magic square

magic square

noun
a square containing integers arranged in an equal number of rows and columns so that the sum of the integers in any row, column, or diagonal is the same.

Origin:
1695–1705
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To Magic_square

00:10

00:09

00:08

00:07

00:06

00:05

00:04

00:03

00:02

00:01

Magic_square is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
Collins
World English Dictionary
magic square
 
n
a square array of rows of integers arranged so that the sum of the integers is the same when taken vertically, horizontally, or diagonally

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
magic square  


(click for larger image in new window)

A square that contains numbers arranged in equal rows and columns such that the sum of each row, column, and sometimes diagonal is the same.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

magic square

square matrix often divided into cells, filled with numbers or letters in particular arrangements that were once thought to have special, magical properties. Originally used as religious symbols, they later became protective charms or tools for divination; and finally, when the original meanings were lost, people considered them mere curiosities or puzzles-except for some Western mathematicians who continue to study them as problems in number theory.

Learn more about magic square with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature