\-ics\
A suffix used in forming the names of certain sciences,
systems, etc., as acoustics, mathematics, dynamics,
statistics, politics, athletics.
Note: The names sciences ending in ics, as mathematics,
      mechanics, metaphysics, optics, etc., are, with respect
      to their form, nouns in the plural number. The plural
      form was probably introduced to mark the complex nature
      of such sciences; and it may have been in imitation of
      the use of the Greek plurals ?, ?, ?, ?, etc., to
      designate parts of Aristotle's writings. Previously to
      the present century, nouns ending in ics were construed
      with a verb or a pronoun in the plural; but it is now
      generally considered preferable to treat them as
      singular. In Greman we have die Mathematik, die
      Mechanik, etc., and in French la metaphysique, la
      optique, etc., corresponding to our mathematics,
      mechanics, metaphysics, optics, etc.
            Mathematics have for their object the
            consideration of whatever is capable of being
            numbered or measured.              --John
                                               Davidson.
      The citations subjoined will serve as examples of the
      best present usage.
            Ethics is the sciences of the laws which govern
            our actions as moral agents.       --Sir W.
                                               Hamilton.
            All parts of knowledge have their origin in
            metaphysics, and finally, perhaps, revolve into
            it.                                --De Quincey.
            Mechanics, like pure mathematics, may be
            geometrical, or may be analytical; that is, it
            may treat space either by a direct consideration
            of its properties, or by a symbolical
            representation.                    --Whewell.