minus

minus
    adj 1: on the negative side or lower end of a scale; "minus 5
           degrees"; "a grade of B minus" [ant: {plus}]
    2: involving disadvantage or harm; "minus (or negative) factors"
       [syn: {minus}, {negative}]
    n 1: an arithmetic operation in which the difference between two
         numbers is calculated; "the subtraction of three from four
         leaves one"; "four minus three equals one" [syn:
         {subtraction}, {minus}]
    

Minus \Mi"nus\ (m[imac]"n[u^]s), a. [L. See {Minor}, and cf.
   {Mis-} pref. from the French.] (Math.)
   Less; requiring to be subtracted; negative; as, a minus
   quantity.
   [1913 Webster]

   {Minus sign} (Math.), the sign [-] denoting minus, or less,
      prefixed to negative quantities, or quantities to be
      subtracted. See {Negative sign}, under {Negative}.
      [1913 Webster]
    

minus \mi"nus\ (m[imac]"n[u^]s), n.; pl. {minuses}
   (m[imac]"n[u^]s*[-e]z).
   A factor counted as a disadvantage; a loss or potential loss
   in a situation or plan; as, he added up all the pluses and
   minuses and decided not to do it; as, the lack of money is a
   big minus in an election campaign.
   [PJC]
    

Negative \Neg"a*tive\ (n[e^]g"[.a]*t[i^]v), a. [F. n['e]gatif,
   L. negativus, fr. negare to deny. See {Negation}.]
   1. Denying; implying, containing, or asserting denial,
      negation or refusal; returning the answer no to an inquiry
      or request; refusing assent; as, a negative answer; a
      negative opinion; -- opposed to {affirmative}.
      [1913 Webster]

            If thou wilt confess,
            Or else be impudently negative.       --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

            Denying me any power of a negative voice. --Eikon
                                                  Basilike.
      [1913 Webster]

            Something between an affirmative bow and a negative
            shake.                                --Dickens.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Not positive; without affirmative statement or
      demonstration; indirect; consisting in the absence of
      something; privative; as, a negative argument; negative
      evidence; a negative morality; negative criticism.
      [1913 Webster]

            There in another way of denying Christ, . . . which
            is negative, when we do not acknowledge and confess
            him.                                  --South.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. (Logic) Asserting absence of connection between a subject
      and a predicate; as, a negative proposition.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. (Photog.) Of or pertaining to a picture upon glass or
      other material, in which the lights and shades of the
      original, and the relations of right and left, are
      reversed.
      [1913 Webster]

   5. (Chem.) Metalloidal; nonmetallic; -- contrasted with
      {positive} or {basic}; as, the nitro group is negative.
      [1913 Webster]

   Note: This word, derived from electro-negative, is now
         commonly used in a more general sense, when acidiferous
         is the intended signification.
         [1913 Webster]

   {Negative crystal}.
      (a) A cavity in a mineral mass, having the form of a
          crystal.
      (b) A crystal which has the power of negative double
          refraction. See {refraction}.

   {negative electricity} (Elec.), the kind of electricity which
      is developed upon resin or ebonite when rubbed, or which
      appears at that pole of a voltaic battery which is
      connected with the plate most attacked by the exciting
      liquid; -- formerly called {resinous electricity}. Opposed
      to {positive electricity}. Formerly, according to
      Franklin's theory of a single electric fluid, negative
      electricity was supposed to be electricity in a degree
      below saturation, or the natural amount for a given body.
      See {Electricity}.

   {Negative eyepiece}. (Opt.) see under {Eyepiece}.

   {Negative quantity} (Alg.), a quantity preceded by the
      negative sign, or which stands in the relation indicated
      by this sign to some other quantity. See {Negative sign}
      (below).

   {Negative rotation}, right-handed rotation. See
      {Right-handed}, 3.

   {Negative sign}, the sign -, or {minus} (opposed in
      signification to +, or {plus}), indicating that the
      quantity to which it is prefixed is to be subtracted from
      the preceding quantity, or is to be reckoned from zero or
      cipher in the opposite direction to that of quanties
      having the sign plus either expressed or understood; thus,
      in a - b, b is to be substracted from a, or regarded as
      opposite to it in value; and -10[deg] on a thermometer
      means 10[deg] below the zero of the scale.
      [1913 Webster]
    

minus

   -

   Common: dash; {ITU-T}: hyphen; {ITU-T}: minus.  Rare:
   {INTERCAL}: worm; option; dak; bithorpe.
    

52 Moby Thesaurus words for "minus":
      barring, bereaved, bereaved of, bereft, cut off, decrement,
      deduction, deficient, denuded, deprived of, devoid, discounting,
      divested, except, excepting, exception taken of, excluding,
      exclusive of, existless, from, inadequate, inferior, insufficient,
      lacking, leaving out, less, minuend, missing, negative,
      nonexistent, not counting, null, off, out of, parted from, plus,
      positive, robbed of, sans, save, shorn of, short, short of,
      stripped of, subtrahend, unexisting, unreached, vacuous, void,
      wanting, without, without being