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he capacity of varying or changing; capable of alternation in any manner; changeable; as, variable winds or seasons; a variable quantity.

The quality or state of being variable; variability. James i. 17.

variation or change; unalterable; unchangeable; always uniform. Physical laws which are invariable. I. Taylor. -- In*va"ri*a*ble*ness, n. -- In*va"ri*a*bly, adv.

Invariable. Donne.

The quality of being alterable; variableness; alterability.

ig.: With reference to April being the month in which vegetation begins to put forth, the variableness of its weather, etc. The April's her eyes; it is love's spring. Shak. April fool, one who is sportively imposed upon by others on the first day of April.

The independent variable upon whose value that of a function depends. Brande & C.

A soft white alloy of variable composition (as a nine parts of tin to one of copper, or of fifty parts of tin to five of antimony and one of copper) used in bearings to diminish friction.

le in the bottom of a pump stock through which water enters. -- Blast nozzle, a fixed or variable orifice in the delivery end of a blast pipe; -- called also blast orifice. -- In full blast, in complete operation; in a state of great activity. See Blast, n., 2. [Colloq.]

g. -- Bohemian glass, a variety of hard glass of fine quality, made in Bohemia. It is of variable composition, containing usually silica, lime, and potash, rarely soda, but no lead. It is often remarkable for beauty of color.

An alloy (usually yellow) of copper and zinc, in variable proportion, but often containing two parts of copper to one part of zinc. It sometimes contains tin, and rarely other metals.

lus of variations, a branch of mathematics in which the laws of dependence which bind the variable quantities together are themselves subject to change. -- Differential calculus, a method of investigating mathematical questions by using the ratio of certain indefinitely small quantities called differentials. The probl…

g piece which, by the shape of its periphery or face, or a groove in its surface, imparts variable or intermittent motion to, or receives such motion from, a rod, lever, or block brought into sliding or rolling contact with it.

arches, and gums, which contain six (or some multiple of six) carbon atoms, united with a variable number of hydrogen and oxygen atoms, but with the two latter always in proportion as to form water; as dextrose, C6H12O6.

Capable of change; subject to alteration; mutable; variable; fickle; inconstant; as, a changeable humor.

Remaining unchanged or invariable, as a quantity, forc, law, etc.

A function involving the coefficients and the variables of a quantic, and such that when the quantic is lineally transformed the same function of the new variables and coefficients shall be equal to the old function multiplied by a factor. An invariant is a like function involving only the coefficients of the quantic.…

as the weight of a structure, in distinction from a moving load, as a train of cars, or a variable pressure, as of wind. -- Dead march (Mus.), a piece of solemn music intended to be played as an accompaniment to a funeral procession. -- Dead nettle (Bot.), a harmless plant with leaves like a nettle (Lamium album). -…

The quantity by which a variable is diminished. Equal decrement of life. (a) The decrease of life in a group of persons in which the assumed law of mortality is such that of a given large number of persons, all being now of the same age, an equal number shall die each consecutive year. (b) The decrease of life in a gro…

ract (Law), one not binding until some connecting stipulation is performed. -- Dependent variable (Math.), a varying quantity whose changes are arbitrary, but are regarded as produced by changes in another variable, which is called the independent variable.