McGRAW-Hill
`
`DICTIONARY Of
`
`CIENTIFIC AND
`TECHNICAL
`. TERMS
`
`fifth Edition
`
`I
`
`Sybil P. Parker
`
`Editor in Chief
`
`McGraw-Hill, Inc.
`
`
`D.C. New York San Francisco Washington,
`
`Auckland Bogota Caracas Lisbon London Madrid Mexico City Milan
`Mont New Delhi San Juan Singapore Sydney Tokyo Toronto
`
`INTEL 1011
`
`Page 1 of 3
`
`

`

`e,.
`��� :�:�: �h
`tomlcrograph of crystala of vitamin
`�, nlvtualty of Hawaii)
`
`Uo
`
`Condtnstd Computer Encyclopedia,
`
`
`
`and Nucltonics Dictionary,
`
`and Illustrators' Encycloptdia.
`
`Gould Medical Dictionary,
`
`
`
`
`Handbook. for Mechanical Enginurs,
`
`lnclude.d in 1his Dicifonary are defini1ions which have been published previously in the following works: P. B.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Inc. All rights reserved. J.
`
`Jordain,
`Copyrighl C 1969 by McGraw-Hill,
`C, 1960. 1966. 1978 by McGraw-Hill,
`Markus, Electronics
`Inc.
`41h ed., Copyright
`C 1969 by McGraw-H,11, Inc. AU
`
`All righ1 reserved. J. Quick. Artists'
`Copyright
`
`rights reserved. Blak.iston's
`
`
`3d ed .. Copyright C 1956. 1972 by McGraw-H11l, Inc. All
`
`righrs reserved. T. Baumeister and L. S. Marks, eds., Standard
`7th ed ..
`Inc. AJJ rights reserved.
`
`Copyrighl O 1958. J967 by McGraw-Hill,
`
`
`
`
`In addition, material has been drawn from the following references: R. E. Husch.kc.
`Glossary of Meteorology.
`
`
`
`American Mete-0rological Socie1y, 1959; U.S. Air Foret Glossary
`Terms, AF Manual 11-1, vol.
`of Standardized
`
`
`I, 1972; Communicarions-Eltctronics AF Manual 11-1, vol. 3. 1970; W. H. Allen, ed., Dictionary
`Terminology.
`on, 1965; J.M.
`
`
`and Space AdmimstratiUst, Isl ed .. National Aeronau1ics of Technical Ttrmsfor Aerospace
`
`
`Royal Aircraft Establishment Tech­
`Gilliland,
`
`
`
`Solar-Ttrrtstrial Physics: A Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations.
`nical Repon 67158. 1967; Glossary
`
`
`Terms, Federal Aviation Agency: A Glossary of Range
`of Air Traffic Control
`
`AD 467-424; Rangt, New Mexico. ational Bureau of Standards,
`
`Ttrminology, White Sands Missilt
`
`
`
`
`P. W. Thrush, comp. Terms, I st ed., Department of Defense. 1967;
`
`Glossary of Mapping, Charting and Gtodetic
`and ed., A Dicrionary
`Bureau of Mines. 1968; Nuclear
`Terms: A Glossary,
`
`of Mining.Minero/, and RtlotedTerms.
`
`2d ed., Atomic Energy Commission; F. Casey, ed., Compilation
`
`
`ofTtrms in Information Sciences Ttchnology,
`
`
`
`Research, Council for Science and Technology. 1970; GlossaryofStinfo gy, Office of Aerospace
`
`
`Federal
`Terminolo
`U.S. Air Force, J 963; Naval Dictionary
`Ttrms, Bureau of Naval Person­
`
`of Eltctronic, Technical, and imperative
`
`nel, J 962; ADP Glossary, Dcpanrnent of lhe Navy. NAVSO P-3097.
`
`A DOD
`
`
`
`
`
`McGRAW-HILL DICTIONARY OF SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL TERMS,
`Fifth Edition
`
`Copyright Q 1994, 1989, 1984, 1978, 1976, 1974 by McGraw-Hill,
`
`
`
`Printed in the United Inc. All rights reserved.
`
`
`
`
`
`States of America. Except as pennitted under the Uni led States Copyrighl Act of 1976, no pan of this publication
`
`
`
`
`may be reproduced or distributed in any fonn or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without
`
`lhe prior written pennission of the publisher.
