a group of five objects arranged in the shape of a rectangle with one at each of the four corners and the fifth in the centre
2. botany
a quincuncial arrangement of sepals or petals in the bud
3. astrology
an aspect of 150° between two planets
Word origin
C17: from Latin: five twelfths, from quinque five + uncia twelfth; in ancient Rome, this was a coin worth five twelfths of an as2 and marked with five spots
quincunx in American English
(ˈkwɪnˌkʌŋks)
noun
1.
an arrangement of five objects in a square, with one at each corner and one in the middle
2. Botany
an arrangement of five-petaled flowers in which two petals are inferior, two are exterior, and one is partly interior and partly exterior
Derived forms
quincuncial (quinˈcuncial) (kwɪnˈkʌnʃəl)
adjective or quinˈcunxial (ˈkwɪnˈkʌŋkʃəl; ˈkwɪnˈkʌŋksiəl)
quincuncially (quinˈcuncially)
adverb
Word origin
L, lit., five twelfths < quinque, five + uncia, a twelfth: see ounce1