The Collaborative International Dictionary
Fraction \Frac"tion\, n. [F. fraction, L. fractio a breaking, fr. frangere, fractum, to break. See Break.]
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The act of breaking, or state of being broken, especially by violence. [Obs.]
Neither can the natural body of Christ be subject to any fraction or breaking up.
--Foxe. -
A portion; a fragment.
Some niggard fractions of an hour.
--Tennyson. -
(Arith. or Alg.) One or more aliquot parts of a unit or whole number; an expression for a definite portion of a unit or magnitude.
Common fraction, or Vulgar fraction, a fraction in which the number of equal parts into which the integer is supposed to be divided is indicated by figures or letters, called the denominator, written below a line, over which is the numerator, indicating the number of these parts included in the fraction; as 1/2, one half, 2/5, two fifths.
Complex fraction, a fraction having a fraction or mixed number in the numerator or denominator, or in both.
--Davies & Peck.Compound fraction, a fraction of a fraction; two or more fractions connected by of.
Continued fraction, Decimal fraction, Partial fraction, etc. See under Continued, Decimal, Partial, etc.
Improper fraction, a fraction in which the numerator is greater than the denominator.
Proper fraction, a fraction in which the numerator is less than the denominator.
Decimal \Dec"i*mal\, a. [F. d['e]cimal (cf. LL. decimalis), fr. L. decimus tenth, fr. decem ten. See Ten, and cf. Dime.] Of or pertaining to decimals; numbered or proceeding by tens; having a tenfold increase or decrease, each unit being ten times the unit next smaller; as, decimal notation; a decimal coinage.
Decimal arithmetic, the common arithmetic, in which numeration proceeds by tens.
Decimal fraction, a fraction in which the denominator is some power of 10, as 2/10, [frac25x100], and is usually not expressed, but is signified by a point placed at the left hand of the numerator, as .2, .25.
Decimal point, a dot or full stop at the left of a decimal fraction. The figures at the left of the point represent units or whole numbers, as 1.05.
Wiktionary
n. (context arithmetic English) A proper or improper fraction the denominator of which is a power of ten and the decimal representation of which is a terminating decimal number.
WordNet
n. a proper fraction whose denominator is a power of 10 [syn: decimal]
Usage examples of "decimal fraction".
On his desk calculator, if he entered a velocity as a decimal fraction of c, he could get the time-ratio (one-over-the-square-root-of-one-minus-vee-squared) by punching seven keys.
This is an irrational square root, a decimal fraction with an endless series of non-repeating digits after the decimal point.
In the answer to a sum there happened to be 1-3, and then the Nutling asked what 1-3 would be as a decimal fraction.