Associations to the word «Gradient»

Wiktionary

GRADIENT, noun. A slope or incline.
GRADIENT, noun. A rate of inclination or declination of a slope.
GRADIENT, noun. (calculus) Of a function y = f(x) or the graph of such a function, the rate of change of y with respect to x that is, the amount by which y changes for a certain (often unit) change in x equivalently, the inclination to the X axis of the tangent to the curve of the graph.
GRADIENT, noun. (science) The rate at which a physical quantity increases or decreases relative to change in a given variable, especially distance.
GRADIENT, noun. (analysis) 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
GRADIENT, adjective. Moving by steps; walking.
GRADIENT, adjective. Rising or descending by regular degrees of inclination.
GRADIENT, adjective. Adapted for walking, as the feet of certain birds.
GRADIENT POST, noun. A post or stake indicating by its height or by marks on it the grade of a railroad, highway, embankment, etc. at that point.
GRADIENT WIND, noun. (meteorology) A horizontal wind velocity tangent to the contour line of a constant pressure surface (or to the isobar of a geopotential surface) at or above 2,500 feet (762 meters).

Dictionary definition

GRADIENT, noun. A graded change in the magnitude of some physical quantity or dimension.
GRADIENT, noun. The property possessed by a line or surface that departs from the horizontal; "a five-degree gradient".

Wise words

Words are always getting conventionalized to some secondary meaning. It is one of the works of poetry to take the truants in custody and bring them back to their right senses.
William Butler Yeats