# sum

Pronunciation: say "SUM" /sʌm/

## Noun

1. An amount of money taken as a single whole.
   - Simple: An amount of money of a particular size.
   - _He inherited a considerable sum from his grandmother._
   - _The charity raised a record sum during the campaign._
2. The total quantity reached by adding numbers or amounts together.
   - Simple: The total you get when you add numbers or things together.
   - _The accountant checked that the sum matched the invoices._
   - _Adding the two columns gives a sum of just over a thousand._
4. A summary giving the principal points or substance of something taken as a whole.
   - Simple: A short account that brings together the main points of something.
   - _Before the vote, the chair gave a quick sum of the arguments on both sides._
   - _The sum of the chapter can be stated in three sentences._
6. An arithmetic problem, especially one set for a student as an exercise.
   - Simple: A math problem, especially one given to a student to solve.
   - _She finished the last sum just before the bell rang._
   - _The test included one tricky sum about fractions._
7. A type of administrative district in Mongolia, parts of China, and Russia, ranking below a province in Mongolia.
   - Simple: A kind of local district in Mongolia and parts of China and Russia.
   - _Each sum in the province elects its own local administration._
   - _The herders registered their livestock at the sum office._
9. The standard currency unit of Uzbekistan.
   - Simple: The main kind of money used in Uzbekistan.
   - _Visitors must convert their money into sum in Tashkent._
   - _Every price at the bazaar was quoted in sum._
10. The standard currency unit of Kyrgyzstan.
   - Simple: The main kind of money used in Kyrgyzstan.
   - _Travelers exchange their currency for sum on arriving in Bishkek._
   - _Prices at the market were all listed in sum._
12. The central point or essential idea of something.
   - Simple: The main point or idea of something.
   - _The sum of his speech was a plea for unity._
   - _Strip away the detail and the sum of the plan is simple._

## Verb

3. To present the substance or main points of something in brief form.
   - Simple: To give a short account of the main points of something.
   - _The judge summed the evidence before the jury withdrew._
   - _In closing, he tried to sum his entire career in one phrase._
5. To add quantities together to find their total.
   - Simple: To add numbers or amounts together to get a total.
   - _The accountant summed the quarterly figures before the meeting._
   - _To sum the votes, officials counted every ballot twice._

## Noun

8. The highest degree or most perfect realization of something. *(rare)*
   - Simple: The highest or most complete form of something.
   - _The cathedral stood as the sum of medieval craftsmanship._
   - _In her eyes, kindness was the sum of all virtue._
11. A former English unit of grain measure, equal to the quarter. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: An old English unit for measuring grain, equal to one quarter.

## Origin

**Meanings 1–6, 8, 11–12** — From Middle English summe, borrowed via Old French summe from Latin summa ("highest point; sum"), which comes from summus ("highest").
**Meanings 9–10** — Borrowed from Kazakh сом (som), Kyrgyz сом (som), Uyghur سوم (som), and Uzbek soʻm, all carrying the core meaning "pure" and used in elliptical reference to historical coins of pure gold.
**Meaning 7** — From Mongolian сум (sum), from Manchu ᠨᡳᡵᡠ (niru, "a large arrow, militia company, district"), ultimately from Proto-Mongolic *sumun ("arrow").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/sum (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).