- di|men|sion
- di|men|sion «duh MEHN shuhn», noun, adjective, verb.–n.1. a measurement of length, breadth, or thickness: »
He ordered wallpaper for a room of the following dimensions: 16 ft. long, 12 ft. wide, and 8 ft. high.
2. Also, dimensions. size or extent; scope: »a hall enormous in dimension. Figurative. Building a park in the slum area was a project of large dimensions. Our forum had no idea of the full dimensions of the postwar auto market (Newsweek).
3. Figurative. a characteristic; quality; part: »There is another dimension to the story which is hardly hinted at (Saturday Review).
4. Geometry. a mode of linear measurement, magnitude, or extension in a particular direction, usually as coexisting with similar measurements or extensions in other directions.5. Algebra. a literal factor as counted in describing a term: »A3, a2b, and abc are all terms of three dimensions.
–adj.cut into particular sizes, especially for building: »dimension lumber.
–v.t.to measure or mark the dimensions of: »Electronic engineers can realize substantial improvements in dimensioning tolerances…by using a new line of high-stability, precision grid patterns (Science News).
╂[< Middle French dimension, learned borrowing from Latin dīmēnsiō, -ōnis < dīmētīrī measure out < dis- out + mētīrī to measure]Usage The three dimensions of a body, or of ordinary space (compare fourth dimension (Cf. ↑fourth dimension)), are length, breadth, and thickness (or depth); a surface has only two dimensions (length and breadth); a line has only one (length). Here the notion of measurement or magnitude is commonly lost, and the word denotes merely a particular mode of spatial extension.
Useful english dictionary. 2012.
