a quantity, rating, or the like that represents or approximates an arithmetic mean: Her golf average is in the 90s. My average in science has gone from B to C this semester.
ar·ith·met·ic mean (ār'ĭth-mět'ĭk)
n.
The value obtained by dividing the sum of a set of quantities by the number of quantities in the set. Also called average.
An intermediate level or degree: near the average in size.
The usual or ordinary kind or quality: Although the wines vary, the average is quite good.
The loss of a ship or cargo, caused by damage at sea.
The incurrence of damage or loss of a ship or cargo at sea.
The equitable distribution of such a loss among concerned parties.
A charge incurred through such a loss.
An intermediate level or degree: near the average in size.
The usual or ordinary kind or quality: Although the wines vary, the average is quite good.
The loss of a ship or cargo, caused by damage at sea.
The incurrence of damage or loss of a ship or cargo at sea.
The equitable distribution of such a loss among concerned parties.
A charge incurred through such a loss.
Sports The ratio of a team's or player's successful performances such as wins, hits, or goals, divided by total opportunities for successful performance, such as games, times at bat, or shots: finished the season with a .500 average; a batting average of .274.
Law
The loss of a ship or cargo, caused by damage at sea.
The incurrence of damage or loss of a ship or cargo at sea.
The equitable distribution of such a loss among concerned parties.
A charge incurred through such a loss.
Nautical Small expenses or charges that are usually paid by the master of a ship.
adj.
Mathematics Of, relating to, or constituting an average.
Being intermediate between extremes, as on a scale: a player of average ability.
Usual or ordinary in kind or character: a poll of average people; average eyesight.
Assessed in accordance with the law of averages.
v.
av·er·aged, av·er·ag·ing, av·er·ag·es
v.
tr.
Mathematics To calculate the average of: average a set of numbers.
To do or have an average of: averaged three hours of work a day.
To distribute proportionately: average one's income over four years so as to minimize the tax rate.
v.
intr.
To be or amount to an average: Some sparrows are six inches long, but they average smaller. Our expenses averaged out to 45 dollars per day.
Phrasal Verb(s): average down
To purchase shares of the same security at successively lower prices in order to reduce the average price of one's position.
average up
To purchase shares of the same security at successively higher prices in order to achieve a larger position at an average price that is lower than the current market value.
[From Middle English averay, charge above the cost of freight, from Old French avarie, from Old Italian avaria, duty, from Arabic 'awārīya, damaged goods, from 'awār, blemish, from 'awira, to be damaged; see ʕwr in Semitic roots.]
av'er·age·ly adv., av'er·age·ness n.
Synonyms: These adjectives indicate a middle position on a scale of evaluation. Average and medium apply to what is midway between extremes and imply both sufficiency and lack of distinction: a novel of average merit; an orange of medium size. Mediocre stresses the undistinguished aspect of what is average: "The caliber of the students . . . has gone from mediocre to above average" (Judy Pasternak).
What is fair is passable but substantially below excellent: in fair health. Middling refers to a ranking between average and mediocre: gave a middling performance. Indifferent suggests neutrality: "His home, alas, was but an indifferent attic" (Edward Everett Hale).
Something tolerable is merely acceptable: prepared a tolerable meal.
1491, "financial loss incurred through damage to goods in transit," from O.Fr. avarie, from It. avaria, a word from 12c. Mediterranean maritime trade. Sometimes traced to Arabic 'arwariya "damaged merchandise," but this may be rather a borrowing of the word from the Franks. OED suggests It. avere, O.Fr. aveir "property, goods," from L. habere "to have." Meaning shifted to "equal sharing of such loss by the interested parties." Transferred sense of "statement of a medial estimate" is first recorded 1735. The adjective is first recorded 1770; the verb is from 1769. The mathematical extension is from 1755.
approximating the statistical norm or average or expected value; "the average income in New England is below that of the nation"; "of average height for his age"; "the mean annual rainfall"
2.
lacking special distinction, rank, or status; commonly encountered; "average people"; "the ordinary (or common) man in the street"
3.
lacking exceptional quality or ability; "a novel of average merit"; "only a fair performance of the sonata"; "in fair health"; "the caliber of the students has gone from mediocre to above average"; "the performance was middling at best"
4.
around the middle of a scale of evaluation; "an orange of average size"; "intermediate capacity"; "medium bombers"
5.
relating to or constituting the most frequent value in a distribution; "the modal age at which American novelists reach their peak is 30" [syn: modal]
6.
relating to or constituting the middle value of an ordered set of values (or the average of the middle two in a set with an even number of values); "the median value of 17, 20, and 36 is 20"; "the median income for the year was $15,000" [syn: median]
noun
1.
a statistic describing the location of a distribution; "it set the norm for American homes"
2.
