pascal

pas·cal

noun \pas-ˈkal, päs-ˈkäl\

Definition of PASCAL

1

: a unit of pressure in the meter-kilogram-second system equivalent to one newton per square meter

2

capitalized P or all capitalized : a structured computer programming language developed from Algol and designed to process both numerical and textual data

Origin of PASCAL

Blaise Pascal

First Known Use: 1956

Rhymes with PASCAL

banal, cabal, canal, Chagall, chorale, copal, corral, decal, fal-lal, grand mal, joual, La Salle, locale, mescal, morale, nopal, pall-mall, Pascal, percale, quetzal, salal, serval, vinal

Pas·cal

biographical name \pa-ˈskal, päs-ˈkäl\

Definition of PASCAL

Blaise 1623–1662 Fr. math. & philos.

— Pas·cal·ian \pa-ˈska-lē-ən\ adjective

Rhymes with PASCAL

Algol, atoll, austral, Bhopal, cabal, Cabral, cantal, Chagall, chorale, grand mal, gun moll, hamal, jacal, mistral, narwhal, Natal, nopal, petrol, quetzal, Rampal, real, rial, riyal, Rizal, Shawwal, tical, timbale, Transvaal

pas·cal

noun \pas-ˈkal\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of PASCAL

: a unit of pressure in the mks system equivalent to one newton per square meter or to 1.45 × 10⁻⁴ pounds per square inch

Biographical Note for PASCAL

Pas·cal \pȧs-kȧl\ , Blaise (1623–1662), French mathematician, physicist, and religious philosopher. A mathematical prodigy as a child, Pascal completed an original treatise on conic sections by the time he was 16. He undertook the study of geometry, hydrodynamics, and hydrostatic and atmospheric pressure. From 1651 to 1654 he composed treatises on the weight and density of air, on Pascal's triangle, and on the equilibrium of liquid solutions. In this last treatise he formulated Pascal's law of pressure. He is also credited with laying the foundations for the theory of probability. Pascal is a major figure in French literature and religious philosophy.

pascal

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Unit of pressure, abbreviated Pa, in the International System of Units. Named for Blaise Pascal, the unit is a pressure of one newton per square meter (1 N/m²). It is inconveniently small for many purposes, and the kilopascal (kPa), 1,000 N/m², is more commonly used in engineering work (1 lb per sq in. equals 6.895 kPa).