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convex polygon

convex polygon

5.6
A flat shape with straight sides where every line between two points stays inside
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : polígono convexo
  • In geometry class, we learned how to identify a convex polygon by checking its angles.

Examples

  • No line segment between two points inside a convex polygon will ever leave the shape.

  • A simple example of a convex polygon is a triangle.

  • A regular hexagon is an example of a convex polygon.

  • Many convex polygons can be found in nature.

  • A convex polygon has all its interior angles measuring less than 180°, such as a triangle or a rectangle.

  • To determine whether a shape is a convex polygon, you can draw a line between any two points inside it and check if the line remains within the shape.

  • Many geometric properties apply to a convex polygon, including that any two points within the polygon can be connected with a line segment that does not exit the polygon.

Antonyms

concave polygon
  • Specialized
7.9

A polygon with at least one angle of more than 180 degrees that has a part pointing inward

How Concave

star-shaped
3 3.4
concave polygon
  • Specialized
7.9
convex polygon
  • Specialized
5.6

Surface Forms

Morphology

convex + polygon

This is a straightforward modifier + noun combination: a 'convex' shape (one that bulges outward and has no inward dents) applied to a 'polygon' yields a polygon without inward angles — the standard geometric meaning is directly inferable from the two words. The compositional pattern is common cross-linguistically and follows normal English noun phrase formation, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can reasonably deduce the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Convex polygon: The term comes from two ideas: polygon means a shape with 'many sides' and convex means it 'bulges outward' with no dents. So, in a convex polygon any straight line between two points inside the shape 'stays inside', which is why it means a polygon without inward corners.