multiplication: Meaning and Definition of

mul•ti•pli•ca•tion

1. the act or process of multiplying or the state of being multiplied.
2. a mathematical operation, symbolized by a × b, a &bultimes; b, a &startimes; b, or ab, and signifying, when a and b are positive integers, that a is to be added to itself as many times as there are units in b; the addition of a number to itself as often as is indicated by another number, as in 2×3 or 5×10.
3. any generalization of this operation applicable to numbers other than integers, as fractions or irrational numbers.