Complement \Com"ple*ment\, n. [L. complementun: cf. F.
compl['e]ment. See Complete, v. t., and cf. Compliment.]
1. That which fills up or completes; the quantity or number
required to fill a thing or make it complete.
2. That which is required to supply a deficiency, or to
complete a symmetrical whole.
History is the complement of poetry. --Sir J.
Stephen.
3. Full quantity, number, or amount; a complete set;
completeness.
To exceed his complement and number appointed him
which was one hundred and twenty persons. --Hakluyt.
4. (Math.) A second quantity added to a given quantity to
make it equal to a third given quantity.
5. Something added for ornamentation; an accessory. [Obs.]
Without vain art or curious complements. --Spenser.
6. (Naut.) The whole working force of a vessel.
7. (Mus.) The interval wanting to complete the octave; -- the
fourth is the complement of the fifth, the sixth of the
third.
8. A compliment. [Obs.]
--Shak.
Arithmetical compliment of a logarithm. See under
Logarithm.
Arithmetical complement of a number (Math.), the difference
between that number and the next higher power of 10; as, 4
is the complement of 6, and 16 of 84.
Complement of an arc or angle (Geom.), the difference
between that arc or angle and 90[deg].
Complement of a parallelogram. (Math.) See Gnomon.
In her complement (Her.), said of the moon when represented
as full.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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