Glossary of shapes with metaphorical names

Gaussian curve with a two-dimensional domain

Manyshapes have metaphorical names,i.e., their names aremetaphors:theseshapesare named after a most common object that has it. For example, "U-shape" is a shape that resembles the letterU,abell-shaped curvehas the shape of the vertical cross section of abell,etc. These terms may variously refer to objects, theircross sectionsorprojections.

Types of shapes

Curves

• 
  TheFish bladderis the intersection of two congruent disks, each centered on the perimeter of the other
• 
  Bicorn
• 
  Astroid
• 
  Tomahawk curve, with its handle and spike thickened

Some of these names are "classical terms", i.e., words ofLatinorAncient Greeketymology.Others areEnglish languageconstructs (although the base words may have non-English etymology). In some disciplines, where shapes of subjects in question are a very important consideration, the shape naming may be quite elaborate, see, e.g.,the taxonomy of shapesofplantleavesinbotany.

• Astroid
• Aquiline,shaped like an eagle's beak (as in a Roman nose)
• Bell-shaped curve
• Biconic shape,a shape in a way opposite to the hourglass: it is based on two oppositely orientedconesortruncated coneswith their bases joined; the cones are not necessarily the same
  • Bowtieshape, in two dimensions
  • Atmospheric reentry apparatus
  • Centerbody of aninlet coneinramjets
• Bow shape
  • Bow curve
• Bullet Nosean open-ended hourglass
• Butterfly curve (algebraic)
• Cocked hat curve,also known asBicorn
• Cone(from the Greek word for «pine cone»)
• Doughnut shape
• Egg-shaped,see "Oval", below
• Geoid(From Greek Ge (γη) for "Earth"), the term specifically introduced to denote the approximation of the shape of theEarth,which is approximately spherical,but not exactly so
• Heartshape,long been used for its varied symbolism
• Horseshoe-shaped,resembling ahorseshoe,cf.horseshoe (disambiguation).Inbotany,also calledlecotropal(see below)
• Hourglass shapeorhourglass figure,the one that resembles anhourglass;nearly symmetric shape wide at its ends and narrow in the middle; some flat shapes may be alternatively compared to thefigure eightor hourglass
  • Dog boneshape, an hourglass with rounded ends
  • Hourglass corset
  • Ntama
  • Engraved Hourglass Nebula
• Inverted bell
• Kite
• Lecotropal,inbotany,shaped like a horseshoe (seehorseshoe-shaped,above). From Greek λέκος dish + -τροπος turning
• LensorVesicashape (the latter taking its name from the shape of thelentilseed); see alsomandorla,almond-shaped
• Lune,from the Latin word for the Moon
• Maltese Cross curve
• Mandorla,almond-shaped (Italian for "almond" ), often used as a frame in mediaeval Christian iconography.
• Mushroom shape,which became infamous as a result of themushroom cloud
• Oval(from the Latin "ovum" foregg), a descriptive term applied to several kinds of "rounded" shapes, including theegg shape
• Pearshaped, in reference to the shape of apear,i.e., a generally rounded shape, tapered towards the top and more spherical/circular at the bottom
• Rod,a 3-dimensional,solid(filled)cylinder
  • Rod shaped bacteria
• Scarabaeus curveresembling a scarab
• Serpentine,shaped like a snake
• Stadium,two half-circles joined by straight sides
• Stirrup curve
• Stara figure with multiple sharp points
• Sunburst
• Tomahawk
• Ungula,shaped like a horse's hoof

