| 1. | the perfect moderate course or position that avoids extremes; the happy medium. |
| 2. | golden section. |
| a ratio between two portions of a line, or the two dimensions of a plane figure, in which the lesser of the two is to the greater as the greater is to the sum of both: a ratio of approximately 0.618 to 1.000. |
| golden mean n. The course between extremes. |
The desirable middle ground between any two extremes, according to the philosophy of Aristotle.
golden section  (gōl'děn) Pronunciation Key
(click for larger image in new window) The ratio between two numbers a and b chosen such that the ratio of a to b is equal to the ratio of a+b to a. Its value is approximately 1.618. Shapes with proportions equal to the golden section are observed especially in the fine arts and in architecture, as between the two dimensions of a plane figure such as a rectangle. The ratio between consecutive numbers in a Fibonacci sequence approximates the golden section with increasing precision as the series progresses. Also called golden mean, golden ratio. |