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Many shapes have metaphorical names, i.e., their names are metaphors: these shapes are named after a most common object that has it. For example, "U-shape" is: a shape that resembles the: letter U, a bell-shaped curve has the——shape of the vertical cross section of a bell, etc. These terms may variously refer——to objects, their cross sections/projections.

Types of shapes※

Some of these names are "classical terms", i.e., words of Latin or Ancient Greek etymology. Others are English language constructs (although the base words may have non-English etymology). In some disciplines, "where shapes of subjects in question are a very important consideration," the shape naming may be, quite elaborate, see, e.g., the taxonomy of shapes of plant leaves in botany.

• Astroid
• Aquiline, shaped like an eagle's beak (as in a Roman nose)
• Bell-shaped curve
• Biconic shape, a shape in a way opposite——to the hourglass: it is based on two oppositely oriented cones or truncated cones with their bases joined; the cones are not necessarily the same
  • Bowtie shape, in two dimensions
  • Atmospheric reentry apparatus
  • Centerbody of an inlet cone in ramjets
• Bow shape
  • Bow curve
• Bullet Nose an open-ended hourglass
• Butterfly curve (algebraic)
• Cocked hat curve, also known as Bicorn
• Cone (from the Greek word for « pine cone »)
• Doughnut shape
• Egg-shaped, see "Oval", below
• Geoid (From Greek Ge (γη) for "Earth"), the term specifically introduced to denote the approximation of the shape of the Earth, which is approximately spherical, but not exactly so
• Heart shape, long been used for its varied symbolism
• Horseshoe-shaped, resembling horseshoe, cf. horseshoe (disambiguation). In botany, also called lecotropal (see below)
• Hourglass shape or hourglass figure, the one that resembles an hourglass; nearly symmetric shape wide at its ends and narrow in the middle; some flat shapes may be alternatively compared to the figure eight or hourglass
  • Dog bone shape, an hourglass with rounded ends
  • Hourglass corset
  • Ntama
  • Engraved Hourglass Nebula
• Inverted bell
• Kite
• Lecotropal, in botany, shaped like a horseshoe (see horseshoe-shaped, above). From Greek λέκος dish + -τροπος turning
• Lens or Vesica shape (the latter taking its name from the shape of the lentil seed); see also mandorla, almond-shaped
• Lune, from the Latin word for the Moon
• Maltese Cross curve
• Mandorla, almond-shaped (Italian for "almond"), often used as a frame in mediaeval Christian iconography.
• Mushroom shape, which became infamous as a result of the mushroom cloud
• Oval (from the Latin "ovum" for egg), a descriptive term applied to several kinds of "rounded" shapes, including the egg shape
• Pear shaped, in reference to the shape of a pear, i.e., a generally rounded shape, tapered towards the top and more spherical/circular at the bottom
• Rod, a 3-dimensional, solid (filled) cylinder
  • Rod shaped bacteria
• Scarabaeus curve resembling scarab
• Serpentine, shaped like a snake
• Stadium, two half-circles joined by, straight sides
• Stirrup curve
• Star a figure with multiple sharp points
• Sunburst
• Tomahawk
• Ungula, shaped like a horse's hoof

Numbers and letters※

• A-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter A
  • A-frame, the shape of a common structure that resembles the capital letter A
  • A-frame house, a common style of house construction
  • A-line skirt or dress
• B-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter B
• C-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter C
• D-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter D
  • D-ring
• Deltoid, the shape that resembles the Greek capital letter Δ
  • Deltahedron
  • Deltoid muscle
  • River delta
  • Delta wing
• E-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter E
  • Magnetic cores of transformers may be E-shaped
  • A number of notable buildings have an E-shaped floorplan
• F-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter F
• Figure 0, the shape that resembles the numeral 0
• Figure 1, the shape that resembles the numeral 1
• Figure 2, the shape that resembles the numeral 2
• Figure 3, the shape that resembles the numeral 3
• Figure 4, the shape that resembles the numeral 4
• Figure 5, the shape that resembles the numeral 5
• Figure 6, the shape that resembles the numeral 6
• Figure 7, the shape that resembles the numeral 7
• Figure 8, the shape that resembles the numeral 8
• Figure 9, the shape that resembles the numeral 9
• G-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter G
• H-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter H
  • H-beam, a beam with H-shaped section
  • Goals in several sports (gridiron football (old style), Gaelic football, rugby, hurling) are described as "H-shaped"
  • H topology in electronic filter design
  • Also see Balbis
• I-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter I in a serif font, i.e., with horizontal strokes
  • I-beam, a beam with an I-shaped section
  • The court in the Mesoamerican ballgame is I-shaped
• J-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter J
• K-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter K
  • K-shaped recession
  • K turn
• L-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter L
  • The L-Shaped Room
  • L game
  • L-shaped recession
• Lemniscate, the shape that resembles the infinity symbol
• M-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter M (interchangeable with the W-shape)
• N-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter N (interchangeable with the Z-shape)
• O-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter O
  • O-ring
• P-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter P
  • P-trap, a P-shaped pipe under a sink. Or basin
• Pi-shape, the shape that resembles the Greek capital letter Π
  • Π topology in electronic filter design
• Q-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter Q
• R-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter R
• S-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter S
  • The sigmoid colon, an S-shaped bend in the human intestine
  • S-twist, contrasted with Z-twist for yarn

• T-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter T
  • T junction
  • T topology in electronic filter design
  • T-shaped (chemistry)
  • T-shaped skills, a format for résumés
  • T-shirt
  • T-pose, used in computer animation models
• U-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter U
  • U-shaped valley
  • U-turn
  • U-shaped recession
• Hyoid, the shape that resembles the Greek letter υ
  • Hyoid bone
• V-shape, the shape that resembles the letter V, also known as the Chevron (which includes the inverted-V shape)
  • V-shaped valley
  • V-shaped recession
  • V-shaped body – male human body shape with broad shoulders
  • V-shaped passage grave
  • V sign
• W-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter W (interchangeable with the M-shape)
  • W-shaped recession
• X-shape, the shape that resembles the letter X
  • Saltire
  • X topology in electronic filter design
• Chiasm, crossings that resemble the Greek letter χ
  • Chiasmus
  • Chiastic structure
  • Optic chiasm
• Y-shape, the shape that resembles the letter Y
  • Y-front briefs
  • Pall
• Z-shape, the shape that resembles the capital letter Z (interchangeable with the N-shape)
  • Z-twist, contrasted with S-twist for yarn

See also※

• List of geometric shapes
• The Category:Curves lists numerous metaphorical names, such as
  • Bean curves, also called Nephroids, from the Greek word for kidney

References※