Glossary
Terms starting with R
190 definitions · page 3 of 4.
- RETAIL MARKET
- A market in which electricity and other energy services are sold directly to the end-use customer.
- RETENTION
- The amount of risk retained by an insurance company that is not reinsured.
- reticule
- a grid or pattern of two or more fine wires set inthe focal plane of a telescope eyepiece and used in determining the position and/or size of a celestial object
- RETORTING
- The heating of oil shale to get the oil out from it.
- retransition
- In sonata form, the passage that leads from the harmonic instability of the development to the stability of the recapitulation.
- RETROCESSION
- The reinsurance bought by reinsurers to protect their financial stability.
- RETROFIT
- broad term that applies to any change after the original purchase, such as adding equipment not a part of the original purchase. As applied to alternative fuel vehicles, it refers to conversion devices or kits for conventional fuel vehicles. (Same as…
- retrograde
- Playing a theme backward.
- retrograde
- objects that move or appear to move in the opposite direction of most solar system bodies; for example planets that appear to move east-to-west in the sky or objects that revolve or rotate clockwise as seen from north of the solar system
- Retrogression
- Sometimes a case that is current one month will not be current the next month. This occurs when the annual numerical limit has been reached. This usually happens near the end of a fiscal year (October 1 to September 30 of the next year). When the new fiscal…
- RETROSPECTIVE RATING
- A method of permitting the final premium for a risk to be adjusted, subject to an agreed-upon maximum and minimum limit based on actual loss experience. It is available to large commercial insurance buyers.
- RETURN ON EQUITY
- Net income divided by total equity. Measures profitability by showing how efficiently invested capital is being used.
- Returning Residents
- Lawful permanent residents who want to return to the United States after staying abroad more than one year or beyond the expiration of their re-entry permits.
- reusable launch vehicle (RLV)
- a single-stage-to-orbit spacecraft that may be reused on successive missions
- Revalidation of a Visa
- Renewal of a visa.
- Revocation of a Visa
- Cancellation of a visa. The visa is no longer good (valid) for travel to the United States.
- revolution
- the orbital motion of one body around another body or a common center of mass
- Rhodium
- Rhodium is a white, metallic element. A Rhodium finish is usually applied to gold jewellery to give the effect of white gold.
- rhythm
- (1) The pattern in time created by the incidence and duration of individual sounds; (2) used more loosely to refer to a particular rhythm, for example, "a dotted rhythm." rhythm & blues (R&B) A term coined in 1949 to describe the heavily rhythmic urban blues…
- rhythmic background
- The subdivisions of beats within a regular meter.
- rhythmic foreground
- The regular beats provided by meter.
- ribonucleic acid
- a nucleic acid that transmits genetic information
- Rice flour
- Rice flour is made from ground raw rice and is used to make rice noodles and some pancakes, such as south Indian appams. It can be used to thicken soups and stews, as well as providing an alternative to wheat flour in cakes and biscuits. It's gluten-free so…
- Rice vinegar
- Wine vinegar made from rice used in Chinese and Japanese cookery. Rice vinegar, whether of the red or black variety, tends have a mild taste and is relatively low in acidity. If you can't find rice vinegar, use wine vinegar but dilute with water, using three…
- Rice wine
- An essential ingredient in Chinese cooking and other oriental cuisines. Rice wine is made by fermenting freshly steamed glutinous rice with yeast and spring water. It's relatively low in alcohol and, as well as being drunk, it's used in cooking and in…
- rich clusters
- large galaxy clusters with unusually high population densities
- rich-field telescope
- a telescope designed to show a large field of view at low magnification
- Ricotta
- A soft Italian curd cheese made from whey which is drained and then lightly cooked. It's light and creamy with a slightly grainy texture. It has a delicate flavour and is quite low in fat, making it a good substitute for mascarpone. Ricotta can be used on…
- RIDER
- An attachment to an insurance policy that alters the policy’s coverage or terms.
- Ring
- A ring is a piece of jewellery that is usually worn on the fingers (sometimes toes) and slides on and off.
- Ring Guard
- A ring that's worn above another ring to keep it from slipping off the finger.
