'Distributive operation' definitions:

Definition of 'Distributive operation'

From: GCIDE
  • Distributive \Dis*trib"u*tive\, a. [Cf. F. distributif.]
  • 1. Tending to distribute; serving to divide and assign in portions; dealing to each his proper share. "Distributive justice." --Swift. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. (Logic) Assigning the species of a general term. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. (Gram.) Expressing separation; denoting a taking singly, not collectively; as, a distributive adjective or pronoun, such as each, either, every; a distributive numeral, as (Latin) bini (two by two). [1913 Webster]
  • Distributive operation (Math.), any operation which either consists of two or more parts, or works upon two or more things, and which is such that the result of the total operation is the same as the aggregated result of the two or more partial operations. Ordinary multiplication is distributive, since a [times] (b + c) = ab + ac, and (a + b) [times] c = ac + bc.
  • Distributive proportion. (Math.) See Fellowship. [1913 Webster]