Meanings
nounquincunx (plural quincunxes or quincunces)
plural quincunxes · plural quincunces
- 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.
- A Galton board.
In 1873–74 Sir Francis Galton (Charles Darwin’s cousin) designed an apparatus that he later named the quincunx.
1998, Deborah J. Bennett, Randomness, Harvard University Press, page 104 - historicalhobbiesA bronze coin minted during the Roman Republic, valued at five-twelfths of an as.First known use 1545
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Origin
- Latinquīncunx
- Latinquīncunx
- Englishquincunx
Borrowed from Latin quīncunx.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
French quinconce
- quinconcearrangement of five units
German Quinkunx, Quinkunx
- Quinkunxarrangement of five units
- Quinkunxangle of five-twelfths of a circle
Greek αστεροπεντάδα
- αστεροπεντάδα (asteropentáda)arrangement of five units
Italian quinconce
- quinconcearrangement of five units
Polish kwinkunks, kwinkunks
- kwinkunksarrangement of five units
- kwinkunksangle of five-twelfths of a circle
Portuguese quina, quincunce
- quinaarrangement of five units
- quincuncearrangement of five units
- quincôncioarrangement of five units
Spanish quincunce, quincuncio
- quincuncearrangement of five units
- quincuncioangle of five-twelfths of a circle
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with quincunx
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
quincunx. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quincunx
MLA
“quincunx.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quincunx. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “quincunx,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quincunx.
Source: quincunx on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.