Pyramids

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Architectural formations featuring a polygonal base that taper to a peak at the top
2. Enormous constructions characterized by their geometric shape and historical significance, often serving as tombs or religious sites
3. Large stone edifices with a flat base and sloping sides converging at a point, typically built in ancient times for ceremonial or burial purposes

Etymology: The word's most surprising tie is to wheat. The Greek "pūramís" may come from "pūrós", meaning wheat, combined with "amáō", to reap, which would make the shape a kind of wheat-harvest image, though this link is uncertain. An Egyptian origin is also proposed, from "pr-m-ws", meaning "height of a pyramid," built from words for "comes forth," "from," and "height." Scholars have suggested Coptic and Arabic routes too, though the Arabic "haram" link is considered far-fetched. Either way, the Greeks borrowed the word and it travelled through Latin "pȳramis" and Old French "piramide" before reaching French "pyramide" and then English. The plural "pyramids" is simply the regular form of "pyramid," so its history is that of the singular.

Synonyms: tombs, structures