binary decimal

English

Noun

binary decimal (plural binary decimals)

1. (dated) A binary (base-2) numeral.
   • 1938, G. H. Hardy, E. M. Wright, An Introduction to the Theory of Numbers, section 9.7:

     Any positive integer up to $2^n-1$ inclusive can be expressed uniquely as a binary decimal of $n$ figures, i.e., as a sum $\sum _0^{n-1}{a}_s{2}^s$, where every $a_s$ is $0$ or $1$.

2. (informal) Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: A decimal (numeral written as a concatenation of successive negative powers of the base) in base 2..

See also

• binary-coded decimal

References

• Mathematics Stack Exchange: "What is the origin of the (nearly obsolete) term 'binary decimal'?"