vertex
- 01 C1 Advanced
the highest point or the top of something.
the highest point, top, or apex of a structure or object.
Simple“The climbers finally reached the vertex of the mountain just before sunset.”
In context“In anatomical terms, the vertex refers to the highest point of the skull, often used as a reference for height measurements.”
UsageThe plural form is usually 'vertices' in technical contexts, though 'vertexes' is occasionally seen.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a point where two or more lines or edges meet, like the corner of a triangle.
the point of intersection of two or more rays or the edges of a polygon or polyhedron.
Simple“A triangle has three vertices where its sides meet.”
In context“To calculate the area of the irregular polygon, the students first had to identify the coordinates of each vertex.”
UsageCommonly used in geometry and trigonometry to describe the 'corners' of shapes.
Synonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
a single point in a network or graph that is connected to others by lines.
a fundamental unit or node in a graph, representing an entity that may be connected to others via edges.
Simple“In this social network map, each person is represented by a vertex.”
In context“The algorithm efficiently finds the shortest path between two vertices in a complex weighted graph.”
UsageStandard terminology in computer science and discrete mathematics.
Late Middle English, borrowed from Latin vertex (“whirl, eddy; top, crown, peak, summit”). Doublet of vortex.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.