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Quantity definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

QUAN'TITY, n. [L. quantitas, from quantus, how much, or as much as.]
1. That property of any thing which may be increased or diminished.
This definition is defective, and as applicable to many other properties as to quantity. A definition strictly philosophical cannot be given. In common usage, quantity is a mass or collection of matter of indeterminate dimensions, but consisting of particles which cannot be distinguished, or which are not customarily distinguished, or which are considered in the aggregate. Thus we say, a quantity of earth, a quantity of water, a quantity of air, of light, of heat, of iron, of wood, of timber, of corn, of paper. But we do not say, a quantity of men, or of horses, or of houses; for as these are considered as separate individuals or beings, we call an assemblage of them, a number of multitude.
2. An indefinite extent of space.
3. A portion or part.
If I were sawed into quantities. [Not in use.]
4. a large portion; as a medicine taken in quantities, that is, in large quantities.
5. In mathematics, any thing which can be multiplied, divided or measured.
Thus mathematics is called the science of quantity. In algebra, quantities are known and unknown. Known quantities are usually represented by the first letters of the alphabet, as a, b, c, and unknown quantities are expressed by the last letters, x, y, z, etc. Letters thus used to represent quantities are themselves called quantities. A simple quantity is expressed by one term, as + a, or - abc; a compound is expressed by more terms than one, connected by the signs, + plus, or -minus, as a + b, or a - b + c. quantities which have the sign + prefixed, are called positive or affirmative; those which have the sign - prefixed are called negative.
6. In grammar, the measure of a sullable; that which determines the time in which it is pronounced.
7. In logic, a category, universal, or predicament; a general conception.
8. In music, the relative duration of a note or syllable.
Quantity of matter, in a body, is the measure arising from the joint consideration of its magnitude and density.
Quantity of motion, in a body, is the measure arising from the joint consideration of its quantity of matter and its velocity.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: how much there is or how many there are of something that you can quantify [syn: measure, quantity, amount]
2: an adequate or large amount; "he had a quantity of ammunition"
3: the concept that something has a magnitude and can be represented in mathematical expressions by a constant or a variable

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural -ties) Etymology: Middle English quantite, from Anglo-French quantité, from Latin quantitat-, quantitas, from quantus how much, how large; akin to Latin quam how, as, quando when, qui who — more at who Date: 14th century 1. a. an indefinite amount or number b. a determinate or estimated amount c. total amount or number d. a considerable amount or number — often used in plural <generous quantities of luck — H. E. Putsch> 2. a. the aspect in which a thing is measurable in terms of greater, less, or equal or of increasing or decreasing magnitude b. the subject of a mathematical operation c. an individual considered with respect to a given situation <an unknown quantity…as attorney general — Tom Wicker> 3. a. duration and intensity of speech sounds as distinct from their individual quality or phonemic character; specifically the relative length or brevity of a prosodic syllable in some languages (as Greek and Latin) b. the relative duration or time length of a speech sound or sound sequence 4. the character of a logical proposition as being universal, particular, or singular

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (pl. -ies) 1 the property of things that is measurable. 2 the size or extent or weight or amount or number. 3 a specified or considerable portion or number or amount (buys in quantity; the quantity of heat in a body). 4 (in pl.) large amounts or numbers; an abundance (quantities of food; is found in quantities on the shore). 5 the length or shortness of vowel sounds or syllables. 6 Math. a a value, component, etc. that may be expressed in numbers. b the figure or symbol representing this. Phrases and idioms: quantity mark a mark put over a vowel etc. to indicate its length. quantity surveyor a person who measures and prices building work. quantity theory the hypothesis that prices correspond to changes in the monetary supply. Etymology: ME f. OF quantité f. L quantitas -tatis f. quantus how much

