Word Fact

English speakers once used the term foursquare to describe a rectangle with four equal sides, even though they could say it was simply a square. Threesquare was also used to describe a triangle with equal sides, sixsquare as an alternate for hexagonal, and eightsquare for octagonal. Eventually, foursquare developed a second sense, used to describe persons of things that stand out "squarely" and forthrightly. One can now speak of "foursquare citizens" and "a foursquare response." "Foursquare" can also be an adverb meaning "solidly" or "forthrightly."