Pre-Algebra Terms

Absolute Value

The number's distance from zero on a number line. The absolute value of a number x is denoted by |x| and 

|x| = x

x > 0 - x

x < 0

So with absolute value, we're not concerned with whether x is positive or negative, we just want to know how far it is away from zero. Because zero has had some problems with x in the past, and has applied for a restraining order.

Acute Angles

angle less that 90°; not "the nice one"

Acute Triangle

a triangle with three acute angles (angles less than 90°) ; so adorable and petite
A triangle that's slightly less cute than a-super-cute triangle. For that to be true, all the angles in the triangle have to be less than 90°.

Adjacent

next to each other; you want to sit adjacent to the hot guy/gal
The conjoined twins of the geometry world. Adjacent angles always share a vertex and a side.

Adjacent Angles

angles that share a side

Alternate Exterior Angles

angles on opposite sides of the transversal and on the exterior of the parallel lines
The pair of angles on the outside of the two lines cut by the transversal and on alternate sides of the transversal. Alternate exterior angles are congruent if and only if the two lines crossed by the transversal are parallel.

Alternate Interior Angles

angles on the opposite sides of the transversal and on the interior of the parallel lines
The pair of angles in between the two lines cut by the transversal and on alternate sides of the transversal. Alternate interior angles are congruent if and only if the two lines crossed by the transversal are parallel.

Angle

the shape formed when two rays meet at a common point (aka "the corner")
The corner of empty space between two lines, rays, or segments that share a point. Usually, angles are measured in degrees (and most of them have at least a bachelor's degree).

Apothem

the distance from the center of a regular polygon to the midpoint of one side

Area

The amount of space inside the boundary of a closed shape. As in, "there is x room to fit all the aliens inside Area 51."
The amount of space within the boundaries of a two-dimensional shape, reported in square units (like miles² or feet²). Area is essentially space, but don't go around saying things like, "area-ships," "area cadets," or the area-bar.

Arithmetic Patterns

numbers in a pattern that are separated by a common difference

Base Of A Polygon

the bottom side of a polygon

Base Of A Solid

the bottom surface of an object; its tush

Basic Counting Principle

to find the total number of possible combinations multiply the number of options

Biased Questions

questions that try to influence the interviewee

Binomial

an algebraic expression with two terms
A polynomial with two terms.

Box And Whisker Plot

a plot that displays data broken into four quartiles, where the box represents Q1 to Q3 and the whiskers represent the extreme values
A representation of data that displays the range and quartiles of the data set. Looks like a kitty cat when you squint and tilt your head to the left.

Cartesian Coordinate System

a system that has perpendicular axes, usually the x- and y-axis

Chord

a line segment connecting two points on a circle; not "do re mi"
A line segment whose endpoints are both on a circle. Not a collection of musical notes.

Circle

A closed plane figure wherein points on the boundary are equidistant from the fixed center. More importantly, it is the shape of a pizza pie.
The set of all points in a plane that are exactly r units away from point O, where r is the radius and O is the center. The basis for such artifacts as wheels, wedding rings, and many types of cookies. We write "⊙O" to denote "the circle with center O."

Common Denominator

the bottom part of fractions; in this case when more than one fraction has the same bottom as all the others

Commutative

when the order of the number doesn't matter; this works for addition and multiplication, but not subtraction nor division. 6 + 2 = 2 + 6 and 6 × 2 = 2 × 6

Complementary Angles

Angles that add up to 90°
Two wrongs don't make a right, but two complementary angles do. They're two angles that add up to 90° exactly.

Complementary Events

in probability, results that do not overlap with one another (when flipping a coin, if you get a tail, then the complementary event is getting a head)

Compound Events

in probability, when there is more than one outcome, which may (taking a second card after a first has been chosen) or may not (throwing two dice at the same time) affect the outcome of the other

Compound Interest

adding interest earned before calculating the new interest

Cone

chocolate or brownie fudge? ; a solid with circular base and a curved side that ends in one point and has one vertex; a duncecap
A three-dimensional solid with a circular base and one vertex. We prefer to think of it as the waffle thing that ice cream comes in.

