unknown quantity

unknown quantity
*an unknown quantity
Fig. a person or thing about which no one is certain. (*Typically: be \unknown quantity; become\unknown quantity.) •

John is an unknown quantity. We don't know how he's going to act.

The new clerk is an unknown quantity. Things may not turn out all right.

* * *
{n.} Someone or something whose value and importance are not known, especially in a certain situation, time or place; a new and untested person or thing. * /What we would find if we could fly to the moon is an unknown quantity./ * /The new player is still an unknown quantity. We'll find out how good he is in the game./

Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

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  • unknown quantity — noun singular someone or something that you have no knowledge or experience of but is likely to affect a situation you are involved in …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • unknown quantity — ► NOUN ▪ a person or thing whose nature, value, or significance is not known …   English terms dictionary

  • unknown quantity — {n.} Someone or something whose value and importance are not known, especially in a certain situation, time or place; a new and untested person or thing. * /What we would find if we could fly to the moon is an unknown quantity./ * /The new player …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • unknown quantity — noun 1. a factor in a given situation whose bearing and importance is not apparent (Freq. 1) I don t know what the new man will do; he s still an unknown quantity • Hypernyms: ↑factor 2. a variable whose values are solutions of an equation • Syn …   Useful english dictionary

  • unknown\ quantity — noun Someone or something whose value and importance are not known, especially in a certain situation, time or place; a new and untested person or thing. What we would find if we could fly to the moon is an unknown quantity. The new player is… …   Словарь американских идиом

  • unknown quantity — noun A person or thing whose nature or value is a mystery. ...the Evening Post of this city to refer to him recently as the young Belgian painter, and to the general public he is an unknown quantity …   Wiktionary

  • unknown quantity — nežinomasis dydis statusas T sritis Standartizacija ir metrologija apibrėžtis Dydis, kurio vertė nežinoma. atitikmenys: angl. unknown quantity vok. Unbekannte, f; unbekannte Größe, f rus. неизвестная величина, f pranc. grandeur inconnue, f …   Penkiakalbis aiškinamasis metrologijos terminų žodynas

  • unknown quantity — nežinomasis dydis statusas T sritis fizika atitikmenys: angl. unknown quantity vok. unbekannte Größe, f rus. неизвестная величина, f pranc. grandeur inconnue, f …   Fizikos terminų žodynas

  • unknown quantity — noun a person or thing whose nature, value, or significance is not known or knowable …   English new terms dictionary

  • unknown quantity — UK / US noun [singular] someone or something that you have no knowledge or experience of but that is likely to affect a situation that you are involved in …   English dictionary

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