English

Noun

decimal point ‎(plural decimal points)

1. (typography) A period/full stop ⟨.⟩ or middot ⟨·⟩ used to set off the decimal or fractional part of a number.
2. (typography, inexact) Any decimal mark, inclusive of commas, separatrices, &c.
3. (arithmetic, proscribed) A decimal place.

Usage notes

The term "decimal point" properly refers only to those signs marking the boundary between integer and decimal numbers with a point. For convenience, it is also used to speak of marks serving a similar function in other cultures. The use of "decimal point" to mean "one of the digits in the fractional part of a decimal" is, however, typically taken to be mistaken.

Hypernyms

• radix point
• decimal mark

Synonyms

• separatrix (obsolete)

Translations

Note: In some countries, especially those in continental Europe, the symbol used is a comma, and so the word used in the languages spoken in these countries is often the same as or derived from the word for comma.