parallelogram

noun

par·​al·​lel·​o·​gram ˌper-ə-ˈle-lə-ˌgram How to pronounce parallelogram (audio)
ˌpa-rə-
: a quadrilateral with opposite sides parallel and equal

Examples of parallelogram in a Sentence

Rectangles, squares, and rhombuses are all parallelograms.
Recent Examples on the Web Some have a little piano keyboard while others have a grid of black and white buttons set roughly in the shape of a parallelogram. IEEE Spectrum, 23 Dec. 2022 Instead of a rectangle, the gallery is actually a parallelogram, and it's been decorated top to bottom with art by Houstonian Trenton Doyle Hancock, who put his mark on the court, the backboards, and even the basketballs themselves. Brittanie Shey, Chron, 20 Apr. 2023 While traditional courts are rectangular, the CAMH gallery is a parallelogram, making the court a weird, surrealist, immersive experience. Brittanie Shey, Chron, 20 Mar. 2023 Floating at the top of the list was an unusual logo, a hovering 3-D orb casting a shadow over a parallelogram. Dan Kois, The New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2023 This dissection shows that the area of the parallelogram is equal to the area of a rectangle with the same base and height, which, as anyone who didn’t attend Imaginary University knows, is the product of those two numbers. Patrick Honner, Quanta Magazine, 21 Nov. 2022 In this way, the four red corners of the parallelogram become a single point on the doughnut. Kelsey Houston-Edwards, Scientific American, 21 Sep. 2022 The terminal is shaped like an extruded parallelogram that seemingly floats above the service road. Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 17 Jan. 2022 Viewed on a map of the development, the five-story structure looks something like a tilted parallelogram, a design that creates triangular units on the corners. BostonGlobe.com, 22 Oct. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'parallelogram.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin or Greek; Late Latin parallelogrammum, from Greek parallēlogrammon, from neuter of parallēlogrammos bounded by parallel lines, from parallēlos + grammē line, from graphein to write — more at carve

First Known Use

1570, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of parallelogram was in 1570

Dictionary Entries Near parallelogram

Cite this Entry

“Parallelogram.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parallelogram. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

parallelogram

noun
par·​al·​lel·​o·​gram ˌpar-ə-ˈlel-ə-ˌgram How to pronounce parallelogram (audio)
: a four-sided figure whose opposite sides are parallel and of equal length

More from Merriam-Webster on parallelogram

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!