binary

[bahy-nuh-ree, -ner-ee]

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adjective

consisting of, indicating, or involving two.

Mathematics.

of or relating to a system of numerical notation to the base 2, in which each place of a number, expressed as 0 or 1, corresponds to a power of 2. The decimal number 58 appears as 111010 in binary notation, since 58 = 1 × 25 + 1 × 24 + 1 × 23 + 0 × 22 + 1 × 21 + 0 × 20.
of or relating to the digits or numbers used in binary notation.
of or relating to a binary system.
(of an operation) assigning a third quantity to two given quantities, as in the addition of two numbers.

Computers. of, relating to, or written in binary code; programmed or encoded using only the digits 0 and 1: All executable programs on the computer are stored in binary files.

Chemistry. noting a compound containing only two elements or groups, as sodium chloride, methyl bromide, or methyl hydroxide.

Metallurgy. (of an alloy) having two principal constituents.

noun, plural bi·na·ries.

a whole composed of two.

Mathematics. a system of numerical notation to the base 2, in which each place of a number, expressed as 0 or 1, corresponds to a power of 2: to convert decimal to binary.

Also called binary number. Mathematics. a number expressed in the binary system of notation.

Computers. binary code.

Computers. an executable file stored in binary format.

Astronomy. binary star.

Origin of binary

1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin bīnārius, equivalent to bīn(ī) (see bin-) + -ārius -ary

Can be confusedbinary bindery

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for binary

double, dual, twice, binate, doubled

Examples from the Web for binary

Contemporary Examples of binary

And this, in turn, reinforced the religious vision of a God-given binary.
Intersexuality and God Through the Ages
Candida Moss
November 9, 2014
She acts as a sort of lie detector, but proceeds through elegant narrative rather than binary test.
Wonder Woman’s Creation Story Is Wilder Than You Could Ever Imagine
Tom Arnold-Forster
November 3, 2014
A little astronomical forensics suggests that these objects used to be a binary: two stars in mutual orbit.
The Weirdest Object in the Universe
Matthew R. Francis
May 18, 2014
Many stars are in binary systems, locked in mutual orbit with another star.
The Hypervelocity Star That’s Being Booted from the Galaxy
Matthew R. Francis
May 11, 2014
Includes people who do not identify within the binary gender system (i.e., man/woman).
What Each of Facebook’s 51 New Gender Options Means
Debby Herbenick PhD, Aleta Baldwin
February 15, 2014

Historical Examples of binary

Each pair is apparently a binary; but the period of revolution is unknown.
Pleasures of the telescope
Garrett Serviss
It is regarded as a binary of long and as yet unascertained period.
Pleasures of the telescope
Garrett Serviss
Antares is probably a binary, although its binary character has not yet been established.
Pleasures of the telescope
Garrett Serviss
It is only in the case of binary systems that we can discover the masses of stars at all.
Astronomy of To-day
Cecil G. Dolmage
The binary coloured systems are not all composed of blue and red suns.
Everyday Objects
W. H. Davenport Adams

British Dictionary definitions for binary

binary

adjective

composed of, relating to, or involving two; dual

maths computing of, relating to, or expressed in binary notation or binary code

(of a compound or molecule) containing atoms of two different elements

metallurgy (of an alloy) consisting of two components or phases

(of an educational system) consisting of two parallel forms of education such as the grammar school and the secondary modern in Britain

maths logic (of a relation, expression, or operation) applying to two elements of its domain; having two argument places; dyadic

noun plural -ries

something composed of two parts or things

astronomy See binary star

short for binary weapon

Word Origin for binary

C16: from Late Latin bīnārius; see bin-

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for binary

adj.

"dual," mid-15c., from Late Latin binarius "consisting of two," from bini "twofold, two apiece, two-by-two" (used especially of matched things), from bis "double" (see bis-). Binary code in computer terminology was in use by 1952, though the idea itself is ancient. Binary star in astronomy is from 1802.

binary in Medicine

binary

[bī′nə-rē]

adj.

Characterized by or consisting of two parts or components; twofold.

Consisting of or containing only molecules having two kinds of atoms.

binary in Science

binary

[bī′nə-rē]

Having two parts.

Mathematics Based on the number 2 or the binary number system.

binary in Culture

binary

[(beye-nuh-ree, beye-ner-ee)]

Anything composed of two parts. In modern computers, information is stored in banks of components that act like switches. Since switches can be either on or off, they have a binary character, and we say that the computer uses “binary arithmetic” to do its work.