Etymology
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decimal (adj.)

c. 1600, "pertaining to a tenth or ten," from Medieval Latin decimalis "of tithes or tenths," from Latin decimus "tenth," from decem "ten" (from PIE root *dekm- "ten"). Applied to Arabic notation before modern use in reference to decimal fractions (fraction whose denominator is a power of 10) emerged 1610s. As a noun from 1640s, "a decimal fraction." Decimal point is by 1711; the use of the point seems to be due to Scottish mathematician John Napier, "Marvellous Merchiston," c. 1619.

Entries linking to Decimal

*dekm- 

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "ten."

It forms all or part of: cent; centenarian; centenary; centi-; centime; centurion; century; centennial; cinquecento; dean; deca-; decade; decagon; Decalogue; Decameron; decapod; decathlon; December; decennial; deci-; decile; decimal; decimate; decimation; decuple; decussate; denarius; denier (n.) "French coin;" dicker; dime; dinar; doyen; dozen; duodecimal; duodecimo; eighteen; fifteen; fourteen; hecatomb; hendeca-; hundred; icosahedron; nineteen; nonagenarian; octogenarian; Pentecost; percent; quattrocento; Septuagint; sexagenarian; seventeen; sixteen; ten; tenth; thirteen; thousand; tithe.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit dasa, Avestan dasa, Armenian tasn, Greek deka, Latin decem (source of Spanish diez, French dix), Old Church Slavonic deseti, Lithuanian dešimt, Old Irish deich, Breton dek, Welsh deg, Albanian djetu, Old English ten, Old High German zehan, Gothic taihun "ten."

decimalization (n.)

also decimalisation, "act of reducing to a decimal system" (especially of currency), 1842; see decimal + -ization.

hexadecimal (adj.)
1952, in reference to a numeral system based on 16, not 10; from hexa- + decimal. From 1970 as a noun.
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Definitions of decimal
1
decimal (n.)
a proper fraction whose denominator is a power of 10;
Synonyms: decimal fraction
decimal (n.)
a number in the decimal system;
2
decimal (adj.)
numbered or proceeding by tens; based on ten;
the decimal system
Synonyms: denary
From wordnet.princeton.edu

Dictionary entries near decimal

decibel

decide

decided

deciduous

decile

decimal

decimalization

decimate

decimation

decimeter

decipher

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