abbreviated number

noun

: a number from which significant figures are omitted beyond a certain point determined by the degree of approximation desired or of accuracy attainable (as 5.667 for 5²/₃ or 93,000,000 for the mean distance in miles to the sun)

Word History

First Known Use

1852, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of abbreviated number was in 1852

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Abbreviated number.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abbreviated%20number. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

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