AEGI‘aw-Ilill
`IIIIYI‘IIINAII“V III“
`SCIENTIFIC AI\II
`TEIAII\IIAA\IA
`1' 'I‘I‘AIIMS
`
`
`
`
`
`Fourth Edition
`
`
`
`fiyhil l'. Parker
`- EDITOR IN CHIEF
`
`McGRAW-HILL BOOK COMPANY
`
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`
`0n the cover: Pattern produced from white light by a computer-generated
`diffraction plate containing 529 square apertures arranged in a 23 x 23 array.
`(R. 3. Hoover, Marshall Space Flight Center)
`
`On the title pages: Aerial photograph of the Sinai Peninsula made by Gemini
`spacecraft. (NASA)
`'-
`'
`5
`
`Included in this Dictionary are definitions which have been'published previously in the following
`works: P. B. Jordain, Condensed Computer Encyclopedia, Copyright ©' 1969 by McGraw—Hill, Inc.
`All rights reserved. I. Markus, Electronics and Nucleonics Dictionary, 4th ed., Copyright © 1960,
`1966, 1978 by MoGraw-Hill, Inc. All rights reserved. J. Quick, Artists’ and Illustrators’Encyclopedia,
`Copyright © 1969 by McGraw-Hill, Inc. All rights reserved. Blakiston’s Gould Medical Dictionary,
`3d ed., Copyright © 1956, 1972 by McCraw—Hill, Inc. All rights" reserved. T. Baumeister and
`L. S. Marks, eds.,_ Standard Handbookfor Mechanical Engineers, 7th ed., Copyright © 1958, 1967
`' by MoGraw-Hiil, Inc. All rights reserved.
`-
`'
`-
`‘
`,
`In addition, material has been drawn from the following references: R. E. Huschke, Glossary of
`Meteorology, American Meteorological Society, 1959; US. Air Force Glossary ofStandardized Terms,
`AF Manual 11-1, vol. 1, 1972; Communicaliens-Electronics Terminology, AF Manual 11-1, vol. 3,
`1970; W. H. Allen, ed., Dictionary of Technical Terms for Aerospace Use, Ist ed., National Aero-
`nautics and Space Administration, 1965; I. M. Gilliland, Solar-Terrestrial Physics: A Glossary of
`Terms and Abbreviations, Royal Aircraft Establishment Technical Report 67158, 1967; Glossary of
`Air Traffic Control Terms, Federal Aviation Agency; A Glossary of Range Terminology, White Sands
`Missile Range, New Mexico, National'Bureau of Standards, AD 11-67-424; A DOD Glossary ofMapping,
`Charting and Geodetic Terms, lst ed. , Department of Defense, 1967; P; W. Thrush, comp. and ed.,
`A Dictionary of Mining, Mineral, anal Related Terms, Bureau of Mines, I968; Nuclear Terms: A
`Glossary, 26 ed., Atomic 'Energy Commission; F. Casey, ed., Compilation of Terms in Information
`Sciences Technology, Federal Council for Science and Technology, 1970; Glossary of Siinfo Termi-
`nology, Office of Aerospace Research, U.S. Air Force, 1963; Naval Dictionary of Electronic, Tech-
`nical, and Imperative Terms, Bureau of Naval Personnel, 1962; ADP Glossary, Department of the
`Navy, NAVSO P-3097.
`
`McGRAW-HILL DICTIONARY OF SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL TERMS,
`Fourth Edition
`,
`.
`Copyright © 1989, 1984, 1978, 1976, 1974 by McGraw-Hill, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in
`the United States of America. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976,,
`no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored
`in a data base or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
`
`‘.
`
`34567890
`
`DOWIDOW
`
`9543210
`
`ISBN El—U?-l]|-ISE?IJ-‘l
`
`Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Pubiication Data
`
`McGraw—Hill dictionary of scientific and technical terms.
`
`1. SciencwDictionaries.
`1. Parker, Sybil P.
`Q123.M34i
`1989
`ISBN 0-07-045270-9
`
`2. Technology—Dictionaries.
`
`503721
`
`88-13490
`
`For more information about other McGravv-Hill materials, call 1-800-2-MCGFIAW in the
`United States. In other countries, call your nearest McGraw-Hill ot‘fice.
`
`

`

`aphrodisiac
`
`[PliYSlO] Any chemical agent or odor that stima
`aphrodisiac
`ulates sexual desires.
`{ .af-re'dé-zéak }
`Aphrodi’tidae
`[lNV 200] A family of scale—bearing poly—
`chaete worms belonging to the Errantia.
`{ 1af‘ra‘did'ode]
`Aphrosalpingoidea {FALEON} A group of middle Paleozoic
`invertebrates classified with the calcareous sponges.
`:af'
`r6.sal.pin'géid-E-e }
`{ Jaf-ro'sid-elrit}
`aphrosiderite See tipiddite.
`aphtha
`[MED] White, painful oral ulcer of unknown cause.
`{ [af'tho }
`(K,I\la)3Na(SO,J,)1 A white mineral
`[MINERAL]
`aphthitallte
`crystallizing in the rhombohedral system and occurring mas-
`sively or in crystals.