Congruent Angles

two or more angles that have the same measurement

Constant

A value that does not change. Like pride in one's football team. Exception: the entire Philadelphia Eagles fan base.
A value that does not change. Stay gold, Ponyconstant!
A value that does not change. Stay gold, Ponyconstant!

Coplanar

on the same plane
Used to describe lines or points that are all on the same plane.

Correlation

how two variables relate to each other
The measure of the linear relationship between two variables. Is not causation.

Corresponding Angles

when a transversal intersects two lines, these angles are in the same position on each line. When a transversal crosses two parallel lines, corresponding angles are congruent
Two angles that are in the same relative place compared to each of the two lines and the transversal that cuts them. Corresponding angles are congruent if and only if the two lines crossed by the transversal are parallel.

Coterminal Angles

angles that share a terminal side

Cross-Canceling

reducing the numerator of one fraction with the denominator of another when multiplying fractions; wearing bright orange on top might cancel the orange pants your date has on

Cube

a prism with six congruent faces, all right angles and parallel opposite faces; it is a form of a rectangular prism

Cylinder

a solid with two parallel circular bases; if you "unwrap" the middle section and lay it flat, it is a rectangle
Two parallel congruent circles whose circumferences are connected by a curvy rectangle.

Denominator

the bottom number of a fraction
A fraction's bottom. The fraction will usually try to keep this part of him covered up, but his mother will usually produce some scandalous baby picture of him in the tub where his denominator is clearly visible.
A fraction's bottom. The fraction will usually try to keep this part of him covered up, but his mother will usually produce some scandalous baby picture of him in the tub where his denominator is clearly visible.

Diagonal

a line connecting two vertices of a polygon

Diameter

the distance across the center of a circle
A chord of a circle that contains the center of that circle. Or, you know, the length of such a chord.

Disperse

Spread or distribute over a wide area
to spread around

Distribute

to spread the term in front of the parentheses to each term inside the parentheses; share the wealth

Dividend

A number that is to be divided by another number. Apparently, this other number got hold of a butcher's knife.
The “thrown off” value from common equity. It’s not the same as interest on a bond, which is a fixed percentage and non-discretionary. Dividends are discretionary and the company must decide from quarter to quarter whether or not pay one. There are a lot of reasons why companies want to be consistent in their dividend policies, but just know that a dividend on common stock is not a legal requirement. The middle of the fairway definition of a dividend is rooted in equity investments in stocks. Heinz ketchup, ticker: HNZ, pays a $1.92 dividend per year. It is a roughly $50 stock. It’s “dividend yield” is $1.92 / $50 which is 3.84%.

Divisor

the number doing the dividing
The number which a dividend is divided by. Or, the number doing the dividing. Whichever way makes the most sense to you. Either way, there's going to be some good old-fashioned dividing going on.

Edge

the intersection of two faces on a solid object; this is a line; "Livin' on the Edge"

Equation

An expression that states the equation of two algebraic expressions. Equations: bringing expressions together since 1931.
An expression that states the equivalence of two algebraic expressions.

Equiangular

a figure where all angles are equal in measure

Equilateral Triangle

a triangle with three congruent sides
A triangle that has three congruent sides. It should also be known that an equilateral triangle has three 60° congruent angles as well.

Equivalent

equal to

Experimental Probability

probability calculated by the outcome of an experiment or trial

Exponents

the power to which a number or expression is raised

Expression

a fragment of a mathematical sentence; it doesn't have a sign of equality

Extreme Values

the largest and smallest values in data set; think extremes - extreme sports are at the high end of danger

Face

a flat side of a 3-dimensional object

Factor

A number that divides evenly into another number. For example, 8 and 3 are factors of 24. Oh great—now we're really gonna hear it from 2, 4, 6 and 12. We said for example. Sheesh.

Factorial

the product of all positive integers less than or equal to the given number;  5! = 5 × 4 × 3 × 2 × 1 = 120; a very excited number
n! = n × (n – 1) × (n – 2) . . . × 2 × 1. The most excited of all key terms.

