Category:Binary

Bi"na*ry, a. Etym: [L. binarius, fr. bini two by two, two at a time, fr. root of bis twice; akin to E. two: cf. F. binaire.]

Defn: Compounded or consisting of two things or parts; characterized by two (things). Binary arithmetic, that in which numbers are expressed according to the binary scale, or in which two figures only, 0 and 1, are used, in lieu of ten; the cipher multiplying everything by two, as in common arithmetic by ten. Thus, 1 is one; 10 is two; 11 is three; 100 is four, etc. Davies & Peck.

-- Binary compound (Chem.), a compound of two elements, or of an element and a compound performing the function of an element, or of two compounds performing the function of elements.

-- Binary logarithms, a system of logarithms devised by Euler for facilitating musical calculations, in which 1 is logarithm of 2, instead of 10, as in the common logarithms, and the modulus 1.442695 instead of .43429448.

-- Binary measure (Mus.), measure divisible by two or four; common time.

-- Binary nomenclature (Nat. Hist.), nomenclature in which the names designate both genus and species.

-- Binary scale (Arith.), a uniform scale of notation whose ratio is two.

-- Binary star (Astron.), a double star whose members have a revolution round their common center of gravity.

-- Binary theory (Chem.), the theory that all chemical compounds consist of two constituents of opposite and unlike qualities.

Bi"na*ry, n.

Defn: That which is constituted of two figures, things, or parts; two; duality. Fotherby.