A quincunx ( / ˈ k w ɪ n . k ʌ ŋ k s / KWIN -kunks ) is a geometric pattern consisting of five points arranged in a cross, with four of them forming a square or rectangle and a fifth at its center. The same pattern has other names, including "in saltire" or "in cross" in heraldry (depending on the orientation of the outer square), the five-point stencil in numerical analysis , and the five dots tattoo . It forms the arrangement of five units in the pattern corresponding to the five-spot on six-sided dice , playing cards , and dominoes . It is represented in Unicode as U+2059 ⁙ FIVE DOT PUNCTUATION or (for the die pattern) U+2684 ⚄ DIE FACE-5 .
3-520: The quincunx was originally a coin issued by the Roman Republic c. 211–200 BC , whose value was five twelfths ( quinque and uncia ) of an as , the Roman standard bronze coin. On the Roman quincunx coins, the value was sometimes indicated by a pattern of five dots or pellets. However, these dots were not always arranged in a quincunx pattern. The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) dates
6-477: A tree-planting pattern, the same word can also refer to groups of more than five trees, arranged in a square grid but aligned diagonally to the dimensions of the surrounding plot of land; however, this article considers only five-point patterns and not their extension to larger square grids. Quincunx patterns occur in many contexts: Various literary works use or refer to the quincunx pattern: Quincunx (coin) Too Many Requests If you report this error to
9-559: The first appearances of the Latin word in English as 1545 and 1574 ("in the sense 'five-twelfths of a pound or as ' "; i.e. 100 old pence). The first citation for a geometric meaning, as "a pattern used for planting trees", dates from 1606. The OED also cites a 1647 reference to the German astronomer Kepler for an astronomical/astrological meaning, an angle of 5/12 of a whole circle. When used to describe
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