reentrant polygon
- noun
- /rɪˈɛntrənt ˈpɒlɪɡən/
- Specialized
- A reentrant polygon always has at least one angle that is greater than 180 degrees.
Examples
-
A star-shaped figure is an example of a reentrant polygon because it has inward-pointing angles.
-
Designers must account for stress concentrations in any reentrant polygon used in engineering structures.
-
A reentrant polygon can have complex shapes.
-
Many architects use reentrant polygons in their designs.
-
A reentrant polygon has angles that allow it to create indentations, like the shape of a star.
-
In geometry, a reentrant polygon is defined by having at least one angle exceeding 180 degrees.
-
Architects often choose a reentrant polygon for its unique aesthetic, which features inward angles.
Synonyms
A shape with straight sides that has one or more angles pointing inward
A polygon with at least one angle of more than 180 degrees that has a part pointing inward
Antonyms
- Specialized
A flat shape with straight sides where every line between two points stays inside
How Indented
- Specialized
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
reentrant + polygon
The noun 'polygon' (a flat shape with straight sides) makes the domain clear, but the modifier 'reentrant' is a technical adjective whose geometry-specific sense (having interior angles > 180° or an indentation) is not transparently derivable from everyday senses of 're-' + 'entrant' for a B1 learner. Thus the phrase is partly compositional (an adjective modifying polygon) but relies on specialized semantic knowledge, making its meaning only partly predictable without prior exposure.
Etymology
Reentrant polygon is a many-sided shape with at least one corner that points inward. The part reentrant suggests going back in, so picture a side making a little 'dent' where the inside angle is larger than a straight line, and that is why the term means a polygon with an inward angle.