Conical means shaped like a cone: wide and round at the bottom, then tapering smoothly upward to a point at the top. An ice cream cone has a conical shape. So do a volcano, a traffic cone, and the tip of a sharpened pencil.

The conical shape appears everywhere in nature and human design. Pine trees grow in a conical form, which helps snow slide off their branches in winter. Ancient peoples built conical huts that could withstand strong winds. Wizards in old stories wear conical hats that rise to a point. The nose cone of a rocket is conical because that shape cuts through air efficiently.

When architects or engineers describe something as conical, they mean it follows this specific geometry: a circular base that narrows steadily to a single point. If you stack circles of decreasing size on top of each other and smooth out the edges, you've created a conical form.