scalar

[ skey-ler ]

/ ˈskeɪ lər /

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adjective

representable by position on a scale or line; having only magnitude: a scalar variable.

of, relating to, or utilizing a scalar.

ladderlike in arrangement or organization; graduated: a scalar structure for promoting personnel.

noun

Mathematics, Physics. a quantity possessing only magnitude.Compare vector (def. 1a).

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Origin of scalar

First recorded in 1650–60, scalar is from the Latin word scālāris of a ladder. See scale³, -ar¹

Words nearby scalar

scalable, scala cordonata, scalade, scalage, Scala, La, scalar, scalare, scalar field, scalariform, scalar multiplication, scalar product

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use scalar in a sentence

Perhaps the Higgs, like those other scalars, is made up of yet unknown smaller stuff.
How physicists are probing the Higgs boson 10 years after its discovery|Emily Conover|June 29, 2022|Science News
The key measure of how much inflation rattled the universe goes by the name “tensor-to-scalar ratio,” or r to those in the field.
A key part of the Big Bang remains troublingly elusive|Charlie Wood|October 7, 2021|Popular-Science

British Dictionary definitions for scalar

scalar

/ (ˈskeɪlə) /

noun

a quantity, such as time or temperature, that has magnitude but not directionCompare vector (def. 1), tensor (def. 2), pseudoscalar, pseudovector

maths an element of a field associated with a vector space

adjective

having magnitude but not direction

Word Origin for scalar

C17 (meaning: resembling a ladder): from Latin scālāris, from scāla ladder

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 scalar

scalar

[ skā′lər ]

A quantity, such as mass, length, or speed, whose only property is magnitude; a number. Compare vector.