different between definition vs octothorpe

English

Etymology

From Middle English diffinicioun, from Middle French definition, from Latin d?f?n?ti?, from d?f?ni?. Equivalent to define +? -tion.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?d?f??n??(?)n/, /?d?f??n???n/
• Hyphenation: def?in?ition

Noun

definition (countable and uncountable, plural definitions)

1. (semantics, lexicography) A statement of the meaning of a word or word group or a sign or symbol (dictionary definitions).

2. (usually with the definite article the) A clear instance conforming to the dictionary or textbook definition.
   • 2008 May, Shoeless Wayne Santos, “Baroque” (game review), GameAxis Unwired, Hardware Zone Pte, page 51:

     Baroque is a good game, but only for a very narrow subset of the gaming audience. It is the very definition of a niche title.

   • 2016 March 1, Stuart Heritage, “Comedy Bang! Bang! It’s silly, it spoofy – it’s the very definition of a hidden gem”, The Guardian:

     Comedy Bang! Bang! It’s silly, it spoofy – it’s the very definition of a hidden gem

   • 2019 September 25, Chris Cilizza, “The Ukraine call ‘transcript’ is pretty darn close to a smoking gun”, ThePo!nt, CNN:

     That Trump just came out and asked for Zelensky to investigate the Bidens – after reminding him several times of how much the US did for Ukraine!!!! – is something very close to the textbook definition of a quid pro quo.

3. A statement expressing the essential nature of something; formulation
4. The action or process of defining.
5. The act of defining; determination of the limits.
6. A product of defining.
7. The action or power of describing, explaining, or making definite and clear.

8. Clarity of visual presentation, distinctness of outline or detail.

9. Clarity, especially of musical sound in reproduction.
10. Sharp demarcation of outlines or limits.

11. (bodybuilding) The degree to which individual muscles are distinct on the body.
12. (programming) A statement which provides a previous declaration with a value or body of a subroutine (in the case of function).
13. (mathematics) A statement that establishes the referent of a term or notation.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:definition

Hyponyms

Derived terms

• high-definition

Related terms

Translations

See also

• definiendum
• definiens
• genus
• differentia

References

• definition on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Finnish

Noun

definition

1. genitive singular of definitio

Middle French

Etymology

Ultimately from Latin d?f?n?ti?.

Noun

definition f (plural definitions)

1. definition (clarification of this definition is needed)

Descendants

• ? Dutch: definitie
• ? English: definition
• French: définition
  • Haitian Creole: definisyon
  • ? Romanian: defini?ie

Swedish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d?f?n?¹?u?n/

Noun

definition c

1. a definition

Declension

Related terms

• definiera
• definiering
• definitionsfråga
• definitionsförsök
• definitionsmängd
• definitionsmässig
• definitionsordbok
• definitiv

See also

• betydelse
• finit
• ordförklaring

References

• definition in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)

English

Alternative forms

• octothorp

Etymology

Origin disputed. There is no known usage before it was adopted by Bell Labs in the late 1960s or early 1970s, so most sources agree it was coined by someone at Bell Labs, but accounts from Bell Labs personnel conflict on the details. The derivation as a traditional term from octo- (“eight”) and thorpe (“field, hamlet or small village”) lacks any evidence, but there is near universal agreement that the first element refers to the number eight. Eight is derived from the number of ends of the lines. Thorpe could be reference to Jim Thorpe, as one proponent was a fan of the athlete.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??kt?????p/
• (US) IPA^(key): /???kto?????p/

Noun

octothorpe (plural octothorpes)

1. (chiefly US, typography) The hash or square symbol (#), used mainly in telephony and computing.
   • 1973, U.S patent application ser. no. 05/422,816 (filed Dec. 3 1973), issued as patent no. 3,920,926 (Nov. 18, 1975), Telephone Data Set Including Visual Display Means, col. 3 (first published use of the word)

     ...the octothorp (#) key generates a command to send the contents of the memory unto the telephone line through a send circuit...

   • 1982, Willard R. Espy, A Children's Almanac of Words at Play, Clarkson N. Potter, Inc., page 230

     Octothorp is the # on a push-button telephone. Rumor at the telephone company is that a man named Charles B. Octothorp, wanting to make his name famous...

Synonyms

• hash, octothorn, pound sign, number sign, tic-tac-toe sign, noughts and crosses sign/symbol, sharp sign [music], hashtag

Translations

See also

• #
• sextile

References

Further reading

• Number sign on Wikipedia.Wikipedia