Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Vector

Vec′tor

,
Noun.
[L., a bearer, carrier. fr.
vehere
,
vectum
, to carry.]
1.
Same as
Radius vector
.
2.
(Math.)
A directed quantity, as a straight line, a force, or a velocity. Vectors are said to be equal when their directions are the same and their magnitudes equal. Cf.
Scalar
.
☞ In a triangle, either side is the vector sum of the other two sides taken in proper order; the process finding the vector sum of two or more vectors is vector addition (see under
Addition
).

Webster 1828 Edition


Vector

VEC'TOR

,
Noun.
[L. from veho, to carry.] In astronomy, a line supposed to be drawn from any planet moving round a center or the focus of an ellipsis, to that center or focus.

Definition 2024


vector

vector

English

Noun

vector (plural vectors)

  1. (mathematics) A directed quantity, one with both magnitude and direction; the signed difference between two points.
    • 1914, The New Student's Reference Work:
      As examples of vector quantities may be mentioned the distance between any two given points, a velocity, a force, an acceleration, angular velocity, intensity of magnetization flux of heat.
  2. (mathematics) An ordered tuple representing a directed quantity or the signed difference between two points.
  3. (mathematics) Any member of a (generalized) vector space.
    The vectors in are the single-variable polynomials with rational coefficients: one is .
  4. (aviation) A chosen course or direction for motion, as of an aircraft.
  5. (epidemiology) A carrier of a disease-causing agent.
  6. (sociology) A person or entity that passes along an urban legend or other meme.
  7. (psychology) A recurring psychosocial issue that stimulates growth and development in the personality.
  8. The way in which the eyes are drawn across the visual text. The trail that a book cover can encourage the eyes to follow from certain objects to others.(Can we add an example for this sense?)
  9. (computing, operating systems) A memory address containing the address of a code entry point, usually one which is part of a table and often one that is dereferenced and jumped to during the execution of an interrupt.
  10. (programming) A one-dimensional array.
    • 2004, Jesse Liberty, ‎Bradley L. Jones, Sams Teach Yourself C++ in 21 Days (page 694)
      To create a vector of students in a class, you will want the vector to be large enough []
  11. (molecular biology) A DNA molecule used to carry genetic information from one organism into another.

Usage notes

  • (programming): The term vector is used loosely when the indices are not (either positive or non-negative) integers.

Hypernyms

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

vector (third-person singular simple present vectors, present participle vectoring, simple past and past participle vectored)

  1. To set (particularly an aircraft) on a course toward a selected point.
    • 1994, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, Tendencies
      [] if love is vectored toward an object and Elinor's here flies toward Marianne, Marianne's in turn toward Willoughby.
  2. (computing) To redirect to a vector, or code entry point.

Translations

References

  • The New Oxford Dictionary of English

Anagrams


Catalan

Noun

vector m (plural vectors)

  1. vector

Dutch

Pronunciation

Noun

vector m (plural vectoren, diminutive vectortje n)

  1. (mathematics) an element of a vector space

Latin

Pronunciation

  • (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈwek.tor/, [ˈwɛk.tɔr]

Noun

vector m (genitive vectōris); third declension

  1. bearer, carrier
  2. passenger

Inflection

Third declension.

Case Singular Plural
nominative vector vectōrēs
genitive vectōris vectōrum
dative vectōrī vectōribus
accusative vectōrem vectōrēs
ablative vectōre vectōribus
vocative vector vectōrēs

Verb

vector

  1. first-person singular present passive indicative of vectō

References

  • vector in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • vector in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • Meissner, Carl; Auden, Henry William (1894) Latin Phrase-Book, London: Macmillan and Co.
    • passengers: vectores (Phil. 7. 9. 27)

Portuguese

Noun

vector m (plural vectores)

  1. Superseded spelling of vetor.

Spanish

Noun

vector m (plural vectores)

  1. vector

Related terms

Derived terms