scalar
Americanadjective
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representable by position on a scale or line; having only magnitude.
a scalar variable.
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of, relating to, or utilizing a scalar.
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ladderlike in arrangement or organization; graduated.
a scalar structure for promoting personnel.
noun
noun
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a quantity, such as time or temperature, that has magnitude but not direction Compare vector tensor pseudoscalar pseudovector
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maths an element of a field associated with a vector space
adjective
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A quantity, such as mass, length, or speed, whose only property is magnitude; a number.
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Compare vector
Etymology
Origin of scalar
First recorded in 1650–60, scalar is from the Latin word scālāris of a ladder. See scale 3, -ar 1
Vocabulary lists containing scalar
Physics - High School
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Force and Motion (Mechanics) - High School
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Precalculus
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In 2018, a white paper outlining the stablecoin proposal reached the desk of Cyrus Younessi, an analyst for the crypto investment firm Scalar Capital.
From New York Times • May 18, 2022
The largest California grant, $325,000, goes to USC to evaluate and improve Scalar, an online, open-source platform for scholarly articles that’s housed at the university.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 29, 2015
Scalar multiplication involves multiplying each entry in a matrix by a constant.
From Textbooks • Feb. 13, 2015
Scalar multiplication is multiplying a vector by a constant.
From Textbooks • Feb. 13, 2015
Prof Hagen, who is affiliated to the University of Rochester, New York, suggests that it be called the Standard Model Scalar Meson, or SM Squared.
From BBC • Apr. 22, 2013
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
