Quantity

Quantity
Quantity Quan"ti*ty, n.; pl. {Quantities}. [F. quantite, L. quantitas, fr. quantus bow great, how much, akin to quam bow, E. how, who. See {Who}.] [1913 Webster] 1. The attribute of being so much, and not more or less; the property of being measurable, or capable of increase and decrease, multiplication and division; greatness; and more concretely, that which answers the question ``How much?''; measure in regard to bulk or amount; determinate or comparative dimensions; measure; amount; bulk; extent; size. Hence, in specific uses: (a) (Logic) The extent or extension of a general conception, that is, the number of species or individuals to which it may be applied; also, its content or comprehension, that is, the number of its constituent qualities, attributes, or relations. (b) (Gram.) The measure of a syllable; that which determines the time in which it is pronounced; as, the long or short quantity of a vowel or syllable. (c) (Mus.) The relative duration of a tone. [1913 Webster]

2. That which can be increased, diminished, or measured; especially (Math.), anything to which mathematical processes are applicable. [1913 Webster]

Note: Quantity is discrete when it is applied to separate objects, as in number; continuous, when the parts are connected, either in succession, as in time, motion, etc., or in extension, as by the dimensions of space, viz., length, breadth, and thickness. [1913 Webster]

3. A determinate or estimated amount; a sum or bulk; a certain portion or part; sometimes, a considerable amount; a large portion, bulk, or sum; as, a medicine taken in quantities, that is, in large quantities. [1913 Webster]

The quantity of extensive and curious information which he had picked up during many months of desultory, but not unprofitable, study. --Macaulay. [1913 Webster]

{Quantity of estate} (Law), its time of continuance, or degree of interest, as in fee, for life, or for years. --Wharton (Law Dict. )

{Quantity of matter}, in a body, its mass, as determined by its weight, or by its momentum under a given velocity.

{Quantity of motion} (Mech.), in a body, the relative amount of its motion, as measured by its momentum, varying as the product of mass and velocity.

{Known quantities} (Math.), quantities whose values are given.

{Unknown quantities} (Math.), quantities whose values are sought. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?
Synonyms:

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Quantity — is a kind of property which exists as magnitude or multitude. It is among the basic classes of things along with quality, substance, change, and relation. Quantity was first introduced as quantum, an entity having quantity. Being a fundamental… …   Wikipedia

  • Quantity — • Interpretations of quantity as either a physical or theoretical abstraction Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Quantity     Quantity      …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • quantity — [kwänt′ə tē] n. pl. quantities [ME quantite < OFr < L quantitas < quantus, how great < quam, how, how much < IE interrogative base * kwo > WHO, WHAT] 1. an amount; portion 2. any indeterminate bulk, weight, or number 3. the… …   English World dictionary

  • quantity — I noun abundance, aggregate, allotment, amount, amplitude, apportionment, batch, bulk, bunch, crowd, fullness, heap, host, large number, legion, lot, mass, measure, measurement, mess, muchness, multiplicity, multitude, multitudinousness, myriads …   Law dictionary

  • quantity — (n.) early 14c., from O.Fr. quantite (Fr. quantité), from L. quantitatem (nom. quantitas, coined as a loan translation of Gk. posotes) relative greatness or extent, from quantus how much, from quam how, how much. Latin quantitas also is the… …   Etymology dictionary

  • quantity — amount, *sum, aggregate, total, whole, number …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • quantity — [n] number or amount abundance, aggregate, allotment, amplitude, batch, body, budget, bulk, capacity, deal, expanse, extent, figure, greatness, length, load, lot, magnitude, mass, measure, multitude, part, pile, portion, profusion, quota, size,… …   New thesaurus

  • quantity — ► NOUN (pl. quantities) 1) a certain amount or number. 2) the property of something that is measurable in number, amount, size, or weight. 3) a considerable number or amount. ORIGIN Latin quantitas, from quantus how great, how much …   English terms dictionary

  • quantity — Number of units or lots of a futures contract. Sometimes also called size. Chicago Mercantile Exchange Glossary * * * quantity quan‧ti‧ty [ˈkwɒntti ǁ ˈkwɑːn ] noun quantities PLURALFORM 1. [countable] an amount of something that can be counted… …   Financial and business terms

  • Quantity — (Roget s Thesaurus) >Absolute quantity. < N PARAG:Quantity >N GRP: N 1 Sgm: N 1 quantity quantity magnitude Sgm: N 1 size size &c.(dimensions) 192 Sgm: N 1 amplitude amplitude magnitude mass amount sum …   English dictionary for students

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”