ENGLISH
REFERENCE

cone

n. countable
A2 Elementary US //ˈkoʊn// UK //kˈəʊn// cone Slang

n. a shape with a round base that gets thinner until it reaches a point at the top. You also use this word for the objects used to block traffic or the part of an ice cream that holds the scoops.

n. a solid or hollow object which tapers from a circular or roughly circular base to a point. In anatomy, it refers to a light-sensitive cell in the retina of the eye that is responsible for sharp central vision and colour perception.


SIMPLE

She bought a double scoop of chocolate in a sugar cone.

CONTEXTUAL

The road crew placed a bright orange cone every few meters to guide drivers away from the fresh asphalt.

COMPLEX

While rods are highly sensitive to low light levels, the cone cells in the human eye require more intense illumination to distinguish between different wavelengths of the visible spectrum.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English cone (“corner, angle”) and conoun (“cone”), from Medieval Latin cōnus, cōnon (“cone, wedge, peak”), from Ancient Greek κῶνος (kônos, “cone, spinning top, pine cone”). Reinforced by Middle French cone, from the same Graeco-Latin source.

Usage

In its geometric and everyday senses, it is a standard countable noun; in anatomy, it is often used in the plural to discuss visual systems.

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