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Glite Dictionary
radical sign

radical sign

5.3
A symbol √ that shows the square root of a number
  • noun
  • /ˈrædɪkəl saɪn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : signo radical
  • The radical sign is used to represent the square root of a number.

Examples

  • When you see a radical sign in an equation, it means you need to find a root.

  • The teacher drew a radical sign on the board to explain the concept.

  • The radical sign indicates the square root.

  • You need to use a radical sign for this equation.

  • The radical sign is used to represent the square root of a number.

  • When you see a radical sign in an equation, it means you need to find a root.

  • The teacher drew a radical sign on the board to explain the concept.

Synonyms

sign
vsradical sign
45 4.8

A mark that shows if a number is positive or negative

indicates extraction of a root, usually the square root

Surface Forms

radical sign singular
radical signs plural

Morphology

radical + sign

The meaning 'the symbol (√) indicating a root' is directly compositional from 'radical' (a root) and 'sign' (a symbol), so the phrase denotes the symbol for a radical. This follows regular noun + noun naming patterns in mathematics and is cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will understand it.

Etymology

The term radical sign may come from the Latin word 'radix', which means 'root'. That's why the radical sign tells you to find a 'root' of a number.