hexadecimal

Pluralhexadecimals (some meanings)

1. 1
   adjective

   Of a number, written in base sixteen, using the digits 0–9 and the letters A–F.

   The error codes in the log are hexadecimal, so 0x1A means twenty-six.

   The debugger displays every memory address as a hexadecimal value.

2. 2
   noununcountable

   A base-sixteen number system using the digits 0–9 and letters A–F, used mostly in computing because each digit stands for four bits, so two digits encode one byte.

   Programmers often write memory addresses in hexadecimal because it maps neatly onto binary.

   Converting from binary to hexadecimal is simple: each group of four bits becomes one digit.

   Similarhex

   Note

   The name joins hexadeca-, "sixteen," to decimal, and it dates from 1952. In code a string like 10 is ambiguous, so programmers mark the base, most often with the prefix 0x: 0x10 is sixteen, and 0xFF is 255, the largest value one byte can hold in its two digits.

3. 3
   nouncountable

   A number written in base sixteen, with the digits 0–9 and the letters A–F.

   The device's serial number is printed on the back as a hexadecimal.

   The script reads a list of hexadecimals and converts each one to decimal.

   Similarhex

   Note

   As a count noun it is the less usual choice: writers more often say a hexadecimal number, with the adjective, or clip the word to hex. When it does stand alone it takes an ordinary plural, so a script can read a list of hexadecimals and convert each one.

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