1 octahedra | Definition of octahedra
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octahedron

noun
oc·​ta·​he·​dron | \ ˌäk-tÉ™-ˈhÄ“-drÉ™n How to pronounce octahedron (audio) \
plural octahedrons or octahedra\ ˌäk-​tÉ™-​ˈhÄ“-​drÉ™ How to pronounce octahedra (audio) \

Definition of octahedron

: a solid bounded by eight plane faces

Illustration of octahedron

Illustration of octahedron

Examples of octahedron in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

 They are defined by symmetry, and the Greeks knew that there were only five possibilities meeting the criteria: the tetrahedron, cube, octahedron, dodecahedron and icosahedron. — Eugenia Cheng, WSJ, "Lessons of the Möbius Bagel," 10 Aug. 2017 Diamonds, which form eight-sided crystals called octahedrons, can be billions of years old, Dr. Harlow said. — C. Claiborne Ray, New York Times, "Are Diamonds Really Forever?," 12 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'octahedron.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of octahedron

1570, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for octahedron

Greek oktaedron, from okta- + -edron -hedron

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More from Merriam-Webster on octahedron

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about octahedron

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