`{ .af‘thid-ollit }
`aphylactic map projection
`[MAP] A map projection which
`is neither conformal nor equal—area.
`{ ,af'e‘lak'clik 'map
`pro‘jek'shon }
`Aphylidae
`[WV 200] An Australian family of hemipteran
`insects composed of two species; not placed in any higher
`toxonomic group:
`{ e'fil-e,dé }
`aphyllous
`[nor] Lacking'foliage leaves. 7{ a'fil-es}
`aphyrlc
`[FETR] Of the texture of fineagrained igneous rocks,
`showing two generations of the same mineral but without phenw
`ocrysts.
`{ a‘fir'ik }
`'
`aphytic zone
`[ECOL] The part of a lake floor that lacks plants
`because it is too deeprfor adequate light penetration.
`{ filfid'
`ik lzEm }
`API See air—position indicator; armor-piercing incendiary.
`apiary
`[-AGR] A place where bees are kept, especially for
`breeding and honey making.
`{ 'a'péTer-e }
`{ 'ap-i-kel }
`apical
`[BOT] Relating to the apex or tip.
`aplcal angle
`[MECI-l] The angle between the tangents to the
`curve outlining the contour of a projectile at its tip.
`{ 'ap-l-kol
`‘as'gal }
`{ 'ap-i-kel Ibod }
`apical bud See terminal bud.
`apical dominance [BOT]
`inhibition of lateral bud growth by
`the apical bud of a shoot, believed to be a response to auxins
`produced by the apical bud.
`{ Lap-i‘kal ‘dam-a'nons }
`apicalia
`[th zoo] Paired sensory cilia on the head of gna—
`thostomulids.
`{ :ap-eIkal-ye }
`.
`apical merlstem [EDT] A region of embryonic tissue occur~
`ring at the tips of roots and stems. Also known as promeristern.
`{ [ap'i-kel ‘mer-e.stem }
`.
`apical plate
`[my zoo] A group of cells at the anterior end
`of certain trochbphore larvae; believed to have nervous and
`sensory functions.
`{ 'ap-i'kal 'plat }
`apiculate
`[Bor]
`Ending abruptly in a short, sharp points
`{ o‘pik-ye‘let }
`apiculture [non]
`pa.kel-ehor }
`Apldae
`[lNV zoo] A family of hymenopteran insects in the
`superfamily Apoidea including the honeybees, bumblebees,
`and caipenter bees.
`{ 'a‘peyde }
`Apioceridae
`[INV 200] A family of orthorrhaphous dipteran
`insects in the series Brachycera.
`{ lap‘E'é'SEI'QJClE—i }
`apioicl
`[PHYS] A pear-shaped form taken byra rapidly re-
`volving mass of liquid due to the force of gravity.
`{ “ap-Efoid }
`apiology [11w zoo] The scientific study of bees, particularly
`honeybees
`{ ,a-pe'al-e-jé }
`Apis
`[[NV zoo] A genus of bees, the type genus ofthe Apidae.
`{ fires}
`The American i’etroleum Institute
`[CHEM ano]
`APl scale
`hydrometer scale for the measurement of the specific gravity
`of liquids; used primarily in the American petroleum industry.
`{ lfilpéli .SkPll }
`[my zoo] A family of spioniform annelid
`Apistobranchidae
`Worms belonging to the Sedentaria.
`{ oIpis-ta:brank-a,dé }
`apitong
`[MATERJ A wood from the Philippine tree Diptem-
`corpus grcrndffiorus; Sold as mahogany although it is not a true
`mahogany.
`{ alpélton }
`apiohnile
`[MINERAL] MnAlquOQy'ZZl-llo A white, rose-
`grcen. or yellow mineral containing water and occurring in
`crusts. fibrous masses, or efflorescences.
`{ Eapljéi‘nit]
`AF’L
`[COMPUT SCI] An interactive computer language whose
`Operators accept and produce arrays with homogeneous ele-
`ments of type number or character.
`Aplacophora
`[mv zoo] A subclass of venniform mollusks
`in the class Amphineura characterized by no shell and calcar-
`l
`eous integumentary spicules.
`{a‘pla‘kaf-o'ra }
`
`Large-scale commercial beekeeping.
`
`{ 'i‘
`
`
`
`stuamq—aaaovcnq.c..fl¢ev.
`amt—“Wheezwaraeww
`
`i
`
`A gamete that
`
`lacks motility.
`
`[orrtcs] A lens corrected for spherical ab—
`aplanatlc lens
`beration.
`{ :a-plolnad-ilt 'lenz}
`aplanatic points
`[OPTICS]
`Two points on the axis of an
`optical system which are located so that all the rays emanating
`from one converge to, or appear to diverge from,
`the other.
`{ La-plolnad-ik lpoins }
`aplanogamete
`[BlDL]
`{ a'plan-a‘geyrnét }
`A nonmotile, asexual spore, usually
`aplanospore
`[MYCOL]
`{ a'plan-
`a sporangiospore, common in the Phycomycetes.