Fauna

Animals of a particular habitat or time period

Finite Decimals

decimals that have an ending; unlike that dreadful movie from last weekend that seemed to never end

Frequency

the number of times an event occurs; Jim asked Danielle out with uncommon frequency

Geometric Patterns

numbers in a pattern that are separated by a common ratio (number being multiplied)

Golden Ratio

a ideal proportion that occurs regularly in nature, architecture, and art; approximately 1.618 (not 6'0", 185...)

Greatest Common Factor (GCF)

The largest positive integer that divides evenly into two or more non-zero numbers. For example, the GCF of 18 and 24 is 6.

It is also known as the greatest common divisor or highest common factor. It goes by many names, and has a different passport for each. How Jason Bourne is that?
The largest positive integer that evenly divides (with zero remainder) two or more nonzero numbers. It is also known as the greatest common divisor or highest common factor. For example, the GCF of 18 and 24 is 6.

Hexagon

a six-sided figure

Hexagonal Prism

a prism with hexagons for bases; opposite faces are parallel

Hypotenuse

the side opposite the right angle in a right angle

Improper Fraction

A fraction that tells bawdy jokes in mixed company.

Oh, all right. You're no fun. An improper fraction is one in which the numerator is larger than the denominator, like 13/5 or 25/4. These can be expressed as mixed numbers. Keeping with the examples, these fractions could be written as 2 3/5 and 6 1/4, respectively. There, now our fractions aren't so top-heavy.

Inequality

A relation between two algebraic expressions that are not equal, expressed using symbols like <, >, ≤, ≥. However, those expressions are currently marching on Washington, and hopefully, someday soon, there will be equality for all.
A relation between two unequal algebraic expressions using the symbols <, >, ≤, and ≥.
A relation between two unequal algebraic expressions using the symbols <, >, ≤, and ≥.
A relation between two algebraic expressions that aren't equal. It uses the symbols >, <, ≤, and ≥.
A mathematical statement using the symbols <, >, ≤, ≥.
A mathematical statement using the symbols <, >, ≤, ≥.

Integers

natural numbers (1, 2, 3, 4,...), their negatives (..-4, -3, -2, -1) , and zero; from the root "untouched"; simply virginal numbers

Intercept

the place where a line or curve crosses an axis
The point where the graph of a function crosses the x-axis or y-axis.
The point where the graph of a function crosses the x-axis or y-axis.

Interquartile Range

the difference between the upper quartile and the lower quartile
The difference between the third and the first quartile.

Isosceles Trapezoid

a trapezoid with only one set of congruent sides and two sets of congruent angles and has all the characteristics of a trapezoid (see trapezoid)

Kite

a quadrilateral with two sets of adjacent congruent sides and only one set of congruent angles

Least Common Multiple (LCM)

The smallest integer that is a multiple of two or more integers. For example, the LCM of 4 and 6 is 12. If you take 36, on the other hand, it's a multiple of both numbers, but it is not the least common multiple. Don't get down on yourself, 36. You'll have your day in the sun.

Like Terms

Two terms that have the same variables raised to the same exponent. Like terms may have different coefficients. We give them permission.
Two terms that have the same variables raised to the same exponent. Like terms may have different coefficients.
Two terms that have the same variables raised to the same exponent. Like terms may have different coefficients.
Two terms with the same variables raised to the same exponent. Like terms may have different coefficients.

Line

a straight path passing through at least two points that extends in both directions; imagine the fifty yard line going on forever
A line is a unit of poetry that takes up—you guessed it—a line of text. It's not a unit of sense or meaning (although it can be if the lines are end-stopped). It's a unit of form. And now, Shmoop will regale you with recitations of our top ten favorite lines of poetry. Ever. She walks in beauty like the night
L'amor che move il sole e l'altre stelle
There is no Frigate like a Book
Jazz June. We
I am large . . . . I contain multitudes.
The blackbird must be flying.
Te amo sin saber cómo, ni cuándo, ni de dónde,
Lose something every day. Accept the fluster
What form my dreaming was about to take.
Time's wingèd chariot hurrying near;  Okay, okay, eleven: I have measured out my life with coffee spoons;
A one-dimensional segment that continues on forever in both directions. Time-consuming to draw, so we use arrows on the ends to symbolize that it never ends.

