Etymology

quincunx

Q10U1I1N1C3U1N1X8

Today it means: An arrangement of five units with four forming the corners of a square and the fifth at the centre of the square, a pattern corresponding to the five-spot on dice, playing cards, or dominoes. Full definition →

First used 1647Latin quīncunx
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The story

  1. Latin · borrowed fromquīncunx
  2. Latin · borrowed fromquīncunx
  3. English todayquincunx

Borrowed from Latin quīncunx.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 1647 An angle of five-twelfths of a circle, or 150°, between two objects.
  • from 1545 A bronze coin minted during the Roman Republic, valued at five-twelfths of an as.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.