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GCSE maths revision

Glossary - Mathematical words you need to know

A collection of mathematical words and their meanings. It may be useful to print

these off and use them as a revision aid. Make sure you understand them all
before your exam!

Acute angle An angle less than 90°.

Adjacent sides are next to each other and are joined by a

Adjacent
common vertex.

Algebra is the branch of mathematics where symbols or

Algebra
letters are used to represent numbers.

An angle is formed when two straight lines cross or meet each

Angle other at a point. The size of an angle is measured by the
amount one line has been turned in relation to the other.

An approximate value is a value that is close to the actual

Approximate
value of a number.

Arc Part of a circumference of a circle.

The amount of space a shape takes up. E.g. the area of the
Area
lawn is 35 square metres.

Asymmetrical A shape which has no lines of symmetry.

A value to best represent a set of data. There are three types

Average
of average - the mean, the median and the mode.

An axis is one of the lines used to locate a point in a

Axis
coordinate system.

A three digit angle measured from north in a clockwise

Bearing
direction.

A way of remembering the order in which operations are

BIDMAS carried out. It stands for Brackets - Indices - Division -
Multiplication - Addition - Subtraction.

Bisect To divide an angle or shape exactly in half.

Used to determine the order in which operations are carried

Brackets
out. For example, 3 + 4 x 2 = 11 but (3 + 4) x 2 = 14.
C

To work out the value of something. This does not have to

Calculate
mean you need a calculator!

A measure of volume. 100 centilitres = 1 litre (100 cl = 1 l). 1

Centilitre (cl)
centilitre = 10 millilitres (1 cl = 10 ml).

Centimetre A measure of distance. 1 centimetre = 10 millimetres. (1 cm

(cm) = 10 mm). 100 centimetres = 1 metre. (100 cm = 1 m).

A straight line drawn from one point on the edge of a circle to

Chord
another.

Circumference The perimeter of a circle.

The number in front of an algebraic symbol. For example the

Coefficient
coefficient of 5x is 5.

If you can place a shape exactly on top of another then they

Congruent are said to be congruent. You may rotate, reflex or translate
the shape.

A letter or symbol whose value always stays the same. The

Constant
constant Π is a common example.

To add money to a bank account. For example, I had £500

Credit
credited to my bank account.

The end section created when you slice a 3D shape along it's
Cross section
length.

The product when an integer is multiplied by itself twice. For

Cube number
example 5 cubed = 5 x 5 x 5 = 125.

Cuboid A 3D shape with all sides made from rectangles.

Cumulative
A running total of the frequencies, added up as you go along.
frequency

Day A time period of 24 hours. There are 7 days in a week.

To take out money from a bank account. For example, £400

Debit
was debited from my account.

Decagon A ten sided polygon.

Decimal Not a whole number or integer. For example, 3.6 or 0.235.

Decrease To make an amount smaller.

Denominator The bottom part of a fraction.

Diameter The distance across a circle which passes through the centre.

Subtract the smaller value from the larger value to find the
Difference
difference between two numbers.

How far away an object is. For example, it is a distance of 3

Distance
miles to the city centre.

Distribution How data is shared or spread out.

Equal Used to show two quantities have the same value.

Two expressions which have the same value, separated by an

Equation
'=' sign. E.g. 3y = 9 + y

Equilateral
A triangle with all sides and angles the same size.
triangle

To find an approximate answer to a more difficult problem.

Estimate
E.g. 31.2 x 5.94 is roughly equal to 30 x 6 = 180.

Any number which is a multiple of 2. Even numbers always

Even number
end in 2, 4, 6, 8 or 0.

To multiply out brackets in an expression. For example, 2(3x

Expand
+ 7) = 6x + 14.

A collection of terms which can contain variables (letters) and

Expression
numbers. E.g. 4pq - q + 7

A number that divides another number exactly. E.g. 4 is a

Factor
factor of 12.

To put an expression into brackets by taking out a common

Factorise
factor. For example, 20x + 15y = 5(4x + 3y).

Another name for numbers. For example one thousand and

Figures
fifty in figures is 1050.

An equation used to describe a relationship between two or

Formula
more variables.

Frequency How many times something happens. Another word for 'total'.

Frequency
The frequency divided by the class width.
density
G

How steep a line is. Found by dividing the distance up by the

Gradient
distance across.

A measure of mass. 1 gram = 1000 milligrams. (1 g = 1000

Gram (g)
mg)

Stands for 'highest common factor'. It is the largest factor

HCF
common to a set of numbers. E.g. The HCF of 16 and 24 is 8.

Heptagon A seven sided polygon.

Hexagon A six sided polygon.

A diagram drawn with rectangles where the area is

Histogram proportional to the frequency and the width is equal to the
class interval.

Hypotenuse The longest side on a right angled triangle.

Increase To make an amount larger.

Indices Another name for powers such as ² or ³.

Integer A whole number.

Inter-quartile
The difference between the upper and lower quartile.
range (IQR)

A decimal which is never ending. It must also not be a

Irrational
recurring decimal.

Another word for 'explain'. Often crops up on your maths

Justify exam. E.g. 'Calculate the mean and range for each player.
Who is the better player Justify your answer.'

A measure of mass. 1 kilogram = 1000 grams. (1 kg = 1000

Kilogram (Kg)
g)

A measure of distance. 1 kilometre = 1000 metres. (1 km =

Kilometre (Km)
1000 m)
L

Stands for 'lowest common multiple'. It is the smallest multiple

LCM
common to a set of numbers. E.g. The LCM of 3 and 4 is 12.

