binary operation
nounUK /ˈbaɪ.nər.i ˌɒp.əˈreɪ.ʃən/
US /ˈbaɪ.nɚ.i ˌɑː.pəˈreɪ.ʃən/
A binary operation is a math rule that takes two numbers and makes one new number.
Addition is a binary operation because it combines two numbers, like 2 and 3, into one answer, 5.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. In algebra, a rule that combines any two elements of a set to produce another element of the same set.
On the set of whole numbers, addition is a binary operation because adding two whole numbers always gives a whole number.
3. In computing, an instruction that works on exactly two values at once.
The CPU performed a binary operation to add the two registers together.
4. A mathematical action, such as subtraction or division, that needs two numbers to work.
Subtraction is a binary operation, so you always need two numbers to do it.