quincunx

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: quin=cunx

CIDE DICTIONARY

quincunx, n. [L., fr. quinque five + uncia an ounce. The quincunx was marked by five small spots or balls. See Five, and Ounce the weight.].

•  An arrangement of things by fives in a square or a rectangle, one being placed at each corner and one in the middle; especially, such an arrangement of trees repeated indefinitely, so as to form a regular group with rows running in various directions.  [1913 Webster]
•  The position of planets when distant from each other five signs, or 150Hutton.  [1913 Webster]
•  A quincuncial arrangement, as of the parts of a flower in æstivation. See Quincuncial, 2.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

quincunx, n.
1 five objects set so that four are at the corners of a square or rectangle and the fifth is at its centre, e.g. the five on dice or cards.
2 this arrangement, esp. in planting trees.

Derivative

quincuncial adj. quincuncially adv.

Etymology

L, = five-twelfths f. quinque five, uncia twelfth