WordGarden.iopyramid
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /pˈɪrəmˌɪd/
US
- /ˈpɪrəmɪd/
Meanings
Noun
a large ancient monument with a broad base and sloping sides that meet near the top
a solid shape with a polygon base and triangular sides that meet at a point
an arrangement or hierarchy with many elements at the bottom and fewer at the top
More meaningsFewer meanings
an illegal scheme that pays earlier participants with money from later recruits
Beyond the definition
Imagine stacking blocks so the base is wide and the top comes to a point. That gives you the basic idea. A pyramid can be a solid shape with a base and sloping sides that meet at the top. It is also famous as a huge stone building from the ancient world, especially in Egypt, where such structures were built as tombs for pharaohs.
The word is not only about ancient history. It can also describe anything with this broad-bottom, narrow-top form, such as a roof, a pile of fruit, or a store display. It can also describe a system with many people at the bottom and only a few at the top. In that sense, a "pyramid scheme" is a dishonest plan in which money from new people is used to benefit the people above them.
A pyramid is most famously known as a large structure with a base and sloping sides that rise to a point at the top. The best-known examples are the pyramids of Egypt, built thousands of years ago as tombs for pharaohs and as lasting symbols of power. These were not just piles of stone. They were carefully planned monuments, and some were connected with beliefs about death and the afterlife. The Great Pyramid of Giza is one of the most famous examples.
However, the word goes beyond archaeology. In geometry, it means a solid figure with a base and triangular sides that meet at one point. In everyday life, it can describe things that have a similar form, such as a roof, a glass paperweight, a stack of oranges, or a display arranged to rise to a narrow top.
The word also has a figurative use. A hierarchy can be described as a pyramid when many people form the base and only a small number are at the top. This idea also appears in the phrase "pyramid scheme," which means an illegal or dishonest business setup that depends on bringing in new members whose money supports those already above them. It is called that because the structure grows wide at the bottom and stays narrow at the top.
So the word can refer to an ancient monument, a geometric form, an object arranged in that shape, or a social or business structure that narrows toward the top. In each case, the main idea is the same: a wide base, sloping sides or levels, and a single top point or peak.
Examples
- 1
Ancient monuments
We visited the pyramids outside Cairo on our last trip to Egypt.
- 2
Toy blocks
The children made a pyramid with toy blocks on the carpet.
- 3
Food arrangement
The waiter arranged the chocolates in a small pyramid on the plate.
- Patterna pyramid of + things
things piled into that shape
- 4
Company hierarchy
Only a few senior managers are at the top of the pyramid in that company.
- Phrasethe top of the pyramid
the highest level in a system or organization
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Team pose
The coach asked the team to form a human pyramid for the final pose.
- Phraseform a human pyramid
make that shape with people standing on each other
- 6
Fraud
She realized too late that the business was really a pyramid scheme.
- Phrasepyramid scheme
an illegal business that depends on recruiting more and more new people
See also
Similar
- pyramidal solid
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- square-based pyramid
- Egyptian pyramid
- pyramid scheme
Word family
Explore
- polyhedron
- apex
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- pyramidnounverb
Forms
- pyramidspluralnounverb