gradient

[ grey-dee-uhnt ]

noun

1. the degree of inclination, or the rate of ascent or descent, in a highway, railroad, etc.
2. an inclined surface; grade; ramp.
3. Physics.
   1. the rate of change with respect to distance of a variable quantity, as temperature or pressure, in the direction of maximum change.
   2. a curve representing such a rate of change.
4. Mathematics. a differential operator that, operating upon a function of several variables, results in a vector the coordinates of which are the partial derivatives of the function. : grad. : ∇

adjective

1. rising or descending by regular degrees of inclination.
2. progressing by walking; stepping with the feet as animals do.
3. of a type suitable for walking or running, as the feet of certain birds; gressorial.

gradient

/ ˈɡreɪdɪənt /

noun

1. Also called (esp US)grade a part of a railway, road, etc, that slopes upwards or downwards; inclination
2. Also called (esp US and Canadian)grade a measure of such a slope, esp the ratio of the vertical distance between two points on the slope to the horizontal distance between them
3. physics a measure of the change of some physical quantity, such as temperature or electric potential, over a specified distance
4. maths
   1. (of a curve) the slope of the tangent at any point on a curve with respect to the horizontal axis
   2. (of a function, f ( x, y, z )) the vector whose components along the axes are the partial derivatives of the function with respect to each variable, and whose direction is that in which the derivative of the function has its maximum value. Usually written: grad f , ∇ f or ∇ f Compare curl divergence

adjective

1. sloping uniformly

gradient

/ grā′dē-ənt /

1. The degree to which something inclines; a slope. A mountain road with a gradient of ten percent rises one foot for every ten feet of horizontal length.
2. The rate at which a physical quantity, such as temperature or pressure changes over a distance.
3. A operator on scalar fields yielding a vector function, where the value of the vector evaluated at any point indicates the direction and degree of change of the field at that point.

Word History and Origins

Origin of gradient¹

1635–45; < Latin gradient- (stem of gradiēns ), present participle of gradī to walk, go, equivalent to grad- walk + -i- thematic vowel + -ent- -ent

Word History and Origins

Origin of gradient¹

C19: from Latin gradiēns stepping, from gradī to go

Example Sentences

I can sit there and see the gradient of no sun to sun and it just changes everything.

From Los Angeles Times

That line is one of the worst in the country as it involves a long, steep gradient that trains need extra traction to ascend, but Rob says the route from Leeds to Manchester – through Hebden Bridge and other picturesque towns - is also top five.

From BBC

It features the gradient color effect along the perimeter, a large LA logo at midcourt, the words “Lake Show” at each baseline and solid black free-throw lanes.

From Los Angeles Times

The recent heat wave has demonstrated “a big gradient” between coastal areas and inland valleys, deserts and mountains, especially in Southern California, said Rose Schoenfeld, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Oxnard.

From Los Angeles Times

Pomper explained that developing a pawpaw cultivar with a ripening gradient would be a critical step in advancing the fruit, but plant breeding is a slow process, with cultivars taking up to 20 years to develop.

From Salon