Conical

/ˈkɒnɪkəl/

adjectiveBeginner📊CommonGeneral
1 meaning3 questions

Definitions

1

Having the shape of a cone.

/ˈkɒnɪkəl/

adjectiveneutralBeginner
General

Having the shape of a cone; tapering to a point.

The volcano had a conical shape.

💡 Simply: If something is conical, it looks like an ice cream cone, getting narrower at the top.

👶 For kids: Shaped like a cone! Like a party hat.

More Examples

2

They used a conical filter to make coffee.

3

The hat on the wizard was conical.

How It's Used

Geometry

"A conical surface is generated by a line moving so that it always intersects a fixed curve and passes through a fixed point."

Botany

"The conical shape of the fir tree helps shed snow effectively."

Art & Architecture

"The architect designed the building with a conical roof to allow rainwater to drain efficiently."

From Latin *conicus*, from Greek *kōnikos* (cone-shaped), derived from *kōnos* (cone). The term has been used in geometry and then extended to describe shapes resembling a cone.

The word 'conical' has been used to describe shapes since the 17th century, primarily in geometry and architecture.

Memory tip

Think of a cone-shaped ice cream or a traffic cone.

Word Origin

LanguageGreek
Original meaning

"cone-shaped"

conical shapeconical roofconical flaskconical surfaceconical projection

Common misspellings

conicleconiclelconnical

Usage

30%Spoken
70%Written