Quincunx

For other uses, see Quincunx (disambiguation).
A quincunx of pips on the five-side of a die

A quincunx (/ˈkwɪn.kʌŋks/ 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.[1] 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.

  1. ^ Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 10th ed., as quoted by Pajares-Ayuela (2001).