| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
index (ˈɪndɛks) ![]() | |
| —n , pl -dexes, -dices | |
| 1. | an alphabetical list of persons, places, subjects, etc, mentioned in the text of a printed work, usually at the back, and indicating where in the work they are referred to |
| 2. | See thumb index |
| 3. | library science a systematic list of book titles or author's names, giving cross-references and the location of each book; catalogue |
| 4. | an indication, sign, or token |
| 5. | a pointer, needle, or other indicator, as on an instrument |
| 6. | maths |
| a. another name for exponent | |
| b. a number or variable placed as a superscript to the left of a radical sign indicating by its value the root to be extracted, as in ³√8 = 2 | |
| c. a subscript or superscript to the right of a variable to express a set of variables, as in using xi for x1, x2, x3, etc | |
| 7. | a numerical scale by means of which variables, such as levels of the cost of living, can be compared with each other or with some base number |
| 8. | a number or ratio indicating a specific characteristic, property, etc: refractive index |
| 9. | Also called: fist a printer's mark (☛) used to indicate notes, paragraphs, etc |
| 10. | obsolete a table of contents or preface |
| —vb | |
| 11. | to put an index in (a book) |
| 12. | to enter (a word, item, etc) in an index |
| 13. | to point out; indicate |
| 14. | to index-link |
| 15. | to move (a machine or a workpiece held in a machine tool) so that one particular operation will be repeated at certain defined intervals |
| [C16: from Latin: pointer, hence forefinger, title, index, from indicāre to disclose, show; see | |
| 'indexer | |
| —n | |
| 'indexless | |
| —adj | |
index in·dex (ĭn'děks')
n. pl. in·dex·es or in·di·ces (-dĭ-sēz')
A guide, standard, indicator, symbol, or number indicating the relation of one part or thing to another in respect to size, capacity, or function.
A core or mold used to record or maintain the relative position of a tooth or teeth to one another or to a cast.
A guide, usually made of plaster, used to reposition teeth, casts, or parts.
The index finger.
An alphabetical list of subjects treated in a book. It usually appears at the end of the book and identifies page numbers on which information about each subject appears.