math

English Online Dictionary. What means math‎? What does math mean?

English

Etymology 1

Clipping of mathematics.

Alternative forms

• maths (UK, Australia)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mæθ/
• Rhymes: -æθ

Noun

math (countable and uncountable, plural maths)

1. (informal, uncountable, Canada, US, Philippines) Clipping of mathematics.
2. (informal, uncountable, Canada, US, Philippines) Arithmetic calculations; (see do the math).

   If you do the math, you'll see that it’s not such a bargain.

   $170 a month? That doesn’t sound right. Let me check your math.

3. (informal, countable, Canada, US, Philippines) A math course or class.

   They needed to take two more maths in order to graduate.

   Did you take math today? / What did you do in math today?

Hyponyms

• new math
• napkin math

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

• mathematics on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Verb

math (third-person singular simple present maths, present participle mathing, simple past and past participle mathed)

1. (colloquial, informal) to perform mathematical calculations or mathematical analysis; to do math
2. (slang) To add up, compute; (by extension) to make sense.

Etymology 2

From Middle English math, from Old English mǣþ (“a mowing, that which is mown, cutting of grass”), from Proto-Germanic *mēþą (“a mowing”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂meh₁- (“to mow”); equivalent to mow +‎ -th. Cognate with German Mahd (“a mowing, reaping”), West Frisian mêd (“area of land that can be mown in one day; domain, realm”). Related also to Old English mǣd (“mead, meadow, pasture”). See meadow.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /mæθ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /mɑːθ/
• Rhymes: -æθ, -ɑːθ

Noun

math (plural maths)

1. A mowing; what is gathered from mowing.

   Hyponyms: aftermath, foremath, lattermath

Derived terms

Etymology 3

Contraction of matha.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mʌt/, /mɑːt/

Noun

math (plural maths)

1. (Hinduism, Jainism) Clipping of matha.

Anagrams

• THAM, Tham

French

Pronunciation

Noun

math f pl

1. Alternative form of maths

Further reading

• “math”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Old Irish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *matus, commonly understood as a euphemistic derivation from *matis (“good”), cf. Proto-Germanic *berô (“the brown one”), Proto-Slavic *medvědь (“honey-eater”), Latvian lācis (“stomper, pounder”), Sanskrit भल्ल (bhalla, “auspicious, favourable”). A cognate is apparently attested in the Gaulish personal name Matugenos if this means “born of a bear”, and a possibly related Celtiberian matus of uncertain meaning is also attested.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /maθ/

Noun

math m (genitive matho)

1. bear

Inflection

Descendants

• ⇒ Middle Irish: mathgamain
  • Irish: mathúin
  • Manx: maghouin
  • Scottish Gaelic: mathan

Mutation

References

Scottish Gaelic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ma/
• (Lewis, Harris, Skye) IPA^(key): /mah/
• (Islay) IPA^(key): /mɛ/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish maith, from Proto-Celtic *matis, from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂-. Cognate with Welsh mad, Breton mad, Cornish mas. Compare Irish maith, Manx mie.

Adjective

math (genitive singular masculine maith, genitive singular feminine maithe, nominative plural matha, comparative fheàrr, qualitative noun feabhas)

1. good

   'S math sin. ― That's good.

   Dh'òl mi uisge-beatha math an-dè. ― I was drinking good whisky yesterday.

Declension

Synonyms

• deagh (slightly stronger); see also Thesaurus:math

Antonyms

• dona, olc, droch; see also Thesaurus:math

Derived terms

• an ìre mhath (“almost”)
• cho math ri sin (“furthermore”)
• math dha-rìribh (“excellent; genuine”)
• 's math a rinn thu! (“well done!”)
• math fhèin (“excellent”)

Adverb

math

1. well

   Ciamar a tha thu? Meadhanach math. ― How are you? Reasonably well.

Derived terms

• a cheart cho math
• is math le

Noun

math m (genitive singular maith)

1. good
2. advantage, profit, use, utility

Derived terms

• math na bà

Etymology 2

From Old Irish maithid (“remits, excuses; pardons, forgives; remits, abates, withholds; gives up (claim to); renounces”), from maith (“good”).

Verb

math (past mhath, future mathaidh, verbal noun mathadh, past participle mathte)

1. forgive, excuse, pardon, condone, remit

Alternative forms

• (verb): maith

Mutation

Further reading

• Edward Dwelly (1911) “math”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary]‎^[1], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
• G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “maith”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “maithid”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Welsh

Etymology

A variation on bath (“kind, sort”). For similar instances of alternation between b and m, see benyw and menyw, beiddio and meiddio, bainc and mainc.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /maːθ/
• Rhymes: -aːθ

Noun

math m (plural mathau)

1. kind, sort, type

   Synonym: siort

Derived terms

• pa fath o
• y fath

Mutation

Further reading

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “math”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies