pyramid

• piramis (obsolete)

From French pyramide, from Old French piramide, from Latin pȳramis, pȳramidis, from Ancient Greek πῡραμίς (pūramís), possibly from πῡρός (pūrós, “wheat”) + ἀμάω (amáō, “reap”) or from Egyptian pr-m-ws (“height of a pyramid”), from pr (“(one that) comes forth”) + m (“from”) + ws (“height”).

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• IPA^(key): /ˈpɪɹəmɪd/

pyramid (plural pyramids)

1. An ancient massive construction with a square or rectangular base and four triangular sides meeting in an apex, such as those built as tombs in Egypt or as bases for temples in Mesoamerica.
2. A construction in the shape of a pyramid, usually with a square or rectangular base.
   • 2014 September 7, “Doddington's garden pyramid is a folly good show: The owners of a Lincolnshire stately home have brought the folly into the 21st century, by building a 30ft pyramid [print edition: Great pyramid of Lincolnshire, 6 September 2014, p. G2]”, in The Daily Telegraph‎, London:

     [T]he owners of Doddington Hall, in Lincolnshire, have brought the folly into the 21st century, by building a 30ft pyramid in the grounds of the Elizabethan manor.

3. (geometry) A solid with triangular lateral faces and a polygonal (often square or rectangular) base.
4. (Britain, dated) The game of pool in which the balls are placed in the form of a triangle at spot.
5. A pyramid scheme.
6. (card games, uncountable) Alternative letter-case form of Pyramid. (a solitaire card game)
7. (card games) The triangular layout of cards in the game of Pyramid.

   Build your pyramid with all cards face down, except the cards in the bottom row.

For quotations of use of this term, see Citations:pyramid.

• Ponzi scheme

pyramid (third-person singular simple present pyramids, present participle pyramiding, simple past and past participle pyramided)

1. to build up or be arranged in the form of a pyramid
2. (transitive, genetics) To combine (a series of genes) into a single genotype.
3. (intransitive) To employ, or take part in, a pyramid scheme.

• Rhymes: -iːd

pyramid c

1. (geometry) pyramid
2. Pyramid-shaped construction.

• pyramidspel

• pyramidal