pyramid

noun

pyr·a·mid | \ ˈpir-ə-ˌmid

Definition of pyramid

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : an ancient massive structure found especially in Egypt having typically a square ground plan, outside walls in the form of four triangles that meet in a point at the top, and inner sepulchral chambers

b : a structure or object of similar form

2 : a polyhedron having for its base a polygon and for faces triangles with a common vertex — see Volume Formulas Table

3 : a crystalline form each face of which intersects the vertical axis and either two lateral axes or in the tetragonal system one lateral axis

4 : an anatomical structure resembling a pyramid: such as

a : any of the conical masses that project from the renal medulla into the renal pelvis

b : either of two large bundles of motor fibers from the cerebral cortex that reach the medulla oblongata and are continuous with the pyramidal tracts of the spinal cord

5 : an immaterial structure built on a broad supporting base and narrowing gradually to an apex the socioeconomic pyramid

pyramid

verb

pyramided; pyramiding; pyramids

Definition of pyramid (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to speculate (as on a security or commodity exchange) by using paper profits as margin for additional transactions

2 : to increase rapidly and progressively step by step on a broad base

transitive verb

1 : to arrange or build up as if on the base of a pyramid

2 : to use (something, such as profits) in speculative pyramiding

3 : to increase the impact of (something, such as a tax assessed at the production level) on the ultimate consumer by treating as a cost subject to markup

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Other Words from pyramid

Noun

pyramidal \ pə-ˈra-mə-dᵊl

, ˌpir-ə-ˈmi-

\ adjective

pyramidally adverb

pyramidical \ ˌpir-ə-ˈmi-di-kəl

\ adjective

Examples of pyramid in a Sentence

Noun

the ancient pyramids of Egypt

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

In 1962, two members of the Flying Wallendas group died and another was paralyzed after a performer lost his balance during an attempt at a seven-person pyramid in Detroit. — Lindsay Kimble, PEOPLE.com, "Nik Wallenda and Sister Who Fell During Stunt Will Walk Highwire Over Times Square This Weekend," 20 June 2019 The famous bird greets guests in a sombrero and poncho for photo ops in front of an ancient Aztec pyramid. — Kathleen Christiansen, orlandosentinel.com, "Donald Duck Day: Where to find the famous bird at Walt Disney World," 9 June 2019 Rainbow colored nails, adorned by Melody Ehsani rings, complemented the pyramids in Cairo well. — Akili King, Vogue, "The Best Beauty Instagrams of the Week: Zendaya, Elsa Hosk, and More," 17 Mar. 2019 One even sought a new mind-set, and a different kind of ending, at the top of an ancient pyramid. — Raúl Vilchis, New York Times, "Mexico Wages a Psychological Battle Against Its World Cup Demons," 6 June 2018 An architectural landmark, Raffles Dubai channels an Egyptian pyramid both inside and out. — Laura Ratliff, Condé Nast Traveler, "35 Best Hotels in Dubai," 4 Mar. 2018 Chichen Itza, Mexico Crowds gather around the Mayan site’s pyramid to mark the passing seasons. — Larry Bleiberg, USA TODAY, "10 great ancient ruins that track the heavens, from Woodhenge to Chichen Itza," 25 June 2019 Besides, all this stuff has trickled down from the apex of the sports pyramid. — Peter Rubin, WIRED, "The Tech Industry's Latest Fitness Craze: Recovery," 24 June 2019 Lijana Wallenda’s fall happened during an attempt to break a Guinness world record with an eight-person pyramid. — Washington Post, "Flying Wallendas safely cross Times Square on high wire," 24 June 2019

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

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Dictionary Entries near pyramid

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Last Updated

20 Jul 2019

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Time Traveler for pyramid

The first known use of pyramid was in 1549

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More Definitions for pyramid

pyramid

noun

English Language Learners Definition of pyramid

: a very large structure built especially in ancient Egypt that has a square base and four triangular sides which form a point at the top

: a shape, object, or pile that is wide near the bottom and narrows gradually as it reaches the top

: something that resembles a pyramid in the way its parts are arranged or organized

See the full definition for pyramid in the English Language Learners Dictionary

pyramid

noun

pyr·a·mid | \ ˈpir-ə-ˌmid

Kids Definition of pyramid

1 : a large structure built especially in ancient Egypt that usually has a square base and four triangular sides meeting at a point and that contains tombs

2 : a shape or structure with a polygon for its base and three or more triangles for its sides which meet to form the top

pyramid

noun

pyr·a·mid | \ ˈpir-ə-ˌmid

Medical Definition of pyramid

1 : a polyhedron having for its base a polygon and for faces triangles with a common vertex

2 : an anatomical structure resembling a pyramid: as

a : renal pyramid

b : either of two large bundles of motor fibers from the cerebral cortex that reach the medulla oblongata and are continuous with the corticospinal tracts of the spinal cord

c : a conical projection making up the central part of the inferior vermis of the cerebellum

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pyramid

noun

pyr·a·mid | \ ˈpir-ə-ˌmid

Legal Definition of pyramid

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : a group of holding companies superimposed on one another to give those in control of the top holding company control over all of the companies with a small investment

2 : the series of operations involved in pyramiding on an exchange

3 : a pyramid scheme

pyramid

intransitive verb

Legal Definition of pyramid (Entry 2 of 3)

: to speculate (as on a security or commodity exchange) by using paper profits as a margin for additional transactions

transitive verb

1 : to use (as profits) in speculative pyramiding

2 : to increase the impact of (as a tax assessed at the production level) on the ultimate consumer by treating as a cost subject to markup

pyramid

adjective

Legal Definition of pyramid (Entry 3 of 3)

: of, relating to, or being an illegal scheme in which participants give money or other valuables in exchange for the opportunity to receive payment for recruiting others to participate in the scheme