hexadecimal

adjective

hexa·​dec·​i·​mal ˌhek-sə-ˈde-sə-məl How to pronounce hexadecimal (audio)
-ˈdes-məl
: of, relating to, or being a number system with a base of 16
hexadecimal noun

Examples of hexadecimal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
In a proof-of-work system, miners update the blockchain and verify transactions as legitimate by solving an arbitrary numerical puzzle for a hexadecimal solution, known as a hash. Wilson Chapman, Discover Magazine, 10 June 2021 Answer Man is innumerate in all major numbering systems — Roman, Arabic, hexadecimal — and not so hot in Latin, either. Washington Post, 4 Dec. 2021 The screenshots are other blocks of hexadecimal numbers. Casey Tolan, Curt Devine and Drew Griffin, CNN, 5 Aug. 2021 First, verify a series of transactions on the blockchain and, second, correctly guess a random 64-digit hexadecimal number, called a hash. Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 16 May 2021 Then, a few months later, new Bergsonist EPs began appearing on Bandcamp nearly every Friday, each with its own six-character alphanumeric title, the hexadecimal color code of each recording’s thumbnail cover image. Washington Post, 23 Dec. 2020 Rather than send voters home with a binder full of hexadecimal gibberish, the computer would print the ciphertext as something much smaller: a hash code, much like how a URL is shortened into a Bit.ly. Benjamin Wofford, Wired, 15 Sep. 2020 These are 128-bit numbers, expressed in hexadecimal strings—for instance, 2001:0db8:582:ae33::29. Courtney Linder, Popular Mechanics, 27 June 2020 Currently, a block's hash needs at least around 18 zeros (in its hexadecimal representation) to be accepted by the network—which translates to around 1022 trials to find a valid block. Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, 9 July 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1954, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hexadecimal was in 1954

Dictionary Entries Near hexadecimal

Cite this Entry

“Hexadecimal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hexadecimal. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

hexadecimal

adjective
hexa·​dec·​i·​mal ˌhek-sə-ˈdes-(ə-)məl How to pronounce hexadecimal (audio)
: of, relating to, or being a number system with a base of 16
hexadecimal numbers
hexadecimal notation
hexadecimal noun

More from Merriam-Webster on hexadecimal

Last Updated: - Definition revised
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