calculus

American  

[kal-kyuh-luhs] / ˈkæl kyə ləs /

noun

plural

calculi, calculuses

1. Mathematics. a method of calculation, especially one of several highly systematic methods of treating problems by a special system of algebraic notations, as differential or integral calculus.

2. Pathology. a stone, or concretion, formed in the gallbladder, kidneys, or other parts of the body.

3. Also called tartar.  Dentistry. a hard, yellowish to brownish-black deposit on teeth formed largely through the mineralization of dead bacteria in dental plaques by the calcium salts in salivary secretions and subgingival transudates.

4. calculation; estimation or computation.

   the calculus of political appeal.

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calculus British  

/ ˈkælkjʊləs /

noun

1. a branch of mathematics, developed independently by Newton and Leibniz. Both differential calculus and integral calculus are concerned with the effect on a function of an infinitesimal change in the independent variable as it tends to zero

2. any mathematical system of calculation involving the use of symbols

3. logic an uninterpreted formal system Compare formal language

4. pathol a stonelike concretion of minerals and salts found in ducts or hollow organs of the body

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calculus Scientific  

/ kăl′kyə-ləs /

plural

calculi

1. The branch of mathematics that deals with limits and the differentiation and integration of functions of one or more variables.

2. See more at calculus of variations differential calculus integral calculus

3. A solid mass, usually composed of inorganic material, formed in a cavity or tissue of the body. Calculi are most commonly found in the gallbladder, kidney, or urinary bladder.

4. Also called stone

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calculus Cultural  

1. The branch of mathematics, usually studied after algebra, that provides a natural method for describing gradual change.

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Discover More

Most modern sciences use calculus.

Etymology

Origin of calculus

1610–20; < Latin: pebble, small stone (used in reckoning), equivalent to calc- (stem of calx stone) + -ulus -ule

Example Sentences

A scruffy young man with a calculus textbook glances up from his homework and says, “Uh-huh. She used to live next to my cousin. What’s the problem?”

From Literature

“No. I’m asking about chemistry because you mentioned it was your worst subject. I told you that calculus was mine. Remember?”

From Literature

“For me, it was a simple calculus,” Lloyd said.

From The Wall Street Journal

“It seems for Jews that there is a calculus of the lesser of evils,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal

The region’s more recent strategic importance traces to the 1930s when major oil discoveries in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain sparked a new geopolitical calculus about the region.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• algebra
• calculation
• geometry
• math