decimal fraction

American  

[des-uh-muhl frak-shuhn, des-muhl] / ˈdɛs ə məl ˌfræk ʃən, ˈdɛs məl /

noun

Arithmetic.

1. a fraction whose denominator is some power of 10, usually indicated by a decimal point placed before the numerator, as 0.4 = 4/10; 0.126 = 126/1000.

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decimal fraction British  

noun

1. another name for decimal

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decimal fraction Scientific  

1. A decimal having no digits to the left of the decimal point except zero, such as 0.2 or 0.00354.

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Etymology

Origin of decimal fraction

First recorded in 1650–60

Example Sentences

Even a 1-0 or 2-1 defeat to South Africa would see the victors go level on points with England, but above them by a decimal fraction.

From The Guardian • Jul. 14, 2012

The race was nip-&-tuck; it was only by her decimal fraction that Mary Fontanna beat Gloria Miller of Pacific, Mo. Hoover & Garneld Sirs: I quote you from the irrepressible Walter Winchell's column of Sept.

From Time Magazine Archive

Can the same words mean both a common fraction and a decimal fraction?

From The Psychology of Arithmetic by Thorndike, Edward L. (Edward Lee)

Expressed as a vulgar fraction it is 2/3; but as a decimal fraction it is .6666 ad infinitum.

From The Hidden Power And Other Papers upon Mental Science by Troward, T. (Thomas)

We do all this consciously, in full statistical knowledge to a decimal fraction.

From Impressions and Comments by Ellis, Havelock