the branch of mathematics that studies change and accumulation using limits, derivatives, integrals, and infinite series
Silvia found that studying calculus helped her understand physics better.
On Friday afternoons, the library is full of students working through their calculus homework.
✦ From Latin calculus, meaning “small pebble used for counting,” which was used on a counting board in ancient Rome and came to mean mathematical calculation.
a hard mineral deposit, such as a kidney stone or gallstone, that forms inside the body
The doctor explained that the pain in Mark's side was caused by a kidney calculus.
An ultrasound revealed several small calculi blocking the patient's bile duct.
✦ The medical sense comes from the same Latin root calculus, referring to a pebble; physicians likened small stony deposits found in the body to pebbles.
a careful process or system of reasoning used to decide what action to take
The mayor changed her plan after considering the political calculus of the upcoming election.
Cost is always part of the business calculus when launching a new product.
✦ This figurative use grows from the mathematical sense: just as calculus combines many small changes to find results, complex decisions weigh many small factors.
