Etymology of a Few Latin and Greek Geometry Terms

A Few Terms From Geometry Based on Latin

• Abscissa: ab (away from) + scindere (tear)
• Acute: acus (needle)
• Angle: angulus (angle or corner)
• Circle: circus (circus)
• Congruent: congruo (meet together [with something])

A Few Terms From Geometry Based on Greek

• Cylinder: kulindô (to roll along)
• Isosceles: isos (equal) + skelos (leg)
• Parallel: para (beside) + allos (another)
• Scalene: skalênos (uneven, unequal)
• Trapezoid: trapeza (table)

• Greek Numbers
• Latin Numbers
• Etymologies for Geometry

For more on words imported from Latin into common and specialized areas of English, see

• Legal Latin Terms
• A Dozen Words From Psychology That Are Based on Greek or Latin Roots
• Regular Words in English That Are the Same in Latin
• Latin Religious Words in English
• Latin Words in Newspapers That English Has Adopted

• etymology
• technical terms
• greek
• latin