Phrase guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
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noun
A calculation having a counterintuitive result: "Fred brings home 100 kg of potatoes, which consist of 99% water. He then leaves them outside overnight so that they consist of 98% water. What is their new weight?" The surprising answer is 50 kg.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: mathematics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The paradoxical nature of Giffen goods, where people consume more as the price rises.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: economics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
(economics): In reference to the 1845 Irish famine, when potatoes became expensive. It has been argued that poorer families, who habitually ate more potatoes, ended up having to consume even more of them, since the higher prices made it even harder to afford any other goods.
