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Webster 1913 Edition

Surd

Surd

,
Adj.
[L.
surdus
deaf (whence the meaning, deaf to reason, irrational), perhaps akin to E.
swart
. Cf.
Sordine
.]
1.
Net having the sense of hearing; deaf.
[Obs.]
“A surd . . . generation.”
Sir T. Browne.
2.
Unheard.
[Obs.]
Kenrick.
3.
(Math.)
Involving surds; not capable of being expressed in rational numbers; radical; irrational;
as, a
surd
expression or quantity; a
surd
number
.
4.
(Phonetics)
Uttered, as an element of speech, without tone, or proper vocal sound; voiceless; unintonated; nonvocal; atonic; whispered; aspirated; sharp; hard, as f, p, s, etc.; – opposed to sonant. See Guide to Pronunciation, §§169, 179, 180.

Surd

,
Noun.
(Math.)
1.
A quantity which can not be expressed by rational numbers;
thus, √2 is a
surd
.
2.
(Phon.)
A surd element of speech. See
Surd
,
Adj.
, 4.

Webster 1828 Edition

Surd

SURD

,
Adj.
[L. surdus, deaf.] Deaf; not having the sense of hearing. [Not used.]
1.
Upheard. [Not used.]
2.
Designating a quantity whose root cannot be exactly expressed in numbers.

SURD

,
Noun.
In algebra, a quantity whose root cannot be exactly expressed in numbers. Thus 2 is a surd number, because there is no number which multiplied into itself, will exactly produce 2.

Definition 2024

surd

surd

See also: sùrd

English

Noun

surd ‎(plural surds)

  1. (arithmetic) An irrational number, especially one expressed using the √ symbol.
  2. (linguistics) A voiceless consonant.

Adjective

surd ‎(comparative more surd, superlative most surd)

  1. (obsolete) Lacking the sense of hearing; deaf.
    • 1670s, published 1716, Thomas Browne, Christian Morals, part 3, section 6:
      …how all Words fall to the Ground, spent upon such a surd and Earless Generation of Men, stupid unto all Instruction…
  2. (obsolete) unheard
    • 1773, William Kenrick, A New Dictionary of the English Language, section 3, page 5:
      To this errour, of blending the ſurd and vocal modes of articulation together, may be added the too frequent uſe of compound articulations both vocal and ſurd.
  3. (mathematics) Involving surds, or irrational numbers; not capable of being expressed in rational numbers.
    a surd expression or quantity; a surd number
  4. (phonetics) unvoiced; voiceless

Anagrams

Romanian

Etymology

From Latin surdus.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /surd/

Adjective

surd m, n ‎(feminine singular surdă, masculine plural surzi, feminine and neuter plural surde)

  1. deaf

Declension

Related terms

See also

Etymology

Latin surdus ‎(“deaf”); in mathematical sense, "deaf to reason", i.e. irrational.

Pronunciation

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