vertex

See also: vèrtex

English

Etymology

Late Middle English, borrowed from Latin vertex (“whirl, eddy; top, crown, peak, summit”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈvɜː.tɛks/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈvɝˌtɛks/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)tɛks

Noun

vertex (plural vertices or vertexes)

1. The highest point, top or apex of something.

   Synonyms: acme, apex, peak, top

   1. (anatomy) The highest surface on the skull; the crown of the head.
2. (geometry) An angular point of a polygon, polyhedron or higher order polytope.
   1. The common point of the two rays that form an angle.
   2. The point at which an axis meets a curve or surface.
3. (mathematics) A point on the curve with a local minimum or maximum of curvature.
4. (graph theory) One of the elements of a graph joined or not by edges to other vertices.

   Synonym: node

   Coordinate term: plot

5. (computer graphics) A point in 3D space, usually given in terms of its Cartesian coordinates.
6. (optics) The point where the surface of a lens crosses the optical axis.
7. (particle physics) An interaction point.
8. (astrology) The point where the prime vertical meets the ecliptic in the western hemisphere of a natal chart.
9. (typography) A sharp downward point opposite a crotch, as in the letters "V" and "W" but not "Y".

   Coordinate term: apex

Derived terms

• antivertex
• covertex
• frontovertex
• hypervertex
• intervertex
• intravertex
• nonvertex
• supervertex
• vertexal, vertexial
• vertex angle
• vertex cover
• vertex figure
• vertex form
• vertexless
• vertexwise

 

Related terms

• vertical

Translations

highest point

• Aragonese: vértiz m
• Bulgarian: връх (bg) m (vrǎh)
• Catalan: vèrtex (ca) m
• Czech: vrchol (cs) m
• Danish: toppunkt n
• Dutch: toppunt (nl)
• Finnish: huippu (fi)
• French: sommet (fr) m
• Georgian: ზენიტი (zeniṭi)
• German: Spitze (de) f, Gipfel (de) m, Scheitelpunkt (de) m, Gipfelpunkt (de) m
• Hebrew: פסגה‎ (he) f (pisga)
• Hungarian: csúcs (hu), csúcspont (hu), tetőpont (hu)
• Italian: vertice (it) m
• Japanese: 頂 (ja) (いただき, itadaki), 頂点 (ja) (ちょうてん, chōten)

• Lithuanian: viršūnė f
• Macedonian: врв m (vrv)
• Maori: akitu
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: toppunkt n

• Plautdietsch: Spetz f
• Polish: wierzchołek (pl) m
• Portuguese: cume (pt) m, vértice (pt) m, topo (pt) m
• Russian: верши́на (ru) f (veršína), верху́шка (ru) f (verxúška)
• Serbo-Croatian: vrh (sh) m
• Slovak: vrchol m
• Spanish: cumbre (es) f, vértice (es) m

highest surface on skull

• Arabic: يَافُوخ‎ m (yāfūḵ)
• Belarusian: це́мя n (cjémja)
• Bulgarian: те́ме (bg) n (téme)
• Catalan: vèrtex (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 頭頂 (zh), 头頂 (zh) (tóudǐng)

• Czech: temeno (cs) n
• Finnish: päälaki (fi)
• French: sommet (fr) m (de la tête)
• German: Scheitel (de) m
• Greek: βρέγμα (el) n (vrégma)
• Hebrew: קודקוד‎ (he) m (kodkód)
• Ido: vertico (io)
• Italian: vertice (it) f
• Japanese: 頭頂 (ja) (とうちょう, tōchō)

• Korean: 정수리 (ko) (jeongsuri)
• Lithuanian: viršugalvis f
• Macedonian: теме n (teme)
• Persian: تارک‎ (fa) (tārak)
• Polish: ciemię n
• Portuguese: vértice (pt) m
• Russian: те́мя (ru) n (témja), маку́шка (ru) f (makúška) (colloquial), ма́ковка (ru) f (mákovka) (colloquial)
• Scottish Gaelic: bàrr a' chinn m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: теме n

  Roman: teme (sh) n

• Slovak: temeno
• Slovene: teme n
• Spanish: vértice (es) m
• Ukrainian: ті́м'я n (tímʺja), ма́ківка f (mákivka)

corner of a polygon or polyhedron

• Arabic: رَأْس‎ (ar) m (raʾs)
• Armenian: գագաթ (hy) (gagatʿ)
• Bulgarian: връх (bg) m (vrǎh)
• Catalan: vèrtex (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 頂點 (zh), 顶点 (zh) (dǐngdiǎn), 節點 (zh), 节点 (zh) (jiédiǎn)

• Czech: vrchol (cs) m
• Dutch: hoek (nl)
• Esperanto: vertico
• Finnish: kärki (fi)
• French: sommet (fr) m
• Georgian: მწვერვალი (mc̣vervali)
• German: Scheitelpunkt (de) m, Eckpunkt (de) m, Ecke (de) f
• Hebrew: קודקוד‎ (he) m (kodkód)
• Hungarian: csúcs (hu)

• Italian: vertice (it) m
• Japanese: 頂点 (ja) (ちょうてん, chōten), 節点 (せってん, setten)
• Lithuanian: viršūnė f
• Macedonian: теме n (teme)
• Maori: akitu
• Persian: رأس‎ (fa)
• Polish: wierzchołek (pl) m
• Portuguese: vértice (pt) m
• Romanian: vârf (ro) n
• Russian: верши́на (ru) f (veršína)
• Serbo-Croatian: vrh (sh) m
• Spanish: vértice (es) m
• Tagalog: tuktok, bagtasan

element of a graph

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 頂點 (zh), 顶点 (zh) (dǐngdiǎn)

• Czech: vrchol (cs) m
• Dutch: knoop (nl)
• Esperanto: vertico
• Finnish: solmu (fi)
• French: sommet (fr)
• German: Knoten (de) m, Ecke (de) f
• Hebrew: קודקוד‎ (he) m (kodkód), צומת‎ (he) m (tzómet)
• Hungarian: csúcs (hu), pont (hu)

• Italian: nodo (it) m
• Japanese: 頂点 (ja) (ちょうてん, chōten)
• Macedonian: теме n (teme)
• Polish: wierzchołek (pl) m
• Portuguese: vértice (pt) m
• Russian: верши́на (ru) f (veršína)
• Serbo-Croatian: vrh (sh) m
• Slovak: vrchol m
• Spanish: vértice (es) m, nodo (es) m

point in 3D space

• Finnish: verteksi (fi)
• Georgian: მწვერვალი (mc̣vervali)
• German: Scheitelpunkt (de) m
• Italian: vertice (it) m
• Japanese: 頂点 (ja) (ちょうてん, chōten)

• Macedonian: теме n (teme)
• Portuguese: vértice (pt) m
• Russian: верши́на (ru) f (veršína)
• Serbo-Croatian: vrh (sh) m, verteks (sh) m
• Spanish: vértice (es) m

point where the surface of an optical element crosses the optical axis

• Finnish: keskipiste (fi)
• Italian: please add this translation if you can

• Spanish: vértice (es) m

physics: interaction point

• Finnish: vuorovaikutuspiste
• Italian: please add this translation if you can

• Spanish: please add this translation if you can

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked‌: "point of intersection of an axis and a curve"

• Finnish: leikkauspiste (fi)

See also

• Mathworld article on vertices of polyhedra
• Mathworld article on vertices of polygons

References

• “vertex”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.
• “vertex”, in Merriam–Webster Online Dictionary.

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French

Etymology

From Latin vertex.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vɛʁ.tɛks/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

vertex m (plural vertex)

1. (anatomy) vertex

Further reading

• “vertex” in Émile Littré, Dictionnaire de la langue française, 1872–1877.
• “vertex”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

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Latin

Alternative forms

• vortex (archaic)

Etymology

From vertō (“to turn around, turn about”).

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈu̯er.teks/, [ˈu̯ɛrt̪ɛks̠]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈver.teks/, [ˈvɛrt̪eks]

Noun

vertex m (genitive verticis); third declension

1. whirl, whirlpool, eddy, vortex
2. eddy of wind or flame, whirlwind, coil of flame
3. (literally, anatomy) top, crown of the head
4. (poetic) head

   vacuus vertex ― an empty head

5. pole of the heavens (north or south)
6. highest point, top, peak, summit (of a mountain, house, tree, etc.)

   Synonyms: cacūmen, apex, culmen

   Antonym: fundus

   a vertice ― frome above/at the top

   in verticem ― upright/vertically

7. (figuratively, poetic) highest, uttermost, greatest

Inflection

Third-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	vertex	verticēs
Genitive	verticis	verticum
Dative	verticī	verticibus
Accusative	verticem	verticēs
Ablative	vertice	verticibus
Vocative	vertex	verticēs

Derived terms

• bivertex
• quinquevertex
• verticillus
• verticōsus
• verticula

 

Descendants

• Lombard: vierdza, verdza, értes, vértisa (“parting of the hair”)
• Piedmontese: verdz̆a (“peak”)
• Romansch: viertsch, vertscha

Early borrowings:

• → Old French: vertiz (“top of the head”)
• → Old Occitan: vertitz, vertis

Later borrowings:

• → English: vertex
• → French: vertex
• → Italian: vertice
• → Portuguese: vértice
• → Sicilian: vèrtici
• → Spanish: vértice

References

• “vertex”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “vertex”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• vertex in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• vertex in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette
• Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • the pole: vertex caeli, axis caeli, cardo caeli
    
• Dizionario Latino, Olivetti
• von Wartburg, Walther (1928–2002), “vĕrtex”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), volume 140, page 320
• Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1911), “vĕrtex”, in Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), page 706

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Romanian

Etymology

From French vertex, from Latin vertex.

Noun

vertex n (uncountable)

1. vertex

Declension

declension of vertex (singular only)

	singular
n gender	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	(un) vertex	vertexul
genitive/dative	(unui) vertex	vertexului
vocative	vertexule