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Origin and history of multiplication

multiplication(n.)

mid-14c., multiplicacioun, "any increase in size, number, or amount; act or process of increasing in number," from Old French multiplicacion (12c.) "multiplication, duplication; multiplicity, diversity," from Latin multiplicationem (nominative multiplicatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of multiplicare "to multiply, increase" (see multiply). The arithmetical sense of "process in which one number is considered as an operator on another" is attested from late 14c.

also from mid-14c.

Entries linking to multiplication

multiply(v.)

mid-12c., multeplien, "to cause to become many, cause to increase in number or quantity," from Old French multiplier, mouteplier (12c.) "increase, get bigger; flourish; breed; extend, enrich," from Latin multiplicare "to increase," from multiplex (genitive multiplicis) "having many folds, many times as great in number," from combining form of multus "much, many" (see multi-) + -plex "-fold," from PIE root *plek- "to plait."

Intransitive sense of "grow or increase in number or extent" (especially "to have children, produce offspring") is from mid-14c. Mathematical sense "perform the process of multiplication" is attested from late 14c. Related: Multiplied; multiplying.

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    generation
    early 14c., "body of individuals born about the same period" (historically 30 years but in other uses as few as 17), on the notion of "descendants at the same stage in the line of descent," from Old French generacion "race, people, species; progeny, offspring; act of procreating"
    propagation
    mid-15c., propagacioun, "the causing of plants or animals to reproduce; reproduction; act or fact of begetting or being begotten," from Old French propagacion "offshoot, offspring" (13c.) and directly from Latin propagationem (nominative propagatio) "a propagation, extension, enl
    division
    Mathematical sense of "operation inverse to multiplication" is from late 14c....
    bureaucracy
    "government by bureaus," especially "tyrannical officialdom," excessive multiplication of administrative bureaus and concentration...
    Gradgrind
    With a rule and a pair of scales, and the multiplication table always in his pocket, sir, ready to weigh and measure any...
    procreation
    late 14c., procreacioun, "process of begetting offspring, generation and production of young," from Old French procreacion (14c., Modern French prócreation) and directly from Latin procreationem (nominative procreatio) "a begetting, generation," noun of action from past-participl
    incorporate
    late 14c., "to put (something) into the body or substance of (something else), blend; absorb, eat," also "solidify, harden," often in medical writing, from Late Latin incorporatus, past participle of incorporare "unite into one body, embody, include," from Latin in- "into, in, on
    biogenesis
    also bio-genesis, 1870, "theory that living organisms arise only from the agency of pre-existing living organisms" (as opposed to spontaneous generation), coined by English biologist T.H. Huxley from Greek bios "life" (from PIE root *gwei- "to live") + -genesis "birth, origin, cr
    increase
    mid-14c., encresen, "become greater in size or number" (intransitive); late 14c., "cause to grow, enlarge" (transitive), from Anglo-French encress-, Old French encreiss-, present participle stem of encreistre, from Latin increscere "to increase, to grow upon, grow over, swell, gr
    scalper
    1650s as a type of surgical instrument; 1760 as "one who takes or removes scalps," agent noun from scalp (v.). The meaning "person who re-sells tickets at unauthorized prices for a profit" is by 1869 in American English; the earliest reference is to theater tickets, but it more o

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