pyramid

1 of 2

noun

pyr·​a·​mid ˈpir-ə-ˌmid 

1

a

: 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

pyramidal

pə-ˈra-mə-dᵊl  ˌpir-ə-ˈmi- 

adjective

pyramidally adverb

pyramidical

ˌpir-ə-ˈmi-di-kəl 

adjective

Illustration of pyramid

• pyramid 2

pyramid

2 of 2

verb

pyramided; pyramiding; pyramids

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

Examples of pyramid in a Sentence

Noun

the ancient pyramids of Egypt

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In one image, a soldier held a leash around the neck of a detainee; in another, soldiers smiled beside naked and hooded prisoners piled into a pyramid. —Mallory Moench, TIME, 14 Apr. 2024

Certainly, the promise of free money is attractive to voters, especially those in the bottom half of the income pyramid who don’t have to pay income taxes for the free stuff. —Kevin A. Hassett, National Review, 11 Apr. 2024

Such grunt work has long been a rite of passage in investment banking, an industry at the top of the corporate pyramid that lures thousands of young people every year with the promise of prestige and pay. —Rob Copeland, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024

There’s a moment of wonderment in front of a crystal pyramid of sorts, and then Brian Tyree Henry’s Bernie grabs Trapper’s bicep in amusing fashion. —Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Mar. 2024

And, in any case, the agency is not necessarily the final arbiter of what shape a pyramid can take. —Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2024

But a sustained drop in birthrates since 2008 and a period of lower net immigration have pushed its population pyramid closer to that of Europe, with fewer young people to support a growing retiree population. —Simon Montlake, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 Mar. 2024

Today, the pyramids are heavily damaged from adverse weather, herd animals and stone extraction for building nearby homes. —Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2024

The initial stages focused on the pyramids of King Sneferu from the Old Kingdom and King Amenemhat III from the Middle Kingdom. —Lianne Kolirin, CNN, 25 Mar. 2024

Verb

Is that pyramid your invention? —Deborah Treisman, The New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2021

And then there’s multi-level marketing schemes (MLMs), which pyramid schemes can fashion themselves as, the difference being there’s no real product or business venture in a pyramid scheme. —Chloe Berger, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2022

Despite some similarities to pyramid schemes on the surface, GameFi projects have a few important differences. —Leeor Shimron, Forbes, 13 Aug. 2022

But the more profound change is likely to occur at the bottom of the jobs pyramid. —Arkansas Online, 23 May 2021

The scams have ranged from the work-from-home reselling of luxury products, to pyramid schemes soliciting cash and that play on cultural norms in immigrant communities, to fraudulent investment rackets promising quick profits. —orlandosentinel.com, 15 Dec. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Latin pyramid-, pyramis, from Greek

First Known Use

Noun

1549, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1900, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing pyramid

• food pyramid
• pyramid scheme
• renal pyramid

Kids Definition

pyramid

1 of 2 noun

pyr·​a·​mid ˈpir-ə-ˌmid 

1

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

2

: something that resembles a pyramid in shape or organization

the social pyramid

3

: a polyhedron that has a polygon for its base and triangles that meet at a point at the top for its sides

pyramidal

pə-ˈram-əd-ᵊl  ˌpir-ə-ˈmid- 

adjective

pyramid

2 of 2 verb

: to build up in the form of a pyramid

Medical Definition

pyramid

noun

pyr·​a·​mid ˈpir-ə-ˌmid 

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

Legal Definition

pyramid

1 of 3 noun

pyr·​a·​mid ˈpir-ə-ˌmid 

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

2 of 3 intransitive verb

: 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

3 of 3 adjective

: 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