averageness

- 7 dictionary results

av⋅er⋅age

[av-er-ij, av-rij]

noun, adjective, verb, -aged, -ag⋅ing.

–noun

1.	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.

2.	a typical amount, rate, degree, etc.; norm.

3.	Statistics. arithmetic mean.

4.	Mathematics. a quantity intermediate to a set of quantities.

Commerce.

a.	a charge paid by the master of a ship for such services as pilotage or towage.

b.	an expense, partial loss, or damage to a ship or cargo.

c.	the incidence of such an expense or loss to the owners or their insurers.

d.	an equitable apportionment among all the interested parties of such an expense or loss. Compare general average, particular average.

–adjective

6.	of or pertaining to an average; estimated by average; forming an average: The average rainfall there is 180 inches.

7.	typical; common; ordinary: The average secretary couldn't handle such a workload. His grades were nothing special, only average.

–verb (used with object)

8.	to find an average value for (a variable quantity); reduce to a mean: We averaged the price of milk in five neighborhood stores.

9.	(of a variable quantity) to have as its arithmetic mean: Wheat averages 56 pounds to a bushel.

10.	to do or have on the average: He averages seven hours of sleep a night.

–verb (used without object)

11.	to have or show an average: to average as expected.

—Verb phrases

12.	average down, to purchase more of a security or commodity at a lower price to reduce the average cost of one's holdings.

13.

average out,

a.	to come out of a security or commodity transaction with a profit or without a loss.

b.	to reach an average or other figure: His taxes should average out to about a fifth of his income.

14.	average up, to purchase more of a security or commodity at a higher price to take advantage of a contemplated further rise in prices.

—Idiom

15.	on the or an average, usually; typically: She can read 50 pages an hour, on the average.

Use averageness in a Sentence

See images of averageness

Search averageness on the Web

Origin:
1485–95; earlier averay charge on goods shipped, orig. duty (< MF avarie < OIt avaria < Ar ʿawārīyah damaged merchandise), with -age r. -ay

Related forms:

av⋅er⋅age⋅a⋅ble, adjective

av⋅er⋅age⋅ly, adverb

av⋅er⋅age⋅ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
Cite This Source

Link To averageness

av·er·age (āv'ər-ĭj, āv'rĭj)

Mathematics
1. A number that typifies a set of numbers of which it is a function.
2. See arithmetic mean.
3. An intermediate level or degree: near the average in size.
4. The usual or ordinary kind or quality: Although the wines vary, the average is quite good.
5. The loss of a ship or cargo, caused by damage at sea.
6. The incurrence of damage or loss of a ship or cargo at sea.
7. The equitable distribution of such a loss among concerned parties.
8. A charge incurred through such a loss.
1. An intermediate level or degree: near the average in size.
2. The usual or ordinary kind or quality: Although the wines vary, the average is quite good.
3. The loss of a ship or cargo, caused by damage at sea.
4. The incurrence of damage or loss of a ship or cargo at sea.
5. The equitable distribution of such a loss among concerned parties.
6. 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
1. The loss of a ship or cargo, caused by damage at sea.
2. The incurrence of damage or loss of a ship or cargo at sea.
3. The equitable distribution of such a loss among concerned parties.
4. 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 downTo purchase shares of the same security at successively lower prices in order to reduce the average price of one's position.
average upTo 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.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

Cultural Dictionary

average

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.

Word Origin & History

average (n.)

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.

Financial Dictionary

average

See averages.

Medical Dictionary

average av·er·age (āv'ər-ĭj, āv'rĭj)
n.

A number that typifies a set of numbers of which it is a function.
See arithmetic mean.
An intermediate level or degree.

adj.

Of, relating to, or constituting an average.
Being intermediate between extremes, as on a scale.

v. av·er·aged, av·er·ag·ing, av·er·ag·es

To calculate the average of.
To do or have an average of.
To distribute proportionately, as over a period of time.

Science Dictionary

average (āv'ər-ĭj) Pronunciation Key
A number, especially the arithmetic mean, that is derived from and considered typical or representative of a set of numbers. Compare arithmetic mean , median , mode.

Search another word or see averageness on Thesaurus | Reference

Facebook TwitterFollow us:

About
·
Privacy Policy
·
Terms of Use
·
Careers
·
Advertise with Us
·
Link to Us
·
Contact Us

Partner Sites:

Expedia Hotels Hotwire Life123 LiveDaily The Daily Beast Urbanspoon Ask Answers Bloglines Sendori