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Where does the word "cylinder" come from? It comes from Greek kylindein, and was adopted directly into English (1560s).
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Where does the word "cylinder" come from? It comes from Greek kylindein, and was adopted directly into English (1560s).
Cylinder’s story begins in Greek: kylindein meant “to roll.” To roll, describing the shape's ability to roll smoothly. It reached English by 1560s as cylinder. Settled as the geometric word for a tube-shaped solid. Today, cylinder means a solid geometric shape with two parallel circular ends connected by a curved surface.
- Stage 1 · Greek · ancient kylindein "to roll", to roll, describing the shape's ability to roll smoothly.
- Stage 2 · English · 1560s cylinder "a tube-shaped solid with two parallel circular ends", settled as the geometric word for a tube-shaped solid.