Hypertext Webster Gateway: "irreducible"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Irreducible \Ir`re*du"ci*ble\, a.
1. Incapable of being reduced, or brought into a different
state; incapable of restoration to its proper or normal
condition; as, an irreducible hernia.
2. (Math.) Incapable of being reduced to a simpler form of
expression; as, an irreducible formula.
{Irreducible case} (Alg.), a particular case in the solution
of a cubic equation, in which the formula commonly
employed contains an imaginary quantity, and therefore
fails in its application. -- {Ir`re*du"ci*ble*ness}, n. --
-- {Ir`re*du"ci*bly}, adv.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
irreducible
adj : incapable of being made smaller or simpler; "an irreducible
minimum"; "an irreducible formula"; "an irreducible
hernia" [ant: {reducible}]
Additional Hypertext Webster Gateway Lookup
Gateway by dict@stokkie.net
stock only wrote the gateway and does not have any control over the contents;
see the Webster Gateway FAQ,
and also the Back-end/database links and credits.