Quaternion Definition

kwə-tûrnē-ən
noun
A set of four.
Webster's New World
Any number of the form a + bi + cj + dk where a, b, c, and d are real numbers, ij = k, i2 = j2 = −1, and ij = − ji. Under addition and multiplication, quaternions have all the properties of a field, except multiplication is not commutative.
American Heritage
An expression that is the sum of four terms, one of which is real and three of which contain imaginary units, and that can be written as the sum of a scalar and a three-dimensional vector.
Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Quaternion

Noun

Singular:
quaternion
Plural:
quaternions

Origin of Quaternion

  • Middle English quaternioun from Late Latin quaterniō quaterniōn- from Latin quaternī by fours from quater four times kwetwer- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Middle English quaternioun, from Late Latin quaterniō, from quaternÄ« (ablative form of quater, “four times") + -iōn, “-ion".

    From Wiktionary

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