divisor

noun

di·​vi·​sor də-ˈvī-zər How to pronounce divisor (audio)
: the number by which a dividend is divided

Examples of divisor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Because 10 is not a prime number, such unpleasant zero divisors occur. Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 11 Jan. 2024 The only numbers that survive are primes — numbers whose only divisors are 1 and themselves. Erica Klarreich, Quanta Magazine, 26 Oct. 2023 Over the next few decades, Irving Kaplansky, one of the leading mathematicians of the 20th century, popularized this conjecture along with two other group algebra conjectures called the zero divisor and idempotent conjectures; the three came to be known as the Kaplansky conjectures. Quanta Magazine, 12 Apr. 2021 The divisor is currently 0.1517. Allan Sloan, Washington Post, 16 Dec. 2022 Your new divisor would be 1.0571. Q.ai - Powering A Personal Wealth Movement, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2022 But to keep things like stock splits and changes in its component stocks from distorting the Dow, its administrators created something called the Dow divisor. Allan Sloan, Washington Post, 16 Dec. 2022 Dreyer began the lesson by writing an estimating quotient example involving a two-digit divisor on the whiteboard and asked students to raise their hand and share their observations, including possible paths to solving the problem. cleveland, 18 Nov. 2022 For example, for long division, students used colored pencils to match the strokes of the divisor in the dividend. Alena Naiden, Anchorage Daily News, 7 Nov. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'divisor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of divisor was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near divisor

Cite this Entry

“Divisor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/divisor. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

divisor

noun
di·​vi·​sor də-ˈvī-zər How to pronounce divisor (audio)
: the number by which a dividend is divided

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