Line Segment

a portion of a line that has limits at each end; think football field - there is an out-of-bounds at each yard line
Sometimes just called a "segment." It's a finite piece of line between two endpoints.

Linear

in a straight line

Mean

the sum of all numbers in a set divided by the number of data values

Median

the middle value in a data set
The middle value of a list of data points.

Mixed Number

A number expressed as a whole number and a fraction, like 2½ or 4¾. You'd never be able to bake a cake without these bad boys.

Mode

the number that occurs the most in a data set
The data point with highest frequency.

Monomial

an algebraic expression with one term
A polynomial with one term.
A polynomial with one term.

Mutually Exclusive Events

in probability these are two or more outcomes that can't occur at the same time (like rolling a die and getting a 1 and a 3)

Negative Correlation

as one variable increases, the other decreases; like hours spent on homework and the amount of time your parents nag you

No Correlation

the variables have no relation; like hours spent on homework and height

Nonagon

a nine-sided figure

Numerator

The top part of a fraction.

"I'll be back... on top of the denominator." - Numerator II: Judgment Day
The top part of a fraction. "I'll be back... on top of the denominator." - Numerator II: Judgment Day

Obtuse Angle

an angle greater than 90°, but less than 180°; a not-very bright angle

Obtuse Triangle

a triangle with one obtuse angle (an angle greater than 90°)
A triangle that's a little slow on the uptake. Or one with an angle that's over 90°.

Octagon

an eight-sided figure

Order Of Operations

The rule that states which operation takes precedence over others. The correct order is given by the acronym "PEMDAS," which can be remembered by using the mnemonic "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally." It stands for "Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division, Addition and Subtraction." It's something like a ranking system or a chain of command. So an exponent had better never go over a parenthesis' head, or it might be cited for insubordination.

Outliers

a number that is far greater or smaller than the rest of the data; it is calculated as 1.5(IQR) > Q3 or 1.5(IQR) < Q1; hopefully not your math score on the low end
Data points that are numerically far away from the rest of the data set. The loners of the group, if you will.

Parallel Lines

lines that lie on the same plane and never intersect (Labeled as JK || LM )

Parallelogram

A four-sided, closed shape with straight lines and two pairs of opposite sides that are parallel. You can send someone a parallelogram for his or her birthday, but it is not as entertaining as a sing-o-gram.

Percent

The portion of a number out of 100. We're sure you can grasp this concept if you just give it 110%.

Perimeter

The length of the boundary of a closed shape. If the boundary is a light, bluish-purple and you can only see it out of the corner of your eye, it is a peripheral periwinkle perimeter. Just in case that ever comes up.
The length of the boundary of a closed shape.

Perpendicular Lines

lines that intersect at a 90° angle; a linebacker's path while running at the quarterback

Pi

apple or cranberry? the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, 3.14159...; impress family and friends by memorizing to at least 10 digits

Place Value

each digit in a number has its own place; think Thanksgiving dinner; the ones place is to the left of Grandpa (or the decimal), tens place is far down from Aunt Gert

Plane

a flat surface without boundaries (Labeled by naming three nonlinear points on the plane,
A "slice" of three-dimensional space. It has length and width, but no depth, like a sheet of paper that stretches out forever in all directions.

Point

a single location usually drawn as a dot; "dimensionless" (labeled as point P)
The smallest object…ever. It has no mass, no length, and no size. It describes only a location.

Polygon

a closed figure of three or more sides
A closed two-dimensional shape that is made of only straight line segments. No curves allowed. Sorry, Beyoncé.

