binomial

Formed from Late Latin binōmium + -al. The derivation of binōmium is unclear. It was used by Gerard of Cremona in the 12th century. Suggested sources are the Latin nōmen (“name”), the Ancient Greek νομός (nomós, “distribution, pasture”), or the Old French nom (“name”).[1] Compare binomy and binominal, as well as the French binôme.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /baɪˈnəʊ.mi.əl/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /baɪˈnoʊ.mi.əl/

binomial (not comparable)

1. Consisting of two terms, or parts.
   • 1992, Rhoda Rabkin, “The Aylwin Government and ‘Tutelary’ Democracy: A Concept in Search of a Case?”, in Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs, volume 34, number 4, →JSTOR, page 139:

     Finally, instead of returning to Chile’s traditional proportional representation system, the law adopted the “binomial” system, which gave strong incentives to the parties to form broad coalitions.

2. (statistics) Of or relating to the binomial distribution.
   • 1991 November 23, D. J. Nokes, R. M. Anderson, “Vaccine safety versus vaccine efficacy in mass immunisation programmes”, in The Lancet, volume 338, number 8778, →DOI, page 1309:

     Assuming a normal approximation to binomial probabilities the proportion of total complications reported for 1979–85 in the age class 0–14 years was significantly higher than the proportion in the same age class for the period 1962–69 (p < 0·0001)

binomial (plural binomials)

1. (algebra) A polynomial with two terms.
2. (algebra) A quantity expressed as the sum or difference of two terms.
3. (taxonomy) A scientific name at the rank of species, with two terms: a generic name and a specific name.
   • 1991, Daniel W. Gade, “Weeds in Vermont as Tokens of Socioeconomic Change”, in Geographical Review, volume 81, number 2, →JSTOR, page 169:

     Common name followed by Latin binomial in parentheses.

• Some people deprecate use of binomial and advocate use only of binominal in taxonomy. See species name for typesetting usage and example.

• (biology, taxonomy): binomen, binomial name, binominal, binominal name, species name
• (algebra): binome

• (polynomial with two terms): polynomial

• Mobilian

• IPA^(key): (Central) [bi.nu.miˈal]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic, Valencian) [bi.no.miˈal]
• Rhymes: -al

binomial m or f (masculine and feminine plural binomials)

1. binomial

• binomi

• “binomial” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

• Audio

  (file)

binomial (feminine binomiale, masculine plural binomiaux, feminine plural binomiales)

1. binomial

• nom binomial

• binôme

• Hyphenation: bi‧no‧mi‧al

binomial m or f (plural binomiais)

1. binomial (consisting of two parts)

• binómio, binômio

Borrowed from French binomial.

binomial m or n (feminine singular binomială, masculine plural binomiali, feminine and neuter plural binomiale)

1. binomial

• IPA^(key): /binoˈmjal/ [bi.noˈmjal]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: bi‧no‧mial

binomial m or f (masculine and feminine plural binomiales)

1. binomial

• “binomial”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014