math

¹

[math]

noun

1. mathematics.

math

²

[math]

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.

math

³

Also ma·tha

[muhth]

noun

1. a Hindu monastery.

math.

⁴

abbreviation

1. mathematical.

2. mathematician.

3. mathematics.

math

¹

/ mæθ /

noun

1. Brit equivalent: maths. informal,  short for mathematics

math.

²

abbreviation

1. mathematics

Word History and Origins

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)”; aftermath, mow ¹, mow ²

Origin of math³

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

Example Sentences

“Can all math learning stick in a student’s brain in that hour? Without homework, many students will not develop the knowledge base necessary for academic success.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

She's studying for her GCSEs in English and maths, as well as a Health and Social Care course.

Read more on BBC

Einhorn’s public thoughts are echoed in the letter that states that “when it comes to AI, doing math is essential. The figures simply must add up, and right now the math is…challenging.”

Read more on MarketWatch

Here’s some back-of-the-envelope math: If your stocks were valued at $20 million — to pick a big, round number — your children would likely pay marginally more in capital gains than in estate tax.

Read more on MarketWatch

Less than a third of Chicago eighth grade students are proficient in reading and math.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• algebra 
• calculation 
• calculus 
• geometry