decimal point

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English

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Noun

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decimal point (plural decimal points)

  1. (typography) A period/full stop.⟩ or middot·used to set off the decimal or fractional part of a number.
  2. (typography, inexact) Any decimal mark, inclusive of commas, separatrices, etc.
  3. (arithmetic, proscribed) A decimal place.

Usage notes

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The term "decimal point" properly refers only to those signs marking the boundary between integer and decimal numbers with a point. For convenience, it is also used to speak of marks serving a similar function in other cultures. The use of "decimal point" to mean "one of the digits in the fractional part of a decimal" is, however, typically taken to be mistaken.

Synonyms

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Hypernyms

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Translations

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Note: In some countries, especially those in continental Europe, the symbol used is a comma, and so the word used in the languages spoken in these countries is often the same as or derived from the word for comma.