Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Relating to the base-8 number system: Describes a numeral system that uses eight distinct digits (0 through 7) to represent values. It is a positional notation system where each place value is a power of eight.

Usage

• The term "octal" is used primarily in mathematics and computing to describe numbers, digits, or operations that are based on the number eight.
• It modifies nouns like "digit," "number," "system," "representation," or "notation."

Examples

• Adjective:
  • The computer's permission settings are sometimes displayed in octal notation.
  • An octal digit can only be 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7.
  • Converting the decimal number 10 to octal yields 12.

Advanced Usage

• "octal constant": In some programming languages, a numeric constant prefixed with a special character (like in C, C++, or Python) to indicate it is an octal number.
  • In older C code, 0777 is an octal constant representing a file permission mask.
• "octal escape sequence": In programming and text formatting, a sequence of characters used to represent a specific byte value, often starting with a backslash followed by octal digits.
  • In a string, \101 might be an octal escape sequence for the letter 'A'.

Variants and Related Words

• Octal notation (n): The system of writing numbers using a base of eight.
  • The file permissions were listed in octal notation.
• Octal number (n): A number expressed in the base-8 system.
  • The octal number 17 is equivalent to decimal 15.

Synonyms

• Base-8: A synonym often used in more descriptive or explanatory contexts.
  • The system uses a base-8 counting method.

Related Phrases

• "to convert to octal": The process of changing a number from another base (like decimal or binary) into its octal representation.
  • You need to convert this decimal value to octal for the legacy system.
• "octal value": The numerical quantity represented in the octal system.
  • The configuration file expects an octal value for that setting.

Adjective

1. of or pertaining to a number system having 8 as its base
   • an octal digit