A measure of volume. 1 litre = 100 centilitres (1 l = 100 cl). 1

Litre (l)
litre = 1000 millilitres (1l = 1000 ml).

Loci The plural of locus.

A collection of points which are the same distance from

Locus
another point or line.

Lower range The smallest value in a set of data.

A type of average found by adding up a list of numbers and

Mean
dividing by how many numbers are in the list.

The middle value when a list of numbers is put in order from

Median
smallest to largest. A type of average.

A measure of distance. 1 metre = 100 centimetres. (1 m =

Metre (m)
1000 cm).

A measure of volume. 10 millimetres = 1 centilitre (10 ml = 1

Millilitre (ml)
cl). 1000 millilitres = 1 litre (1000 ml = 1 l).

Millimetre A measure of distance. 10 millimetres = 1 centimetre. (10 mm

(mm) = 1 cm).

Modal Another term for mode

The most common value in a list of numbers. If two values are

Mode tied then there is two modes. If more than two values are tied
then there is no mode. A type ofaverage.

A time period of either 28, 29, 30 or 31 days. There are 12

Month
months in a year.

A number which is part of another number's times table. E.g.

Multiple
35 is a multiple of 5.

Natural
A positive integer
number

Negative A value less than zero

Nonagon A nine sided polygon.

Numerator The top part of a fraction.

Obtuse angle An angle between 90°�and 180°.

Octagon An eight sided polygon.

A number that is not a multiple of 2. Odd numbers always end

Odd number
in 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9.

An action which when applied to one or more values gives an

Operation output value. The four most common operations are addition.
subtraction, multiplication and division.

Parallel Two or more lines which are always the same distance apart.

Parallelogram A quadrilateral with two pairs of parallel sides.

Pentagon A five sided polygon.

Perimeter The distance around a shape.

Perpendicular Two or more lines which meet at right angles.

An irrational constant used when calculating the area and

Pi (Π)
circumference of circles. It is approximately equal to 3.14.

Polygon A shape made from straight lines.

Positive
A number greater than zero.
number

A number which has exactly two factors. The number one and
Prime
itself.

Prism A 3D shape with the same cross section all along its length.

Probability A measure of how likely an event is to occur.

Product The answer when two values are multiplied together.

Quadratic An equation where the highest power is two. For example x² +

equation 4x + 6 = 0 is a quadratic equation.

Quadrilateral A four sided polygon.

R
 The distance from the centre of a circle to its circumference.
Radius
The plural of radius is radii.

Random
A method of choosing people at random for a survey.
sampling

The largest number take away the smallest value in a set of

Range
data.

Rational A decimal number which ends or is recurring.

The reciprocal of any number is 1 divided by the number. E.g.

Reciprocal
the reciprocal of 3 is 1/3., the reciprocal of 3/4 is 4/3.

A decimal which never ends but repeats all or parts of the

Recurring sequence of numbers after the decimal point. E.g 0.333333 or
0.141414.

Reflex angle An angle greater than 180°.

Regular A shape with all sides and angles the same size.

The amount left over when a number cannot be divided

Remainder
exactly. For example, 21 divided by 4 is 5 remainder 1.

Right angle An angle of 90°.

To turn a shape using an angle, direction and centre of

Rotation
rotation.

To reduce the amount of significant figures or decimal places

Round a number has. For example £178 rounded to the nearest £10
is £180.

Scale factor How many times larger or smaller an enlarged shape will be.

Segment An area of a circle enclosed by a chord.

A list of numbers which follows a pattern. For example 6, 11,

Sequence
16, 21, ...

To write a sum, expression or ratio in its lowest terms. For

Simplify
example 4:10:6 can be simplified to 2:5:3.

Solid A 3D shape.

Solve To find the missing value in an equation.

Speed How fast an object is moving. Average speed = Total distance

 divided by time taken.

The product when an integer is multiplied by itself. For

Square number
example, 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81, 100.

Sum The answer when two or more values are added together.

Surface area To total area of all sides on a 3D shape.

Symmetrical A shape which has at least one line of symmetry.

A system of counting where every group of four vertical lines

Tally
is followed by a horizontal line to easily count in steps of five.

A straight line that just touches a point on a curve. A tangent

Tangent to a circle is perpendicular to the radius which meets the
tangent.

A number, variable or combination of both which forms part of

Term
an expression.

The collective name for reflections, rotations, translations and

Transformation
enlargements.

To move a shape from one position to another by sliding in the

Translation
x-axis followed by the y-axis.

Trapezium A quadrilateral with one pair of parallel sides.

A method of solving probability questions by listing all the

Tree diagram outcomes of an event. Probabilities are calculated by
multiplying down the branches.

Triangle A three sided polygon.

A sequence of numbers generated by adding one more than

Triangular
was added to find the previous term. For example, 1, 3, 6, 10,
number
15, 21, ...

A quantity used to describe a measurement. Examples are

Units
kilograms, metres and centilitres.

Upper range The largest value in a set of data.

Value A numerical amount or quantity.

Variable A letter which we don't know the value of.

The amount an object can hold. E.g. a bottle of cola has a

Volume
volume of 2 litres.

Week A time period of 7 days.

Wide Used to describe the width of something

The distance from side to side. E.g. 'The swimming pool is 10

Width
metres wide.'

X-Axis The horizontal axis on a graph. The line going across the page.

The vertical axis on a graph. The line going from top to

Y-Axis
bottom.

Y-Intercept The value of the y-coordinate when a graph crosses the y-axis.

Year A time period of 12 months or 365 days. (366 in a leap year.)

Represents the depth of an object when working with 3D

Z-Axis
coordinates.