An octahedron is a three-dimensional geometric shape that has eight triangular faces. It is one of the five Platonic solids, which are regular, convex polyhedra with identical faces. Each vertex of an octahedron connects four edges, and it has a total of six vertices and twelve edges. In a regular octahedron, all faces are equilateral triangles, making it symmetrical and aesthetically pleasing. Octahedrons can be found in various fields, including crystallography, where certain minerals form octahedral shapes, and in game design, where they are often used as dice, specifically the d8 or eight-sided die.