- ripieno
- The largest of the two instrumental groups in a Baroque concerto grosso.
- RISK
- The chance of loss or the person or entity that is insured.
- RISK MANAGEMENT
- Management of the varied risks to which a business firm or association might be subject. It includes analyzing all exposures to gauge the likelihood of loss and choosing options to better manage or minimize loss. These options typically include reducing and…
- RISK RETENTION GROUPS
- Insurance companies that band together as self-insurers and form an organization that is chartered and licensed as an insurer in at least one state to handle liability insurance.
- RISK-BASED CAPITAL
- The need for insurance companies to be capitalized according to the inherent riskiness of the type of insurance they sell. Higher-risk types of insurance, liability as opposed to property business, generally necessitate higher levels of capital.
- Risotto
- An Italian dish that was originally eaten by peasants for breakfast, but which has risen in stature to become a highly regarded restaurant dish. It's simple to make at home, but requires a bit of attention. Risotto is made from risotto rice cooked with…
- Rissole
- Savoury little patties made from chopped meat or fish mixed with breadcrumbs, shaped into balls or cakes and shallow-fried.
- ritard
- ritardando Slowing down the tempo.
- ritornello
- (Italian, "the little thing that returns") A recurring theme in eighteenth-century arias and concertos.
- ritornello form
- Baroque instrumental form based on recurrences of a ritornello.
- RJ-11
- A standard connector that is used to connect to the telephone line.
- RJ-45
- A standard connector that is used to connect to the Ethernet network.
- RNA
- a nucleic acid that transmits genetic information
- Robusta beans
- Supermarket-grade coffee beans that can be grown in any tropical or subtropical climate and are cultivated for their ease as opposed to their taste.
- Rock salt
- Salt crystals derived from the huge seams of impacted salt that have formed below dried-out, underground saline lakes. The crystals are quite large and hard so are best used in a salt mill. Cooking salt is refined rock salt and table salt is finely ground…
- rock'n'roll(rock)
- Style of popular vocal music, often for dancing, that developed in the United States and England during the 1950s, characterized by a hard, driving duple meter and amplified instrumental accompaniment. Currently the most widespread musical style in the world.
- Rocket
- This peppery green leaf is used in salads and as a vegetable. It's known as arugula in the US. The leaves have a slightly bitter, peppery flavour and are best gathered when they’re young. Rocket is a rich source of iron as well as vitamins A and C. It makes…
- ROFL
- Rolling On the Floor Laughing
- Rogan josh
- A spicy, rich red lamb stew from India. It literally translates as 'red meat juices' and traditionally gets its rich red colour from crushed dried red chillies. Use braising steak or shoulder of lamb for the best flavour.
- Rollover
- An event that occurs when the lottery jackpot or a jackpot game is not won. The jackpot thus 'rolls over' to the next drawing, resulting in a bigger jackpot for that drawing. Scratch-off Game - See 'Instant Game' above.
- romper
- A one-piece garment with the lower part shaped like bloomers
- rondo
- A musical form in which a main theme alternates with other themes or sections, for example, A-B-A-C-A.
- Rope Chain
- A rope chain is a style of chain with a spiral appearance that gives the effect of two thick strands that have been woven together.
- Roquefort
- A French cheese made from unpasteurised ewes' milk. It's matured in ancient caves in a village called Roquefort-sur-Soulzon and takes three months to ripen. The result is a semi-soft crumbly white cheese with blue-green veins. It has a delicious sweet tangy…
- Rose Gold
- Rose gold is the name given to an alloy of gold and copper.
- Rosemary
- Rosemary is a most versatile herb with a flavour that complements a wide variety of dishes and ingredients. Native to the Mediterranean, its bittersweet green leaves look similar to pine needles. The plant is an evergreen shrub, so the leaves are available…
- Rosewater
- A flavoured water made by steeping rose petals in water, rosewater has been used as a flavouring for centuries in Middle Eastern, Indian and Turkish cooking. It can be added to jellies and syrups, and it's often sprinkled over cakes and milky puddings.
- rotation
- the spin of a galaxy, star, planet, moon, or asteroid about a central axis
- rotation period
- the length of time it takes a body to complete one rotation