gradient

American  

[grey-dee-uhnt] / ˈgreɪ di ənt /

noun

1. the degree of inclination, or the rate of ascent or descent, in a highway, railroad, etc.

2. an inclined surface; grade; ramp.

3. Physics.

   1. the rate of change with respect to distance of a variable quantity, as temperature or pressure, in the direction of maximum change.

   2. a curve representing such a rate of change.

4. Mathematics. a differential operator that, operating upon a function of several variables, results in a vector the coordinates of which are the partial derivatives of the function. grad. ∇

---

adjective

1. rising or descending by regular degrees of inclination.

2. progressing by walking; stepping with the feet as animals do.

3. of a type suitable for walking or running, as the feet of certain birds; gressorial.

gradient British  

/ ˈɡreɪdɪənt /

noun

1. Also called (esp US): grade.  a part of a railway, road, etc, that slopes upwards or downwards; inclination

2. Also called (esp US and Canadian): grade.  a measure of such a slope, esp the ratio of the vertical distance between two points on the slope to the horizontal distance between them

3. physics a measure of the change of some physical quantity, such as temperature or electric potential, over a specified distance

4. maths

   1. (of a curve) the slope of the tangent at any point on a curve with respect to the horizontal axis

   2. (of a function, f ( x, y, z )) the vector whose components along the axes are the partial derivatives of the function with respect to each variable, and whose direction is that in which the derivative of the function has its maximum value. Usually written: grad f , ∇ f or ∇ f Compare curl divergence

---

adjective

1. sloping uniformly

gradient Scientific  

/ grā′dē-ənt /

1. The degree to which something inclines; a slope. A mountain road with a gradient of ten percent rises one foot for every ten feet of horizontal length.

2. The rate at which a physical quantity, such as temperature or pressure changes over a distance.

3. A operator on scalar fields yielding a vector function, where the value of the vector evaluated at any point indicates the direction and degree of change of the field at that point.

---

Etymology

Origin of gradient

1635–45; < Latin gradient- (stem of gradiēns ), present participle of gradī to walk, go, equivalent to grad- walk + -i- thematic vowel + -ent- -ent

Example Sentences

At the same time, these events unfold within constantly changing physical conditions such as voltage fields, chemical gradients, ionic diffusion, and time-varying conductances.

From Science Daily

Normally, ions flow along electrochemical gradients, meaning they move from areas of high concentration to low concentration.

From Science Daily

A soaker is their thesis statement: a triple-beige stack of crisp-edged bread surrendering to brown gravy, studded with little hunks of meat that run a satisfying gradient from fatty to caramelized.

From Salon

Generally colliery tips were located on steep hillsides, whereas Ffos-y-Fran's overburden mounds sit "on ground with gentle gradients", with differences too in terms of how they were constructed and their drainage systems, they said.

From BBC

The three study sites "span a gradient of modern ice coverage," Pavia said.

From Science Daily