Definition of MANTISSA

mantissa

Plural: mantissae, mantissas

Noun

  • The fractional or decimal part of a common logarithm.
  • the positive fractional part of the representation of a logarithm; in the expression log 643 = 2.808 the mantissa is .808
  • A minor addition to a text.
  • The part of a common logarithm after the decimal point, the fractional part of a logarithm.
  • The significand; that part of a floating-point number or number in scientific notation that contains its significant digits.

Examples

  • Calculating the MANTISSA of his score, he realized he was just shy of a record.

Origin / Etymology

Borrowed from Latin mantissa, mantīsa, of unknown origin (said by Festus to be a loanword from Etruscan, but it may actually be from Celtic, possibly through Etruscan mediation).

Synonyms

fixed-point part, significand

Scrabble Score: 10

mantissa: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
mantissa: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
mantissa: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 12

mantissa: valid Words With Friends Word