Math Terms

Use this page and the one that follows as an illustrated glossary of some of the most important math terms. Though these definitions are specific to math, help students see the broader applications. For example, addition just means gathering more stuff. The word and is the linguistic equivalent of the plus sign. And area describes not just a Euclidean plane but also a back yard and the surface of a desk. Students can find averages everywhere—but does the average student best reflect what is happening currently in education? Average may be what most people are, but it is rarely what most people aspire to be.

Math Terms (Cont.)

This page provides excellent connections to everyday life. The first entry, geometry, means "measuring the earth." The shapes in geometry are shapes we find in nature and human construction. The second word, horizontal, of course comes from the horizon of our world. We have a sense of horizontal and vertical because of gravity. Also, the terms intersection, length, line, lowest common denominator, mean, median, and multiple all have many real-world applications.