`1 2 3 456 78 9 0 DOW/DOW 9 9876543
`
`JSBN 0-07-042333-4
`
`Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
`
`
`
`
`
`
`McGraw-Hill dictionary of scientific and technical tenns /
`
`
`Sybil P. Parker, editor in chief .. -5Ih ed.
`p. cm.
`ISBN 0-07-042333-4
`
`I. Science-Dictionaries. 2. Technology-Dic1ionaries.
`l.Parker, Sybil P.
`
`QI 23.M34 I 993
`503-dc20
`
`93-34772
`CIP
`
`
`
`INTERNATIONAL EDITION
`
`and export. This book cannot be rc­Inc. for manufoc1urc Copyrlglu C 1994. Exclusive righ1s by McGraw-Hill,
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`exp11ned frorn the eoun1ry 10 which h Is consigned by McGraw-Hill. The lntemationnl Edition Is not nvuiluble in
`
`N1,rll1 Amcricn.
`
`
`
`
`Wl1rn 1111lcrl11g 1111� lfllr, u�o ISUN 0-07-1135�4-7.
`
`Page 2 of 3
`
`

`

`modification
`
`1283
`
`s
`
`J
`
`, ,
`
`!rvj�Ui­lSIJCcjfied
`l>Uters lo.
`lZ i,kwjj>
`
`111ock silver
`.,ck silver [MET] 1. An aluminu
`m alloy coma· .
`.- and JO% tin, or 5% copper and 5% silver 2'"Amg h5.%.
`�� the m�el sys_tem
`and the ac1ual
`system are subjected
`wrr·· · · 55% ·
`10
`· . w Ile
`amc stimulu
`1,1a55 conwmng z1?c and 45% copper. I 'mil.k
`s 1s carried out,
`and parameter
`s of 1he aciual
`'sil-v;ir
`. I 'male 's;in I I
`:i;stem arc adJus1ed 10 minimize
`oiock sun See parantheho�; p_arhelion
`the difference
`in the ou1pu1s
`of
`m cd model and the actual
`I 'mlid·:il 'ref·r:>ns
`.,ck lllfl ring See parhehc CU"cle. I 'male 's;in ri!J I
`system.
`sis·t;im I
`.0 ti symbol [COMPUT
`_., p . [ENG] . A model, ?ften full-sized,
`sc1J The standard
`usage of geomet­
`of a piece of e ui
`as to expose its parts i q /
`��� f�ures._
`such as squares. ci.rcles.
`so devised
`or triangles.
`a,eai. oc 111>tallaUon,
`to help illus­
`or stu y.
`e l e vanous working
`parts of a model:
`g. I 'mil.k,;ip I
`each symbol
`gaiaing, or testin
`must.
`n1evertheless.
`be footnoted
`for complele
`clarification.
`ganic chemical
`ll()CVD See metal-or
`I 'mad·
`vapor deposition
`;i ,s1m·b.">I
`J
`IC [TEXT] Of a synthetic
`fiber compo�d f 1
`iiioclacrY'
`O �ss
`model tank See model basin. I 'mad·;il
`,la!Jk J
`tblll 85% and more than 35% by weight
`of acrylon
`itril
`e umts.
`model theory [MATH] The general
`qualitative
`study of the
`I :IJlld? 'kril-ik I
`structur
`e of a mathematical
`1heory.
`,the·nc
`I 'mtld·:>l
`_..cluS [STAT] _The clas� �at CO?tain
`s more individual
`modem [ELECTR)
`A combina1ion
`modulator
`and demodula1or
`dllD ,ny other class m a stausucal
`distribution.
`I 'mod·;il
`at e�ch end of a telephone
`line 10 convert
`binary
`digital
`infor­
`,tllS I iioclll dlstortlonSee
`mation
`to audio tone signal
`s suitable
`for transmi
`ssion over the
`modal noise. I ;mod·;il
`di'st6r-sh;in I
`lme, and vice versa. Also known as dataset. Derived
`from
`niodll �- [COMMUN_]
`Interference
`of a multimode
`optical
`modulator-demodulator
`. [ 'mo,dem I
`c:om m�ca1J<>?5 fi�r w1_th
`� laser
`light
`source when a speckle
`modem eliminator
`[coMPUT
`sci] A device
`that is used to
`mtens1ty
`paaan m the light
`m the fiber alters
`because of mot· 0
`Also known1 a�
`connect
`two computers
`in proximity
`and that mimics
`the action
`a(lhe fiber or changes in the laser
`spectrum.
