Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Random
Ran′dom
(răn′dŭm)
, Noun.
[OE. ]
randon
, OF. randon
force, violence, rapidity, à randon
, de randon
, violently, suddenly, rapidly, prob. of German origin; cf. G. rand
edge, border, OHG. rant
shield, edge of a shield, akin to E. rand
, n. See Rand
, Noun.
1.
Force; violence.
[Obs.]
For courageously the two kings newly fought with great
random
and force. E. Hall.
2.
A roving motion; course without definite direction; want of direction, rule, or method; hazard; chance; – commonly used in the phrase at random, that is, without a settled point of direction; at hazard.
Counsels, when they fly
At random
, sometimes hit most happily. Herrick.
O, many a shaft,
Finds mark the archer little meant!
at random
sent,Finds mark the archer little meant!
Sir W. Scott.
3.
Distance to which a missile is cast; range; reach;
as, the
. random
of a rifle ballSir K. Digby.
4.
(Mining)
The direction of a rake-vein.
Raymond.
Ran′dom
,Adj.
1.
Going at random or by chance; done or made at hazard, or without settled direction, aim, or purpose; hazarded without previous calculation; left to chance; haphazard;
as, a
. random
guessSome
random
truths he can impart. Wordsworth.
So sharp a spur to the lazy, and so strong a bridle to the
random
. H. Spencer.
at random
in a manner so that all possible results have an equal probability of occurrence; for processes, each possible result is counted separately although the same type of result may occur more than once .
– Random courses
(Masonry)
, courses of stone of unequal thickness.
– Random shot
, a shot not directed or aimed toward any particular object, or a shot with the muzzle of the gun much elevated.
– Random work
(Masonry)
, stonework consisting of stones of unequal sizes fitted together, but not in courses nor always with flat beds.
Webster 1828 Edition
Random
RAN'DOM
, n.1.
A roving motion or course without direction; hence, want of direction, rule or method; hazard; chance; used in the phrase, at random, that is, without a settled point of direction; at hazard.2.
Course; motion; progression; distance of a body thrown; as the furthest random of a missile weapon.RAN'DOM
, a.1.
Done at hazard or without settled aim or purpose; left to chance; as a random blow.2.
Uttered or done without previous calculation; as a random guess.Definition 2024
random
random
English
Noun
random (plural randoms)
- A roving motion; course without definite direction; lack of rule or method; chance.
- (Can we date this quote?) Robert Herrick
- Counsels, when they fly / At random, sometimes hit most happily.
- (Can we date this quote?) Sir Walter Scott
- O, many a shaft, at random sent, / Finds mark the archer little meant!
- (Can we date this quote?) Robert Herrick
- (obsolete) Speed, full speed; impetuosity, force. [14th-17thc.]
- 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter x, in Le Morte Darthur, book I:
- they were messagers vnto kyng Ban & Bors sent from kynge Arthur / therfor said the viij knyghtes ye shalle dye or be prysoners / for we ben knyghtes of kyng Claudas And therwith two of them dressid theire sperys / and Vlfyus and Brastias dressid theire speres and ranne to gyder with grete raundon
- (Can we date this quote?) Edward Hall
- For courageously the two kings newly fought with great random and force.
- 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter x, in Le Morte Darthur, book I:
- (obsolete) The full range of a bullet or other projectile; hence, the angle at which a weapon is tilted to allow the greatest range. [16th-19thc.]
- 1624, John Smith, Generall Historie, in Kupperman 1988, page 144:
- Fortie yards will they shoot levell, or very neare the marke, and 120 is their best at Random.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Sir K. Digby to this entry?)
- 1624, John Smith, Generall Historie, in Kupperman 1988, page 144:
- (figuratively, colloquial) An undefined, unknown or unimportant person; a person of no consequence. [from 20thc.]
- The party was boring. It was full of randoms.
- (figuratively, colloquial, chiefly video games) Someone who is not good.
- I keep losing because of randoms on my team.
- (mining) The direction of a rake-vein.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Raymond to this entry?)
Synonyms
- (speed; force): force, momentum, speed, velocity
- (unimportant person): nobody, nonentity
- (bad player): randy, bad kid
Translations
obsolete: speed, full speed; impetuosity, force
|
unimportant person
Adjective
random (comparative more random, superlative most random)
- Having unpredictable outcomes and, in the ideal case, all outcomes equally probable; resulting from such selection; lacking statistical correlation.
- The flip of a fair coin is purely random.
- The newspaper conducted a random sample of five hundred American teenagers.
- The results of the field survey look random by several different measures.
- (mathematics) Of or relating to probability distribution.
- A toss of loaded dice is still random, though biased.
- (computing) Pseudorandom; mimicking the result of random selection.
- The rand function generates a random number from a seed.
- (somewhat colloquial) Representative and undistinguished; typical and average; selected for no particular reason.
- A random American off the street couldn't tell the difference.
- (somewhat colloquial) Apropos of nothing; lacking context; unexpected; having apparent lack of plan, cause, or reason.
- That was a completely random comment.
- The teacher's bartending story was interesting, but random.
- The narrative takes a random course.
- (colloquial) Characterized by or often saying random things; habitually using non sequiturs.
- You're so random!
Synonyms
- (having unpredictable outcomes):
- (of or relating to probability distribution): stochastic
- (pseudorandom): pseudorandom
- (representative and undistinguished): average, typical
- (lacking context): arbitrary, unexpected, unplanned
Derived terms
terms derived from random (adjective)
Translations
all outcomes being unpredictable
|
|
mathematics: of or relating to probability distribution
computing: pseudorandom
|
|
undistinguished, average
|
apropos of nothing
|
|
See also
-
Randomness on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Anagrams
Hungarian
Etymology
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈrɒndom]
- Hyphenation: ran‧dom
Adjective
random (not comparable)
Declension
| Inflection (stem in -o-, back harmony) | ||
|---|---|---|
| singular | plural | |
| nominative | random | randomok |
| accusative | randomot | randomokat |
| dative | randomnak | randomoknak |
| instrumental | randommal | randomokkal |
| causal-final | randomért | randomokért |
| translative | randommá | randomokká |
| terminative | randomig | randomokig |
| essive-formal | randomként | randomokként |
| essive-modal | — | — |
| inessive | randomban | randomokban |
| superessive | randomon | randomokon |
| adessive | randomnál | randomoknál |
| illative | randomba | randomokba |
| sublative | randomra | randomokra |
| allative | randomhoz | randomokhoz |
| elative | randomból | randomokból |
| delative | randomról | randomokról |
| ablative | randomtól | randomoktól |
Synonyms
References
- ↑ Tótfalusi István, Idegenszó-tár: Idegen szavak értelmező és etimológiai szótára. Tinta Könyvkiadó, Budapest, 2005, ISBN 963 7094 20 2