infinitesimal
infinitesimal — adjective
- infinitesimalpositive
- more infinitesimalcomparative
- most infinitesimalsuperlative
1. so small in size, amount, or degree that it is almost impossible to notice
so small in size, amount, or degree that it is almost impossible to notice
Even an infinitesimal crack let water into the phone case.
an infinitesimal crack
The test showed an infinitesimal amount of soap in the drinking water.
an infinitesimal amount of + substance
An infinitesimal shift in the mirror moved the dot across the wall.
The tailor made an infinitesimal cut so the sleeve would hang straight.
- substantial
large enough in amount or effect to matter clearly
- noticeable
easy enough to see or detect
文法句型
an infinitesimal + amount / change / difference
an infinitesimal + crack / shift / chance
用法筆記
Common in formal writing about measurement, science, risk, and change. In everyday speech, tiny or very small is often more natural.
infinitesimal — noun
1. a quantity, especially in mathematics, that is treated as so tiny it is almost z
a quantity, especially in mathematics, that is treated as so tiny it is almost zero
In calculus, dx can be treated as an infinitesimal during the proof.
treat dx as an infinitesimal
The textbook describes an infinitesimal as a quantity almost equal to zero.
Professor Karim used one infinitesimal to model each tiny change in time.
Without that infinitesimal, Joshua's model could not show the curve smoothly.
- differential
in calculus, a symbol like dx may function as this kind of tiny change
- finite quantity
a quantity with a definite size rather than one that approaches zero
文法句型
treat X as an infinitesimal
an infinitesimal in a proof / model
用法筆記
Mostly used in mathematics or technical discussion. In everyday contexts, speakers usually say a tiny amount instead of using this noun.