Definition of plus

The word "plus" in mathematics is used to indicate an addition, or an increase in quantity. Its origin lies in the Latin language, where the word 'plus' originally meant 'more' or 'greater'. In old French, the word 'plus' was written as 'ploys' or 'pluys', and it was used to mean the opposite of 'moins' or 'minus', which meant 'less' or 'subtract'. In the 13th century, the words 'plus' and 'moins' became commonly used in written math problems, indicating additions and subtractions respectively. The French mathematician François Viete, in the 16th century, simplified the notation by using '+' for additions and '-' for subtractions, since then, 'plus' has been commonly used to represent additions in various languages around the world. In summary, the word "plus" has evolved over time, originating from the Latin word 'plus' meaning 'more' or 'greater', to indicate additive operations in mathematics.