- the highest point
- the point opposite the base of a figure
- the point of intersection of two sides of a plane figure or angle
- the point of intersection of a pencil of lines or three or more planes of a solid figure
- the crown of the head
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ver•tex /ˈvɜrtɛks/USA pronunciation
n. [countable], pl. -tex•es, -ti•ces
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- /-təˌsiz/USA pronunciation .
- the highest point of something;
apex. - Mathematics[Geometry.]
- the point farthest from the base.
- the intersection of two sides of a plane figure.
ver•tex
(vûr′teks),USA pronunciation n., pl. -tex•es, -ti•ces
-
(-tə sēz′).USA pronunciation
- the highest point of something;
apex;
summit;
top:the vertex of a mountain. - Anatomy, Zoologythe crown or top of the head.
- Anatomy, Physical Anthropology[Craniom.]the highest point on the midsagittal plane of the skull or head viewed from the left side when the skull or head is in the Frankfurt horizontal.
- [Astron.]a point in the celestial sphere toward which or from which the common motion of a group of stars is directed.
- Mathematics[Geom.]
- the point farthest from the base:the vertex of a cone or of a pyramid.
- a point in a geometrical solid common to three or more sides.
- the intersection of two sides of a plane figure.
- Latin: a whirl, top (of the head), equivalent. to vert(ere) to turn + -ex (stem -ic-) noun, nominal suffix
- 1560–70
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
vertex /ˈvɜːtɛks/ n ( pl -texes, -tices /-tɪˌsiːz/)
'vertex' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
adjacent angles
- altitude
- apex
- cone
- median
- nappe
- node
- polyhedron
- pyramid
- solid angle
- steradian
- vertical
- vertices
- verticil
- vortex
- bell
- epicranium
- exponential horn
- haunch
- point
- precession
- top
- truncated
- slant height