Vertex

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈvɜː.tɛks/

Definitions

1. A point where two or more lines, edges, or surfaces meet, or the highest point of an angle or geometric figure
2. A location defined as the point of intersection of multiple lines or edges, as well as the apex of an angle or geometric shape
3. This term refers to the meeting point of lines or the topmost point of a corner in geometry

Etymology: Latin "vertex" originally meant a whirl or eddy, such as a whirlpool or the spinning motion of something turning. The sense of "top" or "crown" came from the same idea: the highest point of the head or of a hill was where things seemed to turn or converge. From there the word came to mean a summit or peak, and eventually the point where lines meet. English borrowed the word directly from Latin in the late Middle English period. It is a doublet of "vortex", meaning the two words descend from the same Latin source but reached English by different routes and took on different shades of meaning. "Vortex" kept the sense of a swirling motion, while "vertex" moved toward the sense of a highest point.

Synonyms: apex, summit, peak, tip, top

Antonyms: base, bottom