What is "sexagesimal"

Sexagesimal \Sex`a*ges"i*mal\, a. [Cf. F. sexag['e]simal.] Pertaining to, or founded on, the number sixty.

Sexagesimal fractions or Sexagesimal numbers (Arith. & Alg.), those fractions whose denominators are some power of sixty; as, 1/60, 1/3600, 1/216000; -- called also astronomical fractions, because formerly there were no others used in astronomical calculations.

Sexagesimal arithmetic, or Sexagenary arithmetic, the method of computing by the sexagenary scale, or by sixties.

Sexagesimal scale (Math.), the sexagenary scale.

Sexagesimal \Sex`a*ges"i*mal\, n. A sexagesimal fraction.

"pertaining to 60," 1680s, from Medieval Latin sexagesimalis, from Latin sexagesimus "the sixtieth," from sexaginta "sixty."

a. (context mathematics English) of, pertaining by, proceeding by, or based on the number sixty n. a sexagesimal fraction

adj. of or relating to or reckoning in sixtieths; "the sexagesimal divisions of hours and degrees"

Sexagesimal (base 60) is a numeral system with sixty as its base. It originated with the ancient Sumerians in the 3rd millennium BC, was passed down to the ancient Babylonians, and is still used—in a modified form—for measuring time, angles, and geographic coordinates.

The number 60, a superior highly composite number, has twelve factors, namely 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30, and 60, of which 2, 3, and 5 are prime numbers. With so many factors, many fractions involving sexagesimal numbers are simplified. For example, one hour can be divided evenly into sections of 30 minutes, 20 minutes, 15 minutes, 12 minutes, 10 minutes, 6 minutes, 5 minutes, 4 minutes, 3 minutes, 2 minutes, and 1 minute. 60 is the smallest number that is divisible by every number from 1 to 6; that is, it is the lowest common multiple of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.