plus-minus, adverb

Origin:
Afrikaans, British EnglishShow more The full written form of the spoken interpretation of ±, shorthand for ‘more or less’; perhaps reinforced by Afrikaans plus-minus; according to the OED, long obsolete in British English.
‘More or less’, about, approximately; used of area, number, time, amount, age, etc.
c1970 C. Desmond Discarded People 46The extent of living quarters must be restricted to approximately 1/8th morgen (plus-minus 10,000 sq. ft.).
1971 Evening Post 27 Feb. 21125 Dorper and cross-bred Lambs (plus/minus six months).
1973 Weekend Post 6 Oct. 7Bake in oven 425F for plus minus 10 minutes.
1975 ‘Blossom’ in Darling 9 Apr. 95The male spectators outnumber the female by plus-minus six to one. The ideal proportion.
1981 Voice 29 Apr. 7Early in the day (plus-minus 8.30 am) on June 23.
1981 Grocott’s Mail 28 Aug. 14Young couple..require accommodation urgently. Plus minus R120 per month.
1982 Het Suid-Western 29 Dec.Are you looking for a valuable piece of land adjacent to sea and river plus-minus 50 ha.
1984 E. Prov. Herald 9 Mar. 7One longliner is capable of catching 300 tons of tuna in two weeks and I believe that there are plus-minus 100 operating along our east coast.
1988 Pace May 941 chicken (plus minus 1,5 kg), salt and pepper.
1990 Grocott’s Mail 5 Apr. 3Both these erven..are plus minus 500 metres from the sea.
1992 Weekend Post 20 June 9He expected ‘plus-minus 1 000 files’ would eventually be forwarded for ‘possible prosecution’.
‘More or less’, about, approximately; used of area, number, time, amount, age, etc.
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19701992
plural, nounn.pocket, nounn.
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