Quincunx

So, there's this pretty cool word called a quincunx. I'll tell you what it means, but first...

Dad said it was the sound an 8-ball made when sinking into a pocket.
Mom said 5 nesting eggs, like those Russian Dolls

Jessie was under the impression it was a type of coral with 5 limbs.

Jess's friend said it means a plant that lives for 5 years.

And my grandma thought it was a group of 5 quintuplets.

So, actually, a quincunx is a set of five dots, circles, or anything, arranged into a

cross-shape.  All playing dice have the 5 side as a quincunx. Quincunx literally means "five-twelfths", because the Romans actually had a coin, called a Quincunx, that was worth
5/12 of an asurias, or as.  It took 32 asses to get an average haircut. Back in the

day. That means ~77 quincunxes.

Another form of the word quincunx is that of a planting formation. Sometimes, when you pass by an orchard, you will see the trees in a pattern that resembles a criss-cross, and that is actually called the quincunx formation. It is the suggested pattern, as it gives each tree the maximum amount of space, while still allowing for many trees.  The stars on the American Flag also follow the quincunx pattern. Just so you know.

The quincunx planting pattern.
Also, a great game of pachinko.

"But the quincunx of heaven runs low, and 'tis time to close the five ports of knowledge"

-Thomas Browne, Sr., "The Garden of Cyrus"

Fun fact: The quincunx pattern is also commonly used as a tattoo, inked on the hand between the thumb and index finger.  The meaning varies between cultures, though it is most commonly used to mean fertility or a close group of friends.

Fun Fact 2: Thomas Edison, slight inventor of the tattooing machine, had a quincunx tattooed on his hand. In Europe, quincunx  tattoos were given to prisoners.

Third and final Fun Fact: It can also be a symbol for Vietnamese Gang members, meaning love, money, prison, crime, revenge.*

Oh, you're going to like next week's word:

Hobbledehoy

(And, no, it does not have anything to do with Hobbits.)

*Don't quote me on this.  It's Wikipedia.