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• math
  math

  noun

  mathematics.
• math.
  math.

  abbreviation

  mathematical.

math

¹ American  

[math] / mæθ /

noun

1. mathematics.

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math ² American  

[math] / mæθ /

noun

British Dialect.

1. a mowing; a leveling or cutting down of grass, grain, etc., with a mowing machine or scythe.

2. the crop mowed.

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math ³ American  

[muhth] / mʌθ /

Also matha

noun

1. a Hindu monastery.

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math. ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. mathematical.

2. mathematician.

3. mathematics.

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math ¹ British  

/ mæθ /

noun

1. Brit equivalent: maths.  informal short for mathematics

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math. ² British  

abbreviation

1. mathematics

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Etymology

Origin of math¹

First recorded in 1845–50; by shortening

Origin of math²

First recorded before 900; Middle English (bede)-mad, a kind of manorial duty to mow for one's lord, Old English mǣth “mowing, hay harvest”; cognate with German Mahd, Old Frisian mēth, Old Saxon mād(dag) “mowing (day)”; cf. aftermath, mow ¹, mow ²

Origin of math³

First recorded in 1825–35; from Hindi maṭh, from Sanskrit maṭha “hut, cottage, cell, monastery”

Explanation

Math is the science of numbers. You may start out learning addition and subtraction in math, and then end up years later tackling multivariable implicit differentiation problems. Say what?! Math is the common, shortened form of mathematics, which comes from the Greek mathematike tekhne, "mathematical science," from the root mathema, "knowledge or science." Math is one of the basic subjects that are covered in nearly every school, from basic addition to calculus. If someone says, "Do the math," they usually mean, "Just think about it — it's so obvious."

Example Sentences

“We have done the math,” he said, a nod to his campaign slogan Make America Think Harder, abbreviated on hats and pins as just MATH.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 10, 2020

Related Words

• algebra
• calculation
• calculus
• geometry