`line. I 'modem ;i'lim·;i
`nad·
`of two modems and a telephone
`mod al distortion. I ;mod·;il 'n6iz
`J
`:>r I
`IIOClll nu�ber [GEN] 1. The typical chrom'osome
`to rtact1o
`number
`of
`cycles
`1. The number of complete
`mo�e nu"!ber [ELECTRJ
`·1� )Ca] of !ht
`C group. 2. The typical
`chromosome number of a
`a llXOIIOffll
`space
`speed is in 1he drift
`of average
`dunng which an electron
`I 'mod�! ,n;im·b:>r
`J
`IIIDJ(JfCCU population.
`of phase in the
`klystron. 2. The number of radians
`of_ a reflex
`IIDdl [�UN] Form�f!heinformationinacommunication
`by 2-rr as one goes once
`field of a magnetron divided
`rrucrowavc
`reedom of
`lldiuliteral language,
`digital
`data,
`and video. [COMPUT
`:influence mobility.
`the anode. I 'mod ,n:im·b;ir
`J
`around
`SCI]
`One ol �cral alternative
`conditions
`or methods
`of operation
`:iv ,:ls·;i'Ja·
`f 'mOd
`See mode of vibration.
`mode of oscillation
`[ELECTR?MAG
`J A fo':'" of propagation
`al• device:
`of guided
`sh:in J
`waves !hat 1s charac�zed by
`a panicular
`field pattern
`in a plane
`in which
`stic manner
`[MECH] A characteri
`mode of vibration
`ced of mo­concem,,_
`�
`to the dU"CCtJon
`of propagation.
`Also known as trans­
`a system_ which does not dissipate
`and whose motions
`energy
`lllSSICJII mode. [PETR] The mineral
`composition
`of a rock.
`are restnct�d
`s can oscillate.
`having
`a
`condition
`by boundary
`icpr=e
`-Uy expressed as percentages
`of total weight
`or volume.
`panem of mouon and one of a discrete
`set of
`charac1enst1c
`system that correspond
`s to a
`of an oscillating
`A stale
`["'!5)
`s. Also known as mode of oscilla1ion.
`f 'mod ;iv
`frequencie
`,ility of
`the
`resonant frequen­
`and one of the possible
`� field pattern
`vi'brii-sh;in
`I
`rid (sudus
`occurring
`[GEOL] Humus consisting
`[STAT] The most frequently
`of
`See code�.
`caea of the system.
`moder [COMMUN).
`I whose pro­in a plasma
`from the Jiving
`10
`alteration
`1s undergoing
`plant matenal that
`manbcr of a set of numbers. I mod I
`bcrween mor and
`in acidity
`state and is intermediate
`the decayed
`See mode transducer. I 'mOd k:>n,v:>rd·:>r
`J
`llllldlconvwter
`mull. I 'mod·:>r I
`irregularly
`oval
`Densely packed,
`"!'*ldclN [OCEANOGR]
`onsorions:
`wind scale a
`In the Beaufort
`breeze [METEOROL)
`moderate
`roughly 240 miles (400 kilo­
`lligb- and low-pressure
`centers
`t roo'bil-
`wind whose speed is from 11 to 16 knots ( 13 to 1 8 miles per
`intensities are typically
`in which current
`in diameter
`melen)
`'brez I
`per hour). I 'mad·n:11
`hour or 20 to 30 kilometers
`pearer than the local means. Also known as mesoscale
`tmfold
`wind scale.
`a
`In the Beaufort
`moderahl gale [METEOROL)
`eddiea. I 'mOd ,ed�z I
`wind whose speed is from 28 to 33 knots (32 10 38 miles per
`filter designed to
`[ELl!CTROMAO] A waveguide
`IIDde fllllr
`s per hour). [ 'mlid·n;n
`'gal J
`hour or 52 to 61 kilometer
`but of different
`transmis­
`ll!palle waves of the same frequency
`reactor
`used in a nuclear
`The material
`[NUCLEO)
`moderator
`• modes. I 'mOd ,fil1:1r I
`s from the high velocities
`at
`or slow down neutron
`to moderate
`Change in mode of magnetron
`opera­
`IIDdejump (ELECTR]
`,rad·
`s. I 'mad·:>-
`in the fission proces
`which they are created
`a different
`=:rr::, oae pulse to the next; each mode represents
`:ir I modem algebra
`and power level. I 'mOd j:imp l
`systems such
`[MATH) The study of algebraic
`[SCI TECH] A
`ll!!dil [OOMPUT SCI) See macroskeleton.
