principal part
The term "principal part" is used in both linguistics and mathematics to denote fundamental components essential for further derivations.
🇺🇸 US Voice:
🇬🇧 UK Voice:
Definition
C1Linguistics
(technical, academic)The basic forms of a verb that provide the stems needed to conjugate it in different tenses and moods.
Example
- The principal parts of the verb 'to run' are 'run,' 'ran,' and 'run.'
- Knowing the principal parts of verbs helps in mastering verb conjugations.
C2Mathematics
(technical, academic)The sum of the terms with negative exponents in the Laurent series expansion of a function around a given point.
Example
- In complex analysis, the principal part of a function is crucial for understanding its behavior near singularities.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "principal part":