geodesic

1 of 2

adjective

geo·​de·​sic ˌjē-ə-ˈde-sik How to pronounce geodesic (audio) -ˈdē- How to pronounce geodesic (audio)
-zik
1
2
: made of light straight structural elements mostly in tension
a geodesic dome

geodesic

2 of 2

noun

: the shortest line between two points that lies in a given surface

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Geodesic Dome, Altamont This eye-popping geodesic dome isn't just quirky; it was featured on the DIY Network show Building Off the Grid and is famous for good reason. Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 7 Mar. 2023 Above, thick steel pipes connect to geodesic domes, each of which houses a geothermal well. Danielle Bochove, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2023 Humanity survives under a huge geodesic dome (the plastic sky of the title) and has learned to feed on itself. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Feb. 2023 The playwrights later returned to the United Kingdom and raised money to purchase a portable geodesic dome to establish the Good Chance Theatre in the camp. Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Feb. 2023 Twentieth-century artifacts still gamely chugging along, these notices offer all kinds of enticements: a farmhouse in the Dordogne or Tuscany, a kit for constructing a geodesic dome, a massage of uncertain propriety. Dan Chiasson, The New York Review of Books, 15 May 2020 Twentieth-century artifacts still gamely chugging along, these notices offer all kinds of enticements: a farmhouse in the Dordogne or Tuscany, a kit for constructing a geodesic dome, a massage of uncertain propriety. Dan Chiasson, The New York Review of Books, 15 May 2020 Landing on Hulu and digital platforms, the film focuses on Biosphere 2, a strange experiment designed to prepare humans to colonize space by having a group of eight live in a geodesic dome in Arizona for two years. Brian Lowry, CNN, 7 May 2020 Twentieth-century artifacts still gamely chugging along, these notices offer all kinds of enticements: a farmhouse in the Dordogne or Tuscany, a kit for constructing a geodesic dome, a massage of uncertain propriety. Dan Chiasson, The New York Review of Books, 29 Apr. 2020
Noun
The third and highest floor, accessed via a spiral staircase, is the geodesic dome, surrounded by a wraparound timber deck. Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 2 Feb. 2023 The first large-span geodesic dome to be erected in North America—Weatherbreak—will be reconstructed for a two-week period through a partnership with Catholic University. Roger Catlin, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Jan. 2023 The city’s other hemispherical icon, the geodesic Gold Dome of Oklahoma City, still stands on Route 66. Dallas News, 27 Sep. 2022 The night culminated with a countdown as a glowing geodesic sphere 12 feet in diameter and weighing almost six tons descended from its lofty perch atop One Times Square. CBS News, 1 Jan. 2023 Just inside the Grand Army Plaza entrance to Prospect Park sits a clear geodesic structure, encased in wire mesh and filled with plants, tubes and canisters. New York Times, 1 July 2021 Repurposed billboards became casing for the geodesic dome; wood from defunct water towers became cabin walls. Zoë Lescaze, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2022 The visionary who brought the world the geodesic dome and the ‘Dymaxion House’ was a genius whose ideas didn’t always mesh with the world around him. Wsj Books Staff, WSJ, 30 Sep. 2022 Not everyone was convinced the future was geodesic. John Kelly, Washington Post, 26 Sep. 2022 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1821, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1883, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of geodesic was in 1821

Dictionary Entries Near geodesic

Cite this Entry

“Geodesic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/geodesic. Accessed 24 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

geodesic

adjective
geo·​de·​sic
ˌjē-ə-ˈdes-ik,
-ˈdēs-,
-ˈdez-,
-ˈdēz-
: made of light short straight structural elements
a geodesic dome

More from Merriam-Webster on geodesic

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