Glossary
Terms starting with D
303 definitions · page 2 of 6.
- DEGREE DAY
- A unit, based upon temperature difference and time, used in estimating fuel consumption and specifying nominal annual heating load of a building. When the mean temperature is less than 65 degrees Fahrenheit the heating degree days are equal to the total…
- Degrees & Certificates
- These are forms of recognition of completed studies that are awarded to students in High School, College, Trade Schools and Universities. Some employees will also obtain certificates when attending work related courses.
- degrees of freedom
- An estimate of the number of independent categories in a particular statistical test or experiment.
- DEINTEGRATION
- (See disaggregation)
- Delay
- Part of a Dolby® Pro-Logic® (DPL) or Dolby® Digital scheme. The signal heading for the surround speakers is delayed to help them simulate ambience. Most DPL processors have adjustable delay. Twenty milliseconds is the DPL standard. The greater the delay…
- deletion
- Loss of a DNA (chromosome) segment from a chromosome. Deletions are recognised genetically by: 1. absence of reverse mutation 2. presence of a deletion loop at meiosis visualized cytologically 3. revealing of recessive lethals 4. pseudodominance
- deletion chromosome
- A chromosome containing a deletion.
- DELTA
- A difference in temperature. Often used in the context of the difference between the design indoor temperature and the outdoor temperature.
- DEMAND
- The rate at which energy is delivered to loads and scheduling points by generation, transmission or distribution facilities.
- DEMAND
- The amount of goods people are willing and able to buy at a given price; often coupled with supply.
- DEMAND (Utility)
- The level at which electricity or natural gas is delivered to users at a given point in time. Electric demand is expressed in kilowatts.
- DEMAND BID
- Demand Bid A bid into the PX indicating a quantity of energy or an ancillary service that an eligible customer is willing to purchase and, if relevant, the maximum price that the customer is willing to pay.
- DEMAND BILLING
- The electric capacity requirement for which a large user pays. It may be based on the customer's peak demand during the contract year, on a previous maximum or on an agreed minimum. Measured in kilowatts.
- DEMAND CHARGE
- The sum to be paid by a large electricity consumer for its peak usage level.
- DEMAND DEPOSIT
- Customer assets that are held in a checking account. Funds can be readily withdrawn by check, “on demand.”
- DEMAND SIDE MANAGEMENT (DSM)
- The methods used to manage energy demand including energy efficiency, load management, fuel substitution and load building. See LOAD MANAGEMENT.
- DEMAND SITE MANAGEMENT
- Planning, implementation, and evaluation of utility-sponsored programs to influence the amount or timing of customers' energy use.
- deme
- A locally interbreeding population.
- Demerara sugar
- This pale-coloured and mild-tasting raw cane sugar is named after its place of origin - Demerara, in Guyana - but it's now imported from various other places such as Jamaica, Malawi and Mauritius. It has large sparkling golden crystals and a crunchy texture…
- Demi-glace sauce
- Demi-glace sauce is a rich brown sauce often used by chefs. It's made from a reduction of clear stock and sauce espagnole - stock that has been thickened with a roux, diced vegetables and tomato purée - and is the basis for classic sauces such as Madeira…
- DEMOGRAPHIC SURVEYS
- Surveys that determine and analyze characteristics such as age, gender, income levels, lifestyles, consumer habits, etc. A demographic survey helps pinpoint a given market that is appropriate for a given concept. It is helpful in determining locations…
- DEMONSTRATION
- The application and integration of a new product or service into an existing or new system. Most commonly, demonstration involves the construction and operation of a new electric technology interconnected with the electric utility system to demonstrate how…
- DEMUTUALIZATION
- The conversion of insurance companies from mutual companies owned by their policyholders into publicly-traded stock companies.
- denaturation
- 1)The separation of the two strands of a DNA double helix, or 2) the severe disruption of the hydrogen bonded structure of any complex molecule without breaking the covalent bonds of its chains.
- denaturation map
- A map of a stretch of DNA showing the locations of local denaturation loops, which correspond to regions of high AT content.
- denatured
- Loss of natural configuration (of a molecule) through heat or other treatment. Fully denatured DNA is single-stranded.
- Denison Olmsted
- Denison Olmsted (1791-1859) is credited with giving birth to meteor science after the 1833 Leonid Meteor Storm over North America spurred him to study this phenomenon. He subsequently demonstrated that meteors are not an atmospheric phenomenon, but cosmic in…
- Denomination Sect
- A religious group or community.
