Word forms: plural indices, plural, 3rd person singular presenttense indexes, present participle indexing, past tense, past participle indexedlanguage note: The usual plural is indexes, but the form indices can be used for meaning [sense 1].
1. countable noun
An index is a system by which changes in the value of something and the rate at which it changes can be recorded, measured, or interpreted.
...the U.K. retail price index.
...economic indices.
2. countable noun
An index is an alphabetical list that is printed at the back of a book and tells you on which pages important topics are referred to.
There's even a special subject index.
Synonyms: list, listing, key, guide More Synonyms of index
3. verb
If you index a book or a collection of information, you make an alphabetical list of the items in it.
This vast archive has been indexed and made accessible to researchers. [beVERB-ed]
Painters and sculptors are indexed separately. [VERB-ed]
She's indexed the book by author, by age, and by illustrator. [VERB noun]
4. verb [usually passive]
If a quantity or value is indexedto another, a system is arranged so that it increases or decreases whenever the other one increases or decreases.
Minimum pensions and wages are to be indexed to inflation. [beVERB-ed + to]
5. countable noun [usu Nof/to n]
If one thing is an indexof another, it indicates what the other thing will be like.
[formal]
Weeds are an index to the character of the soil.
Synonyms: indication, guide, sign, mark More Synonyms of index
6. countable noun
In mathematics, indices are the little numbers that show how many times you must multiply a number by itself. In the equation 3² = 9, the number 2 is an index.
[technical]
7. See also card index
index in British English
(ˈɪndɛks)
nounWord forms: plural-dexes or -dices (-dɪˌsiːz)
1.
an alphabetical list of persons, places, subjects, etc, mentioned in the text of a printed work, usually at the back, and indicating where in the work they arereferred to
2. thumb index
3. library science
a systematic list of book titles or authors' names, giving cross-references and the location of each book; catalogue
4.
an indication, sign, or token
5.
a pointer, needle, or other indicator, as on an instrument
6. mathematics
a. another name for exponent (sense 4)
b.
a number or variable placed as a superscript to the left of a radical sign indicating by its value the root to be extracted, as in 3√8 = 2
c.
a subscript or superscript to the right of a variable to express a set of variables, as in usingxi for x1, x2, x3, etc
7.
a numerical scale by means of which variables, such as levels of the cost of living, can be compared with each other or with some base number
8.
a number or ratio indicating a specific characteristic, property, etc
refractive index
9. Also called: fist
a printer's mark (☛) used to indicate notes, paragraphs, etc
10. obsolete
a table of contents or preface
verb(transitive)
11.
to put an index in (a book)
12.
to enter (a word, item, etc) in an index
13.
to point out; indicate
14.
to index-link
15.
to move (a machine or a workpiece held in a machine tool) so that one particular operation will be repeated at certain defined intervals
Derived forms
indexer (ˈindexer)
noun
indexless (ˈindexless)
adjective
Word origin
C16: from Latin: pointer, hence forefinger, title, index, from indicāre to disclose, show; see indicate
index in American English
(ˈɪnˌdɛks)
nounWord forms: pluralˈinˌdexes or ˈindiˌces (ˈɪndɪˌsiz)
1.
index finger
2.
a pointer or indicator, as the needle on a dial
3.
a thing that points out; indication; sign; representation
performance is an index of ability
4.
a.
an alphabetical list of names, subjects, etc. together with the page numbers wherethey appear in the text, usually placed at the end of a book or other publication
b.
thumb index
c.
a list describing the items of a collection and where they may be found; catalog
a library index
d. [I-]
Index Librorum Prohibitorum
e. [I-]
Index Expurgatorius
f.
a periodical that lists books according to subject, with publishing information and summary of contents
5.
a.
the relation or ratio of one amount or dimension to another, or the formula expressing this relation
cranial index
b.
a number used to measure change in prices, wages, employment, production, etc.: it shows percentage variation from an arbitrary standard, usually 100, representing the status at some earlier time
: in full index number
6. Ancient Mathematics
a.
exponent (sense 4)
b.
a subscript
c.
an integer or symbol placed above and to the left of a radical
38, nx
7. Printing
a sign calling attention to something; fist
verb transitive
8.
a.
to make an index of or for
b.
to include in an index
c.
to supply with a thumb index
9.
to be an index, or sign, of; indicate
10.
to adjust (wages, interest rates, etc.) automatically to changes in the cost of living
Derived forms
indexer (ˈinˌdexer)
noun
indexical (inˈdexical)
adjective
Word origin
L, informer, that which points out < indicare, indicate
index in Mechanical Engineering
(ɪndɛks)
Word forms: (present) indexes, (past) indexed, (perfect) indexed, (progressive) indexing
verb
(Mechanical engineering: Manufacturing and assembly)
To index a machine or a workpiece held in a machine tool means to move it so that one particularoperation will be repeated at particular intervals.
