Augend

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɔd͡ʒɛnd/

Definitions

1. A quantity that serves as the first element in a summation operation while contributing to the final total of the equation in mathematical expressions
2. The initial number in an arithmetic addition that, when paired with another, yields a combined value, influencing the outcome
3. The number to which another is added in an arithmetic calculation to produce a total

Etymology: "Augend" is the number that gets increased when two numbers are added: in 7 + 3, the 7 is the augend and the 3 is the addend. The word comes from Latin "augendum," the gerundive form of "augere," meaning "to increase" or "to make grow." The Latin root is the same one behind "augment" and "author," since an author was once thought of as someone who makes something grow into being. The word is a deliberate piece of arithmetic terminology rather than an everyday word that drifted into mathematics. Its neat pairing with "addend," the number being added, shows how mathematical vocabulary was built to name each role in an operation, with the Latin gerundive giving the sense of "that which is to be increased."