comma, noun

Origin:
EnglishShow more Special sense of general English.
A mark (,) representing the decimal point. So called in both written and spoken contexts, although in writing the mark is more commonly used than the word.
Note:
Introduced in terms of the Measuring Units and National Measuring Standards Act (Act 76 of 1973).
1974 Sunday Times 15 Sept. 12It is the same with the new practice of talking about ‘comma’ instead of ‘point’ in decimal numbers...Why..should we now be required to talk about a ‘comma’ when ‘point’ serves the purpose far better?
1975 Het Suid-Western 30 Jan.A miss is as good as one comma six one kilometers.
1981 N. Aiyer in Staffrider Vol.3 No.4, 1The Chairman of the Board reports a net profit, after tax of two comma five.
1985 TV1, 14 Mar. (News)The consumer will have to pay about twelve comma five percent more for sugar.
1992 Weekend Post 15 Aug. (Business) 6We will..sell by public auction the following property: Remainder of portion 11...In Extent: seventy five comma five nine six eight (75,5968) hectares.
A mark (,) representing the decimal point. So called in both written and spoken contexts, although in writing the mark is more commonly used than the word.
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19741992
come, verb intransitivev.commandant, nounn.
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