[W/K] :: binary

  Binary \Bi"na*ry\, n.
     That which is constituted of two figures, things, or parts;
     two; duality. --Fotherby.
     [1913 Webster]

  Binary \Bi"na*ry\, a. [L. binarius, fr. bini two by two, two at
     a time, fr. root of bis twice; akin to E. two: cf. F.
     binaire.]
     Compounded or consisting of two things or parts;
     characterized by two (things).
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Binary arithmetic, that in which numbers are expressed
        according to the binary scale, or in which two figures
        only, 0 and 1, are used, in lieu of ten; the cipher
        multiplying everything by two, as in common arithmetic by
        ten. Thus, 1 is one; 10 is two; 11 is three; 100 is four,
        etc. --Davies & Peck.
  
     Binary compound (Chem.), a compound of two elements, or of
        an element and a compound performing the function of an
        element, or of two compounds performing the function of
        elements.
  
     Binary logarithms, a system of logarithms devised by Euler
        for facilitating musical calculations, in which 1 is the
        logarithm of 2, instead of 10, as in the common
        logarithms, and the modulus 1.442695 instead of .43429448.
        
  
     Binary measure (Mus.), measure divisible by two or four;
        common time.
  
     Binary nomenclature (Nat. Hist.), nomenclature in which the
        names designate both genus and species.
  
     Binary scale (Arith.), a uniform scale of notation whose
        ratio is two.
  
     Binary star (Astron.), a double star whose members have a
        revolution round their common center of gravity.
  
     Binary theory (Chem.), the theory that all chemical
        compounds consist of two constituents of opposite and
        unlike qualities.
        [1913 Webster]

  binary
       adj 1: of or pertaining to a number system have 2 as its base; "a
              binary digit"
       2: consisting of two (units or components or elements or terms)
          or based on two; "a binary star is a system in which two
          stars revolve around each other"; "a binary compound";
          "the binary number system has two as its base"
       n : a system of two stars that revolve around each other under
           their mutual gravitation [syn: binary star, double
           star]

  31 Moby Thesaurus words for "binary":
     Janus-like, ambidextrous, bifacial, bifold, biform, bilateral,
     binate, biparous, bivalent, conduplicate, disomatous, double,
     double-barreled, double-faced, dual, dualistic, duple, duplex,
     duplicate, geminate, geminated, second, secondary, twin, twinned,
     two-faced, two-level, two-ply, two-sided, two-story, twofold
  
  

  binary
       
          1.  Base two.  A number representation
          consisting of zeros and ones used by practically all computers
          because of its ease of implementation using digital
          electronics and Boolean algebra.
       
          2.  Any file format for digital data encoded
          as a sequence of bits but not consisting of a sequence of
          printable characters ({text).  The term is often used for
          executable machine code.
       
          Of course all digital data, including characters, is actually
          binary data (unless it uses some (rare) system with more than
          two discrete levels) but the distinction between binary and
          text is well established.
       
          3.  A description of an operator which takes
          two arguments.  See also unary, ternary.
       
          (1998-07-29)