A homogeneous algebraic function of two or more variables,
   in general containing only positive integral powers of the variables,
   and called quadric, cubic, quartic, etc., according as it is of the
   second, third, fourth, fifth, or a higher degree. These are further
   called binary, ternary, quaternary, etc., according as they contain
   two, three, four, or more variables; thus, the quantic / is a binary
   cubic.