Radical

Definition of Radical

Rad´i`cal   Pronunciation: răd´ĭ`kal
a.1.Of or pertaining to the root; proceeding directly from the root.
2.Hence: Of or pertaining to the root or origin; reaching to the center, to the foundation, to the ultimate sources, to the principles, or the like; original; fundamental; thorough-going; unsparing; extreme; as, radical evils; radical reform; a radical party.
3.(Bot.) Belonging to, or proceeding from, the root of a plant; as, radical tubers or hairs.
4.(Philol.) Relating, or belonging, to the root, or ultimate source of derivation; as, a radical verbal form.
5.(Math.) Of or pertaining to a radix or root; as, a radical quantity; a radical sign. See below.
Radical axis of two circles
(Geom.) See under Axis.
Radical pitch
the pitch or tone with which the utterance of a syllable begins.
Radical quantity
(Alg.) a quantity to which the radical sign is prefixed; specifically, a quantity which is not a perfect power of the degree indicated by the radical sign; a surd.
- Rush.
Radical sign
(Math.) the sign ? (originally the letter r, the initial of radix, root), placed before any quantity, denoting that its root is to be extracted; thus, ?a, or ?(a + b). To indicate any other than the square root, a corresponding figure is placed over the sign; thus, a, indicates the third or cube root of a.
Radical stress
(Elocution) force of utterance falling on the initial part of a syllable or sound.
Radical vessels
(Anat.) minute vessels which originate in the substance of the tissues.
n.1.(Philol.) A primitive word; a radix, root, or simple, underived, uncompounded word; an etymon.
2.(Politics) One who advocates radical changes in government or social institutions, especially such changes as are intended to level class inequalities; - opposed to conservative.
3.(Chem.) A characteristic, essential, and fundamental constituent of any compound; hence, sometimes, an atom.
4.Specifically, a group of two or more atoms, not completely saturated, which are so linked that their union implies certain properties, and are conveniently regarded as playing the part of a single atom; a residue; - called also a compound radical. Cf. Residue.
4.(Alg.) A radical quantity. See under Radical, a.
An indicated root of a perfect power of the degree indicated is not a radical but a rational quantity under a radical form.
- Davies & Peck (Math. Dict.
5.(Anat.) A radical vessel. See under Radical, a.

Related Words

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Radiale
Radially
Radian
Radiance
Radiant
Radiant energy
Radiant engine
Radiant heat
Radiant point
Radiantly
Radiary
Radiata
Radiate
Radiate-veined
Radiated
Radiately
Radiatiform
Radiation
Radiative
Radiator
-Radical-
Radical axis of two circles
Radical pitch
Radical quantity
Radical sign
Radical stress
Radical vessels
Radical vinegar
Radicalism
Radicality
Radically
Radicalness
Radicant
Radicate
Radicated
Radication
Radicel
Radiciflorous
Radiciform
Radicle
Radicular
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