Advertisement

Origin and history of binomial

binomial(n.)

1550s, "an algebraic expression consisting of two terms," from Late Latin binomius "having two personal names," a hybrid from bi- "two" (see bi-) + nomius, from nomen (from PIE root *no-men- "name"). In zoology and botany, "a name consisting of two terms, generic and specific."

also from 1550s

Entries linking to binomial

polynomial

1670s (n.), in algebra, "an expression consisting of many terms;" 1704 (adj.), "containing many names or terms;" irregularly formed from poly- + stem of binomial. By 1885 as "a technical name consisting of more than two terms."

trinomial(adj.)

1670s, "having three names," from tri- + second element from binomial. In mathematics, "consisting of three terms," 1704. Related: Trinomially. As a noun, in sciences, "a technical name consisting of three words" (1865); in algebra, "a trinomial equation," 1670s.

Advertisement

Trends of binomial

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

More to explore

quantity
early 14c., quantite, "amount, magnitude, the being so much in measure or extent," from Old French quantite, cantite (12c., Modern French quantité) and directly from Latin quantitatem (nominative quantitas) "relative greatness or extent," coined as a loan-translation of Greek pos
penance
c. 1300, penaunce, "religious discipline or self-mortification as a token of repentance and as atonement for some sin; sorrow for sin shown by outward acts under authority and regulation of the Church," from Anglo-French penaunce, Old French peneance (12c.), from Latin pænitentia
zone
late 14c., from Latin zona "geographical belt, celestial zone," from Greek zōnē "a belt, the girdle worn by women at the hips," from zōnnynai "to gird," from PIE root *yos- "to gird" (source also of Avestan yasta- "girt," Lithuanian juosiu, juosti "to gird," Old Church Slavonic p
portmanteau
1580s, "flexible traveling case or bag for clothes and other necessaries," from Middle French portemanteau "traveling bag," originally "court official who carried a prince's mantle" (1540s), from porte, imperative of porter "to carry" (see porter (n.1)) + manteau "cloak" (see man
Christ
"the Anointed," synonymous with and translating to Greek  Hebrew mashiah (see messiah), a title given to Jesus of Nazareth; Old English crist (by 830, perhaps 675), from Latin Christus, from Greek khristos "the anointed," noun use of verbal adjective of khriein "to rub, anoi
depend
mid-15c., "to be attached to as a condition or cause, be a conditional effect or result," a figurative use, also literal, "to hang, be sustained by being attached to something above;" from Old French dependre, literally "to hang from, hang down," and directly from Latin dependere
discern
"perceive or recognize the difference or distinction between (two or more things);" also "distinguish (an object) with the eyes, see distinctly, behold;" also "perceive rationally, understand;" late 14c., from Old French discerner (13c.) "distinguish (between), separate" (by sift
derogatory
c. 1500, "detracting or tending to lessen authority, rights, or standing by taking something away from," from Late Latin derogatorius, from Latin derogatus, past participle of derogare "to take away, detract from, diminish," also "repeal partly, restrict, modify," from de "away"
crepuscular
figurative use, "dim, indistinct," is attested from 1660s; literal use, "pertaining to or resembling twilight," from 1755, from Latin crepusculum "twilight, dusk," related to creper "obscure, uncertain," from Proto-Italic *krepos "twilight," which is of uncertain origin. It is no
tuxedo
man's evening dress for semiformal occasions, 1889, named for Tuxedo Park, N.Y., a rural resort development for wealthy New Yorkers and site of a country club where it first was worn, supposedly in 1886. The name is an attractive subject for elaborate speculation, and connections

Share binomial

Advertisement
Trending
Dictionary entries near binomial
Advertisement