back-of-the-envelope
adj/ˌbæk‿əv ðiː ˈɛnvələʊp/UK/ˌbæk‿əv ði ˈɛnvəˌloʊp/US
Etymology
A reference to a calculation or an idea that occurs to one being jotted down on an available scrap of paper, such as the back of an envelope.
Definitions
Especially of a calculation, estimation, or other reasoning, or an idea
Especially of a calculation, estimation, or other reasoning, or an idea: approximate, rough, simplified.
- We can do some back-of-the-envelope calculations before all the facts come in.
- [T]he original estimates are frequently back-of-the-envelope-type estimates made internally without detailed engineering studies, if you go all the way back to Day 1.
The neighborhood
Vish — recursive loop
No curated loop yet for back-of-the-envelope. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.
sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA