Definitions and Explanations
What is HDPE? HDPE stands for high density polyurethane, a plastic product that is made from petroleum. Currently, about 4% of petroleum is used for the production of plastics. As an example of its production volume, in 2007 the global production of HDPE reached 30 million tons. HDPE is one of the most commonly used [...]
What is Fev1? FEV1 stands for first expiratory volume in the first second, the maximum amount of air a person can expel in one second of forceful exhalation. FEV 1 is used in spirometry, the most common of pulmonary function tests which measures the volume and flow of inhalation and exhalation. This test is used [...]
What is Epidemiology? Epidemiology is the study of diseases, illnesses and health risks in populations. The term is derived from the Greek ‘epi’ which means upon, ‘demos’ meaning people, and ‘logos’ which means study (of). While this term generally applies to humans, it can also loosely apply to animals and plants. People who practice epidemiology [...]
What is Corned Beef? Corned beef is beef that have been cured in salt for preservation purposes. The term ‘corned’ comes from the kernels of salt (which had the appearance of grains) that were originally used in the crock where the beef is held. Thought to have originated in Ireland, corned beef was the solution [...]
What is Cholera? Cholera is a bacterial disease which affects the small intestines. It is caused by the bacterium vibrio cholerae, which is usually found in contaminated water and food. Cholera is easily treated, but early diagnosis is the key to its treatment. If left untreated, it can cause severe diarrhea and dehydration which can [...]
What is Mail Merge? Mail merge is a software function which allows a word processing program to input personalized or unique information in a templated document. The word processing program is commanded to take information and data from a separate document (usually a database or a spreadsheet). This saves the user the trouble of manually [...]
What is Characterization? Characterization is the process of establishing a character’s personality in a narrative or drama. This can be done in a number of ways, through a character’s actions, speech, appearance, thoughts and what the other characters in the narrative or drama say or think about him. There are two types of characterization: explicit [...]
What is MagicJack? Magicjack is a computer peripheral that can provide internet based phone services over the internet or voice over IP (VoIP) to the US and Canada. Magicjack is a USB device that can be plugged into the computer. On the other end of the device is a standard RJ-11 telephone jack that can [...]
What is FVRCP? FVRCP is quite a long term, standing for feline viral rhinotracheitis (FVR), calcivirus infection (C), and panleukopenia (P). this is a series of vaccination given to household cats in order to prevent certain diseases. FVRCP injections are administered to kittens as early as 6-8 weeks of age. During this early age, a [...]
What is FVRCP Vaccine for Cats? FVRCP is a vaccine administered to cats and kittens in order to prevent some of the most common viruses affecting felines, as well as improve their immunity. FVRCP stands for feline viral rhinotracheitis (stands for FVR), feline calcivirus (stands for C) and panleukopenia (which stands for P). Kittens begin [...]
What is Mega? Technically, mega is a prefix used to denote a quantity amounting to one million or 10 to the 6th power. This prefix belongs to the category called prefix multipliers, which also includes “kilo” (one thousand), “giga” (one billion), “tera” (one trillion). Mega can often be heard being used in mathematical terms, scientific [...]
What is Crystalline? Crystalline is a way to describe the appearance or properties of matter, where it resembles crystal whether in structure or transparency or both. Crystalline can also describe an object that is composed of crystals. A crystal is a solid matter which is comprised of molecules, atoms or ions that take on an [...]
What is Masons and Shriners? Masons and Shriners are two groups of people who belong to different but interconnected organizations. Masons are members of Freemasonry, a fraternal organization that has been around since the 16th century. Being a fraternity, members are all men. The brotherhood of Masons now number to about six million worldwide, and [...]
What is Goal? Goal is a designated area or zone in sports where a ball or a puck is received in order to get a score. A goal can mean this physical space, which is usually a rectangular area which is marked around the perimeter; and the receiving post which is usually composed of a [...]
What is Cryogenic Engine? A cryogenic engine is an engine that is designed to run on liquid fuels that require extremely low temperatures to remain liquid. Cryogenics is the study of extremely low temperatures and its effect on the materials that it is applied to. When the gases used on a cryogenic engine are stored [...]
What is Xanthan Gum? Xanthan gum is a polysaccharide (a class of carbohydrates with multiple monosaccharides bonded by glycosidic bonds) taken from the coating of the bacteria strain Xanthomonas campestris. Xanthan gum is produced by introducing the bacteria strain to glucose, sucrose or lactose to undergo a fermentation process. After fermentation, the polysaccharide is derived [...]
What is CFD? CFD is the acronym for computational fluid dynamics, a division of fluid mechanics that uses cutting edge computer technology to represent fluid flowing in a controlled environment and to use this as a means to solve and analyze problems involved in this setup. Fluids can mean gas or liquid or a combination [...]
What is Windows 7 Starter? Windows 7 Starter is one edition of the Windows 7 operating system (OS) from Microsoft. Windows 7 has three primary editions which are better known than Windows 7, and these are Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate. One of the main differences of Windows 7 [...]
What is Firewire? Firewire is a serial bus interface standard that was created by Apple Inc. in 1986 and standardized in 1995. Also known as IEEE 1394 interface, Firewire is used for high speed communication and regular real-time data transfer. Firewire is usually used with personal computers as well as digital audio and video devices, [...]
What is Aggressively Managed Fund? An aggressively managed fund is a type of investment that involves the fund being aggressively traded. For investors who want to see quick growth fast, this is usually an attractive investment option. However, this type of investment can also be risky, especially in the hands of an investor that do [...]
What is WEP Key? WEP stands for Wired Equivalent Privacy, a standard Wi-Fi wireless network security feature. A WEP key is a series of hexadecimal (numbers and letters) digits with letters ranging from A-F and numbers from 0-9. WEP is very commonly mistaken for the term Wireless Encryption Protocol. A WEP key allows computer devices [...]
What is RAID? RAID is the acronym for redundant array of independent disks. RAID is a category of disk drives that make use of a combination of two or more drives in order to keep data safe and to increase computer performance. This type of disk drive is not normally used on personal computers but [...]
What is Buffer Solution? A buffer solution is a mixture of a weak acid and its conjugate base (the resulting substance when an acid’s hydrogen is removed) in water, and in some cases a weak base and its conjugate acid in water. This solution is resistant to changes in its pH level when mixed with [...]
What is YMail? YMail is an alternative email extension for yahoomail users. This was created in order to allow users to choose their preferred user names if it has already been taken up in the original yahoo.com extension. An example of a YMail account could be samplemail@ymail.com. YMail is a free email service from Yahoo! [...]
What is Xbox? Xbox is a video gaming console developed and manufactured by Microsoft. Xbox is Microsoft’s first venture into the business of video gaming console, and Xbox competed with the more established Sony Playstation 2, Sega Dreamcast, and Nintendo Gamecube. Xbox was first released in November 2001 in North America, followed by a release [...]
What is Qualitative Data? Qualitative data is information gathered from a study that is descriptive and not based on numbers. This data is then not measurable, but rather illustrative in nature. An example of this would be gender (male or female), sexuality (heterosexual, homosexual), race (Caucasian, Asian, African). Qualitative data can also be based on [...]
What is Market Extension? Market extension is a marketing term which means the production of more variety of products for a particular brand. While often confused with another term, market expansion, the two are different in the sense that market expansion is about widening a product’s reach geographically i.e. going international, going multi-state etc. Market [...]
What is Imperialism? Imperialism is when a stronger and more established country creates policies in a weaker country that enables the former to extend its influences in that country. Such influences can include cultural, political, military or economic, among others. The end goal of imperialism is almost always to increase their power, influence and wealth. [...]
What is Eid Mubarak? Eid Mubarak is a phrase used as a greeting by Muslims used in Islamic religious festivals Eid Al-Adha (feast of sacrifice wherein the faith of Abraham was shown through his willingness to sacrifice his son to God, after which God accepted a sacrifice of a ram instead) and Eid Ul-Fitr or [...]
What does CPR Stand For? CPR is an acronym in the medical field which means cardio pulmonary resuscitation. CPR is an important, life-saving technique that is used in many emergency situations. CPR is a chest compression technique primarily to aid the flow of oxygenated blood in the body in the absence of normal blood flow. [...]
What is Y2K? Y2K, also known as the Millenium Bug or the Year 2000 problem, was a global technological scare concerning possible malfunction or shutdown on systems that use abbreviated year coding, from the complete 4 digits to the 2 digit shorthand. The problem lies in the abbreviation’s rollover from -99 to -00 as the [...]
What is Unlocked Cell Phone? A cellular or mobile phone usually has a feature that allows for its use only with specific service providers or only in specific regions. When service providers such as for example AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile etc. acquire a batch of cellular phones from i.e. Nokia, Sony Ericksson, the phones are then [...]
