quincunx

noun

quin·​cunx ˈkwin-ˌkəŋ(k)s How to pronounce quincunx (audio)
: an arrangement of five things in a square or rectangle with one at each corner and one in the middle
quincuncial adjective
or quincunxial

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Give Me Five for Quincunx

In ancient Rome, a quincunx was a coin with a weight equal to five twelfths of a libra, a unit of weight similar to our pound. The coin's name comes from the Latin roots quinque, meaning "five," and uncia, meaning "one twelfth."  The ancients used a pattern of five dots arranged like the pips on a die as a symbol for the coin, and English speakers applied the word to arrangements similar to that distinctive five-dot mark.

Examples of quincunx in a Sentence

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.
Mercury will make its own quincunx to Chiron later on, so the potential for healing is here. Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 21 Sep. 2024 Venus in Leo creates a quincunx with Saturn retrograde in Pisces, minimising our confidence and wallets. Lisa Stardust, refinery29.com, 10 July 2024 The Moon in Capricorn jumps into an opposition to Venus in Cancer, and then the Sun, also in Cancer, will make an uncomfortable quincunx to Pluto in Aquarius at 8:01 am EDT. Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 22 June 2024 There is a complicated energy overhead as Venus in your intuitive sign locks into an uncomfortable quincunx with Pluto in your 8th House of Shared Resources. Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 18 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for quincunx 

Word History

Etymology

Latin quincunc-, quincunx, literally, five twelfths, from quinque five + uncia twelfth part — more at five, ounce

First Known Use

1545, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of quincunx was in 1545

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Cite this Entry

“Quincunx.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quincunx. Accessed 4 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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