cone
gb/kˈoʊn/ us/kˈoʊn/
A1
English
~ 8100
kúp, terelőkúp, tölcséres fagyi, fagylalttölcsér, toboz, csap, csapsejt, vulkáni kúp, terelőkúpokkal lezár, terelőkúpokkal elkerít
NOUN
A2
1
Usage pattern:
a cone of [something]
The workers put bright orange cones around the hole in the road.
A munkások élénk narancssárga terelőkúpokat tettek az úton lévő gödör köré.
The artist sketched a cone next to a cylinder and a sphere.
A művész egy kúpot vázolt fel egy henger és egy gömb mellé.
She used a paper cone to pour the sand into the narrow bottle.
A tall metal cone marked the top of the monument.
Please run around each cone and then back to the starting line.
Learner examples
The road is closed, so they put cones in front of it.
Az út le van zárva, ezért terelőkúpokat tettek elé.
In math class, we drew a cone and a cube.
Matematikaórán egy kúpot és egy kockát rajzoltunk.
I made a small cone from white paper.
He kicked the ball between the two cones.
The traffic cones are bright so drivers can see them.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "cone" and "corn" in pronunciation and spelling. Another mistake is using "cone" for flat objects (e.g., saying "a cone of paper" when they mean a flat sheet). Emphasize that a cone is always three-dimensional and pointed.
Meaning
solid object with a pointed top
Collocations
traffic cone
|orange cones
|cone shape
|cone-shaped object
|paper cone
|stack of cones
Synonyms
conical shape (More technical and descriptive, focusing on the geometric form rather than the everyday object.)
Antonyms
cube (Represents a very different basic 3D solid with flat faces and no point.)
Themes
daily life
|objects
|math
|education
|science
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A 3D shape with a round bottom and a point at the top, like a traffic cone or a party hat.
A three-dimensional shape or object with a flat circular base that narrows smoothly to a single point, like a traffic cone or party hat.
NOUN
A1
2
Usage pattern:
an ice cream cone with [flavor]
She bought a vanilla ice cream cone on her way home.
Hazafelé vett egy tölcséres vaníliafagyit.
Do you want your ice cream in a cone or a cup?
Tölcsérben vagy pohárban kéred a fagyit?
The child dropped his cone, and the ice cream splattered on the sidewalk.
I ordered a waffle cone with two scoops of chocolate.
They walked along the beach, each holding a dripping cone.
Learner examples
I like to eat ice cream in a cone.
Szeretem tölcsérben enni a fagyit.
He has a big cone with three scoops.
Van nála egy nagy tölcséres fagyi három gombóccal.
She dropped her ice cream cone on the floor.
You can choose a cone or a cup for your ice cream.
This cone is too small for two scoops.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say "ice cream in a cornet" without knowing it sounds old-fashioned in many places; "cone" is safer and more common. They also may confuse the container with the flavor and say "I want a chocolate cone" when they only want the chocolate ice cream; this is acceptable in conversation but context should make it clear.
Meaning
cone-shaped ice cream holder
Collocations
ice cream cone
|waffle cone
|sugar cone
|a chocolate-dipped cone
|double-scoop cone
|eat a cone
Synonyms
ice cream cornet (Used mainly in British English and sounds a bit old-fashioned or regional.)
Antonyms
bowl (A common alternative container for ice cream that contrasts with a cone you hold in your hand.)
Themes
food
|daily life
|leisure
|food_drink
|daily_life
Definition
A hard, sweet cone that holds ice cream, and also the ice cream you eat in it.
A crisp cone-shaped biscuit or wafer used to hold ice cream, or a serving of ice cream in such a holder.
NOUN
B1
3
toboz
B1
Usage pattern:
a cone from [type of tree]
The forest floor was covered with dry pine cones.
Az erdő talaját száraz tobozok borították.
She used a pine cone as a decoration on the holiday wreath.
Az ünnepi koszorút egy tobozzal díszítette.
Squirrels were sitting on the branches, chewing on cones.
The teacher showed the children how seeds fall out of an open cone.
We collected cones and leaves for our nature project.
Learner examples
There are many pine cones under the trees.
Sok toboz van a fák alatt.
The child picked up a cone and put it in his bag.
A gyerek felvett egy tobozt, és betette a táskájába.
Birds eat the seeds inside the cone.
She painted a cone and put it on the table.
This cone comes from a very tall pine tree.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "cone" here means the tree itself, saying things like "There are many cones in this forest" when they mean pine trees. Explain that the cone is only the hard, seed-carrying part of the tree.
Meaning
woody seed cone on conifers
Collocations
pine cone
|fir cone
|spruce cone
|collect cones
|open cones
|cone scales
Synonyms
pinecone (A common alternative spelling written as one word, especially in informal contexts.)
Antonyms
flower (Flowers are the reproductive structures of flowering plants, contrasting with cones on conifer trees.)
Themes
nature
|plants
|environment
Definition
The hard, brown, cone-shaped part of a pine tree that has many small pieces and holds seeds.
The hard, woody cone-shaped structure on a pine or other coniferous tree that holds its seeds.
NOUN
B2
TECHNICAL
4
Usage pattern:
rods and cones in [the eye]
Cones in the retina allow us to see different colors.
A retinában lévő csapok teszik lehetővé, hogy különböző színeket lássunk.
People with damaged cone cells often have trouble seeing in bright light.
Azok, akiknek károsodtak a csapsejtjeik, gyakran nehezen látnak erős fényben.
