cone
noun
\ ˈkōn
\
\
Definition of cone
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: a solid generated by rotating a right triangle about one of its legs
— called also right circular cone
b
: a solid bounded by a circular or other closed plane base and the surface formed by line segments joining every point of the boundary of the base to a common vertex — see Volume Formulas Table
c
: a surface traced by a moving straight line passing through a fixed vertex
2a
: a mass of ovule-bearing or pollen-bearing scales or bracts in most conifers or in cycads that are arranged usually on a somewhat elongated axis
b
: any of several flower or fruit clusters suggesting a cone
3
: something that resembles a cone in shape: such as
a
: any of the conical photosensitive receptor cells of the vertebrate retina that function in color vision — compare rod sense 3
b
: any of a family (Conidae) of tropical marine gastropod mollusks that inject their prey with a potent toxin
c
: the apex of a volcano
d
: a crisp usually cone-shaped wafer for holding ice cream
cone
verb
coned;
coning
Definition of cone (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: to make cone-shaped
2
: to bevel like the slanting surface of a cone
cone a tire
Illustration of cone
Noun
cone 2a: 1 Sitka spruce, 2 Japanese cedar, 3 giant sequoia, 4 white spruce, 5 redwood, 6 lodgepole pine, 7 Douglas fir, 8 bald cypress, 9 jack pine
In the meaning defined above
Examples of cone in a Sentence
Noun
He scooped out the popcorn with a paper cone.Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Talia Farley, 7, will miss sleep-overs with her friends and eating strawberry ice cream cones, licking them fast so the frozen concoction doesn’t drip. — Baltimore Sun Staff, baltimoresun.com, "At Patterson Park Pool, one door closes on summer while another opens on school," 2 Sep. 2019 Raising healthy eaters means enjoying a piece of birthday cake, an ice cream cone, or a chocolate chip cookie sometimes. — Samantha Cassetty, NBC News, "Back to school: 9 lower-sugar snacks and treats for kids you can feel good about," 21 Aug. 2019 Raise a glass — or an ice cream cone — to Little Man Ice Cream, named the best ice cream parlor in Colorado. — Kaitlyn Bancroft, The Know, "Little Man Ice Cream named the best ice cream parlor in Colorado," 6 Aug. 2019 In the third bin, a small purple rubber duck catches my eye, covered in polka dots and holding an ice cream cone. — Rachel Berry, Cincinnati.com, "Happen's Toy Lab brings a sense of child-like creativity for all ages," 23 July 2019 From eating ice cream cones to packing suitcases, people have interesting tricks for getting things done in their own unique ways. — Gigi Engle, SELF, "9 People With Vaginas on Their Favorite Ways to Orgasm," 21 June 2019 Some of us humans could use an anxiety cone, and there’s nothing wrong with that. — Katie Walsh, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Review: Dogs and cats stick to the formula in ‘The Secret Life of Pets 2’," 6 June 2019 Some of us humans could use an anxiety cone, and there’s nothing wrong with that. — Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, "‘Secret Life of Pets 2’ adds babies and toddlers to lovable animal mix," 6 June 2019 In particular, light from far-off sources can refract through the upper atmosphere to form a cone around Earth, projecting rays that come together at a point slightly closer than the moon and then extend outward in a straight line. — Leila Sloman, Scientific American, "Earth Could Be a Lens for a Revolutionary Space Telescope," 14 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
For years, the bridge district had allowed the annual marathon to cone off two of the northbound lanes to accommodate the popular run. — Matier & Ross, SFChronicle.com, "This month’s SF Marathon runs into obstacle at Golden Gate Bridge," 1 July 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cone.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for cone
cone
noun
English Language Learners Definition of cone
: a shape that has a pointed top and sides that form a circle at the bottom
: a hard and dry part that is the fruit of a pine tree or other evergreen plant and contains many seeds
: something that looks like a cone
See the full definition for cone in the English Language Learners Dictionary
cone
noun
\ ˈkōn
\
\
Kids Definition of cone
1
: a thin crisp cookie shaped to hold ice cream
2
: a scaly structure of certain trees (as the pine or fir) that produces pollen or egg cells and seeds
3
: a shape with a circular base and sides that taper evenly to a point
4
: a cell of the retina of the eye that is sensitive to colored light
cone
noun
\ ˈkōn
\
\
Medical Definition of cone
1
: a solid having a circular base and sides that slope evenly to a point
2a
: any of the conical photosensitive receptor cells of the vertebrate retina that function in color vision — compare rod
b
: any of a family (Conidae) of numerous somewhat conical tropical gastropod mollusks that include a few highly poisonous forms — see conus
3
: a cusp of a tooth especially in the upper jaw
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