Positive Correlation

as one variable increases so does the other; like hours spent putting and accuracy (we hope)

Powers

math "shorthand" devices used to make writing long multiplication expressions easier and faster (also see exponents)

Prime

a number that is only divisible by one and itself; the first ten prime numbers are 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, and 31

Prism

a solid object with two congruent and parallel faces
Two parallel congruent polyhedrons connected by lateral faces. Not "prison" in a French accent.

Probability

the likelihood of an event occurring
Likelihood or chance of the occurrence of an event.

Product

A molecule that is produced in a chemical reaction. Products are generated by reactants.
The chemical compounds resulting from a chemical reaction. In a chemical equation, the products are listed on the right hand side of the arrow.

Proportion

a comparison between one part and the whole

Proportional

having a constant ratio; similar figures are proportional

Pyramid

a solid object with a polygon for a base and triangles for sides
Those huge stone buildings that the Egyptians built. It's basically a solid (definitely not liquids or gases) with a non-curvy shape for the base and one tip at the top.

Q1

quartile 1; the median of the lower half of the data set

Q2

quartile 2; the median of the entire data set

Q3

quartile 3; the median of the upper half of the data set

Quadrilateral

four-sided shapes

Quartile

one of three values that divide a data set into four equal sections

Quotient

The number obtained by dividing one number by another.

Did you know that I.Q. stands for Intelligence Quotient? That's because we can tell how smart you are by dividing your brain up into pieces. Sounds rough, but it's a relatively painless procedure.

Radius

the distance from the center of a circle to a point on the circle
A line segment with one endpoint at the center of a circle and the other endpoint on the circle itself. Alternatively, the length of such a segment. (The plural is radii, pronounced "raidy eye.")

Range

the difference between the highest and the lowest data value; on a golf driving range, the difference between your ball and that of Tiger's might be large
The set of all possible output values of the function.
The geographical area an organism lives in. The range is the extent of land (or water) that a species occupies. Species periodically expand their ranges, just naturally or because of changes in habitat and climate. Before 1850, the Rio Grande was the northern range limit for armadillos. Since then, armadillos have moved further north into the US, but no one knows why. Many species ranges are expected to shift because of climate change.

Ratio

a comparison between two or more quantities; the ratio the distance Drew Brees throws the football over the distance you throw it is probably a high number

Ray

a straight path with one terminal point and extending indefinitely in the other direction; think sunshine
A hybrid of a line and a segment. It has one endpoint, but then goes off forever in the other direction. It's like a ray of sunshine that starts at the sun and then continues on forever.

Rectangle

A parallelogram with all angles equal to 90°. More importantly, it is the shape of a rectangular pizza.
A parallelogram with all angles equal to 90°.

Regular Polygon

an equilateral, equiangular polygon
A shape whose sides are all equal in length and whose angles are all equal in measure.

Regular Prism

a prism with rectangular bases, six faces, all right angles and parallel opposite faces
A prism or pyramid whose base has edges that are all congruent. Also, a prism or pyramid that has daily scheduled trips to the potty.

Rhombus

a quadrilateral with parallel opposite sides, congruent opposite angles, supplementary adjacent angles and four congruent sides; a square after running a marathon might tilt like a rhombus

Right Angle

an angle that is exactly 90°; often seen with a small box in the corner
An angle that's exactly 90°. Naturally, that means any angle that isn't 90° is wrong.

Right Triangle

a triangle with one right angle (a 90° angle); can also be on the left side
A triangle that has an angle that's exactly 90°. Or possibly a triangle that's just never wrong about anything.

Roots

opposites of powers; trees have roots as do numbers; in this case it can be the square (the number that multiplied by itself twice equals), the cube (multipled three times), or the nth (you get the picture)
The organs responsible for getting nutrients from the soil, among other things. Dig in the ground a little bit, and you’ll probably come across one of these pretty soon. You may even see some aboveground, if there are large trees growing near any of your sidewalks. Did you know that tree roots are the main cause of water pipe damage? Roots are surprisingly strong, and they don’t always grow underground, either.

Scalene Triangle

a triangle with all sides of different lengths
A triangle whose three sides are all different lengths. He's probably just going through a growth spurt.

