What is a quincunx?

Answer 1

'Quincunx' (KWIN-kunks)

The meaning of the word 'quincunx' is...

A pattern of five objects arranged like the spots on the five on a die (plural: dice), dominos, and playing cards. Basically, an arrangement of five objects with one at each corner of a rectangle or square and one at the center. Such a symbol was at one time used for the Roman fraction 5/12, thus explaining its etymology -- 'quinque' = five, 'uncia' = twelve, 'Uncia' is also the root of the words "inch" and "ounce".

The 'as' was a Roman coin, and the 'quincunx' was another coin worth five-twelths of that.


'Quincunx Board'

A quincunx board starts with 1 pin on the frist row, 2 pins on the second rows, 3 pins on the third row, and so on. Multiple balls are then dropped onto the top pin. As the balls fall to the bottom, they will land into bins which are placed below the last row of pins. When counting the number of balls in each bin, one notices that there are more balls in the center bins than there are in the outer bins. Mathematically, we can notice that this distribution is a normal distribution.

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Answer 2

There is a wonderful book by Charles Palliser called "The Quincunx". The quincunx of the title is a heraldic figure of five that recurs throughout the 700 plus page book. Hard to put down...

Answer 3

It is an astrological aspect when two planets/asteroids etc. in a chart are 150 degrees apart (5/12 fraction). When coupled with another quincunx where both are joined by a sextile (looks like a triangle), this is referred to as the "finger of God" in a chart to focus attention upon a particular issue.

Answer 4

A quincunx is an arrangement of five objects with one at each corner of a rectangle or square and one at the center.

Answer 5

A quincunx board starts with 1 pin on the frist row, 2 pins on the second rows, 3 pins on the third row, and so on. Multiple balls are then dropped onto the top pin

Answer 6

A pattern of five spots, like the number five on dice.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quincunx

Answer 7

An arrangement of five objects with one at each corner of a rectangle or square and one at the center.