unary

2 definitions found

unary - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  unary
      adj 1: consisting of or involving a single element or component;
             "in a unary operation in a mathematical system one
             element is used to yield a single result"

unary - Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (26 May 2007) :

  unary
  
     1. <programming> (or "monadic") A description of a
     function or operator which takes one argument, e.g. the
     unary minus operator which negates its argument.  The term is
     part of the same sequence as nullary and binary.
  
     2. <data, humour> Base one.  A number base with only one
     digit, namely zero, and which can therefore only be used to
     express the number zero.  Attempting to add one to zero
     results in an infinite sequence of carries.  Numbers in unary
     notation can be represented particularly efficiently however
     since each digit requires no storage.
  
     (2001-02-25)