surd
/sɜːd/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.46 in modern English
5
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
An irrational number, especially one expressed using the √ symbol.
noun
adj
Involving surds, or irrational numbers; not capable of being expressed in rational numbers.
Example Sentences
- "…how all Words fall to the Ground, spent upon such a surd and Earless Generation of Men, stupid unto all Instruction…"
- "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."
- "a surd expression or quantity; a surd number"
Etymology
First attested in the mid 16th century from Latin surdus (“deaf, mute”), used in mathematics for “irrational,” reflecting ἄλογος (álogos, “irrational, speechless”) as found in Euclid, apparently transmitted via Arabic جِذْر أَصَمّ (jiḏr ʔaṣamm, “deaf root”). The phonetic sense, “voiceless,” emerged in the 18th century. Doublet of surdo.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: surdus, جِذْر أَصَمّ
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /sɜːd/
- British English: /sɜːd/