octal

American  

[ok-tl] / ˈɒk tl /

adjective

1. Also of or relating to the number system with base 8, employing the numerals 0 through 7.

2. relating to or encoded in an octal system, especially for use by a digital computer.

3. (of an electronic device) having eight pins in its base for electrical connections.

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noun

1. octonary.

octal Scientific  

/ ŏk′təl /

1. Relating to a number system having a base of 8. Each place in an octal number represents a power of 8. Octal notation has often been used in computer programming because three-digit binary numbers are readily converted into one-digit octal numbers from 0 to 7.

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Etymology

Origin of octal

First recorded in 1935–40; oct- + -al ¹

Example Sentences

“You’d punch one number wrong into a card, and you got a bunch of wasted paper … just a bunch of octal numbers that didn’t mean anything.”

From Scientific American • Jul. 12, 2019

Normally, the machine would require 36 bits or 12 octal digits to be written for each instruction used in the machine.

From Preliminary Specifications: Programmed Data Processor Model Three (PDP-3) October, 1960 by Digital Equipment Corporation

Once upon a time, these magic numbers were PDP-11 branch instructions that skipped over header data to the start of executable code; the 0407, for example, was octal for `branch 16 bytes relative'.

From The Jargon File, Version 2.9.10, 01 Jul 1992 by Raymond, Eric S.

Instead, it is used to locate a memory register whose contents in octal digits 7 through 11 will be used as the address of the original instruction.

From Preliminary Specifications: Programmed Data Processor Model Three (PDP-3) October, 1960 by Digital Equipment Corporation

The contents of octal digits 0-5 of the index register location are unaffected by this instruction.

From Preliminary Specifications: Programmed Data Processor Model Three (PDP-3) October, 1960 by Digital Equipment Corporation