lower bound

[ loh-er ]

/ ˈloʊ ər /

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an element less than or equal to all the elements in a given set: The numbers 0 and 1 are lower bounds of the set consisting of 1, 2, and 3.

QUIZZES

Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.

Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

Dossi initially was listed in critical condition with wounds to his arm and lower back.
Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Girls raised in households with more equitable fathers show lower rates of unwanted sex.
How Good Dads Can Change the World|Gary Barker, PhD, Michael Kaufman|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
That act forever sealed his feeling for the Chief, bound it up with the war, with violence, with the gun.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Since then, the rising gap between the rich and middle- and lower-income families has risen to the fore.
Christie Blames Parents for Bad Economy|Monica Potts|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST

States were encouraged and allowed to lower standards to make it appear they were improving.
The ‘No Child’ Rewrite Threatens Your Kids’ Future|Jonah Edelman|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
On the thirteenth of the same month they bound to the stake, in order to burn alive, a man who had two religious in his house.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
On the upper part of the stem the whorls are very close together, but they are more widely separated at the lower portion.
How to Know the Ferns|S. Leonard Bastin
A small book, bound in full purple calf, lay half hidden in a nest of fine tissue paper on the dressing-table.
Hilda Lessways|Arnold Bennett
First a shower of shells dropping all along the lower ridges and out over the surface of the Bay.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
There are many more good dwellings on this plain than in the rural portion of Lower Italy.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley

lower bound

A number that is less than or equal to every number in a given set.