Archimedes

[ ahr-kuh-mee-deez ]

noun

1. 287?–212 b.c., Greek mathematician, physicist, and inventor: discovered the principles of specific gravity and of the lever.

Archimedes

¹

/ ˌɑːkɪˈmiːdɪən; ˌɑːkɪˈmiːdiːz; -mɪˈdiːən /

noun

1. Archimedes?287 bc212 bcMGreekSCIENCE: mathematicianSCIENCE: physicist ?287–212 bc , Greek mathematician and physicist of Syracuse, noted for his work in geometry, hydrostatics, and mechanics

Archimedes

²

/ ˌɑːkɪˈmiːdiːz /

noun

1. a walled plain in the NE quadrant of the moon, about 80 km in diameter

Archimedes

/ är′kə-mē′dēz /

1. Greek mathematician, engineer, and inventor. He made numerous mathematical discoveries, including the ratio of the radius of a circle to its circumference as well as formulas for the areas and volumes of various geometric figures. Archimedes created the science of mechanics, devising the first general theory of levers and finding methods for determining the center of gravity of a variety of bodies. He also invented an early type of pump called the Archimedian screw.

Archimedes

1. An ancient Greek scientist, mathematician, and inventor. He is best known for his investigations of buoyancy .

Notes

Archimedes is said to have shouted “ Eureka! ” (“I have found it!”) as he stepped into his bath and realized that the volume of an object can be measured by determining how much water it displaces. He used this insight to measure the volume of a crown supposedly made of pure gold. After measuring the crown's volume and weighing it, he could calculate its density . He then could prove that the crown was not dense enough to be pure gold.

According to the “principle of Archimedes,” when an object placed in water is weighed, and its weight in the water is compared to its weight out of the water, it seems to lose a definite amount — an amount equal to the weight of the water it displaces. This principle holds not only for water, but also for gas es, such as air. A boat floats, or a balloon rises, because it weighs less than the material it displaces. ( See buoyancy .) Archimedes is also supposed to have said, with regard to levers and fulcrums , “Give me the place to stand, and a lever long enough, and I will move the Earth !”

Derived Forms

• Archimedean, adjective

Example Sentences

Dyson solved this modern woe by eschewing the standard tubular brush head shape for a cone inspired by the ancient design of Archimedes’ screw.

From Popular-Science

From the day Archimedes cut his bath short to shout “Eureka,” science has been a constant source of surprises.

From Science News

Unfortunately for Archimedes, my name is nowhere near as memorable, and Archimedes talks to dozens of customers a day, whereas I know only one mail carrier, and his name is Archimedes.

From Time

Archimedes looks a bit stricken, like he just got out of the bath and found me waiting there before discovering either how to measure density or where his towel was.

From Time

Basking in the joy of knowing someone with a name as redolent of human history as Archimedes got me through at least three more days of homebound humdrum.

From Time

To paraphrase Archimedes, if you want to move a U.S. political party, you need a lever and a place to stand.

From The Daily Beast

Beethoven took long walks, Jung said, and Archimedes, hot baths.

From The Daily Beast

This power is an application of "the Screw of Archimedes," the most celebrated of the Greek geometricians.

From Project Gutenberg

Archimedes is said to have obtained the friendship and confidence of Hiero by the following incident.

From Project Gutenberg

Archimedes said, "Give me a standing-place and I will move the world."

From Project Gutenberg

We have known much more about Archimedes' inventions than about his mathematical works.

From Project Gutenberg

Archimedes himself stated in a dedication of the work to Eratosthenes the method employed in this.

From Project Gutenberg