octahedron

noun

oc·​ta·​he·​dron ˌäk-tə-ˈhē-drən How to pronounce octahedron (audio)
plural octahedrons or octahedra ˌäk-tə-ˈhē-drə How to pronounce octahedron (audio)
: a solid bounded by eight plane faces

Illustration of octahedron

Illustration of octahedron

Examples of octahedron in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Each cluster consists of an octahedron made of six rhenium atoms nestled within a cube made of eight selenium atoms, with a chlorine atom on the top and bottom of the cluster. IEEE Spectrum, 6 Nov. 2023 They are defined by symmetry, and the Greeks knew that there were only five possibilities meeting the criteria: the tetrahedron, cube, octahedron, dodecahedron and icosahedron. Eugenia Cheng, WSJ, 10 Aug. 2017 Diamonds, which form eight-sided crystals called octahedrons, can be billions of years old, Dr. Harlow said. C. Claiborne Ray, New York Times, 12 June 2017

Word History

Etymology

Greek oktaedron, from okta- + -edron -hedron

First Known Use

1570, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of octahedron was in 1570

Dictionary Entries Near octahedron

Cite this Entry

“Octahedron.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/octahedron. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

octahedron

noun
oc·​ta·​he·​dron ˌäk-tə-ˈhē-drən How to pronounce octahedron (audio)
plural octahedrons or octahedra -drə How to pronounce octahedron (audio)
: a polyhedron that has eight faces

More from Merriam-Webster on octahedron

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!