surd

See also: sùrd

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin surdus (“deaf”); in mathematical sense, "deaf to reason", i.e. irrational.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: sûd, IPA^(key): /sɜːd/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• (US) enPR: sûrd, IPA^(key): /sɝd/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)d

Noun

surd (plural surds)

1. (arithmetic) An irrational number, especially one expressed using the √ symbol.
2. (linguistics) A voiceless consonant.

   Antonym: sonant

Derived terms

• quadratic surd

 

Adjective

surd (comparative more surd, superlative most surd)

1. (obsolete) Lacking the sense of hearing; deaf.
   • 1670s, published 1716, Thomas Browne, Christian Morals, part 3, section 6:

     …how all Words fall to the Ground, spent upon such a surd and Earless Generation of Men, stupid unto all Instruction…

2. (obsolete) unheard
   • 1773, William Kenrick, A New Dictionary of the English Language, section 3, page 5:

     To this errour, of blending the ſurd and vocal modes of articulation together, may be added the too frequent uſe of compound articulations both vocal and ſurd.

3. (mathematics) Involving surds, or irrational numbers; not capable of being expressed in rational numbers.

   a surd expression or quantity; a surd number

4. (phonetics) unvoiced; voiceless

   Antonym: sonant

Related terms

• absurd

Anagrams

• RUDs, Ruds, UDRS, Urds, ruds

Aromanian

Alternative forms

• surdu, nsurdu

Etymology

From Latin surdus. Compare Romanian surd.

Adjective

surd m (feminine surde, plural surdz, feminine plural surdi)

1. deaf

Related terms

• surdzest

Romanian

Etymology

Inherited from Latin surdus, from Proto-Indo-European *swer- (“ringing, whistling”). Compare Aromanian surdu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /surd/

• Audio

  (file)

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

surd m or n (feminine singular surdă, masculine plural surzi, feminine and neuter plural surde)

1. deaf

Declension

Declension of surd

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative/ accusative	indefinite	surd		surdă	surzi	surde
	definite	surdul		surda	surzii	surdele
genitive/ dative	indefinite	surd		surde	surzi	surde
	definite	surdului		surdei	surzilor	surdilor

Related terms

• asurzi
• surditate
• surzi

See also

• auzi
• mut
• orb