adj
Uncommon
cylindrical
sih-LIHND-rih-kuhl
Cylindrical (adj) means Shaped like a cylinder; having straight sides and a circular cross-section. Example: “The water tank is cylindrical, standing about two metres tall.”
adj
1
Shaped like a cylinder; having straight sides and a circular cross-section.
"The water tank is cylindrical, standing about two metres tall."
"Where rectangular storage containers make a mess of mismatched lids and sometimes unstackable shapes, the ordinary cylindrical deli cups used for food delivery are far superior."
— Janelle Zara, How to Organize Your Kitchen Like a Professional Chef (2019)
How to use cylindrical
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishShaped like a tube or can — round in cross-section, with straight sides.
Common pairings
cylindrical shape
cylindrical container
cylindrical tower
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more cylindrical
- Superlative
- most cylindrical
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The water tank is _____, standing about two metres tall.
Etymology
From Latin cylindricus, formed on cylinder plus the adjectival suffix -ical.
Synonyms
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cylindric
Rhymes for cylindrical
See all rhymes for cylindrical →Frequently asked questions
What does “cylindrical” mean?
The word “cylindrical” means shaped like a cylinder; having straight sides and a circular cross-section. In plain terms, shaped like a tube or can — round in cross-section, with straight sides.
How do you pronounce “cylindrical”?
“Cylindrical” is pronounced sih-LIHND-rih-kuhl (/sɪˈlɪndɹɪkəl/ in IPA).
How do you use “cylindrical” in a sentence?
Here is “cylindrical” used in a sentence: “The water tank is cylindrical, standing about two metres tall.”
What part of speech is “cylindrical”?
“Cylindrical” is an adjective.
Where does the word “cylindrical” come from?
The word “cylindrical” comes from Latin. From Latin cylindricus, formed on cylinder plus the adjectival suffix -ical.
Is “cylindrical” a common word?
“Cylindrical” is an uncommon word in modern English.
