from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Arithmetic \A*rith"me*tic\, n. [OE. arsmetike, OF. arismetique,
L. arithmetica, fr. Gr. ? (sc. ?), fr. ? arithmetical, fr. ?
to number, fr. ? number, prob. fr. same root as E. arm, the
idea of counting coming from that of fitting, attaching. See
{Arm}. The modern Eng. and French forms are accommodated to
the Greek.]
1. The science of numbers; the art of computation by figures.
[1913 Webster]
2. A book containing the principles of this science.
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{Arithmetic of sines}, trigonometry.
{Political arithmetic}, the application of the science of
numbers to problems in civil government, political
economy, and social science.
{Universal arithmetic}, the name given by Sir Isaac Newton to
algebra.
[1913 Webster]