gradiente

gradient

noun grah-DYEN-teh Rare

Origin: From Latin gradientem, present participle of gradi (to step).

Also means

slope

Usage Note

Gradiente is used in science and mathematics to describe a rate of change — gradiente de temperatura ('temperature gradient'), gradiente de presión ('pressure gradient'). In geography it means the degree of slope. The word is masculine (el gradiente) in technical usage, though some speakers treat it as feminine by analogy with pendiente. In vector calculus, gradiente also denotes the gradient operator (∇).

Examples

"El gradiente de temperatura baja con la altitud."

Natural Translation

The temperature gradient decreases with altitude.

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