| 释义 |
denominator|dɪˈnɒmɪneɪtə(r)|
[a. med.L. dēnōminātor, agent-n, from dēnōmināre to denominate. In F. dénominateur occurs 1484 (Hatzf.) in the arithmetical sense.]
1. One who or that which denominates or gives a name to something. Now rare.
1577Harrison England iv. xiv. (1878) II. 91 The Latins and Aegyptians accompted their daies after the seauen planets, choosing the same for the denominator of the daie, that [etc.]. 1641Heylin Help to Hist. (1671) 332 In this part stands the City of Lincoln, the chief denominator of the County. 1878N. Amer. Rev. 352 That inconvertible paper may serve as an accurate denominator of values.
2. Arith. and Alg. The number written below the line in a vulgar fraction, which gives the denomination or value of the parts into which the integer is divided; the corresponding expression in an algebraical fraction, denoting the divisor. (Correlative to numerator.) common denominator, (a) a common multiple of the denominators of two or more fractions, i.e. a number that is a multiple of the denominator of each of them; (b) fig. something common to or characteristic of a number of things, people, etc.; also attrib.; so least or lowest common denominator, the lowest possible common denominator; also attrib. and fig.
1542Recorde Gr. Artes (1575) 322 The Denominator doth declare the number of partes into whiche the vnit is diuided. 1557― Whetst. F iv b, Here haue I sette the lesser side as the numerator and the greatere side as the denominator. 1594[see common a. 16]. 1674S. Jeake Arith. (1696) 211 If the Numerator be given to find a Denominator. 1763W. Emerson Meth. Increments 29 Reducing them to a common denominator. 1864Bowen Logic xii. 406 The resulting fractions fall into a series, any one of which has for..its denominator the sum of the two preceding denominators. 1875Encycl. Brit. II. 530/2 In practice it is usually the least common denominator that the fractions are compared by.
fig.1831Carlyle Sart. Res. ii. ix, The fraction of life can be increased in value not so much by increasing your Numerator as by lessening your Denominator. 1893H. H. Gibbs Colloq. Currency 62 How is that capital..measured? What is the Denominator of which price is the Numerator? 1898Westm. Gaz. 6 May 2/3 His speech would have to be rendered by interpreters into each of the hundred tongues.., presuming no common denominator language can be used. 1910[see club bore s.v. club n. 19 b]. 1937Discovery Mar. 75/1 All the black-and-white processes have a common denominator. 1946R. A. Knox Epistles & Gospels 56 He wants the would-be-clever people to cultivate..a lowest-common-denominator sort of mind. 1958Observer 11 May 14/6 Searching among this raw material of art for the lowest common denominator on which to base a new style.
†3. An abstract noun denoting an attribute. Obs. (Cf. denominative A. 1 b, B. 1.)
1599Blundevil Art of Logick vii. 14 Peter is said to be valiant; here valiantnes is the Denominator, valiant the Denominatiue, Peter the Denominated; for Peter is the subject whereunto the Denominator doth cleaue. |