surd

[ surd ]
/ sɜrd /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR surd ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

Phonetics. voiceless (opposed to sonant).
Mathematics. (of a quantity) not capable of being expressed in rational numbers; irrational.

noun

Phonetics. a voiceless consonant (opposed to sonant).
Mathematics. a surd quantity.

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Origin of surd

First recorded in 1545–55, surd is from the Latin word surdus dull-sounding, mute, deaf

Words nearby surd

surcease, surcharge, surcingle, surcoat, surculose, surd, sure, sure as shooting, sure cure, sure enough, sure of oneself
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to surd

dumb, inarticulate, mum, mute, silent, speechless, aphonic

Example sentences from the Web for surd

British Dictionary definitions for surd

surd
/ (sɜːd) /

noun

maths an expression containing one or more irrational roots of numbers, such as 2√3 + 3√2 + 6
phonetics a voiceless consonant, such as (t)

adjective

of or relating to a surd

Word Origin for surd

C16: from Latin surdus muffled
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