any cone-shaped artifact
"The ancient civilization left behind stone cones as markers along the trade route."
a shape whose base is a circle and whose sides taper up to a point
"The traffic warden placed an orange cone on the road where the car had broken down."
a visual receptor cell in the retina that is sensitive to bright light and to color
"The cone cells in her eyes allowed her to see vibrant colors even under direct sunlight."
A surface of revolution formed by rotating a segment of a line around another line that intersects the first line.
"The ice cream vendor used a paper cone to hold the soft-serve, which is literally a surface of revolution formed by rotating a slanted edge around its central axis."
In plain English: A cone is a shape that tapers smoothly from a flat circular base to a single point at the top, just like an ice cream scoop or a party hat without its brim.
"The traffic light turned green and cars began to move out from behind the orange construction cone blocking the lane."
Usage: Use this word to describe any object shaped like an ice cream cone or traffic warning sign, not just the geometric figure defined in mathematics. When referring to physical objects, it is common as both a noun for the item itself and a verb meaning to mold something into that shape.
To fashion into the shape of a cone.
"The artist carefully folded and glued the paper to fashion it into the shape of a cone."
In plain English: To cone means to shape something into a pointed, tapering form that gets narrower toward the top.
"The traffic accident caused cars to cone off the lane for repairs."
A surname.
"The athlete Cone broke his own national record at the championships."
The word "cone" entered English in the Middle Ages via Old and Middle French, originating from Medieval Latin cōnus. This term was borrowed directly from Ancient Greek kônos, which originally described a spinning top or pine cone before coming to mean any object with that shape.