noun
trapezium
truh-PEE-zee-um
Trapezium (noun) means In British English, a four-sided shape with one pair of parallel sides. Example: “Draw a trapezium and mark its two parallel sides.”
noun
1
geometry In British English, a four-sided shape with one pair of parallel sides.
"Draw a trapezium and mark its two parallel sides."
"The area of a trapezium depends on the lengths of its parallel sides."
"The side of the tent forms a trapezium."
2
anatomy A small bone in the wrist at the base of the thumb.
"The trapezium is one of the small bones of the wrist."
"A doctor found a crack in her trapezium."
How to use trapezium
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA four-sided shape with two parallel sides, or a bone in the wrist.
When to use it
It is a technical term, mostly met in maths lessons and anatomy.
Memory tip
Check which country a textbook comes from, because American books may use trapezoid for the same shape.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
trapezoid
trapeze →
Common pairings
isosceles trapezium
area of a trapezium
parallel sides of a trapezium
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Fill the gap
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Draw a _____ and mark its two parallel sides.
Etymology
English borrowed the word from Late Latin, which took it from Ancient Greek, where it meant a small table. It was first recorded in 1570 and is a doublet of trapeze.
Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for trapezium
See all rhymes for trapezium →Frequently asked questions
What is a trapezium?
In British English it is a quadrilateral with two parallel sides. It is also the name of a bone in the wrist.
Is a trapezium the same as a trapezoid?
The two words swap meanings in the US and Canada compared with the rest of the world. In British English a trapezium has two parallel sides.
What is the plural of trapezium?
The plural is trapeziums or trapezia.
What is the meaning of trapezium?
"trapezium" (noun) means in British English, a four-sided shape with one pair of parallel sides.
