Glossary
Terms starting with A
493 definitions · page 1 of 9.
- A (aminoacyl) site
- The site on the ribosome occupied by an aminoacyl-tRNA just prior to peptide bond formation.
- a cappella
- Music for voices alone, without instrumental accompaniment.
- A form DNA
- The form of DNA at high humidity; it has tilted base pairs and more base pairs per turn than does B DNA.
- a tempo
- At the original tempo.
- A V Input Jacks
- Audio/video input jacks allow you to connect external sources to your TV quickly and easily. These jacks connect your sources directly to audio and video circuits of the TV set, bypassing the tuner for optimum picture and sound reproduction. The video input…
- A-line gown
- Form fitting bodices that flare out from the waistline to a full skirt. These gowns have a seamless waist.
- A-line skirt fit and flare skirt
- A skirt that is fitted at the waist and flares out in an A-line or tulip shape at the hem.
- A-SHARE VARIABLE ANNUITY
- A form of variable annuity contract where the contract holder pays sales charges up front rather than eventually having to pay a surrender charge.
- abdomen
- area between the chest and the hips that contains the stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and spleen.
- abdominal bracing
- technique of tensing the stomach muscles to support the spine.
- abdominal hysterectomy
- the uterus is removed through the abdomen via a surgical incision.
- abdominoscopy
- a type of surgery that uses a laparoscope, which is inserted into one or more small incisions, to examine the abdominal cavity. (See also endoscopy, laparoscopy, or minimally invasive surgery.)
- ablative therapy
- treatment that removes or destroys the function of an organ, as in surgical removal of the ovaries or the administration of some types of chemotherapy that causes the ovaries to stop functioning.
- abortive transduction
- The failure of a transducing DNA segment to be incorporated into the recipient chromosome.
- Absentee Bidder
- A person (or entity) who does not attend the sale but submits, in advance, a written or oral bid that is the top price he or she will pay for a given property.
- Absolute Address
- The exact memory location of data or a specific location within a device.
- Absolute Auction
- An auction where the property is sold to the highest qualified bidder with no limiting conditions or amount. The seller may not bid personally or through an agent. Also known as an auction without reserve.
- Absolute music
- Instrumental music with no explicit pictorial or literal associations. As opposed to program music.
- Absolute Reference
- A formulated cell reference that will not adjust when used to calculate the sum of specific cells. Most commonly used in spreadsheet applications.
- ABSORPTANCE
- The ratio of the radiation absorbed by a surface to the total energy falling on that surface described as a percentage.
- absorption
- the way substances pass into tissue as nutrients from food move from the small intestine into the cells of the body.
- ABSTRACT OF TITLE
- The condensed history of a title to a particular parcel of real estate, consisting of a summary of the original grant and all subsequent conveyances and encumbrances affecting the property and a certification by the abstractor that the history is complete…
- abutment teeth
- the surrounding teeth of each side of the gap where teeth are missing.
- accelerando
- Getting faster.
- ACCELERATED DEATH BENEFITS
- A life insurance policy option that provides policy proceeds to insured individuals over their lifetimes, in the event of a terminal illness. This is in lieu of a traditional policy that pays beneficiaries after the insured’s death. Such benefits kick in if…
- ACCELERATION CLAUSE
- The clause in a mortgage or deed of trust that can be enforced to make the entire debt due immediately if the borrower defaults on an installment payment or other covenant.
- Accelerator
- A machine used to accelerate particles to high speeds, and thus high energy compared to their rest-mass energy.
- accent
- A conspicuous, sudden emphasis given to a particular sound, usually by an increase in volume.
- ACCESS CHARGE
- A charge paid by all market participants withdrawing energy from the ISO controlled grid. The access charge will recover the portion of a utility's transmission revenue requirement not recovered through the variable usage charge.
- ACCESS LINE OR SUBSCRIBER LINE
- The circuit or channel between the demarcation point at the customer's premises and the serving end or class 5 central office.
