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Denumerable

April 22 2005 at 11:57 AM
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The word "denumerable" has been used a lot in recent posts. I am wondering if the word is being used correctly.

Using the One Look Dictionary Search, which scans about 100 dictionaries, I come up with a general definition of "that which is countable". If we have a number 0.999... with denumerably many 9's we have been using the word denumerable to indicate an infinity of 9's. The various dictionaries though, seem to indicate that something "denumerable" is countable.

It therefore seems to me that we are using the word incorrectly. Am I right or wrong on this matter?

The One Look Dictionary is at http://www.onelook.com and is well worth knowing about anyway. I especially like using Webster's 1828 Dictionary but "denumerable" does not appear in it. Neither does "emoticon" or "snail mail".

 
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Responses

  1. Innumerable - Al on Apr 22, 12:08 PM
  2.  
  3. Denumerability - Bill on Apr 22, 2:15 PM
    1. pedantic? - Al on Apr 22, 2:37 PM
      1. You tell me clearly, unambiguously ... - Bill on Apr 22, 5:28 PM
        1. Re: You tell me clearly, unambiguously ... - Al on Apr 23, 9:00 AM
          1. I'll take a guess. - Bill on Apr 23, 12:53 PM
            1. why guess? - Al on Apr 23, 5:12 PM
              1. Answer (again) - Bill on Apr 23, 6:39 PM
                1. Re: Answer (again) - Al on Apr 23, 7:09 PM
                  1. This protracted discussion - Sue on Apr 24, 9:39 AM
                    1. Thank you! - Bill on Apr 24, 12:41 PM
                      1. You're welcome - Sue on Apr 24, 1:54 PM
                  2. Another try...do pay atention! - Bill on Apr 24, 2:14 PM
                    1.        explanation now grokked - Al on Apr 24, 9:49 PM
                      1. "Oh, Good Grief!" (Charlie Brown) - Bill on Apr 25, 1:49 PM
                        1. Re: "Oh, Good Grief!" (Charlie Brown) - Al on Apr 25, 3:40 PM
                          1. Re: "Oh, Good Grief!" (Charlie Brown) - Bill on Apr 25, 8:37 PM
                            1. as everyone glazed over, Lucy pulled the ball away - Al on Apr 25, 9:08 PM
                              1. Permit me to edit slightly - Bill on Apr 26, 8:35 AM
                                1. okey doke - Al on Apr 26, 12:19 PM
                  3. Conspicuous typo - Bill on Apr 24, 4:36 PM
    2. Preposterous????? - Ray Haupt on Apr 22, 7:24 PM
      1. Yes - Bill on Apr 22, 11:18 PM
        1. No - Ray Haupt on Apr 25, 8:54 PM
          1. Dictionaries and technical terminology - Bill on Apr 27, 12:30 PM
            1. Re: Dictionaries and technical terminology - Ray haupt on Apr 27, 1:34 PM
              1. allow me to venture ... - Al on Apr 27, 2:40 PM
                1. A friend in need is a friend indeed! - Bill on Apr 27, 3:30 PM
              2. You still don't quite have it - Bill on Apr 27, 3:27 PM
                1. I am having trouble with this concept - Ray haupt on Apr 27, 4:24 PM
                  1. The finite vs. the infinite - Bill on Apr 27, 5:33 PM
                    1. question - Al on Apr 28, 12:57 PM
                      1. Well, it won't be a technical sense. - Bill on Apr 28, 4:16 PM
                        1. but, does it "mean sh*t to a tree"? - Al on Apr 28, 8:31 PM
                          1. Who's wasting whose time?? - Bill on Apr 29, 11:30 AM
                            1. elaboration - Al on Apr 29, 12:51 PM
                              1. I'm working on... - Bill on Apr 29, 3:31 PM
                                1. golden showers are officially outré - Al on Apr 29, 4:08 PM
                                  1. Re: Golden Showers - Bill on Apr 30, 1:00 PM
                                    1. with baited breath, barely contained ... - Al on Apr 30, 2:45 PM
                                      1. The ground rules keep shifting - Bill on Apr 30, 5:24 PM
                                        1. wow --- no they don't - Al on May 1, 10:51 AM
                                          1. OK... - Bill on May 1, 12:25 PM
     
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