Adjacent Words

Heterogeneous definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

HETEROGE'NEOUS, a. [Gr. other, and kind.] Of a different kind or nature; unlike or dissimilar in kind; opposed to homogeneous.
The light whose rays are all alike refrangible, I call simple, homogeneal and similar; and that whose rays are some more refrangible than others, I call compound, heterogeneal and dissimilar.
Heterogeneous nouns, are such as are of different genders in the singular and plural numbers; as hic locus, of the masculine gender in the singular, and hi loci and haec loca, both masculine and neuter in the plural. Hoc coelum, neuter in the singular; hi coeli, masculine in the plural.
Heterogeneous quantities, are those which are of such different kind and consideration, that one of them, taken any number of times, never equals or exceeds the other.
Heterogeneous surds, are such as have different radical signs.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: consisting of elements that are not of the same kind or nature; "the population of the United States is vast and heterogeneous" [syn: heterogeneous, heterogenous] [ant: homogeneous, homogenous]
2: originating outside the body [syn: heterogenous, heterogeneous] [ant: autogenic, autogenous]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Etymology: Medieval Latin heterogeneus, from Greek heterogen?s, from heter- + genos kind — more at kin Date: 1630 consisting of dissimilar or diverse ingredients or constituents ; mixed • heterogeneously adverb • heterogeneousness noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 diverse in character. 2 varied in content. 3 Math. incommensurable through being of different kinds or degrees. Derivatives: heterogeneity n. heterogeneously adv. heterogeneousness n. Etymology: med.L heterogeneus f. Gk heterogenes (as HETERO-, genos kind)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Heterogeneous Het`er*o*ge"ne*ous, a. [Gr. ?; ? + ? race, kind; akin to E. kin: cf. F. h['e]t['e]rog[`e]ne.] Differing in kind; having unlike qualities; possessed of different characteristics; dissimilar; -- opposed to homogeneous, and said of two or more connected objects, or of a conglomerate mass, considered in respect to the parts of which it is made up. -- Het`er*o*ge"ne*ous*ly, adv. -- Het`er*o*ge"ne*ous*ness, n. Heterogeneous nouns (Gram.), nouns having different genders in the singular and plural numbers; as, hic locus, of the masculine gender in the singular, and hi loci and h[ae]c loca, both masculine and neuter in the plural; hoc c[ae]lum, neuter in the singular; hi c[ae]li, masculine in the plural. Heterogeneous quantities (Math.), such quantities as are incapable of being compared together in respect to magnitude, and surfaces and solids. Heterogeneous surds (Math.), surds having different radical signs.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

A heterogeneous group consists of many different types of things or people. (FORMAL) ...a rather heterogeneous collection of studies from diverse origins. = diverse ? homogeneous ADJ: usu ADJ n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. Unlike, dissimilar, different, opposed, contrary, contrasted.

Moby Thesaurus

amalgamated, ambiguous, ambivalent, amphibious, assorted, at odds, at variance, blended, combined, complex, composite, compound, compounded, conglomerate, contrary, contrasted, contrasting, dappled, departing, deviating, deviative, different, differentiated, differing, disaccordant, disagreeing, discordant, discrepant, discrete, discriminated, disjoined, disparate, dissimilar, dissonant, distinct, distinguished, divergent, diverging, divers, diverse, diversified, eclectic, equivocal, fifty-fifty, half-and-half, in disagreement, inaccordant, incompatible, incongruous, inconsistent, inconsonant, indiscriminate, inharmonious, intricate, ironic, irreconcilable, jumbled, many, many and various, many-sided, medley, mingled, miscellaneous, mixed, motley, multifaceted, multifarious, multinational, multiracial, of all sorts, patchy, pluralistic, poles apart, poles asunder, promiscuous, scrambled, separate, separated, several, sundry, syncretic, thrown together, unconformable, unequal, unlike, variant, varied, variegated, various, varying, widely apart, worlds apart