hailstone number

noun

Any number appearing in a sequence described by the Collatz conjecture.

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Meanings

nounhailstone number (plural hailstone numbers)

plural hailstone numbers

  1. informalpluralmathematicsAny number appearing in a sequence described by the Collatz conjecture.

Origin

The numbers are likened to hailstones because they "bounce" up and down before settling.

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Cite this entry
APA

hailstone number. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hailstone%20number

MLA

“hailstone number.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hailstone%20number. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hailstone number,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hailstone%20number.

Source: hailstone number on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.