octagon

oc·ta·gon
O1C3T1A1G2O1N1
UK/ˈɒktəɡ(ə)n/US/ˈɑktəˌɡɑn/

noun

A polygon with eight sides and eight angles.

“Meronyms: angle, side; see also Thesaurus:polygon”

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Less commonScrabble 10

Meanings

nounoctagon (plural octagons)

plural octagons · alternative obsolete octogon

  1. alsoattributivegeometryA polygon with eight sides and eight angles.

    Meronyms: angle, side; see also Thesaurus:polygon

    5 more examples

    From the Circle deſcribe the Octagon, by taking half the Quadrant of the former for each Side of the latter. [...] [B]y conjoining theſe Points with ſtrait Lines agreeable to the Shape of the Octagon, the whole Work is completed.

    1707, Andrea Pozzo, “The Ninety-second Fig. An Octangular Cupola.”, in John James, transl., Rules and Examples of Perspective Proper for Painters and Architects, etc. in English and Latin: […], London: […] Benj[amin] Motte [Sr.], […]; [s]old by John Sturt […], →OCLC

    In like manner it is demonſtrated that one angle of a regular hexagon will be equal to one right angle, and one third part of one right angle; one angle of a regular octagon equal to one right angle and half a right angle; [...]

    1752, Euclid, “[Additions to the Fourth Book.] Prop[osition] VII. Probl[em]. To Describe any Regular Polygon upon a Given Right Line, Admitting the Division of a Given Arch of a Circle into any Number of Equal Parts.”, in E[dmund] Stone, transl., Euclid’s Elements of Geometry, the First Six, the Eleventh and Twelfth Books; […], London: […] Tho[mas] Payne, […], →OCLC, book IV, pages 199–200

    Bismuth is the most common of all native metallic substances. It is generally found either in cubes or octagons, or of a dendritical form, or else in thin laminæ investing the ores of other metals, particularly those of cobalt.

    1808, William Nicholson, “Ores of Bismuth”, in A Dictionary of Practical and Theoretical Chemistry, […], London: […] Richard Phillips, […], →OCLC, column 2

    The font is an octagon, having at each angle a slender pillar with crockets and finials, and the sides are richly sculptured with angels and animals, the figures holding shields, with various devices; at each corner of the contracting part towards the pedestal, are cherubs heads with expanded wings; and the pedestal, which is an irregular octagon, is ornamented with four non-descript animals, scaled over their breasts; on a moulding round the bottom are several old characters, now illegible.

    1810, [James Sargant Storer; John Grieg], “Worlingworth Church, Suffolk”, in Antiquarian and Topographical Cabinet, Containing a Series of Elegant Views of the Most Interesting Objects of Curiosity in Great Britain. […], volume VII, London: […] W. Clarke, […], →OCLC

    The building [the Winter Garden conservatory, Kew Gardens] was to be of five parts—a centre, two small octagons, and two wings connected by the octagons with the centre. The centre and the two octagons were finished, and some expenditure must have been laid out on the wings, as the ground was dug out and foundations in concrete laid for the pillars.

    1863 June 1, [Charles William] Selwyn, “Supply—Civil Service Estimates. Supply Considered in Committee.”, in Hansard’s Parliamentary Debates, […] (House of Commons), volume CLXXI, London: Published by Cornelius Buck, at the office for “Hansard’s Parliamentary Debates,” […], →OCLC, columns 214–215

    Synonyms: 8-gon

  2. governmentAn arena for mixed martial arts.
proper nounthe octagon

alternative obsolete octogon

  1. government(often capitalized) Any specific octagon (martial arts arena).

    These two will face off tonight in the Octagon. Don't miss it!

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA polygon with eight sides and eight angles.

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Also see

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ǵónu“knee”
  2. Proto-Indo-European*oḱtṓw“eight”
  3. Koine Greekὀκτάγωνος“having eight corners”
  4. Ancient Greekὀκτάγωνον“octagon”
  5. Latinoctagōnon
  6. Englishoctagon

