When is "diamond" used instead of "rhombus" in everyday language?

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Detailed Solution

The term "diamond" is the common, informal name used in everyday language, while "rhombus" is the precise mathematical term.

The word "diamond" is almost always used to describe a rhombus that is oriented "on its point"—that is, with one of its vertices (corners) pointing up or down. Even though a "tilted square" is technically a rhombus, most people would not call it a diamond.

The most common examples of the "diamond shape" are:

Playing Cards: The red "diamond" suit is a perfect example of a non-square rhombus oriented on a vertex.
Jewelry: The classic "diamond cut" of a gemstone, when viewed from the top, often has a rhombus-like or kite-like outline.
Baseball Fields: A baseball "diamond" is actually a perfect square (which is a type of rhombus) that is rotated 45 degrees so that home plate is at the bottom vertex.

In geometry, "rhombus" refers to the shape regardless of its orientation, while "diamond" refers to its appearance in a specific, common orientation.

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