floating point
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noun
a decimal point whose location is not fixed, used especially in computer operations.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
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Scientific definitions for floating point
floating-point
[ flō′tĭng-point′ ]
Relating to a method of representing numerical quantities that uses two sets of integers, a mantissa and a characteristic, in which the value of the number is understood to be equal to the mantissa multiplied by a base (often 10) raised to the power of the characteristic. Scientific notation is one means of displaying floating-point numbers.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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