[ok-tl] /ˈɒk tl/

Also, octonary. of or relating to the number system with base 8, employing the numerals 0 through 7.
relating to or encoded in an octal system, especially for use by a digital computer.
(of an electronic device) having eight pins in its base for electrical connections.
(def 6).
Relating to a number system having a base of 8. Each place in an octal number represents a power of 8. Octal notation has often been used in computer programming because three-digit binary numbers are readily converted into one-digit octal numbers from 0 to 7.

Base 8. A number representation using the digits 0-7 only, with the right-most digit counting ones, the next counting multiples of 8, then 8^2 = 64, etc. For example, octal 177 is digital 127:
digit weight value 1 8^2 = 64 1* 64 = 64 7 8^1 = 8 7* 8 = 56 7 8^0 = 1 7* 1 = 7 — 127
Octal system used to be widespread back when many computers used 6-bit bytes, as a 6-bit byte can be conveniently written as a two-digit octal number. Since nowadays a byte is almost always 8-bit long the octal system lost most of its appeal to the hexadecimal system.
For a brief discussion on the word `octal’ see hexadecimal.


Read Also:

  • Octal forty

    jargon Jargon for “I’m drawing a blank.”, I can’t work it out. Octal 40 (decimal 32) is the ASCII code for space character. By an odd coincidence, hex 40 is the EBCDIC space character. [Jargon File] (1995-03-06)

  • Octal notation

    /ˈɒktəl/ noun 1. a number system having a base 8: often used in computing, one octal digit being equivalent to a group of three bits

  • Octamer

    [ok-tuh-mer] /ˈɒk tə mər/ noun, Biochemistry. 1. an eight-molecule complex.

  • Octamerous

    [ok-tam-er-uh s] /ɒkˈtæm ər əs/ adjective 1. consisting of or divided into eight parts. 2. Botany. (of flowers) having eight members in each whorl. /ɒkˈtæmərəs/ adjective 1. consisting of eight parts, esp (of flowers) having the parts arranged in groups of eight
