pyramid

1 of 2

noun

pyr·​a·​mid ˈpir-ə-ˌmid How to pronounce pyramid (audio)
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
pyramidally adverb
pyramidical adjective

Illustration of pyramid

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Building On Solid Ground Cochrane’s work gave us the pyramid of evidence, often used to illustrate the hierarchy of reliability. Anna Forsythe, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025 That means what emerges today entered the ground when the pyramids were still new. Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 2 Sep. 2025 Last winter, George called Sanders again while pursuing the job at Bowling Green, which is not a historically Black college and plays one level higher than Tennessee State on college football’s pyramid, to ask about how Sanders made the transition from Jackson State to Colorado. Andrew Greif, NBC news, 28 Aug. 2025 At the top of the Auxolith’s pyramid is decorated CEO Michelle Fuller. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pyramid

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of pyramid was in 1549

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pyramid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pyramid. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

pyramid

1 of 2 noun
pyr·​a·​mid ˈpir-ə-ˌmid How to pronounce pyramid (audio)
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

pyramid

2 of 2 verb
: to build up in the form of a pyramid

Medical Definition

pyramid

noun
pyr·​a·​mid ˈpir-ə-ˌmid How to pronounce pyramid (audio)
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
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 How to pronounce pyramid (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on pyramid

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