vertex
[ vur-teks ]
/ ˈvɜr tɛks /
noun, plural ver·tex·es, ver·ti·ces [vur-tuh-seez] /ˈvɜr təˌsiz/.
the highest point of something; apex; summit; top: the vertex of a mountain.
Anatomy, Zoology.
the crown or top of the head.
Craniometry.
the highest point on the midsagittal plane of the skull or head viewed from the left side when the skull or head is in the Frankfurt horizontal.
Astronomy.
a point in the celestial sphere toward which or from which the common motion of a group of stars is directed.
Geometry.
- the point farthest from the base: the vertex of a cone or of a pyramid.
- a point in a geometrical solid common to three or more sides.
- the intersection of two sides of a plane figure.
Origin of vertex
1560–70; < Latin: a whirl, top (of the head), equivalent to
vert(ere) to turn +
-ex (stem
-ic-) noun suffix
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH vertex
vertex vortexWords nearby vertex
Example sentences from the Web for vertex
British Dictionary definitions for vertex
vertex
/ (ˈvɜːtɛks) /
noun plural -texes or -tices (-tɪˌsiːz)
the highest point
maths
- the point opposite the base of a figure
- the point of intersection of two sides of a plane figure or angle
- the point of intersection of a pencil of lines or three or more planes of a solid figure
astronomy
a point in the sky towards which a star stream appears to move
anatomy
the crown of the head
Word Origin for vertex
C16: from Latin: highest point, from
vertere to turn
Medical definitions for vertex
vertex
[ vûr′tĕks′ ]
n. pl. ver•tex•es
The highest point; the apex.
The topmost point of the vault of the skull; the crown of the head.
The portion of the fetal head bounded by the planes of the trachelobregmatic and biparietal diameters, with the posterior fontanel at the apex.
Scientific definitions for vertex
vertex
[ vûr′tĕks′ ]
Plural vertices (vûr′tĭ-sēz′) vertexes
The point at which the sides of an angle intersect.
The point of a triangle, cone, or pyramid that is opposite to and farthest away from its base.
A point of a polyhedron at which three or more of the edges intersect.