binary

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: bi=na=ry

CIDE DICTIONARY

binary, a. [L. binarius, fr. bini two by two, two at a time, fr. root of bis twice; akin to E. two: cf. F. binaire.].

 Compounded or consisting of two things or parts; characterized by two (things).  [1913 Webster]

Binary arithmetic, that in which numbers are expressed according to the binary scale, or in which two figures only, 0 and 1, are used, in lieu of ten; the cipher multiplying everything by two, as in common arithmetic by ten. Thus, 1 is one; 10 is two; 11 is three; 100 is four, etc. Davies & Peck. -- Binary compound (Chem.), a compound of two elements, or of an element and a compound performing the function of an element, or of two compounds performing the function of elements. -- Binary logarithms, a system of logarithms devised by Euler for facilitating musical calculations, in which 1 is the logarithm of 2, instead of 10, as in the common logarithms, and the modulus 1.442695 instead of .43429448. -- Binary measure (Mus.), measure divisible by two or four; common time. -- Binary nomenclature (Nat. Hist.), nomenclature in which the names designate both genus and species. -- Binary scale (Arith.), a uniform scale of notation whose ratio is two. -- Binary star (Astron.), a double star whose members have a revolution round their common center of gravity. -- Binary theory (Chem.), the theory that all chemical compounds consist of two constituents of opposite and unlike qualities.

binary, n. 

 That which is constituted of two figures, things, or parts; two; duality.  Fotherby.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

binary, adj. & n.
--adj.
1 a dual. b of or involving pairs.
2 of the arithmetical system using 2 as a base.
--n. (pl. -ies)
1 something having two parts.
2 a binary number.
3 a binary star.

Idiom

binary code Computing a coding system using the binary digits 0 and
1 to represent a letter, digit, or other character in a computer (see BCD). binary compound Chem. a compound having two elements or radicals. binary fission the division of a cell or organism into two parts. binary number (or digit) one of two digits (usu. 0 or 1) in a binary system of notation. binary star a system of two stars orbiting each other.
binary system a system in which information can be expressed by combinations of the digits 0 and
1 (corresponding to 'off' and 'on' in computing). binary tree a data structure in which a record is branched to the left when greater and to the right when less than the previous record.

Etymology

LL binarius f. bini two together

THESAURUS

binary

Janus-like, ambidextrous, bifacial, bifold, biform, bilateral, binate, biparous, bivalent, conduplicate, disomatous, double, double-barreled, double-faced, dual, dualistic, duple, duplex, duplicate, geminate, geminated, second, secondary, twin, twinned, two-faced, two-level, two-ply, two-sided, two-story, twofold

ROGET THESAURUS

binary

Duality

N duality, dualism, duplicity, biplicity, biformity, polarity, two, deuce, couple, duet, brace, pair, cheeks, twins, Castor and Pollux, gemini, Siamese twins, fellows, yoke, conjugation, dispermy, doublets, dyad, span, two, twin, dual, dualistic, double, binary, binomial, twin, biparous, dyadic, conduplicate, duplex, biduous, binate, diphyletic, dispermic, unijugate, tete-a-tete, coupled, conjugate, both, both the one and the other.