From Latin octagōnon, octōgōnon (“octagon”), and from its etymon Ancient Greek ὀκτάγωνον (oktágōnon, “octagon”), probably from Koine Greek ὀκτάγωνος (oktágōnos, “having eight corners”) + -ον (-on, suffix forming nouns). ὀκτάγωνος is derived from ὀκτᾰ- (oktă-, prefix meaning ‘eight’) (from ὀκτώ (oktṓ, “eight”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *oḱtṓw (“eight”)) + γωνία (gōnía, “angle; corner”) (probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵónu (“knee”)); analysable as octa- + -gon. The English word is cognate with Middle French octogone (modern French octogone), Italian octagono (obsolete), ottagono, Spanish octágono, octógono. Sense 2 (“arena for mixed martial arts”) refers to its shape.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans oktogoon, aghoek
  • oktogoonpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
  • aghoekpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
Ancient Greek ὀκτάγωνον
  • ὀκτάγωνον (oktágōnon)polygon with eight sides and eight angles
Arabic مثمن
  • مثمنpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
Basque octogono
  • octogonopolygon with eight sides and eight angles
Bengali অষ্টভুজ
  • অষ্টভুজ (ośṭobhuj)polygon with eight sides and eight angles
Bulgarian октагон, осмоъгълник
  • октагон (oktagon)polygon with eight sides and eight angles
  • осмоъгълник (osmoăgălnik)polygon with eight sides and eight angles
Catalan octàgon
  • octàgonpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
Chinese Cantonese 八邊形 /八边形
  • 八邊形 /八边形 (baat³ bin¹ jing⁴)polygon with eight sides and eight angles
Chinese Mandarin 八邊形 /八边形, 八角形
  • 八邊形 /八边形 (bābiānxíng)polygon with eight sides and eight angles
  • 八角形 (bājiǎoxíng)polygon with eight sides and eight angles
  • 八角籠 /八角笼 (bājiǎolóng)arena for mixed martial arts
Czech osmiúhelník
  • osmiúhelníkpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
Danish ottekant
  • ottekantpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
Dutch achthoek
  • achthoekpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
Esperanto okangulo, oklatero
  • okangulopolygon with eight sides and eight angles
  • oklateropolygon with eight sides and eight angles
Finnish kahdeksankulmio
  • kahdeksankulmiopolygon with eight sides and eight angles
French octogone
  • octogonepolygon with eight sides and eight angles
German Achteck, Oktagon
  • Achteckpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
  • Oktagonpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
  • Oktogonpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
Greek οκτάγωνο, οχτάγωνο
  • οκτάγωνο (oktágono)polygon with eight sides and eight angles
  • οχτάγωνο (ochtágono)polygon with eight sides and eight angles
Hebrew מְתֻמָּן
  • מְתֻמָּן (m'tumán)polygon with eight sides and eight angles
Hindi अष्टकोण
  • अष्टकोण (aṣṭakoṇ)polygon with eight sides and eight angles
Hungarian nyolcszög
  • nyolcszögpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
Icelandic átthyrningur
  • átthyrningurpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
Indonesian segi delapan, oktagon
  • segi delapanpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
  • oktagonpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
Irish ochtagán
  • ochtagánpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
Italian ottagono
  • ottagonopolygon with eight sides and eight angles
Japanese 八角形
  • 八角形 (hakkakukei)polygon with eight sides and eight angles
Korean 팔각형
  • 팔각형 (palgakhyeong)polygon with eight sides and eight angles
Latin octagonon, octagonum
  • octagononpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
  • octagonumpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
  • octogonumpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
Lithuanian astoņstūris
  • astoņstūrispolygon with eight sides and eight angles
Malay oktagon, astakona
  • oktagonpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
  • astakonapolygon with eight sides and eight angles
  • segi lapanpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
Māori tapawaru
  • tapawarupolygon with eight sides and eight angles
Norwegian Bokmål oktogon, åttekant
  • oktogonpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
  • åttekantpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
Persian هشتضلعی
  • هشتضلعیpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
Polish ośmiokąt, ośmiobok
  • ośmiokątpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
  • ośmiobokpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
  • oktagonpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
  • oktagonarena for mixed martial arts
Portuguese octógono, octágono
  • octógonopolygon with eight sides and eight angles
  • octágonopolygon with eight sides and eight angles
Romanian octogon
  • octogonpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
Russian восьмиуго́льник
  • восьмиуго́льник (vosʹmiugólʹnik)polygon with eight sides and eight angles
Scottish Gaelic ochd-shliosach
  • ochd-shliosachpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
Slovak osemuholník
  • osemuholníkpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
Spanish octágono
  • octágonopolygon with eight sides and eight angles
Swedish oktagon, åttahörning
  • oktagonpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
  • åttahörningpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
Tagalog oktagon, walsiha
  • oktagonpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
  • walsihapolygon with eight sides and eight angles
  • oktagonopolygon with eight sides and eight angles
Tamil எண்கோணம்
  • எண்கோணம் (eṇkōṇam)polygon with eight sides and eight angles
Thai แปดเหลี่ยม
  • แปดเหลี่ยม (bpɛ̀ɛt-lìiam)polygon with eight sides and eight angles
Turkish sekizgen
  • sekizgenpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
Ukrainian восьмику́тник
  • восьмику́тник (vosʹmykútnyk)polygon with eight sides and eight angles
Vietnamese bát giác
  • bát giácpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
Welsh wythongl
  • wythonglpolygon with eight sides and eight angles
Zulu unxasishiyagalombili class 1a/2a
  • unxasishiyagalombili class 1a/2apolygon with eight sides and eight angles
Cite this entry
APA

octagon. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/octagon

MLA

“octagon.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/octagon. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “octagon,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/octagon.

Source: octagon on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.