# cone

/ˈkoʊn/ (US) · /kˈəʊn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/cone
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. geometric shape

noun · CEFR A2

a solid shape with a round base and a pointed top.

For teachers: a three-dimensional geometric solid that tapers smoothly from a flat, usually circular base to a point called the apex.

- The children learned how to calculate the volume of a cone in math class.
- The architect incorporated a glass cone into the roof design to allow natural light to filter down into the central atrium.

### 2. ice cream holder

noun · CEFR A2

a thin, crisp wafer shaped like a cone that you hold ice cream in.

For teachers: a conical wafer, typically made of a flour-based batter, used as a handheld container for servings of ice cream.

- She bought a double-scoop chocolate ice cream in a waffle cone.
- The vendor offered a variety of artisanal cones, ranging from traditional sugar wafers to gluten-free chocolate-dipped options.

### 3. traffic marker

noun · CEFR B1

an orange plastic object used to mark areas on a road.

For teachers: a cone-shaped marker, usually made of bright orange plastic, used to redirect road traffic or warn of hazards.

- The workers placed a row of cones around the hole in the street.
- The highway patrol deployed several reflective cones to delineate the temporary lane closure following the minor collision.

### 4. eye cell

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a tiny part of your eye that helps you see colors.

For teachers: a type of photoreceptor cell in the retina of the eye that is responsible for color vision and visual acuity in bright light.

- Humans have three types of cones in their eyes to detect different colors.
- Color blindness often results from a genetic deficiency in one or more types of retinal cones, limiting the individual's ability to distinguish specific wavelengths.

### 5. plant part

noun · CEFR B2

the hard, scaly fruit of a tree like a pine or fir.

For teachers: the dry, woody reproductive organ of a gymnosperm, such as a pine or fir tree, consisting of overlapping scales.

- The ground was covered with pine cones after the autumn storm.
- The botanist explained that the female cones are typically larger and woodier than the pollen-producing male cones found on the same branch.

### 6. to mark with cones

verb · CEFR B2

to put traffic cones around an area to keep people out.

For teachers: to delineate or block off a section of road or pavement using traffic cones; often used with 'off'.

- The police had to cone off the street while they cleared the fallen tree.
- Maintenance crews were instructed to cone off the damaged section of the bridge until structural repairs could be completed the following morning.

## Examples

- She bought a double scoop of chocolate in a sugar cone.
- The road crew placed a bright orange cone every few meters to guide drivers away from the fresh asphalt.
- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.