Numbers and letters

• A-shape,the shape that resembles the capital letterA
  • A-frame,the shape of a common structure that resembles the capital letterA
  • A-frame house,a common style of house construction
  • A-line skirtor dress
• B-shape,the shape that resembles the capital letterB
• C-shape,the shape that resembles the capital letterC
• D-shape,the shape that resembles the capital letterD
  • D-ring
• Deltoid,the shape that resembles the Greek capital letterΔ
  • Deltahedron
  • Deltoid muscle
  • River delta
  • Delta wing
• E-shape,the shape that resembles the capital letterE
  • Magnetic coresoftransformersmay be E-shaped
  • A number of notable buildings have an E-shapedfloorplan
• F-shape,the shape that resembles the capital letterF
• Figure 0,the shape that resembles the numeral0
• Figure 1,the shape that resembles the numeral1
• Figure 2,the shape that resembles the numeral2
• Figure 3,the shape that resembles the numeral3
• Figure 4,the shape that resembles the numeral4
• Figure 5,the shape that resembles the numeral5
• Figure 6,the shape that resembles the numeral6
• Figure 7,the shape that resembles the numeral7
• Figure 8,the shape that resembles the numeral8
• Figure 9,the shape that resembles the numeral9
• G-shape,the shape that resembles the capital letterG
• H-shape,the shape that resembles the capital letterH
  • H-beam,abeamwithH-shaped section
  • Goalsin several sports (gridiron football(old style),Gaelic football,rugby,hurling) are described as "H-shaped"
  • H topologyin electronic filter design
  • Also seeBalbis
• I-shape,the shape that resembles the capital letterIin aserif font,i.e., with horizontal strokes
  • I-beam,a beam with anI-shaped section
  • The court in theMesoamerican ballgameis I-shaped
• J-shape,the shape that resembles the capital letterJ
• K-shape,the shape that resembles the capital letterK
  • K-shaped recession
  • K turn
• L-shape,the shape that resembles the capital letterL
  • The L-Shaped Room
  • L game
  • L-shaped recession
• Lemniscate,the shape that resembles theinfinity symbol
• M-shape,the shape that resembles the capital letterM(interchangeable with theW-shape)
• N-shape,the shape that resembles the capital letterN(interchangeable with theZ-shape)
• O-shape,the shape that resembles the capital letterO
  • O-ring
• P-shape,the shape that resembles the capital letterP
  • P-trap,a P-shaped pipe under a sink or basin
• Pi-shape,the shape that resembles the Greek capital letterΠ
  • Π topologyin electronic filter design
• Q-shape,the shape that resembles the capital letterQ
• R-shape,the shape that resembles the capital letterR
• S-shape,the shape that resembles the capital letterS
  • Thesigmoid colon,an S-shaped bend in the human intestine
  • S-twist,contrasted with Z-twist for yarn

• T-shape,the shape that resembles the capital letterT
  • T junction
  • T topologyin electronic filter design
  • T-shaped (chemistry)
  • T-shaped skills,a format forrésumés
  • T-shirt
  • T-pose,used in computer animation models
• U-shape,the shape that resembles the capital letterU
  • U-shaped valley
  • U-turn
  • U-shaped recession
• Hyoid,the shape that resembles the Greek letterυ
  • Hyoid bone
• V-shape,the shape that resembles the letterV,also known as theChevron(which includes the inverted-V shape)
  • V-shaped valley
  • V-shaped recession
  • V-shaped body– male human body shape with broad shoulders
  • V-shaped passage grave
  • V sign
• W-shape,the shape that resembles the capital letterW(interchangeable with theM-shape)
  • W-shaped recession
• X-shape,the shape that resembles the letterX
  • Saltire
  • X topologyin electronic filter design
• Chiasm,crossings that resemble the Greek letterχ
  • Chiasmus
  • Chiastic structure
  • Optic chiasm
• Y-shape,the shape that resembles the letterY
  • Y-frontbriefs
  • Pall
• Z-shape,the shape that resembles the capital letterZ(interchangeable with theN-shape)
  • Z-twist,contrasted with S-twist for yarn

See also

• List of geometric shapes
• TheCategory:Curveslists numerous metaphorical names, such as
  • Bean curves,also called Nephroids, from the Greek word for kidney