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Square Square, a. 1. (Geom.) Having four equal sides and four right angles; as, a square figure. 2. Forming a right angle; as, a square corner. 3. Having a shape broad for the height, with rectilineal and angular rather than curving outlines; as, a man of a square frame. 4. Exactly suitable or correspondent; true; just. She's a most truimphant lady, if report be square to her. --Shak. 5. Rendering equal justice; exact; fair; honest, as square dealing. 6. Even; leaving no balance; as, to make or leave the accounts square. 7. Leaving nothing; hearty; vigorous. By Heaven, square eaters. More meat, I say. --Beau. & Fl. 8. (Naut.) At right angles with the mast or the keel, and parallel to the horizon; -- said of the yards of a square-rigged vessel when they are so braced. Note: Square is often used in self-explaining compounds or combination, as in square-built, square-cornered, square-cut, square-nosed, etc. Square foot, an area equal to that of a square the sides of which are twelwe inches; 144 square inches. Square knot, a knot in which the terminal and standing parts are parallel to each other; a reef knot. See Illust. under Knot. Square measure, the measure of a superficies or surface which depends on the length and breadth taken conjointly. The units of square measure are squares whose sides are the linear measures; as, square inches, square feet, square meters, etc. Square number. See square, n., 6. Square root of a number or quantity (Math.), that number or quantity which, multiplied by itself produces the given number or quantity. Square sail (Naut.), a four-sided sail extended upon a yard suspended by the middle; sometimes, the foresail of a schooner set upon a yard; also, a cutter's or sloop's sail boomed out. See Illust. of Sail. Square stern (Naut.), a stern having a transom and joining the counter timbers at an angle, as distinguished from a round stern, which has no transom. Three-square, Five-square, etc., having three, five, etc., equal sides; as, a three-square file. To get square with, to get even with; to pay off. [Colloq.]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Quantity Quan"ti*ty, v. t. [L. quantus now much + -fy.] To modify or qualify with respect to quantity; to fix or express the quantity of; to rate.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Quantity Quan"ti*ty, n.; pl. Quantities. [F. quantite, L. quantitas, fr. quantus bow great, how much, akin to quam bow, E. how, who. See Who.] 1. The attribute of being so much, and not more or less; the property of being measurable, or capable of increase and decrease, multiplication and division; greatness; and more concretely, that which answers the question ``How much?''; measure in regard to bulk or amount; determinate or comparative dimensions; measure; amount; bulk; extent; size. Hence, in specific uses: (a) (Logic) The extent or extension of a general conception, that is, the number of species or individuals to which it may be applied; also, its content or comprehension, that is, the number of its constituent qualities, attributes, or relations. (b) (Gram.) The measure of a syllable; that which determines the time in which it is pronounced; as, the long or short quantity of a vowel or syllable. (c) (Mus.) The relative duration of a tone. 2. That which can be increased, diminished, or measured; especially (Math.), anything to which mathematical processes are applicable. Note: Quantity is discrete when it is applied to separate objects, as in number; continuous, when the parts are connected, either in succession, as in time, motion, etc., or in extension, as by the dimensions of space, viz., length, breadth, and thickness. 3. A determinate or estimated amount; a sum or bulk; a certain portion or part; sometimes, a considerable amount; a large portion, bulk, or sum; as, a medicine taken in quantities, that is, in large quantities. The quantity of extensive and curious information which he had picked up during many months of desultory, but not unprofitable, study. --Macaulay. Quantity of estate (Law), its time of continuance, or degree of interest, as in fee, for life, or for years. --Wharton (Law Dict. ) Quantity of matter, in a body, its mass, as determined by its weight, or by its momentum under a given velocity. Quantity of motion (Mech.), in a body, the relative amount of its motion, as measured by its momentum, varying as the product of mass and velocity. Known quantities (Math.), quantities whose values are given. Unknown quantities (Math.), quantities whose values are sought.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Imaginary Im*ag"i*na*ry, a. [L. imaginarius: cf. F. imaginaire.] Existing only in imagination or fancy; not real; fancied; visionary; ideal. Wilt thou add to all the griefs I suffer Imaginary ills and fancied tortures? --Addison. Imaginary calculus See under Calculus. Imaginary expression or quantity (Alg.), an algebraic expression which involves the impossible operation of taking the square root of a negative quantity; as, [root]-9, a + b [root]-1. Imaginary points, lines, surfaces, etc. (Geom.), points, lines, surfaces, etc., imagined to exist, although by reason of certain changes of a figure they have in fact ceased to have a real existence. Syn: Ideal; fanciful; chimerical; visionary; fancied; unreal; illusive.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(quantities) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. A quantity is an amount that you can measure or count. ...a small quantity of water. ...vast quantities of food... Cheap goods are available, but not in sufficient quantities to satisfy demand... N-VAR 2. Things that are produced or available in quantity are produced or available in large amounts. After some initial problems, acetone was successfully produced in quantity... 3. You can use quantity to refer to the amount of something that there is, especially when you want to contrast it with its quality. ...the less discerning drinker who prefers quantity to quality... = amount 4. If you say that someone or something is an unknown quantity, you mean that not much is known about what they are like or how they will behave. He is an unknown quantity for his rivals. PHRASE: v-link PHR

