vertex
|ver-tex|
🇺🇸
/ˈvɝːtɛks/
🇬🇧
/ˈvɜːtɛks/
top / highest point
Etymology
'vertex' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'vertex, verticis', where 'vertere' (related root) meant 'to turn' and 'vertex' meant 'a whirl, highest point, top (of the head)'.
'vertex' entered English from Latin; the Latin 'vertex' (and Late Latin usage) passed into Middle English (also influenced by Old French forms) and eventually became the modern English word 'vertex'.
Initially, it meant 'a whirl or turning motion' and 'the top or crown (of the head)'; over time the sense of 'top/highest point' and the technical geometric meanings developed into the current usages such as 'corner of a polygon' and 'node in a graph'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
in geometry, a point where two or more lines, line segments, or edges meet; a corner of a polygon or polyhedron.
The triangle has three vertices; each vertex connects two sides.
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Noun 2
in graph theory and computer graphics, a fundamental unit representing a point or node in a graph or mesh.
The mesh consists of thousands of vertices connected by edges.
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Noun 3
the highest point or summit of something; the apex or pinnacle.
The mountain's vertex was shrouded in clouds.
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Last updated: 2025/10/01 00:11