Search the Dictionary

Capable of being determined, definitely ascertained, decided upon, or brought to a conclusion. Not wholly determinable from the grammatical use of the words. South.

ched to the subject or predicate, narrowing the extent of both, but rendering them more definite and precise. Abp. Thomson.

Having defined limits; not uncertain or arbitrary; fixed; established; definite. Quantity of words and a determinate number of feet. Dryden.

In a determinate manner; definitely; ascertainably. The principles of religion are already either determinately true or false, before you think of them. Tillotson.

The quality of mind reaches definite conclusions; decision of character; resoluteness. He only is a well-made man who has a good determination. Emerson.

To ascertain definitely; to find out the specific character or name of; to assign to its true place in a system; as, to determine an unknown or a newly discovered plant or its name.

of a variable to the increment of the variable itself, when these increments are made indefinitely small. -- Differential coupling, a form of slip coupling used in light machinery to regulate at pleasure the velocity of the connected shaft. -- Differential duties (Polit. Econ.), duties which are not imposed equally u…

nate; to scatter; as to diffuse information. Thence diffuse His good to worlds and ages infinite. Milton. We find this knowledge diffused among all civilized nations. Whewell.

The act of dissociating or disuniting; a state of separation; disunion. It will add infinitely dissociation, distraction, and confusion of these confederate republics. Burke.

are larger as the series is extended; a series the sum of whose terms does not approach a finite limit when the series is extended indefinitely; -- opposed to a converging series.

State of diversity or variation; variegation; modification; change; alternation. Infinite diversifications of tints may be produced. Adventurer.

A formally stated and authoritatively settled doctrine; a definite, established, and authoritative tenet.

, and that second object causes a third to fall, etc.; the process can be repeated an indefinite number of times. Derived from an entertainment using dominoes arranged in a row, each standing on edge and therefore easily knocked over; when the first is made to fall against the next, it starts a sequence which ends when…

Uncertainty of meaning; ambiguity; indefiniteness. " The doubtfulness of his expressions." Locke.

An indefinite small number. Milton. A baker's dozen, thirteen; -- called also a long dozen.

heory (Chem.), the theory, originated by Lavoisier and developed by Berzelius, that all definite compounds are binary in their nature, and consist of two distinct constituents, themselves simple or complex, and possessed of opposite chemical or electrical affinities.

g of sheets each of which is folded into twelve leaves; hence, indicating, more or less definitely, a size of a book; -- usually written 12mo or 12º.

of the earth; the regions or countries which lie east of Europe; the orient. In this indefinite sense, the word is applied to Asia Minor, Syria, Chaldea, Persia, India, China, etc.; as, the riches of the East; the diamonds and pearls of the East; the kings of the East. The gorgeous East, with richest hand, Showers on…

An instrument for exciting electricity, and repeating the charge indefinitely by induction, consisting of a flat cake of resin, shelllac, or ebonite, upon which is placed a plate of metal.

An infinitesimal part of anything of the same nature as the entire magnitude considered; as, in a solid an element may be infinitesimal portion between any two planes that are separated and indefinitely small distance. In the calculus, element is sometimes used as synonymous with differential.