different between selection vs quantity

English

Etymology

From Latin s?l?cti? (“the act of choosing out, selection”), from s?l?ctus, perfect passive participle of s?lig? (“choose out, select”), from s?- (“apart”) + leg? (“gather, select”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /s??l?k??n/
• Rhymes: -?k??n

Noun

selection (countable and uncountable, plural selections)

1. The process or act of selecting.

   The large number of good candidates made selection difficult.

2. Something selected.

   My final selection was a 1934 Chateau Lafitte.

3. A variety of items taken from a larger collection.

   I've brought a selection of fine cheeses to go with your wine.

4. A musical piece.

   For my next selection, I'll play Happy Birthday in F-sharp minor.

5. (databases) A set of data obtained from a database using a query.
6. (linguistics) The ability of predicates to determine the semantic content of their arguments. ^Wp
7. (programming) A list of items on which user operations will take place. ^Wp
8. (algebra) A unary operation that denotes a subset of a relation.
9. (historical) The free selection before survey of crown land in some Australian colonies under land legislation introduced in the 1860s. ^Wp
10. (biology) The stage of a genetic algorithm in which individual genomes are chosen from a population for later breeding. ^Wp
11. (biology) Ellipsis of natural selection

Synonyms

• choice
• (musical piece): number
• (something selected): option
• (musical piece): piece
• (variety from larger collection): subset

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

• selection in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• selection in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• elections, selenotic, telesonic

English

Etymology

From Middle English quantite, from Old French quantité, from Latin quantit?s (“quantity”), from quantus (“how much”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?kw?n.t?.ti/
• (General American) enPR: kw?n?(t)?t?, IPA^(key): /?kw?n(t)?ti/, [?k?w?n(?)??i], [?k?w?n(t?)?t?i]
  • Note: This is with a relaxed middle T, and is only used in colloquial contexts by many speakers.
• (Canada) IPA^(key): /?kw?nd?di/, /?kw?n???i/
• (obsolete) IPA^(key): /?kwæn.t?.ti/

Noun

quantity (countable and uncountable, plural quantities)

1. A fundamental, generic term used when referring to the measurement (count, amount) of a scalar, vector, number of items or to some other way of denominating the value of a collection or group of items.

2. An indefinite amount of something.

   Some soap making oils are best as base oils, used in a larger quantity in the soap, while other oils are best added in a small quantity.

3. A specific measured amount.

4. A considerable measure or amount.

5. (metrology) Property of a phenomenon, body, or substance, where the property has a magnitude that can be expressed as number and a reference.
6. (mathematics) Indicates that the entire preceding expression is henceforth considered a single object.
   • 2006, Jerome E. Kaufmann and Karen Schwitters, Elementary and Intermediate Algebra: A Combined Approach, p 89

     For problems 58-67, translate each word phrase into an algebraic expression. […] 65. x plus 9, the quantity squared

   • 2005, R. Mark Sirkin, Statistics For The Social Sciences, p137

     The second, ${\displaystyle (\sum x)^{2}}$, read "summation of x, quantity squared," tells us to first add up all the xs to get ${\displaystyle \sum x}$ and then square ${\displaystyle \sum x}$ to get ${\displaystyle (\sum x)^{2}}$.

   • 1985, Serge Lang, Math!: Encounters with High School Students, p54

     ANN. ${\displaystyle ra}$ quantity cubed.

     SERGE LANG. That's right, ${\displaystyle (ra)^{3}}$.

Usage notes

• In mathematics, used to unambiguously orate mathematical equations; it is extremely rare in print, since there is no need for it there.

Synonyms

• Qty

Derived terms

• unknown quantity

Related terms

Translations

See also

• measure
• unit

Further reading

• quantity in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• quantity in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• quantity at OneLook Dictionary Search