🔲 Five-dot pattern ♍ 150-degree angle 🪙 A Roman coin

quincunx

1 9.9

An arrangement of five things with four at the corners and one in the middle

noun
/kwɪnˈkʌŋks/

Specialized

: quincuncio

On the dice, the number five is shown as a quincunx of dots.

Examples

The garden was designed in a quincunx pattern.
Can you spot the quincunxes in the artwork?
The garden was planted in a quincunx to create a pleasing geometric effect.
Ancient Roman coins sometimes featured a quincunx pattern as part of their design.
The garden was planted in a quincunx to create a pleasing geometric effect.
On the dice, the number five is represented by a quincunx pattern of dots.
In the artwork, the artist arranged the flowers in a quincunx to draw the viewer's eye.

Surface Forms

quincunx singular

quincunxes plural

Etymology

The word quincunx comes from Latin parts quinque 'five' and uncia 'twelfth', and it names the five-point pattern of four corners with one in the center, like the five on a die. A helpful image is a quintet, 'group of five', which shows why the word is about five points.