English Reference

Word

conical

Phoneticscon·i·cal

US/ˈkɑnɪkəɫ/

UK/kˈɒnɪkəl/

Definition

adj. shaped like a cone, with a round flat base that gets narrower until it reaches a point at the top.

adj. resembling or having the form of a cone. Typically describes objects with a circular base tapering to a single vertex.

Examples

“The mountain has a perfect conical shape.”

“The chef used a conical strainer to ensure the sauce was perfectly smooth and free of lumps.”

“The ancient structure was topped with a conical roof made of local slate, designed to shed heavy snowfall during the harsh winter months.”

Examples

simple

“The mountain has a perfect conical shape.”

contextual

“The chef used a conical strainer to ensure the sauce was perfectly smooth and free of lumps.”

complex

“The ancient structure was topped with a conical roof made of local slate, designed to shed heavy snowfall during the harsh winter months.”

Usage

Typically used attributively before the noun it modifies.

Real-World Examples

“Flat bottom brewers, such as the Kalita Wave, extract coffee differently to conical drippers like the V60.”
Perfect Daily Grind · 9 Aug 2021

Etymology

From conic + -al.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

coneNounconicalAdjective

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/conical

English Reference