Workpieces can be indexed for a number of different cuts that are at an angle to each other.
The faceplate is indexed in 1 degree increments around the whole plate.
To index a machine or a workpiece held in a machine tool means to move it so that one particularoperation will be repeated at particular intervals.
index in Finance
(ɪndɛks)
Word forms: (plural) indexes
noun
(Finance: Investment)
An index is a grouping of the combined values of stocks or securities that is used to track changes over time.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average is the best known US index of stocks.
The gauge is designed to predict future growth, so a jump in the index means the economy will likely continue to expand in the coming months.
An index is a grouping of the combined values of stocks or securities that is used to trackchanges over time.
index in Insurance
(ɪndɛks)
Word forms: (regular plural) indexes
noun
(Insurance: Life insurance)
An index is a system by which prices and costs can be compared to those of a previous date.
The level of coverage increases in line with an index of prices or earnings.
Benefits are increased at periodic intervals by a factor derived from an index of prices or earnings.
An index is a system by which prices and costs can be compared to those of a previous date.
index-linked
Examples of 'index' in a sentence
index
You need to lead with your index finger and work in symmetry so both arms are mirrors of one another.
The Sun (2016)
The consumer prices index hit 1.6 per cent last month.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
In the same period the consumer prices index of inflation rose 1 per cent.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
In its house price index, all regions saw growth.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
The court pace index is worked out using a formula involving elements such as velocity, friction and temperature.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Not a bad investment: a used car that goes up in value in line with the house price index.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
It ought not to be news when a nominal price index reaches a new peak; it's what ought to happen.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Work is an index of moral superiority.
Roper, Jon Democracy and its Critics - Anglo-American democratic thought in the nineteenth century (1989)
It would also have profited from an index and a list of works consulted.
The Times Literary Supplement (2011)
This was done by running checks on car index numbers and people at various addresses.
The Sun (2014)
Spread-betters who had been backing stock indices were suddenly less bold.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
He is working on a history of book indexes.
The Times Literary Supplement (2013)
It bends the thumb in towards the base of the index finger.
Andrews, Elizabeth Muscle Management (1991)
The index works out how much executives gave shareholders relative to their pay.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
They are a highly efficient mathematical tool that stores and processes index numbers in the computer.
Frederic Alan Maxwell BAD BOY BALLMER (2002)
He instituted an index of banned books.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Other qualitative work indices in geological organizations also leapt ahead.
Aganbegyan, Abel Inside Perestroika: The Future of the Soviet Economy (1990)
She notes index number but is one digit out.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The index of drugs lists both brand and generic names to enable you to find the right fact sheet for your medicine.
Martlew, Gillian & Silver, Shelley (ed) The Medicine Chest - your family's guide to prescription drugs (1988)
Retail prices index inflation was 3.3% last month.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The retail prices index remained at 5 per cent.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The index is based on data from 150,000 homes on sale.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The retail prices index for the same period is forecast to have decreased by 0.9 per cent.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
In this regard, it is telling that democracy is not listed in the index.
The Times Literary Supplement (2014)
She converted to Catholicism and helped to index his many books.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Europe, natural gas is priced according to indices based on oil.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The index at the back of the book lists both brand and generic names to enable youto find the right fact sheet for your medicine.
Martlew, Gillian & Silver, Shelley (ed) The Medicine Chest - your family's guide to prescription drugs (1988)
Head back to your index.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The published house price indices are well behind the game,' he said.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The core consumer price index was down by 0.1 per cent over the year to June.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Nowhere more so than in China: food accounts for one third of the consumer price index.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Word lists with
index
parts of a book
In other languages
index
British English: index /ˈɪndɛks/ NOUN
in book An index is an alphabetical list at the back of a book saying where particular things are mentioned in the book.
There's a subject index at the back of the book.