`and fields. f 'mad".Jm 'al·j:>·br;i
`I
`modules,
`rings,
`as groups.
`con­
`specified
`obeying certain
`l system,
`or physica
`�
`that takes ac­
`system
`[CONT svs] A control
`modem control
`a physical,
`bio­
`is used to understand
`Whole behavior
`and the limi­
`ses involved
`s of the proces
`count of the dynamic
`in some way.
`to which it is analogous
`CI' IOcial system
`s on measuring them, with the aim of approaching
`the
`tation
`}
`k:in'trol
`f 'mlid·:im
`control.
`I
`of optimal
`condition
`represcn­
`theoretical
`(METEOaoL] Any
`, particularly of vertical temperature
`of the Air Traffic Control
`/ilmolplie,9
`Mode 5 [NAY) An augmentation
`ii(:lbe lbnolphe,e
`with a
`is equipped
`in which each aircraft
`System
`Radar Beacon
`I 'mid-al
`'at'lll:i,sfir
`I
`iden­
`with a discrete
`when interrogated
`that replies
`transponder
`SCI] An expert sys­
`[COMPUT
`expert ayatem
`discrete
`address
`tity code. Also known as ADSEL (in Britain);
`and function
`of
`structure
`of the
`bued on knowledge
`States). I 'mOd 'es J
`or DABS (in the United
`system
`beacon
`I ;mad�J ,bast
`is designed.
`for which the system
`operation
`in mode of magnetron
`Change
`mode shift [ELECTR]
`MODEL BASIN
`a pulse. f 'mOd ,shift I
`during
`basin or tank of water where scale
`[INoJ A large
`to fire on each """_...
`of a magnetron
`Failure
`mode skip [ELECTR)
`Also known as model tank;
`· c:an be tested.
`successive pulse. I 'mod ,skip I
`I 'mlchl 'bis� I
`which affects
`control
`sci) A preset
`mode switch [cOMPUT
`(CONT svs] The problem
`of de­
`of a mechanical
`s components
`problem
`the normal response of variou
`of a given system
`the response
`I 11w CIUJeS
`often
`device.
`control
`A microwave
`[ELECTR)
`desk calculator.
`of a model system,
`ro the response
`• pouible
`cross section. which
`of special
`section
`of a waveguide
`consisting
`:m�wlo ,prllb·l:im I
`I 'mld·:il
`input.
`power transmission
`the mode of microwave
`is used to change
`so that several
`._. (OPl'K:S) A laser designed
`f 'mOd ,swich I
`in the waveguide.
`wavelengths,
`in which
`spaced
`with closely
`for transforming an elec­
`Device
`[ELECTR]
`mode transducer
`are synchronized
`so that a
`nonnally oscilllle,
`10 another.
`wave from one mode of propagation
`tromagnetic
`I 'mOd Model basin wllh model towed b)
`is generated.
`as a picosecond,
`ludng for u little
`mode transformer.
`weight.
`Also known as mode converter;
`falling
`I
`tranz,dU-
`s:>r I
`. arc1·
`[CONT SYS) The process of disc mg cer-
`See mode transducer. I 'mod tranz,
`mode transformer
`othen in the model used
`modoo wblle retaining
`system
`can
`m:>r I MODFET See high-electron-mobility
`1y11em, in order 11w the control
`( 'mlid,fct
`transistor.
`I 'mHd·3l
`rapidity.
`with sufficient
`in the design
`(ENG] A major or minor change
`OOIDmlllda
`modHlcatlon
`to fncilitntc
`a deficiency.
`in order to correct
`of an item, effected
`effectivenc
`s. [MBTI
`ope.rational
`or 10 improve
`production,
`
`,.._,
`
`--
`
`..............
`
`for-
`
`I
`
`.... -.. '
`
`Page 3 of 3
`
`