{{Short description|none}} thumb|300px|Gaussian curve with a two-dimensional domain Many '''shapes have metaphorical names''', i.e., their names are metaphors: these shapes are named after a most common object that has it. For example, "U-shape" is a shape that resembles the letter U, a bell-shaped curve has the shape of the vertical cross section of a bell, etc. These terms may variously refer to objects, their cross sections or projections.

==Types of shapes== {{clear}}{{Gallery | perrow=2 |title=Curves |width=110| height=80 |align=right |File:Vesica_piscis_circles.svg |alt1=Fish bladder |The Fish bladder is the intersection of two congruent disks, each centered on the perimeter of the other |File:Bicorn.svg |alt2=Bicorn |Bicorn | File:Astroid.svg |alt3=Astroid |Astroid |File:Tomahawk filled.svg |alt4=Tomahawk curve |Tomahawk curve, with its handle and spike thickened }}

Some of these names are "classical terms", i.e., words of Latin or Ancient Greek etymology. Others are English language constructs (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 shapes of plant leaves in botany.

* '''Ampersand curve''' * '''Arbelos''', from Greek ''árbylos'', meaning "shoemaker's knife"

* '''Astroid''' * '''Aquiline,''' shaped like an eagle's beak (as in a Roman nose) * Bathtub curve * Basket-handle arch * '''Bell-shaped curve''' * '''Biconic shape''', a shape in a way opposite to the hourglass: it is based on two oppositely oriented cones or truncated cones with their bases joined; the cones are not necessarily the same ** '''Bowtie''' shape, in two dimensions ** Atmospheric reentry apparatus ** Centerbody of an inlet cone in ramjets * '''Bow shape''' ** Bow curve * '''Bullet Nose'''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mathworld.wolfram.com/BulletNose.html |title=Bullet Nose |work=MathWorld |publisher=Wolfram |date=2013-05-08 |access-date=2013-05-20}}</ref> an open-ended hourglass * '''Butterfly''' ** Butterfly curve (algebraic)<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=http://mathworld.wolfram.com/ButterflyCurve.html |title=Butterfly Curve |work=MathWorld |publisher=Wolfram |date=2013-05-08 |access-date=2013-05-20}}</ref> ** Butterfly curve (transcendental)<ref name=":0" /> ** Butterfly lemma ** Butterfly graph *'''Catenary''', derived from the Latin word ''catēna'', which means "chain". * '''Cissoid''' (from Ancient Greek κισσοειδής ''(kissoeidēs)'' 'ivy-shaped') * '''Cocked hat curve''', also known as '''Bicorn'''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Bicorn.html |title=Bicorn |work=MathWorld |publisher=Wolfram |date=2013-05-08 |access-date=2013-05-20}}</ref> * '''Cone''' (from the Greek word for « pine cone ») * '''Doughnut shape''' * '''Dragon curve''' * '''Egg-shaped''', see "Oval", below ** Superegg ** Moss's Egg * '''Elephant''' ** Elephant curve ** Von Neumann's elephant *'''Fish curve''' * '''Geoid''' (From Greek Ge (γη) for "Earth"), the term specifically introduced to denote the approximation of the shape of the Earth, which is approximately spherical, but not exactly so * '''Heart''' shape, long been used for its varied symbolism ** Cardioid *'''Hedgehog''' **Hedgehog (geometry) **Hedgehog space * '''Horseshoe-shaped''' or '''hippocrepiform''', resembling a horseshoe, cf. horseshoe (disambiguation). In botany, also called ''lecotropal'' (see below) * '''Hourglass shape''' or '''hourglass figure''', the one that resembles an hourglass; nearly symmetric shape wide at its ends and narrow in the middle; some flat shapes may be alternatively compared to the figure eight or hourglass ** '''Dog bone''' shape, an hourglass with rounded ends<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mathworld.wolfram.com/CassiniOvals.html |title=Cassini Ovals |work=MathWorld |publisher=Wolfram |date=2013-05-08 |access-date=2013-05-20}}</ref> *** Dogbone space ** Hourglass corset ** Ntama ** Engraved Hourglass Nebula * '''Inverted bell''' * '''Kite''' * '''Lecotropal''', in botany, shaped like a horseshoe (see ''horseshoe-shaped'', above). From Greek λέκος dish + -τροπος turning<ref>{{Cite OED |lecotropal}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bFjVCQAAQBAJ&dq=lecotropal&pg=PA286 |title=The Dictionary of Science for Gardeners |first=Michael |last=Allaby |publisher=Timber Press |location=Portland, OR |date=2015-09-05 |isbn=978-1-60469-715-5 |access-date=2023-03-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9fbpc7iyL2UC&dq=lecotropal&pg=PA909 |title=Origins: A Short Etymological Dictionary of Modern English |first=Eric |last=Partridge |publisher=Taylor & Francis |location=Milton Park, UK |date=2006-05-23 |isbn=978-1-134-94217-6 |access-date=2023-03-02}}</ref> * '''Lens''' or '''Vesica''' shape (the latter taking its name from the shape of the lentil seed); see also mandorla, almond-shaped ** Lens space * '''Lune''', from the Latin word for the Moon * '''Maltese Cross curve'''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mathworld.wolfram.com/MalteseCrossCurve.html |title=Maltese Cross Curve |work=MathWorld |publisher=Wolfram |date=2013-05-08 |access-date=2013-05-20}}</ref> * '''Mandorla''', almond-shaped (Italian for "almond"), often used as a frame in mediaeval Christian iconography. * '''Mushroom shape''', which became infamous as a result of the mushroom cloud<ref name="Mathematics">{{cite web |title=Area of a mushroom-shaped curve |url=https://math.stackexchange.com/q/2859529 |website=Mathematics |publisher=Stack Exchange |access-date=2019-12-20 |date=2018-07-17}}</ref> * Nephroid (from Ancient Greek ὁ νεφρός ''(ho nephros)'' 'kidney-shaped') * '''Oval''' (from the Latin "ovum" for egg), a descriptive term applied to several kinds of "rounded" shapes, including the egg shape * '''Pear''' shaped, in reference to the shape of a pear, 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 *'''Rose''', like the petals of a flower **Rose curve **Rose (topology) *'''Salinon''', meaning 'salt-cellar' in Greek * '''Scarabaeus curve'''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Scarabaeus.html |title=Scarabaeus |work=MathWorld |publisher=Wolfram |date=2013-05-08 |access-date=2013-05-20 |archive-date=2012-11-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113000043/http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Scarabaeus.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> resembling a scarab * '''Serpentine''', shaped like a snake ** Serpentine curve *'''Snowflake''', fractal branching structure with rotational symmetry (often of order 6) **Koch snowflake **Flowsnake **Mosely snowflake * '''Stadium''', two half-circles joined by straight sides<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Stadium.html |title=Stadium – from Wolfram MathWorld |publisher=Mathworld.wolfram.com |date=2013-05-08 |access-date=2013-05-20}}</ref> * '''Stirrup curve'''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mathworld.wolfram.com/StirrupCurve.html |title=Stirrup Curve |work=MathWorld |publisher=Wolfram |date=2013-05-08 |access-date=2013-05-20}}</ref> * '''Star''', a figure with multiple sharp points emanating from a common center ** Star domain ** Astroid * '''Sunburst''' ** Farey sunburst * '''Tomahawk''' * '''Tree''', a figure with branches that do not rejoin that may also have branches that do not rejoin and so on. ** Tree (graph theory) * '''Ungula''', shaped like a horse's hoof

