| 释义 |
var·i·a·ble
I. \ˈverēəbəl, ˈva(a)r-, ˈvār-\ adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin variabilis, from variare to vary + -abilis -able
1.
a. : able or apt to vary or change : susceptible or subject to variation or changes : changeable, shifting
< variable winds >
< a variable climate >
< a variable speech habit — Stanley Newman >
< variable manufacturing expenses — Cost Accounting >
b. : fickle, unsteady, inconstant
< lest thy love prove likewise variable — Shakespeare >
2. : characterized by variations or by varying : marked by diversity or difference
< nature is infinitely variable — John Burroughs >
< the variable and tuneful warblings of the nonpareil — William Bartram >
3. : admitting change or variation : alterable
< a variable period of three days to two weeks >
< the annual fair begins on a variable date in October >
< a variable angle >
4. : being or having the characteristics of a variable
< a variable number >
5. : not true to type : aberrant, inconstant — used of a biological group or a biological character
II. noun
(-s)
1. : something that is variable : something that varies, may vary, or is liable to vary : something subject to change
2.
a. : a quantity that may assume any one of a specified set of values — see dependent variable, independent variable, statistical variable
b.
(1) : a symbol in a mathematical formula representing a variable : placeholder
< the value of the function f(x) is determined by the value of the variablex >
(2) : a symbol in a logistical formula that stands for any one of a class of things; especially : free variable — see bound variable, individual variable, predicate variable
3. variables plural : an area or belt of ocean where the winds do not usually blow steadily : a region of calm; specifically : doldrums
4. : variable star
5. : a course in a school curriculum that may or may not be included in a pupil's program — contrasted with constant |