5  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Infinite  \In"fi*nite\,  a.  [L.  infinitus:  cf  F.  infini.  See 
  {In-}  not  and  {Finite}.] 
  1.  Unlimited  or  boundless,  in  time  or  space;  as  infinite 
  duration  or  distance. 
 
  Whatever  is  finite,  as  finite,  will  admit  of  no 
  comparative  relation  with  infinity;  for  whatever  is 
  less  than  infinite  is  still  infinitely  distant  from 
  infinity;  and  lower  than  infinite  distance  the 
  lowest  or  least  can  not  sink.  --H.  Brooke. 
 
  2.  Without  limit  in  power,  capacity,  knowledge,  or 
  excellence;  boundless;  immeasurably  or  inconceivably 
  great;  perfect;  as  the  infinite  wisdom  and  goodness  of 
  God;  --  opposed  to  {finite}. 
 
  Great  is  our  Lord,  and  of  great  power;  his 
  understanding  is  infinite.  --Ps.  cxlvii 
  5. 
 
  O  God,  how  infinite  thou  art!  --I.  Watts. 
 
  3.  Indefinitely  large  or  extensive;  great;  vast;  immense; 
  gigantic;  prodigious. 
 
  Infinite  riches  in  a  little  room  --Marlowe. 
 
  Which  infinite  calamity  shall  cause  To  human  life. 
  --Milton. 
 
  4.  (Math.)  Greater  than  any  assignable  quantity  of  the  same 
  kind  --  said  of  certain  quantities. 
 
  5.  (Mus.)  Capable  of  endless  repetition;  --  said  of  certain 
  forms  of  the  canon,  called  also  {perpetual  fugues},  so 
  constructed  that  their  ends  lead  to  their  beginnings,  and 
  the  performance  may  be  incessantly  repeated.  --Moore 
  (Encyc.  of  Music). 
 
  Syn:  Boundless;  immeasurable;  illimitable;  interminable; 
  limitless;  unlimited;  endless;  eternal. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Infinite  \In"fi*nite\,  n. 
  1.  That  which  is  infinite;  boundless  space  or  duration; 
  infinity;  boundlessness. 
 
  Not  till  the  weight  is  heaved  from  off  the  air,  and 
  the  thunders  roll  down  the  horizon,  will  the  serene 
  light  of  God  flow  upon  us  and  the  blue  infinite 
  embrace  us  again  --J. 
  Martineau 
 
  2.  (Math.)  An  infinite  quantity  or  magnitude. 
 
  3.  An  infinity;  an  incalculable  or  very  great  number. 
 
  Glittering  chains,  embroidered  richly  o'er  With 
  infinite  of  pearls  and  finest  gold.  --Fanshawe. 
 
  4.  The  Infinite  Being  God;  the  Almighty. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  infinite 
  adj  1:  having  no  limits  or  boundaries  in  time  or  space  or  extent  or 
  magnitude;  "the  infinite  ingenuity  of  man";  "infinite 
  wealth"  [ant:  {finite}] 
  2:  (grammar)  of  verbs;  having  neither  person  nor  number  nor 
  mood  (as  a  participle  or  gerund  or  infinitive);  "infinite 
  verb  form"  [syn:  {non-finite}]  [ant:  {finite}] 
  3:  too  numerous  to  be  counted;  "incalculable  riches"; 
  "countless  hours";  "an  infinite  number  of  reasons"; 
  "innumerable  difficulties";  "the  multitudinous  seas"; 
  "myriad  stars";  "untold  thousands"  [syn:  {countless},  {innumerable}, 
  {innumerous},  {myriad(a)},  {multitudinous},  {numberless}, 
  {uncounted},  {unnumberable},  {unnumbered},  {unnumerable}] 
  4:  total  and  all-embracing;  "God's  infinite  wisdom" 
 
  From  Jargon  File  (4.2.3,  23  NOV  2000)  [jargon]: 
 
  infinite  adj  [common]  Consisting  of  a  large  number  of 
  objects;  extreme.  Used  very  loosely  as  in:  "This  program  produces 
  infinite  garbage."  "He  is  an  infinite  loser."  The  word  most  likely  to 
  follow  `infinite',  though,  is  {hair}.  (It  has  been  pointed  out  that 
  fractals  are  an  excellent  example  of  infinite  hair.)  These  uses  are 
  abuses  of  the  word's  mathematical  meaning.  The  term  `semi-infinite', 
  denoting  an  immoderately  large  amount  of  some  resource,  is  also  heard. 
  "This  compiler  is  taking  a  semi-infinite  amount  of  time  to  optimize 
  my  program."  See  also  {semi}. 
 
 
 
  From  The  Free  On-line  Dictionary  of  Computing  (13  Mar  01)  [foldoc]: 
 
  infinite 
 
    1.  Bigger  than  any  {natural  number}.  There  are 
  various  formal  set  definitions  in  {set  theory}:  a  set  X  is 
  infinite  if 
 
  i  There  is  a  bijection  between  X  and  a  proper  subset  of  X. 
 
  ii  There  is  an  injection  from  the  set  N  of  natural  numbers 
  to  X. 
 
  (iii)  There  is  an  injection  from  each  natural  number  n  to  X. 
 
  These  definitions  are  not  necessarily  equivalent  unless  we 
  accept  the  {Axiom  of  Choice}. 
 
  2.  The  length  of  a  line  extended  indefinitely. 
 
  See  also  {infinite  loop},  {infinite  set}. 
 
  [{Jargon  File}] 
 
  (1995-03-29) 
 
 

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