Alligating

/ˈæləɡeɪtɪŋ/ verb

Definition

The act of binding, connecting, or joining things together; specifically, applying the medieval mathematical technique of alligation.

Etymology

Present participle of 'alligate,' from Latin 'alligare.' Creates a verbal noun or gerund form for the ongoing action of binding or joining.

Kelly Says

Medieval merchants literally used 'alligating' calculations to figure out how much cheap spice to mix with expensive spice to hit a target price—it's the original business math problem.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.