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quantum - 8 dictionary results
quan⋅tum
[kwon-tuh
m] 
noun, plural -ta [-tuh] , adjective –noun
| 1. | quantity or amount: the least quantum of evidence. |
| 2. | a particular amount. |
| 3. | a share or portion. |
| 4. | a large quantity; bulk. |
| 5. | Physics.
|
–adjective
| 6. | sudden and significant: a quantum increase in productivity. |
Origin:
1610–20; n. use of neut. of L quantus how much
1610–20; n. use of neut. of L quantus how much
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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|
Link To quantum
| quan·tum (kwŏn'təm) n. pl. quan·ta (-tə)
[Latin, from neuter of quantus, how great; see quantity.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Quantum
Quan"tum\, n.; pl. Quanta. [L., neuter of quantus how great, how much. See Quantity,]1. Quantity; amount. "Without authenticating . . . the quantum of the charges." --Burke. 2. (Math.) A definite portion of a manifoldness, limited by a mark or by a boundary. --W. K. Clifford. Quantum meruit[L., as much as he merited] (Law), a count in an action grounded on a promise that the defendant would pay to the plaintiff for his service as much as he should deserve. Quantum sufficit, or Quantum suff. [L., as much suffices] (Med.), a sufficient quantity. Quantum valebat[L., as much at it was worth] (Law), a count in an action to recover of the defendant, for goods sold, as much as they were worth. --Blackstone.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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quantum
1619, "one's share or portion," from L. quantum "how much," neut. sing. of quantus "how great" (see quantity). Introduced in physics by Max Planck, 1900; reinforced by Einstein, 1905. Quantum theory is from 1912; quantum mechanics, 1922; quantum jump is first recorded 1955; quantum leap, 1970.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Main Entry: quan·tum
Pronunciation: 'kwänt-&m
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural quan·ta /'kwänt-&/
1 : one of the very small increments or parcels into which many forms of energy are subdivided quantum of light>
2 : one of the small molecular packets of a neurotransmitter (as acetylcholine) released into the synaptic cleft in the transmission of a nerve impulseacross a synapse
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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quantum quan·tum (kwŏn'təm)
n. pl. quan·ta (-tə)
- The smallest amount of a physical quantity that can exist independently, especially a discrete quantity of electromagnetic radiation.
- This amount of energy regarded as a unit.
- A quantity or an amount.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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| quantum (kwŏn'təm) Pronunciation Key
Plural quanta A discrete, indivisible manifestation of a physical property, such as a force or angular momentum. Some quanta take the form of elementary particles; for example, the quantum of electromagnetic radiation is the photon, while the quanta of the weak force are the W and Z particles. See also quantum state. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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quantum
time slice
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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