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Arabic numeral

or Arabic figure

noun

  1. one of the characters 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, in general European use since the 12th century.


Arabic numeral

noun

  1. one of the symbols 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 (opposed to Roman numerals )
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Arabic numeral

/ ărə-bĭk /

  1. One of the numerical symbols 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 0. They are called Arabic numerals because they were introduced into western Europe from sources of Arabic scholarship.
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Word History and Origins

Origin of Arabic numeral1

First recorded in 1840–50
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Example Sentences

The shift from Roman to Arabic numeral in the title suggests the revival’s relaxed, contemporary tone.

“If we went to a math textbook creator and said, ‘Hey, can you build us a textbook but convert the Arabic numerals into Kaktovik numerals?’ it would be that much easier,” Judkins says.

Critics called the initiative an attempt to intimidate teachers and suggested flooding the tip line with tongue-in-cheek complaints, such as the sarcastically dire warning that Virginia schools were teaching “Arabic numerals.”

Though the Arabs took the notation from India, the rest of the world would dub the new system Arabic numerals.

So too are the Arabic numerals we take for granted.

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