Denominators

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The values found in the lower part of a fraction that signify how a whole is divided into parts are known as enumerators in mathematics
2. In the context of fractions, these are the numbers that specify the number of equal segments into which the whole is separated
3. The numbers below the line in a fraction that indicate into how many equal parts the whole is divided

Etymology: Fractions are named after the number that "names" the parts. The English word comes from Late Latin "denominator," meaning "that which names," a term built from "dē-" (down, away) and "nōmen" (name), with the agent suffix "-tor" marking the thing that performs the action. In Latin, "denominare" meant to name or designate something, often by giving it a title, so a denominator was literally the namer of the fraction's unit. The English term is a learned borrowing, meaning scholars took it straight from Late Latin rather than letting it arrive through everyday speech. Its usefulness lies in how precisely it labels the bottom number: it does not give the count of pieces you hold, but names the kind of piece, such as fifths or sevenths. A fraction of three-fifths has three parts out of a whole cut into five, and the denominator is the five that names that cut.

Synonyms: divisors, factors, quantifiers, indicatives, identifiers