Definition of gradient
1a
: the rate of regular or graded (see grade entry 2 sense transitive 2) ascent or descent : inclination
b
: a part sloping upward or downward
2
: change in the value of a quantity (such as temperature, pressure, or concentration) with change in a given variable and especially per unit distance in a specified direction
3
: the vector sum of the partial derivatives with respect to the three coordinate variables x, y, and z of a scalar quantity whose value varies from point to point
4
: a graded difference in physiological activity along an axis (as of the body or an embryonic field)
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for gradient
The first known use of gradient was in 1835
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