scalar

[ skey-ler ]

adjective

1. representable by position on a scale or line; having only magnitude:

   a scalar variable.

2. of, relating to, or utilizing a scalar.
3. ladderlike in arrangement or organization; graduated:

   a scalar structure for promoting personnel.

noun

1. Mathematics, Physics. a quantity possessing only magnitude. Compare vector ( def 1a ).

scalar

/ ˈskeɪlə /

noun

1. a quantity, such as time or temperature, that has magnitude but not direction Compare vector tensor pseudoscalar pseudovector
2. maths an element of a field associated with a vector space

adjective

1. having magnitude but not direction

scalar

/ skā′lər /

1. A quantity, such as mass, length, or speed, whose only property is magnitude; a number.
2. Compare vector

Word History and Origins

Origin of scalar¹

First recorded in 1650–60, scalar is from the Latin word scālāris of a ladder. See scale ³, -ar ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of scalar¹

C17 (meaning: resembling a ladder): from Latin scālāris, from scāla ladder

Example Sentences

Perhaps the Higgs, like those other scalars, is made up of yet unknown smaller stuff.

From Science News

The key measure of how much inflation rattled the universe goes by the name “tensor-to-scalar ratio,” or r to those in the field.

From Popular-Science