First Known Use: 1956
Dictionary
pascal
noun pas·cal \pas-ˈkal, päs-ˈkäl\
Definition of PASCAL
1
: a unit of pressure in the meter-kilogram-second system equivalent to one newton per square meter
2
capitalized P or all capitalized : a structured computer programming language developed from Algol and designed to process both numerical and textual data
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Origin of PASCAL
Blaise Pascal
Pascal
biographical name Pas·cal \pa-ˈskal, päs-ˈkäl\
Definition of PASCAL
Blaise 1623–1662 Fr. math. & philos.
— Pas·cal·ian \pa-ˈska-lē-ən\ adjective
Medical Dictionary
pascal
noun pas·cal \pas-ˈkal\
Medical Definition of PASCAL
: a unit of pressure in the mks system equivalent to one newton per square meter or to 1.45 × 10−4 pounds per square inch
Biographical Note for PASCAL
Pas·cal \pȧs-kȧl\ , Blaise (1623–1662), French mathematician, physicist, and religious philosopher. A mathematical prodigy as a child, Pascal completed an original treatise on conic sections by the time he was 16. He undertook the study of geometry, hydrodynamics, and hydrostatic and atmospheric pressure. From 1651 to 1654 he composed treatises on the weight and density of air, on Pascal's triangle, and on the equilibrium of liquid solutions. In this last treatise he formulated Pascal's law of pressure. He is also credited with laying the foundations for the theory of probability. Pascal is a major figure in French literature and religious philosophy.
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