Scatter Plots

a type of plot that shows individual data values; dog doing its business outside on a windy day might do this to the snow

Scientific Notation

an operation using exponents to write very large and very small numbers. For example, the scientific notation for .00004 is 4 X 10^-5

Secant

a line intersecting a circle at two points
A line that intersects a circle at two points. Really, line, how intrusive can you get?

Septagon

a seven-sided figure

Side

the straight edge of a polygon

Significant Digit

all non-zero digits in a number

Similar Figures

two figures that have the same shape, but not the same size; siblings - one exercises and one eats doughnuts

Slope

the steepness of a line, calculated as rise over run; think skiing (the bunny slope is less steep than the triple black diamond)
The measure of a line's steepness.
The measure of a line's steepness.

Slope-Intercept Form

a representation of a line in y = mx + b form, where m is the slope and b is the y-intercept

Sloth

Laziness; inactivity; sluggishness

Sphere

a solid figure where all points are an equal distance from the center point; a ball
A ball. It's a central point that includes all the points a certain distance away from it in space. It's like a circle—but in 3D.

Square

A parallelogram with all angles equal to 90° and all sides equal. Read: glorified rectangle.
A parallelogram with all angles equal to 90° and all sides equal in length.
A number raised to the power of two.

Square Pyramid

a pyramid with a square base; all sides on the bottom are the same and the top looks like a place in Egypt

Standard Form Of A Line

a representation of a line in Ax + By = C form, where A, B, and C are all integers and A is also positive

Statistics

the branch of math that deals with collecting and analyzing data; you can justify almost anything with the right stats

Straight Angle

180° angle; basically a straight line
An angle that measures 180°. The title a straight line gives itself when it wants to seem more impressive.

Supplementary Angles

angles that add up to 180°; think a flat line when the angles are put together
Two angles that add up to 180°. It doesn't matter if they're adjacent or on different planets.

Surface Area

the total area of all faces of a 3-dimensional object
The amount of the gift-wrapping paper it takes to cover all of particular shape. You can use newspaper instead of gift-wrapping paper; it's a lot cheaper.

Tangent

a line intersecting a circle at exactly one point
A line that intersects a circle at exactly one point (the point of tangency). The word "tangent" literally means "touching." So a line tangent to a circle is "just touching" the circle.

Term

each part of an expression separated by addition or subtraction

Tetrahedron

a pyramid with a triangular base

Theoretical Probability

the probability of an event determined by favorable outcomes ÷ possible outcomes; what math predicts, not necessarily what really happens

Three Dimensional Solid Objects

objects with width, length and height; not just flat, think Avatar

Transversal

a line that intersects two or more lines
A line that intersects two other lines, forming a total of eight angles. If the other two lines are parallel (and they usually are), then all these angles are special in some way.

Trapezoid

A four-sided, closed shape with straight lines and only one pair of opposite sides equal. The best of all shapes, because of how much fun it is to say "zoid."
A four-sided closed shape with straight lines and only one pair of opposite sides equal in length.

Triangular Prism

a prism with triangle bases; only the bases are parallel

Triangular Pyramid (aka Tetrahedron)

a pyramid with triangular base; a tetrahedron made up of four equilateral triangles is called a regular tetrahedron

Trinomial

an algebraic expression with three terms
A polynomial with three terms.
A polynomial with three terms.

Two-dimensional

flat objects and shapes; think of a piece of paper; these objects only have two of the following: width, length, or height

Unit Rate

price per unit; written as a ratio (same as unit cost)

Vertex

the point where two rays meet; the corner of a polygon (plural is vertices)
The single maximum or minimum value of a parabola.

Vertical Angles

when two lines intersect, opposite angles are called "vertical angles", these angles are congruent
Angles that are opposite each other resulting from two intersecting lines. Vertical angles are always congruent.

Volume

the amount of space inside a 3-dimensional object.
The amount of three-dimensional space that an object takes up. Or what your mom asks you turn down when you're listening to "that noise you kids call music nowadays."

X- Axis

the horizontal axis on a coordinate graph

Y- Axis

the vertical axis on a coordinate graph