Main Entry:

²unknown

Function:

noun

Date:

1597

1: one that is not known or not well-known ; especially : a person who is little known (as to the public)2: something that requires discovery, identification, or clarification: as a: a symbol (as x, y, or z) in a mathematical equation representing an unknown quantity b: a specimen (as of bacteria or mixed chemicals) required to be identified as an exercise in appropriate laboratory techniques