routes, follow detour signage, and be aware of utility workers, flags, and cones in this area, the release states. —Nwa Democrat-Gazette, arkansasonline.com, 18 Mar. 2024

Kids will love the colorful paper cones, but the artistic flair will also impress teens or tweens. —Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2024

While her husband lit cones of incense, Amarjargal donned the shaman's headdress, known as an umsgol. —Stanley Stewart, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Mar. 2024

How to get a free Dairy Queen ice cream cone Get one free small vanilla soft-serve cone just by stopping at a participating Dairy Queen location. —Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 19 Mar. 2024

At participating Dairy Queen non-mall locations, customers can get a small vanilla cone free while supplies last. —Detroit Free Press, 18 Mar. 2024

Despite the common name, sago palm is actually a cycad and produces cones instead of flowers. —Marissa Wu, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2024

One-bite crisps topped with tuna tartare, slim paper cones of french fries and that most celebrated of low-brow bites, pigs in a blanket, work particularly well — just beware errant condiments. —Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024

Verb

The most popular include miso caramel, a chocolate hard shell, gluten-free brownie bites and waffle cones that taste like churros, made with cinnamon and sunflower butter. —Christina Morales, New York Times, 10 July 2023

Ice cream cones or cups run between $2 and $3.75 at Dairy Kastle, while waffle cones run $2.75 to $3.50. —The Courier-Journal, 22 Feb. 2023

For years, the bridge district had allowed the annual marathon to cone off two of the northbound lanes to accommodate the popular run. —Matier & Ross, SFChronicle.com, 1 July 2018

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

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