Lozenge
A lozenge is a geometric figure consisting of a rhombus with four equal sides and two acute angles opposite two obtuse angles, often visualized as a diamond shape standing on one of its points.[1] The term also denotes a small, solid, sweetened, and flavored preparation containing one or more medicaments, designed to dissolve or disintegrate slowly in the mouth for localized or systemic effects, such as relieving sore throats or delivering nicotine for smoking cessation.[1][2] In heraldry, a lozenge refers to a diamond-shaped charge on a shield, historically used to display the arms of unmarried women or widows, distinguishing it from the more common escutcheon shape for men.[3][4] Originating from Middle English "losenge," derived from Anglo-French, the word first appeared in the 14th century, initially describing the geometric form before extending to shaped objects and confections.[1] In geometry and design, lozenges appear in patterns like lozengy, where a field is divided into a crisscross of such diamonds, often alternating tinctures for visual contrast.[3] Heraldic lozenges, sometimes confused with the similar mascle (a voided lozenge), served practical purposes in medieval armory, symbolizing honesty and constancy while accommodating gender-specific conventions in escutcheons.[4][5] Pharmaceutical lozenges, also known as troches or pastilles, come in types such as hard (made from heated sugars molded for slow erosion over 5–10 minutes), soft (using polyethylene glycol or gelatin for easier dissolution), and chewable (gummy forms for pediatric use), allowing targeted delivery of ingredients like antiseptics, analgesics, or decongestants directly to the oral mucosa.[2] Their preparation avoids high heat for sensitive drugs, ensuring stability, and they offer advantages in patient compliance for those who struggle with swallowing tablets.[2]Etymology and Terminology
Historical Origins
The term "lozenge" entered the English language in the early 14th century as "losange," referring to a rhombus or diamond-shaped figure with four equal sides, borrowed directly from Old French "losenge" (modern French "losange").[6][7] The Old French word itself, attested in medieval texts for geometric forms like panes of glass or flat quadrilaterals, has an uncertain origin but is widely believed to stem from a pre-Roman Celtic substrate, possibly Iberian or Gaulish *lausa meaning "flat stone," evoking the shape's resemblance to a slab or tile.[6][8] This etymon aligns with Vulgar Latin *lausa ("flat stone"), yielding cognates such as Provençal "lausa," Spanish "losa" (slab), and Catalan "llosa" (tile), all denoting flat, stone-like surfaces that parallel the lozenge's angular profile.[9] The earliest recorded use of "lozenge" in English appears before 1366 in the poem The Romaunt of the Rose, where it describes a geometric diamond shape, reflecting its initial application to architectural or ornamental forms rather than comestibles or symbols.[7] By the late 14th century, the term had expanded to denote diamond-shaped confections or wafers, a semantic shift likely influenced by the shape's prevalence in baking and confectionery.[6] This evolution continued into the 16th century, when "lozenge" began appearing in heraldic treatises to specify the rhomboid charge—a diamond-shaped emblem on shields, often associated with women's arms—and in medical contexts for small, diamond-formulated tablets of sugar and remedies held in the mouth, as documented from the 1520s onward.[6][10] Cross-cultural parallels underscore the term's roots in describing diamond-like forms across Romance languages, with Italian "losanga" borrowed from Old French "losenge" in the medieval period to mean a rhombus or lozenge shape, used similarly in geometry and heraldry.[11] In Germanic languages, a comparable concept emerged independently as German "Raute," derived from Middle High German "rūte" (possibly linked to the cross-shaped flower of the rue plant, Ruta graveolens, or denoting a quadrangular pane), denoting a diamond or rhombus in heraldic and geometric contexts since the 13th century.[12][13] These linguistic variants highlight a shared European tradition of naming oblique, stone-evoking shapes, predating specialized applications in later centuries.[6]Modern Usage and Variants
In contemporary English, "lozenge" primarily denotes either a geometric figure resembling a rhombus with two acute and two obtuse angles, or a small, medicated tablet designed to dissolve in the mouth for throat relief.[14] The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary specifies the geometric sense as "a four-sided figure shaped like a diamond, with two opposite angles more than 90° and two less than 90°," while the medicinal sense describes it as "a small sweet, often lozenge-shaped, containing medicine" such as for coughs or sore throats.[14] Similarly, Merriam-Webster defines it as "a figure with four equal sides and two acute and two obtuse angles: diamond," alongside the pharmaceutical usage.[1] Spelling variants include the archaic form "losange," derived from Old French, which appeared in Middle English texts around the 14th century to describe diamond-shaped objects like cakes or panes.[6] A regional variant, "lozenger," persists in American English and northern England, particularly for the medicated tablet, often pronounced with an added "-er" sound, though "lozenge" remains the standard spelling across dialects.[15] Regional preferences also influence usage: in British English, "lozenge" is the preferred term for the throat tablet, whereas American English more commonly employs "cough drop" for the same item, reflecting subtle lexical divergences in everyday language.[16] Globalization has extended "lozenge" terminology into technical and international contexts, with the geometric sense adopted in Romance languages through cognates like French "losange" (rhombus) and Portuguese "losango" (lozenge shape), often in mathematical or heraldic discussions.[6] In non-European languages, English-derived forms appear in scientific literature; for instance, Russian uses "lozenge" transliterations in geometric contexts, while the medicinal term translates to "пастилка" but retains "lozenge" in global pharmaceutical branding.[17] This adoption highlights the term's utility in cross-cultural technical communication, particularly in fields like geometry and medicine.[18]Geometry
Definition and Basic Shape
A lozenge is a quadrilateral with four equal sides, making it an equilateral figure, though its interior angles are not necessarily equal or right angles, which distinguishes it from a square.[19] In geometric terms, it is a type of parallelogram where opposite sides are parallel and all sides share the same length.[20] Visually, a lozenge is often represented as a diamond shape, akin to a square rotated by 45 degrees, emphasizing its elongated or tilted appearance.[19] A simple ASCII diagram illustrates this basic form:In modern geometry, "lozenge" is synonymous with "rhombus," encompassing any such equilateral quadrilateral regardless of angle restrictions, though some definitions specify acute angles of 45 degrees for precision.[19]/\ / \ \ / \//\ / \ \ / \/