(sports) the ratio of successful performances to opportunities
3.
an intermediate scale value regarded as normal or usual; "he is about average in height"; "the snowfall this month is below average"
verb
1.
amount to or come to an average, without loss or gain; "The number of hours I work per work averages out to 40"
A single number that represents a set of numbers. Means, medians, and modes are kinds of averages; usually, however, the term average refers to a mean.
A"ver\ ([=a]"v[~e]r), n. [OF. aver domestic animal, whence LL. averia, pl. cattle. See Habit, and cf. Average.] A work horse, or working ox. [Obs. or Dial. Eng.]
Av"er*age\, n. [OF. average, LL. averagium, prob. fr. OF. aver, F. avoir, property, horses, cattle, etc.; prop. infin., to have, from L. habere to have. Cf. F. av['e]rage small cattle, and avarie (perh. of different origin) damage to ship or cargo, port dues. The first meaning was perh. the service of carting a feudal lord's wheat, then charge for carriage, the contribution towards loss of things carried, in proportion to the amount of each person's property. Cf. Aver, n., Avercorn, Averpenny.]1. (OLd Eng. Law) That service which a tenant owed his lord, to be done by the work beasts of the tenant, as the carriage of wheat, turf, etc. 2. [Cf. F. avarie damage to ship or cargo.] (Com.) (a) A tariff or duty on goods, etc. [Obs.] (b) Any charge in addition to the regular charge for freight of goods shipped. (c) A contribution to a loss or charge which has been imposed upon one of several for the general benefit; damage done by sea perils. (d) The equitable and proportionate distribution of loss or expense among all interested. General average, a contribution made, by all parties concerned in a sea adventure, toward a loss occasioned by the voluntary sacrifice of the property of some of the parties in interest for the benefit of all. It is called general average, because it falls upon the gross amount of ship, cargo, and freight at risk and saved by the sacrifice. --Kent. Particular average signifies the damage or partial loss happening to the ship, or cargo, or freight, in consequence of some fortuitous or unavoidable accident; and it is borne by the individual owners of the articles damaged, or by their insurers. Petty averages are sundry small charges, which occur regularly, and are necessarily defrayed by the master in the usual course of a voyage; such as port charges, common pilotage, and the like, which formerly were, and in some cases still are, borne partly by the ship and partly by the cargo. In the clause commonly found in bills of lading, "primage and average accustomed," average means a kind of composition established by usage for such charges, which were formerly assessed by way of average. --Arnould. --Abbott. --Phillips. 3. A mean proportion, medial sum or quantity, made out of unequal sums or quantities; an arithmetical mean. Thus, if A loses 5 dollars, B 9, and C 16, the sum is 30, and the average 10. 4. Any medial estimate or general statement derived from a comparison of diverse specific cases; a medium or usual size, quantity, quality, rate, etc. "The average of sensations." --Paley. 5. pl. In the English corn trade, the medial price of the several kinds of grain in the principal corn markets. On an average, taking the mean of unequal numbers or quantities.
Av"er*age\, a. 1. Pertaining to an average or mean; medial; containing a mean proportion; of a mean size, quality, ability, etc.; ordinary; usual; as, an average rate of profit; an average amount of rain; the average Englishman; beings of the average stamp. 2. According to the laws of averages; as, the loss must be made good by average contribution.
Av"er*age\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Averaged (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Averaging.]1. To find the mean of, when sums or quantities are unequal; to reduce to a mean. 2. To divide among a number, according to a given proportion; as, to average a loss. 3. To do, accomplish, get, etc., on an average.
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