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mean

Mean

Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology | 2001 | Copyright

Mean

The sum of the values of the points in a data set divided by the number of points.

EXAMPLE

HEIGHTS IN CENTIMETERS OF FIFTEEN CHILDREN ARE:

124, 137, 144, 136, 157, 129, 130, 131, 125, 128, 133, 133, 129

Sum equals 1995; divide by 15 to get the mean of 133.

In statistics, the mean refers to the value that results when all the scores in a data set are added together and the total is divided by the number of scores in the data set. In the example, the mean for a set of fifteen data points is calculated. The mean balances the scores on either side of it. Also called the arithmetic mean or average, the mean is one of the measures of central tendency; the others being the median and the mode .

Further Reading

Peavy, J. Virgil. Descriptive Statistics: Measures of Central Tendency and Dispersion. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services/Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, 1981.
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mean

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | | Copyright

mean2 (dial.) common to two or more XII; inferior XIII; undignified, low XIV; ignoble XVII. OE. mǣne (rare), ME. mene, for OE. ġemǣne (ME. -mene) = OS. gimēni (Du. gemeen), OHG. gimeini (G. gemein), Goth. gamains :- Gmc. *ʒamainiz, f. *ʒa- Y- + *mainiz :- IE. *moinis (repr. in *commoinis, antecedent form of L. commūnis COMMON), f. *moi- *mei- change, exchange; see MUTATION, MUTUAL, MUNICIPAL. The development of meaning from ‘possessed by all’ to ‘ordinary’, ‘inferior’, was assisted by the coincidence of the native Eng. form with MEAN3.
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T. F. HOAD. "mean." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "mean." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-mean1.html

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mean

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

mean in statistics, a type of average . The arithmetic mean of a group of numbers is found by dividing their sum by the number of members in the group; e.g., the sum of the seven numbers 4, 5, 6, 9, 13, 14, and 19 is 70 so their mean is 70 divided by 7, or 10. Less often used is the geometric mean (for two quantities, the square root of their product; for n quantities, the n th root of their product).

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mean

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | | Copyright

mean3 † middle; † intermediary; intermediate in time (now only in mean time, mean while); intermediate in kind or degree; mediocre, middling. XIV. — AN. me(e)n, OF. meien, moien (mod. moyen):- L. mediānus MEDIAN.
Hence meantime adv. XVI; meanwhile adv. XV; reduction of adv. phr. in the m. time and m. while (XIV).
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The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | | Copyright

mean1 have in mind, intend; import. OE. mǣnan = OS. mēnian intend, make known (Du. menen), (O)HG. meinen (now chiefly, have an opinion):- WGmc. *mainjan, rel. to OSl. mǐniti; f. IE. *men- (see MIND).
Hence meaning intention, signification. XIV.
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mean

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Copyright

mean (arithmetic mean) Mathematical average. It is found by adding a group of numbers and dividing by the number of items in the group. Thus, for numbers a, b, c., and d, the mean is (a + b + c. + d)/4.
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mean

A Dictionary of Nursing | 2008 | Copyright

mean (arithmetic mean) (meen) n. the average of a group of observations calculated by adding their values and dividing by the number in the group. See also median, mode.
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mean

A Dictionary of Earth Sciences | 1999 | | Copyright

mean In statistics, the average as calculated by the sum of each data point divided by the total number of data points. See also VARIANCE.
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AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "mean." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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mean

A Dictionary of Biology | 2004 | Copyright

mean The average value of a set of n numbers, i.e. the sum of the numbers divided by n.
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mean

A Dictionary of Sociology | 1998 | | Copyright

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GORDON MARSHALL. "mean." A Dictionary of Sociology. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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A Dictionary of Computing | 2004 | | Copyright

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JOHN DAINTITH. "mean." A Dictionary of Computing. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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mean

Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes | 2007 | Copyright

mean •Aberdeen, Amin, aquamarine, baleen, bean, been, beguine, Benin, between, canteen, careen, Claudine, clean, contravene, convene, cuisine, dean, Dene, e'en, eighteen, fascine, fedayeen, fifteen, figurine, foreseen, fourteen, Francine, gean, gene, glean, gombeen, green, Greene, Halloween, intervene, Janine, Jean, Jeannine, Jolene, Kean, keen, Keene, Ladin, langoustine, latrine, lean, limousine, machine, Maclean, magazine, Malines, margarine, marine, Mascarene, Massine, Maxine, mean, Medellín, mesne, mien, Moline, moreen, mujahedin, Nadine, nankeen, Nazarene, Nene, nineteen, nougatine, obscene, palanquin, peen, poteen, preen, quean, queen, Rabin, Racine, ramin, ravine, routine, Sabine, saltine, sardine, sarin, sateen, scene, screen, seen, serene, seventeen, shagreen, shebeen, sheen, sixteen, spleen, spring-clean, squireen, Steen, submarine, supervene, tambourine, tangerine, teen, terrine, thirteen, transmarine, treen, tureen, Tyrrhene, ultramarine, umpteen, velveteen, wean, ween, Wheen, yean •soybean • buckbean

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