American English: index list
Arabic: فِهْرس
Brazilian Portuguese: índice lista
Chinese: 索引
Croatian: kazalo
Czech: rejstřík v knize
Danish: register
Dutch: index lijst
European Spanish: índice dedo
Finnish: hakemisto
French: index liste
German: Sachregister
Greek: ευρετήριο
Italian: indice
Japanese: 索引
Korean: 색인
Norwegian: innholdsfortegnelse
Polish: spis alfabetyczny
European Portuguese: índice lista
Romanian: index
Russian: предметный указатель
Latin American Spanish: índice lista de capítulos
Swedish: sakregister
Thai: ดัชนี
Turkish: dizin alfabetik
Ukrainian: покажчик
Vietnamese: bảng chú giải
British English: index /ˈɪndɛks/ NOUN
numerical scale An index is a system by which changes in the value of something can be recorded, measured, or interpreted.
...a change in the consumer price index.
American English: index numerical scale
Arabic: مُؤَشِّر
Brazilian Portuguese: índice escala numérica
Chinese: 指数
Croatian: indeks
Czech: index
Danish: indeks
Dutch: index numerieke schaal
European Spanish: índice publicación
Finnish: indeksi
French: indice index
German: Index
Greek: δείκτης αριθμητική κλίμακα
Italian: indice
Japanese: 指数 numerical scale
Korean: 지수
Norwegian: register
Polish: wskaźnik numeryczny
European Portuguese: índice escala numérica
Romanian: indice
Russian: показатель
Latin American Spanish: índice elemento indicador de los instrumentos graduados
Swedish: index
Thai: ดัชนี
Turkish: dizin sayısal
Ukrainian: показник
Vietnamese: chỉ số so sánh
British English: index VERB
If you index a book or a collection of information, you make an alphabetical list of the items in it.
This vast archive has been indexed and made accessible to researchers.
American English: index
Brazilian Portuguese: fazer um índice
Chinese: 为…编索引
European Spanish: ordenar alfabéticamente
French: compiler l'index de
German: indexieren
Italian: fare l'indice di
Japanese: 索引をつける
Korean: 색인을 달다
European Portuguese: fazer um índice
Latin American Spanish: ordenar alfabéticamente
All related terms of 'index'
sun index
a measurement of how strong the sun is
card index
A card index is a number of cards with information written on them which are arranged in a particular order, usually alphabetical , so that you can find the information you want easily .
cross-index
a note or notes referring the reader to other material
index card
An index card is a small card on which you can write information . Index cards are kept in a box , arranged in order.
index case
the first case of a disease, or the primary case referred to in a report
index fund
a mutual fund that invests in the stocks used to compute a particular stock-market index , thus tying its performance to that index
index-tied
(of wages , interest rates, etc) directly related to the cost-of-living index and rising or falling accordingly
nasal index
the ratio of the widest part of the nose to its length multiplied by 100
price index
→ index (sense 5 ) index (sense 5b )
share index
A share index is a number that indicates the state of a stock market . It is based on the combined share prices of a set of companies .
thumb index
a series of indentations cut into the fore-edge of a book to facilitate quick reference
Capello Index
a player rating website backed by Fabio Capello in which marks are awarded to football players in the top teams according to their performance in key skills of the game
colour index
the difference between the apparent magnitude of a star measured in one standard waveband and in a longer standard waveband, indicating its colour and temperature
cranial index
the ratio of the greatest length to the greatest width of the cranium , multiplied by 100: used in comparative anthropology
facial index
the ratio of the length of the face to the width of the face multiplied by 100: often used in comparative anthropology
gnathic index
a measurement of the relative amount of protrusion of the jaw , expressed in terms of the ratio of the distance from the nasion to the basion (arbitrarily taken as 100) to the distance from the basion to the middle point of the alveolar process
index figure
a statistic indicating the relative change occurring in each successive period of time in the price, volume , or value of a commodity or in a general economic variable , such as the price level, national income , or gross output , with reference to a previous base period conventionally given the number 100
index finger
Your index finger is the finger that is next to your thumb.
index fossil
a fossil species that characterizes and is used to delimit a geological zone
index futures
a form of financial futures based on projected movement of a share price index , such as the Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 Share Index
index-linked
Index-linked pensions or payments change as inflation or the cost of living changes.