What is Monoceous? Monoceous is a commonly misspelled word for Monoicous or monoecious, a term that describes a plant’s reproductive organ in botany. Monoicous refers to a plant that has both sperm producing and egg producing reproductive organs, which means that it can reproduce by itself without the need for a partner plant. This attribute [...]
What is LMAO? LMAO is an acronym for ‘laughing my ass off’, an internet slang that is used to convey hilarity or exaggerated mirth. LMAO is usually used in chat rooms or in instant messaging (Yahoo!, MSN, etc), but it has also found its way into forums, emails and even in text messaging. LMAO belongs [...]
What is Imagery? Imagery is a literary device used by an author to evoke a sense of experience through language. The author, through his words will evoke one or more of the reader’s senses, enabling him to interpret in his mind’s eye what the author is personally feeling (or describing) thus the use of the [...]
What is Dilation? Dilation is the enlargement or widening of objects. In medicine, dilation is the enlargement of a hollow opening or structure, such as the esophagus or the cervix. The direct opposite of dilation is contraction, which means an object collapsing upon itself, making it smaller. The word dilation is derived from the Latin [...]
What is Binge Drinking? Binge drinking in the US is when a person consumes five drinks for males and four drinks for females (or more) alcoholic drinks in a row over a short period of time, typically two hours. Binge drinking in the UK is when a person drinks twice more than the daily limit, [...]
What is Xylitol? Xylitol is a natural sweetener that can be found in fruits and vegetables. Its physical appearance is similar to regular sugar (crystalline and colorless) as well as its taste. Xylitol differs from other sweeteners (sugar substitutes) because for one, it is all natural and two, its molecules are composed of five instead [...]
What is Shark Week? Shark week is a week-long feature dedicated to sharks in the Discovery Channel which has to date been running for more than two decades. The week long spectacle first aired in July 1987 and as of 2010 is in its 23rd season. Shark week airs every summer annually. Shark week is [...]
What is Molecular Pathology? Molecular pathology is a sub-branch in the biomedical field which involves analyzing diseases in the molecular level. It involves studying the development and evolution of diseases, for practical application in the medical field and more specifically for improving treatment options for disease stricken patients. Molecular pathology studies the sub-microscopic aspects of [...]
What is Ivory? Technically speaking, ivory can be found in any animals that have teeth, because ivory is composed of dentine which is a substance found in teeth. Actually, dentine is one of the four major components of a human tooth. Ivory however, is commonly used to denote the tusks derived from large animals like [...]
What is Ignorance? Ignorance is a term that describes a person’s lack of knowledge. The term is derived from the Latin ‘ignorantia’, and has the root word ‘ignore’ which means to deliberately disregard something. In the case of ignorance, information is available but the subject is unaware, uneducated or uninformed about it. A person who [...]
What is Diceous? Diceous is a commonly misspelled word for the term dioecious, a term in botany. Dioecious describes a plant that has only one reproductive organ, either a male flower or a female flower. This means that dioecious plants need a partner plant with the opposite gamete producing flower in order to bear fruit. [...]
What is Xfinity? Xfinity is ComCast Corporation’s triple play service which carries digital cable, cable Internet and cable telephone services. ComCast named the digital service Xfinity because of what the company claims as seemingly infinite content choices and cross-platform content for subscribers. Xfinity’s marketing thrust plays on its difference from other similar services: faster internet [...]
What is RSVP? RSVP stands for répondez s’il vous plait, a French phrase which literally means ‘please respond’ or ‘reply please’. This is a note that is appended to invitations which means that the host for the event would like to know if you are receiving or declining the invitation. Loosely, the host is then [...]
What is MHz? MHz is the shorthand term for megahertz. A hertz is a unit of measurement that applies to frequency, pertaining to the number of cycles per second. One hertz is equal to one cycle per second. The term hertz is named after Heinrich Hertz, a German physicist who made significant contributions in the [...]
What is IUI? IUI stands for Intra Uterine Insemination, an process that helps couples with fertility problems conceive. IUI is an outpatient procedure wherein healthy washed sperm (sperm removed from other components of the seminal fluid) from the father (which can be freshly ejaculated or thawed from being frozen), is introduced to the female uterus [...]
What is HD? HD stands for high definition, which is an increased visual resolution or picture quality for videos. HD can apply to TV formats, video file formats, multimedia streaming formats, video recording format or optical disc format. A good analogy for this are high resolution images that look crisper visually than pixilated images, images [...]
