Definition:Polyhedron
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Definition
A polyhedron is a three-dimensional figure that is contained by polygonal faces.
Face
The faces of a polyhedron are the polygons which contain it.
Edge
The edges of a polyhedron are the sides of the polygons which constitute its faces.
Vertex
The vertices of a polyhedron are the vertices of the polygons which constitute its faces.
Also see
- Results about polyhedra can be found here.
Linguistic Note
The word polyhedron comes directly from the Classical Greek πολύεδρον:
- polys (πολύς), meaning many
- hedron (a form of ἕδρα), meaning base or seat.
The technically correct plural of polyhedron is polyhedra, but the word polyhedrons can often be found.
Sources
- 1992: George F. Simmons: Calculus Gems ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $\text {A}.4$: Euclid (flourished ca. $300$ B.C.)
- 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): polyhedron: 1. (plural polyhedra)
- 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): polyhedron: 1. (plural polyhedra)
- 2014: Christopher Clapham and James Nicholson: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Mathematics (5th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): polyhedron (polyhedra)