index number
a statistic indicating the relative change occurring in each successive period of time in the price , volume , or value of a commodity or in a general economic variable , such as the price level, national income , or gross output , with reference to a previous base period conventionally given the number 100
misery index
a figure calculated by adding the rate of unemployment to the rate of inflation , used as an indicator of the economic welfare of an average member of society
Nikkei index
an index of prices on the Tokyo Stock Exchange
opsonic index
the ratio of the number of bacteria destroyed by phagocytes in the blood of a test patient to the number destroyed in the blood of a normal individual
orbital index
the ratio of the greatest height of the orbital cavity to its greatest breadth , times 100
prices index
an official list of the price of goods
subject index
an alphabetical list of persons, places, subjects, etc, mentioned in the text of a printed work, usually at the back, and indicating where in the work they are referred to
cephalic index
the ratio of the greatest width of the human head to its greatest length , multiplied by 100
exposure index
the sensitivity to light of a photographic film, specified in terms of the film's ISO rating
glycaemic index
an index indicating the effects of various foods on blood sugar . Fast-releasing foods that raise blood sugar levels quickly are high on the index, while slow-releasing foods, at the bottom of the index, give a slow but sustained release of sugar
phagocytic index
the average number of bacteria ingested per leukocyte in an incubated mixture of normal or immune serum , bacteria, and normal leukocytes
refractive index
a measure of the extent to which radiation is refracted on passing through the interface between two media . It is the ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of refraction , which can be shown to be equal to the ratio of the phase speed in the first medium to that in the second. In the case of electromagnetic radiation, esp light, it is usual to give values of the absolute refractive index of a medium, that is for radiation entering the medium from free space
therapeutic index
The therapeutic index of a drug is the ratio of the lethal dose to the effective dose, used in assessing the safety of a drug.
body mass index
A person's body mass index is a measurement that represents the relationship between their weight and their height.
FT-SE 100 Index
Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 Index
Hang Seng Index
an index of share prices based on an average of 33 stocks quoted on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange
Index Expurgatorius
a list of books that the Roman Catholic Church forbade its members to read unless certain passages condemned as dangerous to faith or morals were deleted or changed
retail price index
The retail price index is a list of the prices of typical goods which shows how much the cost of living changes from one month to the next .
Thirty-Share Index
an index of share prices produced by the Financial Times , designed to reflect general price trends : based on the average price of thirty British shares
Index Librorum Prohibitorum
(formerly) an official list of proscribed books
All-Ordinaries Index
an index of share prices on the Australian Stock Exchange giving a weighted arithmetic average of 245 ordinary shares
consumer price index
a measure of the average price of goods and services purchased by consumers , used as an index of inflation
Financial Times index
one of the indexes of share prices produced by the Financial Times , esp the Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 Index
index of refraction
the ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of refraction for a ray of light crossing from one medium into another
index-tracking fund
an investment fund that is administered so that its value changes in line with a given share index
wholesale price index
an indicator of price changes in the wholesale market
cost-of-living index
a numerical scale by means of which cost-of-living levels can be compared with a base number
indexation
the act of making wages , interest rates, etc, index-linked
zone fossil
a fossil species that characterizes and is used to delimit a geological zone
Chinese translation of 'index'
index
(ˈɪndɛks)
Word forms:plindexes
n(c)
(in book, library etc) 索引 (suǒyǐn) (条(條), tiáo)
(= sign) 指数(數) (zhǐshù)
vt
[book, information]编(編)索引 (biān suǒyǐn)
1 (noun)
Definition
an alphabetical list of names or subjects dealt with in a book, indicating where they are referred to
There's even a special subject index.
Synonyms
list
There were six names on the list.
listing
A full listing of the companies will be published quarterly.
key
You will find a key at the start of the book.
guide
register
registers of births, deaths and marriages
2 (noun)
Definition
an indication or sign
Weeds are an index to the character of the soil.
Synonyms
indication
He gave no indication that he was ready to compromise.
guide
Our only guide was the stars overhead.
sign
His face and movements rarely betrayed any sign of nerves.
mark
Shopkeepers closed their shutters as a mark of respect.
note
He has never been able to read or transcribe musical notes.
evidence
Police said there was no evidence of a struggle.
signal
The event was seen as a signal of support.
symptom
Your problem with sleep is just a symptom of a larger problem.
hint
I'd dropped a hint about having an exhibition of his work.
clue
Scientists have discovered a clue that may unlock the puzzle.
a vital clue to the killer's identity
token
He sent her a gift as a token of his appreciation.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of clue
Definition
something that helps to solve a problem or unravel a mystery
Scientists have discovered a clue that may unlock the puzzle.a vital clue to the killer's identity
Synonyms
indication,
lead,
sign,
evidence,
tip,
suggestion,
trace,
hint,
suspicion,
pointer,
tip-off,
inkling,
intimation
in the sense of evidence
Police said there was no evidence of a struggle.
Synonyms
sign(s),
mark,
suggestion,
trace,
indication,
token,
manifestation
in the sense of guide
Definition
something that can be used to gauge something or to help in planning one's actions