Meanings
plural octonions
- mathematicsAn 8-dimensional nonassociative extension of a quaternion with a real part and 7 imaginary parts (each a real multiple of a distinct square root of −1).
There is no theoretical limit to multispace dimensional numbering as there are definitions for octonion (8D), sedenion (16D), pathion (32D), chingon (64D), routon (128D), and voudon (256D) numbered space.
2023, Melanie Swan, Renato P. dos Santos, “Quantum Intelligence: Responsible Human-AI Entities”, in AAAI 2023 Spring Symposia, Socially Responsible AI for Wellbeing, March 27–29, 2023, USA, CEUR Workshop Proceedings, →DOI1 more example
According to the logic of doubling the dimensions on which Cayley–Dickson algebra is built, after quaternions the so-called 8D octonions (#92;mathbbO—Octonions) can be obtained, followed by 16D sedenions, 32D pathions, 64D chingons, 128D routons, and 256D voudons.
2022, Zlatka Valkova-Jarvis, Vladimir Poulkov, Viktor Stoynov, Dimitriya Mihaylova, Georgi Iliev, “A Method for the Design of Bicomplex Orthogonal DSP Algorithms for Applications in Intelligent Radio Access Networks”, in Symmetry, volume 14, number 3, MDPI AG, →DOI, →ISSN
Origin
Blend of Latin octō (“eight”) + quaternion.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
French octonion
- octonionnonassociative extension of a quaternion
German Oktave, Oktonion
- Oktavenonassociative extension of a quaternion
- Oktonionnonassociative extension of a quaternion
Icelandic áttundatala
- áttundatalanonassociative extension of a quaternion
Italian ottonione, ottetto
- ottonionenonassociative extension of a quaternion
- ottettononassociative extension of a quaternion
Russian октонио́н
- октонио́н (oktonión)nonassociative extension of a quaternion
Spanish octonión
- octoniónnonassociative extension of a quaternion
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with octonion
Anagrams
Cite this entry
octonion. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/octonion
“octonion.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/octonion. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “octonion,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/octonion.
Source: octonion on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.