1. The decimal part of a logarithm, as distinguished from the integer part (characteristic).
Usage: mathematics; plural of mantissa
2. In floating-point notation, the significant digits of a number, also called the significand or coefficient.
Usage: computing; plural of mantissa

Examples

• In the logarithm 2.345, the mantissa is 0.345.
• The mantissas of common logarithms range from 0 to 1.
• Computer systems store mantissas separately from exponents in floating-point arithmetic.
• When calculating with logarithms, students must understand both the characteristic and the mantissa.
• The mantissas in scientific notation represent the precision of the measurement.