denominator

denominator — noun

1. In a written fraction, the figure placed below the horizontal dividing line that

1.名詞B2
釋義

In a written fraction, the figure placed below the horizontal dividing line that indicates how many identical pieces the whole has been split into — for instance, the 4 in ¾ tells you the whole was divided into 4 equal portions.

例句

Nila forgot whether the denominator is the top or bottom number in a fraction.

basic concept: identifying numerator vs denominator

When Nia added ¼ and ⅜, she first checked whether they shared the same denominator.

collocation: share / same denominator

同義詞
  • divisor

    more general term used in arithmetic; a divisor can appear outside fraction notation

  • bottom number

    informal, used mainly in primary-school math teaching

反義詞
  • numerator

    the top number in a fraction, indicating how many parts are taken

文法句型

the denominator of [number]

用法筆記

Unlike the numerator, the denominator is never zero. Learners who are unsure which number in a fraction is the denominator can remember: it is the bottom figure, the one written below the horizontal bar.

常見錯誤

❌The denominator is 3 in the fraction ⅓.
✅The denominator is 3 in the fraction ⅓
💡wait, that is actually correct.' (This is a trick — 3 is indeed the denominator in ⅓. A real mistake: ❌ 'The denominator is the top number.' ✅ 'The denominator is the bottom number; the top number is the numerator.' — The two terms are often confused.)
❌You can write a fraction with zero as the denominator.
✅The denominator can never be zero because dividing by zero has no meaning in mathematics.
💡Zero in the denominator makes the fraction undefined.