rectangle
/ˈrɛktaŋɡ(ə)l
/noun
A plane figure with four straight sides and four right angles, especially one with unequal adjacent sides, in contrast to a square.The types of shapes for which the area is calculated include triangles, rectangles, circles, trapeziums....
- He arranges thin rectangles, squares, triangles and trapezoids in complex patterns on the wall.
- In particular books one and two set out basic properties of triangles, parallels, parallelograms, rectangles and squares.
Origin
Late 16th century: from medieval Latin rectangulum, from late Latin rectiangulum, based on Latin rectus 'straight' + angulus 'an angle'.
A rectangle is a shape made up of four right angles, and both English and the Latin source of the word use the same image, for rectangle comes from rectus ‘right, straight’ combined with angulus ‘angle’, also found in angle itself. Rectus is the source of a number of words in English including direct (Late Middle English) ‘in a straight line’, rectify (Late Middle English) ‘put right’, rectitude (Late Middle English) ‘straightness’, and rectum (mid 16th century) from the Latin rectum intestinum ‘straight intestine’