dimension

[ dih-men-shuhn, dahy- ]
/ dɪˈmɛn ʃən, daɪ- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR dimension ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

verb (used with object)

to shape or fashion to the desired dimensions: Dimension the shelves so that they fit securely into the cabinet.
to indicate the dimensions of an item, area, etc., on (a sketch or drawing).

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Origin of dimension

1375–1425; late Middle English dimensioun (< Anglo-French) < Latin dīmēnsiōn- (stem of dīmēnsiō) a measuring, equivalent to dīmēns(us) measured out (past participle of dīmētīrī, equivalent to dī- di-2 + mētīrī to measure) + -iōn- -ion

OTHER WORDS FROM dimension

Words nearby dimension

dime bag, dime novel, dime store, dimelia, dimenhydrinate, dimension, dimension lumber, dimension stone, dimensional analysis, dimensionless number, dimer
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to dimension

extent, importance, proportion, range, thickness, element, length, magnitude, aspect, scope, height, quality, size, bulk, volume, capacity, mass, time

Example sentences from the Web for dimension

British Dictionary definitions for dimension

dimension
/ (dɪˈmɛnʃən) /

noun

(often plural) a measurement of the size of something in a particular direction, such as the length, width, height, or diameter
(often plural) scope; size; extenta problem of enormous dimensions
aspecta new dimension to politics
maths the number of coordinates required to locate a point in space
physics
  1. the product or the quotient of the fundamental physical quantities (such as mass, length, or time) raised to the appropriate power in a derived physical quantitythe dimensions of velocity are length divided by time
  2. the power to which such a fundamental quantity has to be raised in a derived quantity

verb

(tr) mainly US
  1. to shape or cut to specified dimensions
  2. to mark with specified dimensions

Derived forms of dimension

dimensional, adjectivedimensionality, noundimensionally, adverbdimensionless, adjective

Word Origin for dimension

C14: from Old French, from Latin dīmensiō an extent, from dīmētīrī to measure out, from mētīrī
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

Medical definitions for dimension

dimension
[ dĭ-mĕn′shən, dī- ]

n.

A measure of spatial extent, especially width, height, or length.
Scope or magnitude.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for dimension

dimension
[ dĭ-mĕn′shən ]

  1. Any one of the three physical or spatial properties of length, area, and volume. In geometry, a point is said to have zero dimension; a figure having only length, such as a line, has one dimension; a plane or surface, two dimensions; and a figure having volume, three dimensions. The fourth dimension is often said to be time, as in the theory of General Relativity. Higher dimensions can be dealt with mathematically but cannot be represented visually.
  2. The measurement of a length, width, or thickness.
A unit, such as mass, time, or charge, associated with a physical quantity and used as the basis for other measurements, such as acceleration.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.