PI
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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
pi¹
- /paɪ/
Sounds like pie · Rhymes with -aɪ
Where it comes from
From Koine Greek πῖ (pî), from Ancient Greek πεῖ (peî), ultimately from Proto-Semitic *pay- (“mouth”). Doublet of pe. Its mathematical use apparently stems from its use as the first letter in περιφέρεια (periphéreia, “periphery; circumference”) and was first cited in 1706 in the Synopsis Palmariorum Matheseos by William Jones.
noun pis
- The sixteenth letter of the Classical and Modern Greek alphabets and the seventeenth in Old Greek.
- An irrational and transcendental constant representing the ratio of the circumference of a Euclidean circle to its diameter; approximately 3.14159265.
pi²
Where it comes from
Unclear. Possibly from the Greek letter (see Etymology 1) as a common example of non-alphabetic character, possibly from pica (“type size”) (see Etymology 3), possibly from pie referring to its mixed nature or pied (“checkered, multicoloured”).
noun pis
- Metal type that has been spilled, mixed together, or disordered.
verb pies · piing · pied
- To spill or mix printing type.
adjective
- Not part of the usual font character set; especially, non-Roman type or symbols as opposed to standard alphanumeric Roman type. In computing, pi characters may be entered with special key combinations.
pi³
Where it comes from
Abbreviations.
noun
- pica (conventionally, 12 points = 1 pica, 6 picas = 1 inch).
- Piaster.
adjective
- Pious. Our Major was "Cherub" Cheeseman, noted for his foul language. I am afraid he lost a tidy little legacy that he was expecting from his aunt, the Dowager Lady Shuttlecock (a very "pi" old lady), through this same habit of his.
PI⁴
proper noun P.I. · P. I.
- Abbreviation of Piauí: a state of Brazil.Piauí
- Initialism of Prison Industries, the prison-run work program for inmates.Prison Industries
- Initialism of Philippine Islands.Philippine Islands We're going back to the PI for a vacation this summer.
adjective more PI · most PI · P.I. · P. I.
- Initialism of politically incorrect (see PC).politically incorrect
noun PIs · P.I. · P. I.
- Initialism of processing instruction.processing instruction
- Initialism of partial induction (see AI).partial induction
- Initialism of personal injury.personal injury
- Initialism of principal investigator (“lead researcher on a grant-funded project”).principal investigator
- Initialism of private investigator.private investigator
- Initialism of parallel import.parallel import
- Abbreviation of phosphatidylinositol, a phospholipid component of eukaryotic cell membranes, also abbreviated in PtdIns.phosphatidylinositol
- Initialism of protease inhibitor.protease inhibitor
- Initialism of polyimide.polyimide
- Initialism of ponderal index.ponderal index
- Initialism of penile inversion.penile inversion
- Initialism of power integrity.power integrity
- Abbreviation of prohibited immigrant.prohibited immigrant
- Initialism of pseudoincest.pseudoincest
- Initialism of port injection (“fuel injection”).port injection
- Initialism of paradoxical intention.paradoxical intention
- Initialism of pro forma invoice.pro forma invoice
- Initialism of people's initiative.people's initiative
- Initialism of preliminary injunction.preliminary injunction
Pi⁵
Where it comes from
From Mandarin 郫 (Pí).
proper noun Pe · P'i
- A county of Chengdu, Sichuan, China. Pi County has brought democracy into full play. The peasants there are electing production team leaders and other production team cadres by secret ballot.