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Size, greatness, extent, measure. 2. Amount, aggregate, bulk, sum. 3. Length, duration. 4. (Log.) Category, universal predicament, general conception.

Moby Thesaurus

Alexandrine, a mass of, a world of, abundance, accent, accentuation, accommodation, account, acres, affluence, aggregate, amount, amphibrach, amphimacer, ample sufficiency, ampleness, amplitude, anacrusis, anapest, antispast, armful, army, arsis, avalanche, bacchius, bagful, bags, barometer, barrelful, barrels, basketful, batch, beat, bevy, binful, block, bonanza, bottleful, bountifulness, bountiousness, bowlful, box score, budget, bulk, bumper crop, bunch, burden, bushel, cadence, caesura, canon, capacity, capful, caseful, cast, catalexis, check, chloriamb, chloriambus, chunk, clod, cloud, clump, clutch, clutter, colon, content, copiousness, cordage, count, counterpoint, countlessness, covey, cretic, criterion, dactyl, dactylic hexameter, deal, degree, diaeresis, difference, dimeter, dipody, dochmiac, dose, elegiac, elegiac couplet, elegiac pentameter, emphasis, epitrite, extent, extravagance, exuberance, feminine caesura, fertility, flight, flock, flocks, flood, flow, foison, foot, full measure, full vowel, fullness, gauge, generosity, generousness, gob, gobs, graduated scale, great abundance, great plenty, group, gush, hail, handful, heap, heptameter, heptapody, heroic couplet, hexameter, hexapody, hive, host, hunk, iamb, iambic, iambic pentameter, ictus, ionic, jam, jillion, jingle, kettleful, landslide, lapful, large amount, lavishness, legion, liberality, liberalness, lilt, limit, load, loads, loaf, long vowel, lot, lots, lump, luxuriance, many, masculine caesura, mass, masses of, maximum, measure, mess, meter, metrical accent, metrical foot, metrical group, metrical unit, metron, million, mob, model, molossus, mora, more than enough, mountain, mouthful, movement, much, muchness, multitude, myriad, myriads, nest, norm, nugget, number, numbers, numerousness, ocean, oceans, oodles, opulence, opulency, outpouring, overflow, pack, paeon, parameter, parcel, part, pat, pattern, peck, pentameter, pentapody, period, plenitude, plenteousness, plentifulness, plenty, plurality, portion, poundage, prevalence, proceleusmatic, prodigality, product, productiveness, profuseness, profusion, pyrrhic, quantities, quantum, quite a few, ration, reading, readout, reckoning, reduced vowel, repleteness, repletion, rhythm, rich harvest, rich vein, richness, riot, riotousness, room, rout, ruck, rule, scads, scale, score, scores, sea, shoal, short vowel, shower, small amount, space, spate, spondee, sprung rhythm, standard, stowage, stream, stress, substantiality, substantialness, sum, summation, superabundance, superfluity, swarm, swing, syzygy, tale, tally, teemingness, test, tetrameter, tetrapody, tetraseme, the bottom line, the story, the whole story, thesis, thousand, throng, tidy sum, tonnage, tons, total, touchstone, tribrach, trillion, trimeter, tripody, triseme, trochee, type, value, volume, wad, wealth, weight, whole, world, worlds, worlds of, x number, yardstick