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difference

noun
/ˈdɪf(ə)ɹəns/

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ Proto-Indo-European *d(w)is- Proto-Italic *dis- Latin dis- Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- Proto-Indo-European *bʰéreti Proto-Italic *ferō Latin ferō Latin differō Latin differēns Proto-Indo-European *-yós Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -ia Latin differentiader. Old French differencebor. Middle English difference English difference From Middle English difference, from Old French difference, from Latin differentia (“difference”), from differēns (“different”), present participle of differre. Doublet of differentia. Morphologically differ + -ence.

  1. derived from differentia — “difference”
  2. derived from difference
  3. inherited from difference

Definitions

  1. The quality of being different.

    • You need to learn to be more tolerant of difference.

  2. A characteristic of something that makes it different from something else.

    • There are three differences between these two pictures.

  3. A disagreement or argument.

    • We have our little differences, but we are firm friends.
    • What was the difference? It was a contention in public.
    • Away therefore went I with the constable, leaving the old warden and the young constable to compose their difference as they could.
  4. ›+ 9 more definitions

    1. Significant change in or effect on a situation or state.

      • It just won't make much difference to me.
      • It just won't make much of a difference to anyone.

    2. The result of a subtraction

      The result of a subtraction; sometimes the absolute value of this result.

      • The difference between 3 and 21 is 18.

    3. Choice

      Choice; preference.

      • That now be chooseth with vile difference To be a beast, and lack intelligence.

    4. An addition to a coat of arms to distinguish two people's bearings which would otherwise…

      An addition to a coat of arms to distinguish two people's bearings which would otherwise be the same. See augmentation and cadency.

    5. The quality or attribute which is added to those of the genus to constitute a species

      The quality or attribute which is added to those of the genus to constitute a species; a differentia.

    6. A Boolean operation which is true when the two input variables are different but is…

      A Boolean operation which is true when the two input variables are different but is otherwise false; the XOR operation ( scriptstyle A◌̅B+◌̅AB).

    7. The set of elements that are in one set but not another ( scriptstyle A◌̅B).

    8. To distinguish or differentiate.

      • This simple spectation of the lungs is differenced from that which concomitates a pleurisy.
      • […] and souls, like in the mass, but differenced in themselves, with special gifts, duties and joys […]
      • In the Calais Roll the arms of William de Warren […] are differenced by the addition of a canton said to be that of Fitzalan […]

    9. to modify a heraldic emblem so as to distinguish one branch of a house from another

The neighborhood

Derived

age difference, antidifference, as near as makes no difference, common difference, creative differences, deflection difference, diff, difference engine, difference equation, difference gate, difference maker, difference-maker, difference-making, difference of opinion, difference of two squares, difference quotient, difference set, distinction without a difference, electric potential difference, equidifference, finite difference, goal difference, know the difference between one's ass and a hole in the ground, know the difference between one's ass and one's elbow, learning difference, make a difference, make all the difference, make the difference, mass difference, nondifference, photodifference, point of difference, potential difference, same difference, set-theoretic difference, size difference, split the difference, spot the difference, symmetric difference, tell the difference · +5 more

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at difference. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01difference02argument03argumentation04exchange05ellipsis06mark07boundary08zone09differences

A definitional loop anchored at difference. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

9 hops · closes at difference

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA