English
rhomb
Rhomb comes from Latin rhombus ‘rhombus (geometry)’, from Ancient Greek ῥόμβος ‘anything which may be turned or spun’, and ultimately from ῥέμβω ‘to turn’.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEῥέμβω1rhémbō‘to turn’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEῥόμβος2rhómbos‘anything which may be turned or spun’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CErhombus2‘rhombus (geometry)’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600rhombe2
- Englishearliest quotation 1726rhomb2
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek ῥόμβος
- 2 Wiktionary, English rhomb
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1726, Jonathan Swift, The Humours and Dispositions of the Laputians Described. […]: “Their Ideas are perpetually converſant in Lines and Figures.…”.
Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEῥέμβωWiktionary, Ancient Greek ῥόμβοςrhémbō‘to turn’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEῥόμβοςWiktionary, English rhombrhómbos‘anything which may be turned or spun’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CErhombusWiktionary, English rhomb‘rhombus (geometry)’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600rhombeWiktionary, English rhomb
- Englishearliest quotation 1726rhombWiktionary, English rhomb. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1726, Jonathan Swift, The Humours and Dispositions of the Laputians Described. […]: “Their Ideas are perpetually converſant in Lines and Figures.…”
The story
Partly borrowed from Middle French rhombe and partly from its etymon Latin rhombus, from Ancient Greek ῥόμβος (rhómbos).
Linked words
through Latin rhombus ‘rhombus (geometry)’
Today it means
noun A rhombus.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “rhomb”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Ancient Greek ῥόμβος. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek ῥέμβω / rhomb