hexagonal

Everyday

Hexagonal means shaped like a hexagon: having six straight sides and six corners. tree →

In the lessons

In maths lessons a regular hexagon has six equal sides and six equal angles of 120°; hexagons fit together with no gaps, which is called tessellation. In science, honeycomb cells in a beehive are hexagonal, and snowflakes have hexagonal (six-fold) shapes. The Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland has hexagonal stone columns. Many nuts (for bolts) and pencils are hexagonal.

Examples

• Bees build hexagonal cells in their honeycomb. tree →
• This pencil is hexagonal so it does not roll off the desk. tree →
• The Giant's Causeway is made of hexagonal rock columns. tree →
• A hexagonal shape has six sides. tree →
• The snowflake had a hexagonal pattern. tree →
• Hexagonal tiles fit together without gaps. tree →
• A hexagonal prism has two hexagonal faces and six rectangle faces. tree →

Note

Adjective from «hexagon». «Hex-» means six (Greek). In maths, a hexagon has 6 sides, 6 vertices, and its interior angles add up to 720°. Do not confuse with pentagon (5) or octagon (8).