vector product

noun

: a vector c whose length is the product of the lengths of two vectors a and b and the sine of their included angle, whose direction is perpendicular to their plane, and whose direction is that in which a right-handed screw rotated from a toward b along axis c would move

called also cross product

Word History

First Known Use

1878, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of vector product was in 1878

Dictionary Entries Near vector product

Cite this Entry

“Vector product.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vector%20product. Accessed 2 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on vector product

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!