mantissa

noun

man·​tis·​sa man-ˈti-sə How to pronounce mantissa (audio)
: the part of a logarithm to the right of the decimal point

Examples of mantissa in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web So Hopper’s 8-bit units can work with either 5 bits of exponent and two of mantissa (E5M2) when range is important or 4 bits of exponent and three of mantissa (E4M3) when precision is key. IEEE Spectrum, 14 Mar. 2023 The more bits in the mantissa, the greater the precision of those numbers. IEEE Spectrum, 14 Mar. 2023 This format represents numbers using some of the bits for the exponent, some for the mantissa, and one for the sign. IEEE Spectrum, 14 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mantissa.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin mantisa, mantissa makeweight, from Etruscan

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mantissa was in 1846

Dictionary Entries Near mantissa

Cite this Entry

“Mantissa.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mantissa. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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