quantity

Etymology

From Middle English quantite, from Old French quantité, from Latin quantitās (“quantity”), from quantus (“how much”).

noun

1. A fundamental, generic term used when referring to the measurement (count, amount) of a scalar, vector, number of items or to some other way of denominating the value of a collection or group of items.
   You have to choose between quantity and quality.
2. An indefinite amount of something.
   Some soap making oils are best as base oils, used in a larger quantity in the soap, while other oils are best added in a small quantity.
   Olive oil can be used practically in any quantity.
3. A specific measured amount.
   This bag would normally cost $497.50 for a quantity of 250, at a price of $1.99 per piece.
   Generally it should not be used in a quantity larger than 15 percent.
4. A considerable measure or amount.
   The Boeing P-26A was the first all-metal monoplane fighter produced in quantity for the U.S. Army Air Corps.
5. (metrology) Property of a phenomenon, body, or substance, where the property has a magnitude that can be expressed as number and a reference.
6. (mathematics) Indicates that the entire preceding expression is henceforth considered a single object.
   x plus y quantity squared equals x squared plus 2xy plus y squared.
   For problems 58-67, translate each word phrase into an algebraic expression. […] 65. x plus 9, the quantity squared 2006, Jerome E. Kaufmann, Karen Schwitters, Elementary and Intermediate Algebra: A Combined Approach, page 89
   The second, (∑x)², read "summation of x, quantity squared," tells us to first add up all the xs to get ∑x and then square ∑x to get (∑x)². 2005, R. Mark Sirkin, Statistics For The Social Sciences, page 137
   ANN. ra quantity cubed. SERGE LANG. That's right, (ra)³. 1985, Serge Lang, Math!: Encounters with High School Students, page 54
7. (phonology) Length of sounds.