bignum

B3I1G2N1U1M3
UK/ˈbɪɡnʌm/

noun

A number whose digits of precision are limited only by available memory (as opposed to the usual fixed-point arithmetic).

UncommonScrabble 11
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounbignum (plural bignums)

plural bignums

  1. computingA number whose digits of precision are limited only by available memory (as opposed to the usual fixed-point arithmetic).
  2. broadlyslangcomputingA very large number.

    Then there's the membership fee. A serious bignum.

    2017, Dean Koontz, The Silent Corner, page 198

Origin

Short for big number.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

bignum. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bignum

MLA

“bignum.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bignum. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bignum,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bignum.

Source: bignum on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.