gradient

A slope or incline.

A rate of inclination or declination of a slope.

(calculus, of a function) The ratio of the rates of change of a dependent variable and an independent variable, the slope of a curve's tangent.

(sciences) The rate at which a physical quantity increases or decreases relative to change in a given variable, especially distance.

(calculus) A differential operator that maps each point of a scalar field to a vector pointed in the direction of the greatest rate of change of the scalar. Notation for a scalar field φ: ∇φ

A gradual change in color. A color gradient; gradation.