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gradient

Pronunciation: /ˈɡɹeɪdiənt/

The English word “gradient” has 10 meanings listed here.

noun

  1. A slope or incline.
  2. A rate of inclination or declination of a slope.
  3. The ratio of the rates of change of a dependent variable and an independent variable, the slope of a curve's tangent.
  4. The rate at which a physical quantity increases or decreases relative to change in a given variable, especially distance.
  5. A differential operator that maps each point of a scalar field to a vector pointed in the direction of the greatest rate of change of the scalar. Notation for a scalar field φ: ∇φ
  6. A gradual change in color; a color gradient; gradation.

adjective

  1. Moving by steps; walking.
  2. Rising or descending by regular degrees of inclination.
  3. Adapted for walking, as the feet of certain birds.
  4. Using the gradient to solve a problem.

Etymology

From Latin gradiēns, present participle of gradior (“to step, to walk”).

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Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.