Different shapes have different qualities and traits, from the ease of a circle to the complexity of a dodecahedron. In this first post, we’ll talk about the names and meanings of a wide range of shapes, from the simple geometric shapes we learn about in school to more complex and specialized shapes. If you’re a student who wants to learn more about geometry, an artist who wants to get ideas from shapes, or just someone with a curious mind, come along with us as we learn about shape names and their interesting properties.
List Of Shape Names
| Shape | Description |
|---|---|
| Circle | A round shape with all points on the boundary equidistant from the center. |
| Square | A quadrilateral with all sides of equal length and all angles at 90 degrees. |
| Rectangle | A quadrilateral with opposite sides of equal length and all angles at 90 degrees. |
| Triangle | A polygon with three sides and three angles. |
| Pentagon | A polygon with five sides and five angles. |
| Hexagon | A polygon with six sides and six angles. |
| Octagon | A polygon with eight sides and eight angles. |
| Sphere | A three-dimensional shape with all points on its surface equidistant from the center. |
| Cube | A three-dimensional shape with six square faces, all of equal size. |
| Cylinder | A three-dimensional shape with two parallel circular bases connected by a curved surface. |
| Cone | A three-dimensional shape with a circular base and a pointed top. |
| Pyramid | A three-dimensional shape with a polygonal base and triangular faces meeting at a common vertex. |
| Rhombus | A quadrilateral with all sides of equal length, opposite sides parallel, and opposite angles equal. |
| Ellipse | A curved shape that is like a circle, but is longer in one direction. |
| Trapezoid | A quadrilateral with at least one pair of parallel sides. |
| Dodecagon | A polygon with twelve sides and twelve angles. |
| Heptagon | A polygon with seven sides and seven angles. |
| Nonagon | A polygon with nine sides and nine angles. |
| Oval | A shape that is like a squashed circle. |
| Annulus | A ring-shaped object, the region between two concentric circles. |
| Parallelogram | A quadrilateral with opposite sides parallel. |
| Rhomboid | A parallelogram with adjacent sides of unequal length and angles not equal. |
| Kite | A quadrilateral with two distinct pairs of adjacent sides that are equal in length. |
| Star | A shape with several points sticking out. |
| Crescent | A shape that is curved, like a crescent moon. |
| Heart | A shape that is typically red and symbolizes love. |
| Arrow | A shape that resembles the head of an arrow, often used for direction. |
| Diamond | A shape with four straight sides of equal length, forming two acute and two obtuse angles. |
| Snowflake | A shape that looks like a crystal of snow. |
| Teardrop | A shape similar to a drop of water. |
| Sun | A shape resembling the sun, often with rays protruding from a circular center. |
| Lightning bolt | A jagged shape resembling a bolt of lightning. |
| Hexagram | A six-pointed star shape. |
| Cross | A shape with two lines or bars intersecting each other at a right angle. |
| Flower | A shape resembling a flower, often with petals. |
| Snowflake | A shape resembling a crystal of snow. |
| Umbrella | A shape resembling an open umbrella. |
| Pencil | A shape resembling a pencil, with a long, thin body and a pointed end. |
| Cuboid | A three-dimensional shape with six rectangular faces. |
| Rhombohedron | A three-dimensional shape with six rhombus-shaped faces. |
| Tetrahedron | A three-dimensional shape with four triangular faces. |
| Octahedron | A three-dimensional shape with eight triangular faces. |
| Icosahedron | A three-dimensional shape with twenty triangular faces. |
| Torus | A three-dimensional shape resembling a donut or inner tube. |
| Pentagonal pyramid | A pyramid with a pentagonal base. |
| Pentagonal prism | A prism with a pentagonal base. |
| Dodecahedron | A three-dimensional shape with twelve pentagonal faces. |
| Truncated cone | A cone with the top cut off. |
| Spherical cap | A portion of a sphere that is cut off by a plane. |
| Frustum | A solid formed by cutting the top off a cone or pyramid. |
| Cuboctahedron | A three-dimensional shape with triangular and square faces. |
| Pentagonal antiprism | A prism with two pentagonal bases and five rectangular faces. |
| Pentagon | A polygon with five sides and five angles. |
| Decagonal prism | A prism with a decagonal base. |
| Decagonal pyramid | A pyramid with a decagonal base. |
| Trapezoidal prism | A prism with trapezoidal bases. |
| Trapezoidal pyramid | A pyramid with a trapezoidal base. |
| Parallelogrammic pyramid | A pyramid with a parallelogram base. |
| Parallelogrammic dipyramid | A dipyramid with a parallelogram base. |
| Rhombic pyramid | A pyramid with a rhombus base. |
| Rhombic dipyramid | A dipyramid with a rhombus base. |
| Right circular cylinder | A cylinder with circular bases and perpendicular height. |
| Right circular cone | A cone with a circular base and perpendicular height. |
| Hemisphere | Half of a sphere. |
| Triangular prism | A prism with a triangular base. |
| Triangular dipyramid | A dipyramid with a triangular base. |
| Triangular bipyramid | A bipyramid with a triangular base. |
| Square pyramid | A pyramid with a square base. |
| Square prism | A prism with a square base. |
| Cuboid | A rectangular prism. |
| Octagonal prism | A prism with an octagonal base. |
| Octagonal pyramid | A pyramid with an octagonal base. |
| Hexagonal prism | A prism with a hexagonal base. |
| Hexagonal pyramid | A pyramid with a hexagonal base. |
| Pyramid | A pyramid with a polygonal base. |
| Right circular cylinder | A cylinder with circular bases and perpendicular height. |
| Right circular cone | A cone with a circular base and perpendicular height. |
| Hemisphere | Half of a sphere. |
| Sphere | A three-dimensional shape with all points on its surface equidistant from the center. |
Conclusion
As we come to the end of our look at shape names, we hope you’ve enjoyed this trip through the wide world of geometric shapes. From the easy shapes of squares and circles to the complicated ones of dodecahedrons and tori, the world is full of shapes that we haven’t even begun to understand.
Shapes are the building blocks of math and design. They also spark imagination, make us feel things, and show us how beautiful nature is. As you keep exploring shapes, keep in mind that each one has its own story to tell and meaning to hold.
We hope that this trip sparks your interest and inspiration, whether you use shapes to solve math problems, make art, or just see the world around you in a new way.
