Glossary of shapes with metaphorical names

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 or 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.

Ampersand curve

Arbelos, from Greek árbylos, meaning "shoemaker's knife"

Astroid

Aquiline, shaped like an eagle's beak (as in a Roman nose)

Bathtub curve

Basket-handle arch

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

Butterfly curve (algebraic)

Butterfly curve (transcendental)

Butterfly lemma

Butterfly graph

Catenary, derived from the Latin word catēna, which means "chain".

Cissoid (from Ancient Greek κισσοειδής (kissoeidēs) 'ivy-shaped')

Cocked hat curve, also known as Bicorn

Cone (from the Greek word for « pine cone »)

Doughnut shape

Dragon curve

Egg-shaped, see "Oval", below

Superegg

Moss's Egg

Elephant

Elephant curve

Von Neumann's elephant

Fish curve

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

Cardioid

Hedgehog

Hedgehog (geometry)

Hedgehog space

Horseshoe-shaped or hippocrepiform, resembling a 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

Dogbone space

Hourglass corset

Ntama

Engraved Hourglass Nebula

Inverted bell

Kite

Lecotropal, in botany, shaped like a horseshoe (see horseshoe-shaped, above).