pyramid
noun
pyr·a·mid
| \ ˈpir-ə-ˌmid
\
\
Definition of pyramid
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: an ancient massive structure found especially in Egypt having typically a square ground plan, outside walls in the form of four triangles that meet in a point at the top, and inner sepulchral chambers
b
: a structure or object of similar form
2
: a polyhedron having for its base a polygon and for faces triangles with a common vertex — see Volume Formulas Table
3
: a crystalline form each face of which intersects the vertical axis and either two lateral axes or in the tetragonal system one lateral axis
4
: an anatomical structure resembling a pyramid: such as
a
: any of the conical masses that project from the renal medulla into the renal pelvis
b
: either of two large bundles of motor fibers from the cerebral cortex that reach the medulla oblongata and are continuous with the pyramidal tracts of the spinal cord
5
: an immaterial structure built on a broad supporting base and narrowing gradually to an apex
the socioeconomic pyramid
pyramid
verb
pyramided;
pyramiding;
pyramids
Definition of pyramid (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: to speculate (as on a security or commodity exchange) by using paper profits as margin for additional transactions
2
: to increase rapidly and progressively step by step on a broad base
1
: to arrange or build up as if on the base of a pyramid
2
: to use (something, such as profits) in speculative pyramiding
3
: to increase the impact of (something, such as a tax assessed at the production level) on the ultimate consumer by treating as a cost subject to markup
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Other Words from pyramid
Noun
pyramidal
\ pə-ˈra-mə-dᵊl
, ˌpir-ə-ˈmi-
\
adjective
, ˌpir-ə-ˈmi-
\
adjective
pyramidally
adverb
pyramidical
\ ˌpir-ə-ˈmi-di-kəl
\
adjective
\
adjective
Examples of pyramid in a Sentence
Noun
the ancient pyramids of EgyptRecent Examples on the Web: Noun
Funding higher education for people who are not at the top of academic or economic pyramids can dramatically change their lives – effectively addressing long-term issues like poverty, economic inequality, hunger and housing. — Bruce Deboskey, The Denver Post, "On Philanthropy: Key lessons in strategic giving," 11 Aug. 2019 The coffin remained in the tomb until July, when it was moved to the new Grand Egyptian Museum, being built near the famed pyramids of Giza outside Cairo. — chicagotribune.com, "Egypt begins first-ever restoration work on King Tut’s golden coffin," 4 Aug. 2019 The coffin remained in the tomb until July, when it was moved to the new Grand Egyptian Museum, being built near the famed pyramids of Giza outside Cairo. — Washington Post, "Egypt begins restoration on King Tut’s golden coffin," 4 Aug. 2019 Another classic water attraction is the Tommy Bartlett Show, a waterski show staged on Lake Delton with the iconic pyramid of skiers a crowd favorite for going on 70 years. — Travel Wisconsin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Visit the Wisconsin Dells for an overnight adventure," 14 July 2019 Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson has traveled everywhere from touring the pyramids of Egypt to the canals of Venice this offseason. — Aaron Wilson, Houston Chronicle, "Texans' Deshaun Watson visiting Israel," 18 June 2019 Archaeologists recently uncovered an ancient cemetery near the famous Giza pyramids just outside Cairo. — Fox News, "Ancient Egyptian fortress built by Ramses II reveals its secrets," 15 June 2019 The news is filled with scary stories, like a tourist bus being bombed near Egypt’s pyramids, people being knifed at a bus stop in Japan, and continuing coverage of the two Boeing 737 Max air crashes, both of which happened overseas. — Jay L. Zagorsky, Quartz, "It’s more dangerous to live in America than to travel abroad," 12 June 2019 Likewise, any three-dimensional space can be cut up into an arbitrary number of pyramids. — Quanta Magazine, "A Proof That Some Spaces Can’t Be Cut," 13 Jan. 2015These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pyramid.' 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 pyramid
pyramid
noun
English Language Learners Definition of pyramid
: a very large structure built especially in ancient Egypt that has a square base and four triangular sides which form a point at the top
: a shape, object, or pile that is wide near the bottom and narrows gradually as it reaches the top
: something that resembles a pyramid in the way its parts are arranged or organized
See the full definition for pyramid in the English Language Learners Dictionary
pyramid
noun
pyr·a·mid
| \ ˈpir-ə-ˌmid
\
\
Kids Definition of pyramid
1
: a large structure built especially in ancient Egypt that usually has a square base and four triangular sides meeting at a point and that contains tombs
2
: a shape or structure with a polygon for its base and three or more triangles for its sides which meet to form the top
pyramid
noun
pyr·a·mid
| \ ˈpir-ə-ˌmid
\
\
Medical Definition of pyramid
1
: a polyhedron having for its base a polygon and for faces triangles with a common vertex
2
: an anatomical structure resembling a pyramid: as
a
: renal pyramid
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