DIMENSION

, the extension of a body, considered as measurable. Hence, as we conceive a body extended, and measurable in length, breadth, and depth, dimension is considered as threefold, viz, length, breadth, and thickness. So a line has one dimension only, viz length; a supersicies two, length and breadth; and a body or solid has three, viz, length, breadth, and thickness.

Dimension is also particularly used with regard to the powers of quantities in equations. Thus, in a simple equation, , the unknown quantity is only of one dimension; in a quadratic equation, , it is of two dimensions; in a cubic, , it is of three dimensions; and so on.