average

average
I. noun Etymology: from earlier average proportionally distributed charge for damage at sea, modification of Middle French avarie damage to ship or cargo, from Old Italian avaria, from Arabic ‘awārīya damaged merchandise Date: 1732 1. a. a single value (as a mean, mode, or median) that summarizes or represents the general significance of a set of unequal values b. mean 1b 2. a. an estimation of or approximation to an arithmetic mean b. a level (as of intelligence) typical of a group, class, or series <
above the average
>
3. a ratio expressing the average performance especially of an athletic team or an athlete computed according to the number of opportunities for successful performance Synonyms: average, mean, median, norm mean something that represents a middle point. average is exactly or approximately the quotient obtained by dividing the sum total of a set of figures by the number of figures <
scored an average of 85 on tests
>
. mean may be the simple average or it may represent value midway between two extremes <
a high of 70° and a low of 50° give a mean of 60°
>
. median applies to the value that represents the point at which there are as many instances above as there are below <
average of a group of persons earning 3, 4, 5, 8, and 10 dollars an hour is 6 dollars, whereas the median is 5 dollars
>
. norm means the computed or estimated average of performance of a significantly large group, class, or grade <
scores about the norm for fifth grade arithmetic
>
. II. adjective Date: 1770 1. equaling an arithmetic mean 2. a. being about midway between extremes <
a man of average height
>
b. not out of the ordinary ; common <
the average person
>
averagely adverbaverageness noun III. verb (averaged; averaging) Date: 1769 intransitive verb 1. a. to be or come to an average <
the gain averaged out to 20 percent
>
b. to have a medial value of <
a color averaging a pale purple
>
2. to buy on a falling market or sell on a rising market additional shares or commodities so as to obtain a more favorable average price — usually used with down or up transitive verb 1. to do, get, or have on the average or as an average sum or quantity <
averages 12 hours of work a day
>
2. to find the arithmetic mean of (a series of unequal quantities) 3. a. to bring toward the average b. to divide among a number proportionately

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • average — n Average, mean, median, norm, par denote something and usually a number, a quantity, or a condition that represents a middle point between extremes. Of these words average, mean, median, and par are also used as adjectives. Average is an… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • average — [av′ər ij, av′rij] n. [altered (by assoc. with ME average, money rent paid in place of service by the tenant with his horses < aver, draft horse) < OFr avarie, damage to ship or goods, mooring charges < OIt avaria < Ar ʿ awār, damaged …   English World dictionary

  • average — I (midmost) adjective center, centermost, intermediate, mean, mean proportioned, medial, median, mediate, medium, mid, middle, middle class, middle grade, middlemost, middling associated concepts: average annual earnings or wages, average capital …   Law dictionary

  • Average — Av er*age, n. [OF. average, LL. averagium, prob. fr. OF. aver, F. avoir, property, horses, cattle, etc.; prop. infin., to have, from L. habere to have. Cf. F. av[ e]rage small cattle, and avarie (perh. of different origin) damage to ship or cargo …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Average — Av er*age, a. 1. Pertaining to an average or mean; medial; containing a mean proportion; of a mean size, quality, ability, etc.; ordinary; usual; as, an average rate of profit; an average amount of rain; the average Englishman; beings of the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Average — Av er*age, v. i. To form, or exist in, a mean or medial sum or quantity; to amount to, or to be, on an average; as, the losses of the owners will average twenty five dollars each; these spars average ten feet in length. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • average — [adj1] normal, typical boilerplate*, common, commonplace, customary, dime a dozen*, everyday, fair, fair to middling*, familiar, garden*, garden variety*, general, humdrum*, intermediate, mainstream, mediocre, medium, middle of the road*,… …   New thesaurus

  • average — ► NOUN 1) the result obtained by adding several amounts together and then dividing the total by the number of amounts. 2) a usual amount or level. ► ADJECTIVE 1) constituting an average. 2) usual or ordinary. 3) mediocre. ► …   English terms dictionary

  • Average — Av er*age, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Averaged} (?); p. pr. & vb. n. {Averaging}.] 1. To find the mean of, when sums or quantities are unequal; to reduce to a mean. [1913 Webster] 2. To divide among a number, according to a given proportion; as, to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • avérage — 1. (a vé ra j ) s. m. Terme de commerce. La moyenne avérée, vraie, reconnue telle, et en général la moyenne. Sur trois ans l avérage a été de.... ÉTYMOLOGIE    Avérer. avérage 2. (entrée créée par le supplément) (a vé ra j ) s. m. Nom, dans le… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • average — (del inglés; pronunciamos averás ) sustantivo masculino 1. Área: deporte Promedio, término medio: Gana el Barcelona por gol average …   Diccionario Salamanca de la Lengua Española

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