- Access Point
- A hardware device or a computer's software that acts as a communication hub for users of a wireless device to connect to a wired LAN.
- ACCESSION
- Acquiring title to additions or improvements to real property as a result of the annexation of fixtures or the accretion of alluvial deposits along the banks of streams.
- accessory digestive organs
- organs that help with digestion but are not part of the digestive tract. These organs include the tongue, glands in the mouth that make saliva, pancreas, liver, and gallbladder.
- accessory movement
- joint movements that cannot be performed voluntarily or in isolation by the patient.
- ACCIDENT AND HEALTH INSURANCE
- Coverage for accidental injury, accidental death, and related health expenses. Benefits will pay for preventative services, medical expenses, and catastrophic care, with limits.
- accidental
- A notational sign in a score indicating that a specific note is to be played as a flat, sharp, or natural. The most common accidentals (flats and sharps) correspond to the five black notes in each octave of the keyboard.
- accompaniment
- The subordinate material or voices that support a melody.
- ACCRETION
- The increase or addition of land by the deposit of sand or soil washed up naturally from a river, lake or sea.
- ACCRUED ITEMS
- On a closing statement, items of expense that are incurred but not yet payable, such as interest on a mortgage loan or taxes on real property.
- acentric chromosome
- A chromosome having no centromere.
- acentric fragment
- A chromosomal piece without a centromere.
- acetylcholine
- a chemical in the brain that acts as a neurotransmitter by sending nerve signals.
- achondroplasia
- A type of dwarfism in humans inherited as an autosomal dominant phenotype.
- acid rain
- rain with an abnormally high acid content caused by burning of fossil fuels, which release sulfur and nitrogen oxides. In the presence of sunlight, these pollutants form sulfates and nitrates that create sulfuric and nitric acids when dissolved in water.
- Acidulated water
- Water that has been made slightly acidic by the addition of an acid substance such as lemon juice or vinegar (about one teaspoon to half a litre of water). Peeled fruit and vegetables such as apples, pears, celeriac, globe artichokes and salsify are immersed…
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
- A formal declaration made before a duly authorized officer, usually a notary public, by a person who has signed a document.
- ACOP (Adjusted Coefficient of Performance)
- A standard rating term that was used to rate the efficiency of heat pumps in California. ACOP was replaced by Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF) in 1988.
- Acoustic Suspension
- A speaker system mounted in a sealed enclosure. The internal air loading adds damping and acoustical stiffness at low frequencies where the wavelength is larger than the enclosure.
- acoustics
- (1) the science of sound; (2) the art of optimizing sound in an enclosed space.
- ACPI
- Short for Advanced Configuration and Power Interface, a power management specification developed by Intel, Microsoft, and Toshiba. ACPI, which will be part of the next version of Windows, enables the operating system to control the amount of power given to…
- acquired deafness
- loss of hearing that occurs or develops over the course of a lifetime; deafness not present at birth.
- ACRE
- A measure of land equal to 43,560 square feet, 4,840 square yards, 4,047 square meters, 160 square rods or 0.4047 hectares.
- acrocentric chromosome
- A chromosome whose centromere lies very near one end. See also metacentric chromosome
- action tremor
- a tremor that increases when the hand is moving voluntarily.
- activated charcoal
- an over the counter product that may help relieve intestinal gas.
- activation energy (deltaG)
- Energy needed to initiate a chemical reaction.
- Active Channel
- An Active Channel is a frequently updated information residing on a Web server. Users can subscribe to the channel if they have a CDF (Channel Definition Language) capable browser (e.g. Internet Explorer)
- active site
- The part of a protein that must be maintained in a specific shape if the protein is to be functional, for example, the part to which the substrate binds in an enzyme. The part of an enzyme where the actual enzymatic function is performed.
- ACTIVE SOLAR ENERGY
- Solar radiation used by special equipment to provide space heating, hot water or electricity.
- ACTIVE SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM
- A system designed to convert solar radiation into usable energy for space, water heating, or other uses. It requires a mechanical device, usually a pump or fan, to collect the sun's energy.