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 Gaussian function, bell-shaped curve has the shape of the vertical cross section of a bell (instrument), bell, etc. These terms may variously refer to objects, their Cross section (geometry), cross sections or projection (mathematics), projections.

Types of shapes

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., leaf shape, the taxonomy of shapes of plant leaves in botany. * Astroid * Aquiline nose, Aquiline, shaped like an eagle's beak (as in a Roman nose) * Bell curve, Bell-shaped curve * Biconic shape, a shape in a way opposite to the hourglass: it is based on two oppositely oriented cone (geometry), cones or truncated cones with their bases joined; the cones are not necessarily the same ** Bowtie shape, in two dimensions ** Atmospheric reentry#Biconic, Atmospheric reentry apparatus ** Centerbody of an inlet cone in ramjets * Bow shape ** Bow curve * Bullet Nose an open-ended hourglass * Butterfly curve (algebraic) * Bicorn, Cocked hat curve, also known as Bicorn * Cone (geometry), Cone (from the Greek word for « pine cone ») * Torus, 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 the Earth, which is approximately spherical, Figure of the Earth, but not exactly so * Heart shape, Heart shape, long been used for its varied symbolism * Horseshoe-shaped, 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 wikt:figure eight, figure eight or hourglass ** Dog bone shape, an hourglass with rounded ends ** Hourglass corset ** Talking drum, Ntama ** Engraved Hourglass Nebula * Inverted bell * Kite (geometry), Kite * Lecotropal, in botany, shaped like a horseshoe (see ''horseshoe-shaped'', above). From Greek λέκος dish + -τροπος turning * Lens or Vesica piscis, Vesica shape (the latter taking its name from the shape of the lentil seed); see also mandorla, almond-shaped * Lune (mathematics), 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 the mushroom cloud * Oval (geometry), Oval (from the Latin "ovum" for egg (biology), 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 (geometry), cylinder ** Bacillus, Rod shaped bacteria * Scarabaeus curve resembling a scarab * Serpentine shape, Serpentine, shaped like a snake * Stadium (geometry), Stadium, two half-circles joined by straight sides * Stirrup curve * Star (polygon), Star a figure with multiple sharp points * Sunburst * Tomahawk (geometric shape), Tomahawk * 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 ** 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 (number), 0 * Figure 1, the shape that resembles the numeral 1 (number), 1 * Figure 2, the shape that resembles the numeral 2 (number), 2 * Figure 3, the shape that resembles the numeral 3 (number), 3 * Figure 4, the shape that resembles the numeral 4 (number), 4 * Figure 5, the shape that resembles the numeral 5 (number), 5 * Figure 6, the shape that resembles the numeral 6 (number), 6 * Figure 7, the shape that resembles the numeral 7 (number), 7 * Figure 8, the shape that resembles the numeral 8 (number), 8 * Figure 9, the shape that resembles the numeral 9 (number), 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 (structure), beam with H-shaped section ** Goal (sport), Goals in several sports (gridiron football (old style), Gaelic football, Rugby football, rugby, hurling) are described as "H-shaped" ** Electronic filter topology, H topology in electronic filter design ** Also see Balbis * I-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter I, in a serif font, i.e., with horizontal strokes ** I-beam, -beam, a beam with an -shaped section ** The court in the Mesoamerican ballgame is I-shaped * J-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter J * K-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter K ** Recession shapes, K-shaped recession ** Turning in the road, K turn * 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 Pi (letter), Π ** Electronic filter topology, 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 ** S-twist, contrasted with Z-twist for yarn * T-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter T ** T junction ** Electronic filter topology#Bridged-T topologies, 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 (insignia), Chevron (which includes the inverted-V shape) ** V-shaped valley ** V-shaped recession ** Body shape, 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 ** Electronic filter topology, X topology in electronic filter design * wikt:chiasm, 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 (heraldry), Pall * Z-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter Z (interchangeable with the N-shape) ** Z-twist, contrasted with S-twist for yarn

References

{{Reflist Geometric shapes, Wikipedia glossaries, Shapes Glossaries of mathematics, Shapes Lists of shapes, Glossary Wikipedia glossaries using unordered lists

Types of shapes

Numbers and letters

See also

References