from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Complement \Com"ple*ment\, n. [L. complementun: cf. F.
compl['e]ment. See {Complete}, v. t., and cf. {Compliment}.]
1. That which fills up or completes; the quantity or number
required to fill a thing or make it complete.
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2. That which is required to supply a deficiency, or to
complete a symmetrical whole.
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History is the complement of poetry. --Sir J.
Stephen.
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3. Full quantity, number, or amount; a complete set;
completeness.
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To exceed his complement and number appointed him
which was one hundred and twenty persons. --Hakluyt.
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4. (Math.) A second quantity added to a given quantity to
make it equal to a third given quantity.
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5. Something added for ornamentation; an accessory. [Obs.]
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Without vain art or curious complements. --Spenser.
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6. (Naut.) The whole working force of a vessel.
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7. (Mus.) The interval wanting to complete the octave; -- the
fourth is the complement of the fifth, the sixth of the
third.
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8. A compliment. [Obs.] --Shak.
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{Arithmetical compliment of a logarithm}. See under
{Logarithm}.
{Arithmetical complement of a number} (Math.), the difference
between that number and the next higher power of 10; as, 4
is the complement of 6, and 16 of 84.
{Complement of an arc} or {Complement of an angle} (Geom.),
the difference between that arc or angle and 90[deg].
{Complement of a parallelogram}. (Math.) See {Gnomon}.
{In her complement} (Her.), said of the moon when represented
as full.
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