quaternion

[ kwuh-tur-nee-uhn ]
/ kwəˈtɜr ni ən /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR quaternion ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a group or set of four persons or things.
Bookbinding. four gathered sheets folded in two for binding together.
Mathematics.
  1. an expression of the form a + bi + cj + dk, where a,b,c, and d are real numbers; i2 = j2 = k2 = −1; and ij = −ji = k, jk = −kj = i, and ki = −ik = j.
  2. a quantity or operator expressed as the sum of a real number and three complex numbers, equivalent to the quotient of two vectors. The field of quaternions is not commutative under multiplication.

QUIZZES

IS YOUR VOCABULARY AS STRONG AS A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT? TRY THIS QUIZ TO SEE!

It may seem like fun and games but this quiz that uses vocab from popular stories will determine how much you know.
Question 1 of 10
disgruntle
to deprive of ability, qualification, or strength
to put into a state of sulky dissatisfaction
to make repayment or return for (service, benefits, etc.)
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of quaternion

1350–1400; Middle English quaternioun<Late Latin quaterniōn- (stem of quaterniō), equivalent to Latin quatern(ī) four at a time + -iōn--ion

Words nearby quaternion

quatercentennial, quaternary, quaternary ammonium compound, quaternary structure, quaternate, quaternion, quaternity, Quathlamba, quatorze, quatrain, quatre
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to quaternion

quartette, tetralogy, tetrad, quaternity, quadrivium, quadruplet, quadruple, quaternary, quadrumvirate, quadrigeminal

Example sentences from the Web for quaternion

British Dictionary definitions for quaternion

quaternion
/ (kwəˈtɜːnɪən) /

noun

maths a generalized complex number consisting of four components, x = x 0 + x 1 i + x 2 j + x 3 k, where x, x 0 … x 3 are real numbers and i² = j² = k² = –1, ij = –ji = k, etc
another word for quaternary (def. 5)

Word Origin for quaternion

C14: from Late Latin quaterniōn, from Latin quaternī four at a time
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for quaternion

quaternion
[ kwə-tûr′nē-ən ]

Any number of the form a + bi + cj + dk where a, b, c, and d are real numbers, ij = k, i2 = j2 = -1, and ij = -ji. Under addition and multiplication, quaternions have all the properties of a field, except that multiplication is not commutative.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.