Binary meaning

bī'nə-rē
Characterized by or consisting of two parts or components; twofold.
adjective
2
2
A file that contains the executable version of a computer program.
noun
1
1
A binary star.
noun
1
1
Made up of two parts or things; twofold; double.
adjective
1
1
Designating or of a number system in which the base used is two, each number being expressed in powers of two by using only two digits, specif. 0 and 1
adjective
1
1
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Designating or of a musical form consisting of two closely related sections.
adjective
1
1
Composed of two elements or radicals, or of one element and one radical.

Binary compounds.

adjective
1
1
Something made up of two parts or things.
noun
1
1
Having two parts.
1
1
The definition of binary is double or made up of two parts, or a number system where every number is expressed by 0 or 1 or a combination of them.

An example of something binary is a pair of glasses.

An example of a binary number system is one in which 1 0 0 0 means 2.

adjective
1
4
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Having two equally important parts; related to something with two parts.

Two ingredients are combined in a binary poison.

A binary statistical distribution has only two categories.

adjective
0
0
(astronomy) A star system consisting of only two stars.
noun
0
0
Consisting of or containing only two kinds of atoms.
adjective
0
1
Of or employing two comparatively nontoxic chemicals that combine to produce a deadly poison.

Binary weapons; a binary nerve gas.

adjective
0
1
Having two sections or subjects.
adjective
0
1
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A number system having 2 as its base.
noun
0
1
noun
0
1
Based on the number 2 or the binary number system.
0
1
(1) A binary is an executable program. See bin and bin file.
0
1
0
1
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Being in a state of one of two mutually exclusive conditions such as on or off, true or false, molten or frozen, presence or absence of a signal.

Binary states are often represented as 1 and 0 in computer science.

adjective
0
1
(logic) Concerning logic whose subject matter concerns binary states.
adjective
0
1
(arithmetic, computing) Concerning numbers and calculations using the binary number system.
adjective
0
1
(mathematics, programming, computer engineering) Of an operation, function, procedure, or logic gate, taking exactly two operands, arguments, parameters, or inputs; having domain of dimension 2.

Division of reals is a binary operation.

adjective
0
1
(computing) Of data, consisting coded values not interpretable as plain or ASCII text.

He downloaded the binary distribution for Linux, then burned it to DVD.

adjective
0
1
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(mathematics, computing, uncountable) The bijective base-2 numeral system, which uses only the digits 0 and 1.
noun
0
1
(computing) An executable computer file.
noun
0
1

Origin of binary

  • Middle English binarie from Late Latin bīnārius from Latin bīnī two by two dwo- in Indo-European roots
    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
  • From Late Latin bīnārius (“consisting of two”), from Latin bīnī (“two-by-two, pair”).
    From Wiktionary