==Numbers and letters== * '''A-shape''', the shape that resembles the capital letter A ** A-frame, the shape of a common structure that resembles the capital letter A ** A-frame house, a common style of house construction ** A-line skirt or dress * '''B-shape''', the shape that resembles the capital letter B * '''C-shape''', the shape that resembles the capital letter C * '''D-shape''', the shape that resembles the capital letter D ** D-ring * '''Deltoid''', the shape that resembles the Greek capital letter Δ ** Deltahedron ** Y-Δ transform ** Deltoid muscle ** River delta ** Delta wing * '''E-shape''', the shape that resembles the capital letter E ** Magnetic cores of transformers may be E-shaped ** A number of notable buildings have an E-shaped floorplan * '''F-shape''', the shape that resembles the capital letter F * '''Figure 0''', the shape that resembles the numeral 0, more commonly referred to as an O-shape, see below * '''Figure 1''', the shape that resembles the numeral 1 * '''Figure 2''', the shape that resembles the numeral 2 * '''Figure 3''', the shape that resembles the numeral 3 * '''Figure 4''', the shape that resembles the numeral 4 * '''Figure 5''', the shape that resembles the numeral 5 * '''Figure 6''', the shape that resembles the numeral 6 * '''Figure 7''', the shape that resembles the numeral 7 * '''Figure 8''', the shape that resembles the numeral 8 ** Figure eight knot ** Lemniscate * '''Figure 9''', the shape that resembles the numeral 9 * '''G-shape''', the shape that resembles the capital letter G * '''H-shape''', the shape that resembles the capital letter H ** H-beam, a beam with H-shaped section ** Goals in several sports (gridiron football (old style), Gaelic football, rugby, hurling) are described as "H-shaped" ** H topology in electronic filter design ** Also see Balbis * '''I-shape''', the shape that resembles the capital letter {{Ibeam}} in a serif font, i.e., with horizontal strokes ** {{Ibeam}}-beam, a beam with an {{Ibeam}}-shaped section ** The court in the Mesoamerican ballgame is I-shaped * '''J-shape''', the shape that resembles the capital letter J ** J curve * '''K-shape''', the shape that resembles the capital letter K ** K-shaped recession ** K turn *'''Kappa curve''', resembling the Greek letter {{not a typo|ϰ (kappa)}}. * '''L-shape''', the shape that resembles the capital letter L ** L-beam, a beam with an L-shaped section ** The L-Shaped Room ** L game ** L-shaped recession * '''Lemniscate''', the shape that resembles the infinity symbol * '''M-shape''', the shape that resembles the capital letter M (interchangeable with the '''W-shape''') * '''N-shape''', the shape that resembles the capital letter N (interchangeable with the '''Z-shape''') * '''O-shape''', the shape that resembles the capital letter O ** O-ring * '''P-shape''', the shape that resembles the capital letter P ** P-trap, a P-shaped pipe under a sink or basin * '''Pi-shape''', the shape that resembles the Greek capital letter Π ** Π topology in electronic filter design * '''Q-shape''', the shape that resembles the capital letter Q * '''R-shape''', the shape that resembles the capital letter R * '''S-shape''', the shape that resembles the capital letter S ** The sigmoid colon, an S-shaped bend in the human intestine ** Sigmoid function ** S-twist, contrasted with Z-twist for yarn {{anchor|T-shape}} * '''T-shape''', the shape that resembles the capital letter T ** T junction ** T topology in electronic filter design ** T-shaped (chemistry) ** T-shaped skills, a format for résumés ** T-shirt ** T-pose, used in computer animation models * '''U-shape''', the shape that resembles the capital letter U ** U-shaped valley ** U-turn ** U-shaped recession * '''Hyoid''', the shape that resembles the Greek letter υ ** Hyoid bone * '''V-shape''', the shape that resembles the letter V, also known as the Chevron (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 ** V-tail * '''W-shape''', the shape that resembles the capital letter W (interchangeable with the '''M-shape''') ** W-shaped recession * '''X-shape''', the shape that resembles the letter X ** Saltire ** X topology in electronic filter design * '''Chiasm''', crossings that resemble the Greek letter χ ** Chiasmus ** Chiastic structure ** Optic chiasm * '''Y-shape''', the shape that resembles the letter Y ** Y-front briefs ** Pall ** Y-Δ transform * '''Z-shape''', the shape that resembles the capital letter Z (interchangeable with the '''N-shape''') ** Z-twist, contrasted with S-twist for yarn

==See also== * List of geometric shapes * The :Category:Curves lists numerous metaphorical names, such as ** Bean curves, also called nephroids, from the Greek word for kidney

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Geometric shapes Shapes Shapes Glossary Category:Wikipedia glossaries using unordered lists