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cylindrical

UK[sɪˈlɪndrɪkəl]US[səˈlɪndrɪkəl]
adj

having the shape of a cylinder; long, round, and straight with circular ends of equal size.

Morpheme Breakdown

cylindr
ical
cylindr

cylinder

ical

adjective suffix

Etymology

the word 'cylindrical' traces its lineage to the greek 'kulindros', meaning a roller or something that rolls, derived from the verb 'kulindein', to roll. this term passed into latin as 'cylindrus'. the modern english adjective is formed by appending the productive suffix '-ical', of latin origin, to the root 'cylinder'. thus, the literal construction 'pertaining to a cylinder' directly yields the modern geometric meaning, describing any object possessing the long, round, straight-sided form of a cylinder.

Analysis

Structure: cylindr (cylinder) + ical (adjective suffix) cylindr (from latin cylindrus, from greek kulindros, meaning 'roller, cylinder'); ical (from latin -icalis, a compound adjectival suffix meaning 'of or pertaining to').

Examples

the tower was a tall, cylindrical structure made of stone.

she stored the documents in a large cylindrical tube.

the factory produces cylindrical bearings for industrial machinery.

cylindrical – Meaning, Etymology & Word Origin | OpenEtymology