The study looked at how rods and cones respond to flashes of light.
A lack of certain cones can lead to color blindness.
The disease slowly destroys cone photoreceptors in the central retina.
Learner examples
Cones in your eyes help you see colors.
A szemedben lévő csapok segítenek a színek látásában.
Rods and cones work together so you can see.
A pálcikák és a csapok együtt működnek, hogy látni tudj.
If your cones are damaged, you may not see red or green clearly.
The doctor said my cones are healthy.
Some animals have more cones than humans.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this sense with the everyday object and imagine a cone-shaped piece in the eye. Explain that the cells are called "cones" because of their shape, but here the word refers to the biological cell, not a separate object you can see easily.
Meaning
color-detecting cell in the eye
Collocations
rods and cones
|cone cells
|loss of cone function
|cone photoreceptors
|cone sensitivity
Synonyms
photoreceptor (A more general scientific term that includes both rods and cones, not only cones.)
Antonyms
rod (The other main type of photoreceptor in the eye, used for low-light and peripheral vision rather than color.)
Themes
science
|medicine
|biology
|health
|body
Definition
A tiny cell in the back of the eye that helps you see colors and see well in bright light.
A type of light-sensitive cell in the retina of the eye that is responsible for color vision and functions best in bright light.
NOUN
B2
TECHNICAL
5
vulkáni kúp
B2
Usage pattern:
a volcanic cone of [material]
The town lies at the base of an old volcanic cone.
A város egy régi vulkáni kúp lábánál fekszik.
Over time, erosion has worn down much of the cone.
Az idők során az erózió a kúp jelentős részét lepusztította.
The cinder cone was formed by repeated small eruptions.
A perfect cone rose sharply from the surrounding plain.
Ash fell and slowly built up the cone around the crater.
Learner examples
We could see the dark cone of the volcano from the road.
Az útról láttuk a vulkán sötét kúpját.
Rain and wind slowly change the shape of the volcanic cone.
Az eső és a szél lassan megváltoztatja a vulkáni kúp alakját.
A cinder cone is made from small pieces of rock.
The cone is very steep near the top.
Villages are built on the lower sides of the cone.
Common mistake:
Learners may call the whole volcano a "cone" without realizing that the word usually refers to the cone-shaped hill built around the vent, not the entire volcanic system under the ground.
Meaning
cone-shaped hill of a volcano
Collocations
volcanic cone
|cinder cone
|ash cone
|cone-shaped volcano
|eroded cone
Synonyms
volcanic cone (A more specific term that always refers to the cone of a volcano.)
Antonyms
plain (A large, flat area of land, contrasting with a steep cone-shaped hill.)
Themes
science
|geography
|nature
Definition
A hill shaped like a cone that forms around the opening of a volcano from rock and ash.
A cone-shaped hill or mound of rock, ash, or other material that has built up around the vent of a volcano.
VERB
B2
6
Usage pattern:
cone off [an area]
Police coned off the accident site after the crash.
A rendőrség a baleset után terelőkúpokkal zárta le a helyszínt.
Workers coned off two lanes while they repaired the bridge.
A híd javítása idejére a munkások két sávot terelőkúpokkal zártak le.
The parking lot was coned off for the festival.
They coned off the entrance to stop cars from coming in.
Please cone off the wet area so no one slips.
Learner examples
The police coned off the street.
A rendőrség terelőkúpokkal zárta le az utcát.
They coned off the parking spaces for the event.
A rendezvényhez terelőkúpokkal különítették el a parkolóhelyeket.
The area is coned off, so you cannot drive there.
Workers will cone off this lane at night.
We must cone off the wet floor.
Common mistake:
Learners often try to use "cone" as a verb without the particle, saying "They coned the street" in formal writing. In most cases, the more natural form is the phrasal verb "cone off" plus the area.
Meaning
mark an area with cones
Collocations
cone off the road
|area was coned off
|cone off a lane
|cones off the parking spaces
Synonyms
cordon off (More general and slightly more formal; can use tape, barriers, or people, not just cones.)
Antonyms
open (To remove restrictions so that an area can be used again, opposite of blocking it with cones.)
Themes
transport
|safety
|work
|transportation
|daily_life
Definition
To put traffic cones around a place so that people or cars do not go there.
To surround, block, or mark off an area by putting traffic cones around or across it.
Grammar
Dictionary form
cone
IPA
GB/kˈoʊn/
US/kˈoʊn/
Syllables & stress
cone (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (cone)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: cone
- Plural: cones
Verb
- Base: cone
- 3rd Person Singular: cones
- Present Participle: coning
- Past: coned
Word family
Forms
cones
noun
coning
verb
coned
verb
Related words
conical
adjective
Expressions
cone of silence
1/kˈoʊn əv sˈaɪləns/
idiom
informal
situation of complete secrecy or quiet
A situation where people cannot hear or do not share information with others, often used jokingly for very private or secret talk.
Examples
- Let's step into a cone of silence before we discuss salaries.
- The meeting was held under a cone of silence, and no details were released to the press.
- They treated the new project like it was under a cone of silence.
cone off
1/kˈoʊn ˈɔf/
phrasal verb
block an area with traffic cones
To put traffic cones around or across a place so that people or cars know they must not go there.
Examples
- They plan to cone off the main road during the marathon.
- The police coned off the bridge while they checked it for damage.
- Workers coned off the entrance to the building after the fire alarm.