`ojspor }
`[MED] Defective development resulting in the virtual
`aplasla
`absence of a tissue or organ; only a remnant appears.
`{ a
`'plazh‘o }
`'
`.
`aplasiic anemia
`[MED] A blood disorder in which lympho-
`cytes predominate while there is a deficiency of erythrocytes,
`hemoglobin, and granulocytes.
`{ a'plas'tik a'nénryo }
`aplite
`[PETR]
`Fine-grained granitic dike rock made up of
`light-colored mineral constituents, mostly quartz; and feldspar;
`used to manufacture glass and enamel.
`{ 'alplit]
`aptysiatoxin
`[BIOCHEM] A bislactone toxin produced by the
`blue-green alga Lyngbya majuscul'a.
`{ ejplizh‘ofiak-sen }
`apnea
`[MED] A transient cessation of respiration.
`{ 'ap'
`ne-e }
`,
`Apneumonomorphae
`[mv zoo] A suborder of arachnid
`arthropods in the order Aranelda characterized by the lack of
`book lungs.
`{ a‘nfi-malno‘morjé }
`'
`apneusis
`[Fl-lYSIO]
`in certain lower vertebrates, sustained
`tonic contraction of the respiratory muscles to allow prolonged
`inSpiration.
`{ ap‘nii‘sos }
`.
`-
`'
`apo-
`[CHEM] A prefix that denotes formation from or rela-
`tionship to another chemical compound.
`{ 'ap-o or' ’ap-o }
`apoapsis
`[asraon] The point in an orbit farthest from the
`center of attraction.
`{ fiap'olap-sas }
`apoatropine
`[one CHEM] Cnlll.1,l\l02 An alkaloid melting
`at 61°C with decomposition of the compound; highly toxic;
`obtained by dehydrating atropine.
`{ ,ap'o'a‘trcpt‘m }
`apob [METEORDL] An observation of pressure, temperature,
`and relative humidity taken aloft by means of an aeromcteoro-
`graph; a type of aircraft sounding.
`{ La‘péib }
`‘
`apocarpous
`[BOT] Having carpels separate from each other.
`{ {ap'clkar-pes }
`'
`{ 1ap-a,sen-tar }
`apocenter See apofocus.
`apochromat Sec apochromatic lens.
`{ Irip-a‘ltro-mat}
`apochrornatic lens
`lorries] A lens with corrections for
`chromatic and spherical aberration.
`{ lap-a-kro:mad-ik ‘lenz }
`apochromatic system [OPTICS] An‘ optical system which is
`free from both spherical and chromatic aberration for two or
`more colors.
`{ lap-e-krolmad-ik ‘sis-tem }
`apocodelne
`{PHARNfl CmngNO2 White crystals with a
`melting point of [24"C; decomposes on melting; soluble in
`alcohol and ether; used in medicine.
`{ :ap-elkofir'm }
`apocrine gland
`[PHYSID] A multicellular gland, such as a
`mammary gland or an axillary sweat gland, that extrudes part
`of the cytoplasm with the secretory product.
`{'ap-e-kran
`i gland }
`apocronus
`[ASTRON] The farthest point of a satellite in its
`orbifiaboutSaturn. Also known as aposaturnium.
`{ [ap'elkro-
`D95
`Apocynaceae
`[sot] A family of tropical and subtropical
`flowering trees, shrubs, and vines in the order Gentianales,
`characterized by a well—developed latex system, granular pol-
`len, a poorly developed corona, and the carpels often united
`by the style and stigma; well-known members are Oleander and
`periwinkle.
`{ a,pas-o'nas-e,e }
`Apoda
`[VERTZOO] The caecilians,asrnallorderofworrnlike,
`legless animals in the class Amphibia.
`{ 'a-pad-o }
`Apodacea
`[[NV 200] A subclass of echinoderrns in the class
`Holothuroidea characterized by simple or pinnate tentacles and
`reduced or absent tube feet.
`{ ‘a'pa'das-é-e }_
`.
`apodeme
`[11W 200] An internal ridge or process on an
`arthropod exoskeleton to which organs and muscles attach.
`{ ‘ap-ojdém }
`Apodes
`[vest zoo]
`formes.
`{ ‘ap-e,déz }
`Apodi
`[VERT zoo] The swifts, asuborderofbirdsin the order
`Apodiformes.
`{ 'ap-aldi}
`Apodida
`[my 200] An order of wormrshaped'holothurian
`echinoderms in the subclass Apodacea.
`{ o'p'rid-e'do }
`
`An equivalent name, for the Anguilli-
`
`Apodida |
`
`109
`
`APHRODITIDAE
`
`
`
`The sea mouse, Aphrodite. of
`the Aphroditidae.
`
`‘ APLANOSPORE
`
`
`
`aplanospores
`
`'sporangl um
`
`
`
`
`
`sporangio-'
`phore
`
`50pm‘
`
`
`
`Several aplanospores arid the
`sporangium that contains them.
`
`APODIDA
`
`eloaca
`
`tentacle
`
`
`
`Typical appearance of an apocious
`hot othuxian.
`
`
`
`