Collins English-English Dictionary

average ['ævərɪʤ]

1. 1. n arithmetic mean the result obtained by adding the numbers or quantities in a set and dividing the total by the number of members in the set

   the average of 3, 4, and 8 is 5

2. 2. n the typical or normal amount, quality, degree, etc

   above average in intelligence

3. 3. n (of a continuously variable ratio, such as speed) the quotient of the differences between the initial and final values of the two quantities that make up the ratio

   his average over the journey was 30 miles per hour

4. 4. n [maritime law] a loss incurred or damage suffered by a ship or its cargo at sea

5. 5. n the equitable apportionment of such loss among the interested parties

6. 6. n [often plural] [stock exchange] a simple or weighted average of the prices of a selected group of securities computed in order to facilitate market comparisons

7. 7. adj usual or typical

8. 8. adj mediocre or inferior

   his performance was only average

9. 9. adj constituting a numerical average

   the average age

   an average speed

10. 10. adj approximately typical of a range of values

    the average contents of a matchbox

11. 11. vt. [tr] to obtain or estimate a numerical average of

12. 12. vt. [tr] to assess the general quality of

13. 13. vt. [tr] to perform or receive a typical number of

    to average eight hours' work a day

14. 14. vt. [tr] to divide up proportionately

    they averaged the profits among the staff

15. 15. vt. [tr] to amount to or be on average

    the children averaged 15 years of age

16. 16. vi. [intr] [stock exchange] to purchase additional securities in a holding whose price has fallen (average down) or risen (average up) in anticipation of a speculative profit after further increases in price

17. 17. vi. [Etymology] C15 averay loss arising from damage to ships or cargoes (shared equitably among all concerned, hence the modern sense), from Old Italian avaria, ultimately from Arabic awar damage, blemish