Describing Shapes: English Vocabulary List

having six equal sides and six angles

"The nut is hexagonal."

"The hexagonal tiles on the bathroom floor formed an interesting pattern and they were much more attractive than ordinary square tiles."

having a surface that is curved outward

"The mirror is convex."

"The convex mirror on the car door helps drivers see objects that are behind them because the curved surface provides a wider field of view."

having a surface that is curved inward

"The lens is concave."

"The concave lens is thinner in the middle than at the edges and it is used to correct nearsightedness in eyeglasses."

having the shape of a trapezoid, a quadrilateral with one pair of parallel sides

"The table is trapezoidal."

"The trapezoidal window was an unusual shape and the carpenter had to build a custom frame because standard frames would not fit properly."

having curved lines, forms, or structures

"The design is curvilinear."

"The curvilinear design of the building was inspired by the flowing lines of the river and the architect won an award for her innovative work."

having a shape with multiple straight edges and angles

"The shape is polygonal."

"The polygonal shapes in the artwork created an interesting optical illusion and viewers could see different images depending on where they stood."

having the form of a ring

"The rash is annular."

"The annular eclipse occurs when the moon covers the center of the sun and leaves a bright ring of light visible around the dark circle."

resembling an ellipse or an oval-shaped object

"The ball is ellipsoidal."

"The ellipsoidal shape of the rugby ball makes it bounce unpredictably and players must practice for years to learn how to control it."

having an elongated shape as an oval

"The leaf is oblong."

"The oblong table was perfect for the narrow dining room and it could seat eight people comfortably without taking up too much space."

having the shape of a U-shaped curve, often seen in trajectories, mirrors, or arches

"The curve is parabolic."

"The parabolic shape of the satellite dish helps it focus radio waves from space and scientists use it to communicate with distant spacecraft."

having a series of sharp, pointed projections along the edge

"The knife is serrated."

"The serrated knife cut through the bread easily without crushing it and the baker used it to slice fresh loaves every morning."

having the shape or characteristics of an octagon, which is a polygon with eight sides and eight angles

"The building is octagonal."

"The octagonal stop sign is red and white and every driver knows that they must come to a complete stop when they see it."

characterized by or resembling a tetrahedron, which has four triangular faces

"The molecule is tetrahedral."

"The tetrahedral shape of the molecule was discovered using X ray crystallography and the chemists published their findings in a scientific journal."

having the shape of a pentagon, which is characterized by five straight sides and five angles

"The base is pentagonal."

"The pentagonal building had five sides and five corners and it was the only structure of its kind in the entire city."

having the form or characteristics of a cone, which is a three-dimensional geometric shape with a circular base tapering to a point at the apex

"The hat is cone-shaped."

"The cone-shaped hat was part of the traditional costume and the dancers wore them during the festival to celebrate the harvest season."

having a spiral or wound shape, often forming a series of loops or turns

"The hose is coiled."

"The coiled snake lay motionless in the grass and the hiker did not see it until he was almost stepping on its head."

having the shape or characteristics of a tube

"The structure is tubular."

"The tubular pasta was perfect for holding the creamy sauce and every bite was delicious and satisfying for the hungry diners."

resembling a doughnut or a ring-shaped object

"The shape is toroidal."

"The toroidal shape of the doughnut is a classic example of a mathematical form and physicists study toroidal structures in plasma research."

resembling a structure with a polygonal base and triangular sides, often tapering to a point at the apex

"The ancient monument is pyramidal."

"The pyramidal roof of the museum was made of glass and it allowed natural light to illuminate the exhibits in the main hall."

having the form or structure of a bulb

"His nose is bulbous."

"The bulbous nose of the old man was red and shiny and the children called him Rudolph because it looked like a reindeer nose."