binary

[bahy-nuh-ree, -ner-ee] /ˈbaɪ nə ri, -nɛr i/

adjective

consisting of, indicating, or involving two.

Mathematics.

of or pertaining to a system of numerical notation to the base 2, in which each place of a number, expressed as 0 or 1, corresponds to a power of 2. The decimal number 58 appears as 111010 in binary notation, since 58 = 1 × 2 ⁵ + 1 × 2 ⁴ + 1 × 2 ³ + 0 × 2 ² + 1 × 2 ¹ + 0 × 2 ⁰ .
of or pertaining to the digits or numbers used in binary notation.
of or pertaining to a binary system.
(of an operation) assigning a third quantity to two given quantities, as in the addition of two numbers.

Chemistry. noting a compound containing only two elements or groups, as sodium chloride, methyl bromide, or methyl hydroxide.

Metallurgy. (of an alloy) having two principal constituents.

noun, plural binaries.

a whole composed of two.

Astronomy, binary star.

Also called binary number. Mathematics. a number expressed in the binary system of notation.

Origin

1350-1400; Middle English < Late Latin bīnārius, equivalent to bīn(ī) (see bin-) + -ārius -ary

Can be confused

binary, bindery.

Examples from the web for binary

Each frequency represents one of the two binary states one and zero, .
At its most fundamental, information is a binary choice.
In the binary system, only the digits 0 and 1 are used.
It doesn't really make sense to talk of binary time or decimal time.
Classical logic holds that everything can be expressed in binary.
True binary stars are distinct from optical doubles-pairs of stars.
Personally, I go with the binary theory of formation, whereby the early earth is split in two.
Why are we so committed and obsessed with continuing the binary of male and female.
The traditional, binary, all-or-nothing approach to military missions is based on bitter experience.
Faith is not so much a binary pole as a quantum state, which tends to indeterminacy when closely examined.

British Dictionary definitions for binary

binary

/ˈbaɪnərɪ/

adjective

composed of, relating to, or involving two; dual

(maths, computing) of, relating to, or expressed in binary notation or binary code

(of a compound or molecule) containing atoms of two different elements

(metallurgy) (of an alloy) consisting of two components or phases

(of an educational system) consisting of two parallel forms of education such as the grammar school and the secondary modern in Britain

(maths, logic) (of a relation, expression, or operation) applying to two elements of its domain; having two argument places; dyadic

noun (pl) -ries

something composed of two parts or things

(astronomy) See binary star

short for binary weapon

Word Origin

C16: from Late Latin bīnārius; see bin-

Word Origin and History for binary

adj.

"dual," mid-15c., from Late Latin binarius "consisting of two," from bini "twofold, two apiece, two-by-two" (used especially of matched things), from bis "double" (see bis-). Binary code in computer terminology was in use by 1952, though the idea itself is ancient. Binary star in astronomy is from 1802.

binary in Medicine

binary bi·na·ry (bī'nə-rē)
adj.

Characterized by or consisting of two parts or components; twofold.
Consisting of or containing only molecules having two kinds of atoms.

binary in Science

binary

(bī'nə-rē)

Having two parts.
Mathematics Based on the number 2 or the binary number system.

binary in Culture

binary [(beye-nuh-ree, beye-ner-ee)]

Anything composed of two parts. In modern computers, information is stored in banks of components that act like switches. Since switches can be either on or off, they have a binary character, and we say that the computer uses “binary arithmetic” to do its work.

binary in Technology

1. Base two. A number representation consisting of zeros and ones used by practically all computers because of its ease of implementation using digital electronics and Boolean algebra.
2. binary file.
3. A description of an operator which takes two arguments. See also unary, ternary.
(2005-02-21)