gradient
[ grey-dee-uh nt ]
/ ˈgreɪ di ənt /
noun
the degree of inclination, or the rate of ascent or descent, in a highway, railroad, etc.
an inclined surface; grade; ramp.
Physics.
- the rate of change with respect to distance of a variable quantity, as temperature or pressure, in the direction of maximum change.
- a curve representing such a rate of change.
Mathematics.
a differential operator that, operating upon a function of several variables, results in a vector the coordinates of which are the partial derivatives of the function. Abbreviation: grad. Symbol: ∇
adjective
Origin of gradient
1635–45; < Latin
gradient- (stem of
gradiēns), present participle of
gradī to walk, go, equivalent to
grad- walk +
-i- thematic vowel +
-ent-
-ent
Words nearby gradient
graded post,
gradeflation,
gradely,
grademark,
grader,
gradient,
gradient post,
gradient wind,
gradienter,
gradin,
gradiometer
Example sentences from the Web for gradient
British Dictionary definitions for gradient
gradient
/ (ˈɡreɪdɪənt) /
noun
Also called (esp US): grade
a part of a railway, road, etc, that slopes upwards or downwards; inclination
Also called (esp US and Canadian): grade
a measure of such a slope, esp the ratio of the vertical distance between two points on the slope to the horizontal distance between them
physics
a measure of the change of some physical quantity, such as temperature or electric potential, over a specified distance
maths
- (of a curve) the slope of the tangent at any point on a curve with respect to the horizontal axis
- (of a function, f (x, y, z)) the vector whose components along the axes are the partial derivatives of the function with respect to each variable, and whose direction is that in which the derivative of the function has its maximum value. Usually written: grad f, ∇ f or ∇ fCompare curl (def. 11), divergence (def. 4)
adjective
sloping uniformly
Word Origin for gradient
C19: from Latin
gradiēns stepping, from
gradī to go
Medical definitions for gradient
gradient
[ grā′dē-ənt ]
n.
The rate at which a physical quantity, such as temperature or pressure, changes relative to change in a given variable, especially distance.
A series of progressively increasing or decreasing differences in the growth rate, metabolism, or physiological activity of a cell, an organ, or an organism.
Scientific definitions for gradient
gradient
[ grā′dē-ənt ]
The degree to which something inclines; a slope. A mountain road with a gradient of ten percent rises one foot for every ten feet of horizontal length.
The rate at which a physical quantity, such as temperature or pressure changes over a distance.
A operator on scalar fields yielding a vector function, where the value of the vector evaluated at any point indicates the direction and degree of change of the field at that point.