radical sign

American  

noun

Mathematics.

1. the symbol √ or indicating extraction of a root of the quantity that follows it, as √25=5 or .

---

radical sign British  

noun

1. the symbol √ placed before a number or quantity to indicate the extraction of a root, esp a square root. The value of a higher root is indicated by a raised digit in front of the symbol, as in ³√

---

Etymology

Origin of radical sign

First recorded in 1660–70

Example Sentences

We use a radical sign, and write, m, which denotes the positive square root of m.

From Textbooks • May 6, 2020

Be careful that it is clear that i is not under the radical sign.

From Textbooks • May 6, 2020

When we use the radical sign that always means we want the principal square root.

From Textbooks • Apr. 22, 2020

When we use the radical sign to take the square root of a variable expression, we should specify that x ≥ 0 to make sure we get the principal square root.

From Textbooks • Apr. 22, 2020

The radical sign, m , denotes the positive square root.

From Textbooks • Apr. 22, 2020