MINUS
What does "MINUS" mean?
Used to show subtraction or a negative quantity; reduced by, or without.
Meanings
- Reduced by a given amount; the operation of subtraction. Seven minus three is four.
- Lacking or without something. He returned from the trip minus his luggage. informal
- Negative; below zero or below a standard. The temperature dropped to minus ten.
- A disadvantage or drawback. The long commute is a definite minus. informal
Did you know?
- The minus sign began as a merchant's mark: it first appeared in print in Johannes Widmann's 1489 arithmetic book, where '+' and '-' originally flagged surplus and shortfall in warehouse weights before becoming the operators of pure mathematics.
Word origin
From Latin 'minus' (less), the neuter comparative of 'parvus' (small); the same root behind 'minor', 'minimum', and 'minister'.
Remember it
MINUS makes things 'minus' - less. It shares its root with MINI and MINOR: all mean smaller.
A little poem
A single stroke laid flat across the page-
and the whole sum lost, line by line, its age.
couplet
Wordplay
- Why did the minus sign feel low? Every time it showed up, something went down.
What it teaches
A small horizontal line can quietly take away what a tall vertical one labored to add.
Quick facts
What does MINUS mean?
Used to show subtraction or a negative quantity; reduced by, or without.
Is MINUS a valid word?
Yes — MINUS is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is MINUS?
MINUS has 5 letters and 2 syllables.
Where does MINUS come from?
From Latin 'minus' (less), the neuter comparative of 'parvus' (small); the same root behind 'minor', 'minimum', and 'minister'.
What can MINUS teach us?
A small horizontal line can quietly take away what a tall vertical one labored to add.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.