- denominator element
- gene on an autosome of Drosophila that helps regulate the sex switch (sxl) to the off condition (maleness). Refers to the denominator of the X/A (number of X chromosomes/autosomes) genic balance equation that determines sex in insects.
- DENSITY
- The mass of a unit volume of a substance.
- density
- the amount of mass per unit volume of an object or region of space
- DENSITY ZONING
- Zoning ordinances that restrict the maximum average number of houses per acre that may be built within a particular area, generally a subdivision.
- density-gradient centrifugation
- A method of separating macromolecules by their (1) differential rate of sedimentation in a centrifugal gradient (2) differential bouyancy in a density gradient.
- Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
- The mission of the DHS – The many men and women who daily protect our borders and secure our country are committed to the safety of our homeland. DHS is now responsible for immigration and naturalization.
- Department of Labor
- A cabinet level unit/ministry of United States Government that has responsibility for labor issues. It has responsibility for deciding whether certain foreign workers can work in the United States.
- depauperate fauna
- A fauna, especially common on islands, lacking many species found in similar habitats elsewhere.
- Dependable Capacity
- The systems's ability to carry the electric power for the time inrval and period specific, when related to the characteristics of the load to be supplied. Dependable capacity is determined by such factors as capability, operating power factor, weather, and…
- DEPLETABLE ENERGY SOURCES -- 1)
- electricity purchased from a public utility 2) energy obtained from burning coal, oil, natural gas or liquefied petroleum gases. [See California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Section 2-5302]
- DEPOSITORY INSTITUTION
- Financial institution that obtains its funds mainly through deposits from the public. Includes commercial banks, savings and loan associations, savings banks, and credit unions.
- DEPRECIATION
- (I) In appraisal, a loss of value in property due to any cause, including physical deterioration, functional obsolescence and external obsolescence. (2) In real estate investment, an expense deduction for tax purposes taken over the period of ownership of…
- DEREGULATION
- The elimination of regulation from a previously regulated industry or sector of an industry.
- DEREGULATION
- In insurance, reducing regulatory control over insurance rates and forms. Commercial insurance for businesses of a certain size has been deregulated in many states.
- derepressed
- The condition of an operon that is transcribing because repressor control has been lifted. May apply more generally to any gene being transcribed.
- Derivative Status
- Getting a status (visa) through another applicant. For example the spouse and children of an applicant for a family fourth preference immigrant visa (F4) can also get visas in the same category. They have derivative status. Not all visa categories permit…
- DERIVATIVES
- A specialized security or contract that has no intrinsic overall value, but whose value is based on an underlying security or factor as an index. A generic term that, in the energy field, may include options, futures, forwards, etc.
- DERIVATIVES
- Contracts that derive their value from an underlying financial asset, such as publicly-traded securities and foreign currencies. Often used as a hedge against changes in value.
- Dermabrasion
- A procedure in which the skin is sanded to improve its texture. Microdermabrasion uses a type of sand to abrade the skin, usually done by an esthetician or a cosmetic doctor. Cosmetic physicians can perform a deeper type of dermabrasion using small burrs or…
- Dermal
- Related to skin.
- Dermatitis
- Inflamation of the skin.
- Dermis
- The underlayers of the skin.
- DES
- Data Encryption Standard - an U.S. government approved cipher. It is easy to break in its simplest form, but used multiple times with key of at least 128 bits provides good security.
- Descaling fish
- Removing the scales from a fish is best done by first cutting off the fins and then holding on to the tail and scraping away the scales the 'wrong' way - from tail to head with a large knife. This tends to be a messy job because the scales often fly about…
- DESCENT
- Acquisition of an estate by inheritance in which an heir succeeds to the property by operation of law.
- Description tag
- an HTML tag used by Web page authors to provide a description for search engine listings.
- Desirable Qualifications
- Although not always stated, desirable qualifications can include the job seeker's past work experience, work habits, special skills (examples include specific computer related skills or a second language), personal achievements and availability (for example…
- determinant
- A spatially localized molecule that causes cells to adopt a particular fate or set of related fates.
- determination
- The process of commitment of cells to particular fates.
- deterministic
- Referring to events that have no random or probabilistic aspects but proceed in a fixed predictable fashion.
- deuterium
- an isotope of hydrogen; its nucleus, consisting of one proton and one neutron, has double the mass of the nucleus of ordinary hydrogen
- DEVELOPER
- One who attempts to put land to its most profitable use through the construction of improvements.