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
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 using xi 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