vinculum

[ ving-kyuh-luhm ]
See synonyms for vinculum on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural vin·cu·la [ving-kyuh-luh]. /ˈvɪŋ kyə lə/.
  1. a bond signifying union or unity; tie.

  2. Mathematics. a stroke or brace drawn over a quantity consisting of several members or terms, as , in order to show that they are to be considered together.

Origin of vinculum

1
First recorded in 1670–80; from Latin: “fetter,” equivalent to vinc(īre) “to bind” + -ulum -ule

Words Nearby vinculum

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use vinculum in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for vinculum

vinculum

/ (ˈvɪŋkjʊləm) /


nounplural -la (-lə)
  1. a horizontal line drawn above a group of mathematical terms, used as an alternative to parentheses in mathematical expressions, as in x + ̅ yz which is equivalent to x + (yz)

  2. anatomy

    • any bandlike structure, esp one uniting two or more parts

    • another name for ligament

  1. rare a unifying bond; tie

Origin of vinculum

1
C17: from Latin: bond, from vincīre to bind

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012