What is Day of the Dead? Day of the dead is a day of the year which is celebrated in remembrance of friends and relatives who have passed away. Celebrated in many countries, this is an occasion that is observed annually. The most well known celebration of the day of the dead is probably in [...]
What is Zumba Fitness? Zumba Fitness is a fitness company which started the Latin inspired fitness regimen called the Zumba program. Zumba Fitness blends Latin-inspired dance aerobic moves with international music created by renowned, award winning music producers. Established in 2001, Zumba Fitness now claims to be training more than 10 million people in its [...]
What is WordPress? WordPress is a free, open source content management system (CMS) which is powered by PHP and MySQL. This is used majorly for blog publication and is the most popular CMS today. The first version of WordPress was released by its founding developer Matt Mulenweg on May 2003, as a direct successor to [...]
What is pH? pH is a term in chemistry that is used as a unit of measurement for the acidity or basicity of solutions. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, with 0 as the most acidic and 14 as the most basic. A pH of 7 means the solution is neutral. Examples of [...]
What is Mormonism? Mormonism refers to the religious practice of the largest branch of the Latter Day Saints movement, the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints or LDS church. The term Mormonism also covers its denomination, the fundamentalist Mormons, a sect which continues to practice polygamy as a way of life (and [...]
What is Panache? Panache is a term that in the modern context is used to describe a person or style who/which is dashing and flamboyant. The origin of the word panache comes from the Middle French word “penacche”, from the old Italian word “pennacchio” (or old Latin word “pinnaculum”, meaning little wing) which is an [...]
What is Gourmet Food? Gourmet is usually associated with food and cooking, a characteristic in which the process of preparation is taken on with utmost care and refinement, almost elevating it to the level of art. It is also referred to as haute cuisine (in the case of preparing dishes), a French term which is [...]
What is XOXO? XOXO is a symbol or a series of letter which means “hug and kisses”. In some cases, X is representative of kiss and O is representative of hugs, while in some the reverse is true. In modern letter writing such as in mail and emails (or even chat), XOXO is a sign [...]
What is a Busbar? A busbar is a grounded strip of copper or aluminum that conducts electricity, which acts as a current collector or distributor. These strips can vary in thickness and length, depending on the electrical load it will be assigned to carry. Busbars are used to distribute current to different areas within switchgear. [...]
What is Pasimology? Pasimology is another term for the words kinesics. Kinesics is the study of human gestures and expressions as a means of communication. These gestures and expressions, also called non-verbal communication, are studied to derive their corresponding meaning. Very simple examples of these are: a smile is usually indicative of happiness, a frown [...]
What is Anecdote? An anecdote is an interesting story which is derived from real life, often funny, which serves to entertain the audience. It does not necessarily have to be based on famous people, it could be about anybody at all. Unlike fables and parables, an anecdote does not seek to convey a lesson. Likewise, [...]
What is Darvish? Darvish is a commonly misspelled version of the word dervish, which pertains to a person in the Sufi Muslim faith who is seeking a path of asceticism. An ascetic is someone who lives a life whose main purpose is to seek spiritual and religious enlightenment. Thus, a dervish is the Sufi Muslim [...]
What is Mistletoe? Mistletoe (viscum album, phoradendron serotinum, phoradendrum flavescens, etc) is a semi-parasitic plant that grows on tree and shrub branches. Mistletoes have small, oval, waxy green leaves that grow in pairs along the stem, and this plant can stay green even in winter. Mistletoes grow berries which are white, waxy and pearl like. [...]
What is Kindle? Kindle is an electronic device from Amazon, developed by Lab126, which can be used to download e-books, online newspaper versions or magazines. It is thin, lightweight and portable, and it uses wireless internet connectivity to purchase and download content for viewing. The main Kindle line has had three versions since it was [...]
What is Heat of Fusion? Heat of fusion is the thermal energy that needs to be added in order to turn a solid into liquid (melting) or the thermal energy that needs to be subtracted in order to turn a liquid into solid (solidification). The transformation from solid to liquid and liquid to solid occurs [...]
What is Elastic Deformation? Elastic deformation is a physics term referring to the process an object undergoes where it retains it shape after deformation once pressure is removed. Sometimes also referred to as reversible deformation, linear elastic deformation (linear relationship between stress and strain) is governed by Hooke’s law of elasticity, which states that a [...]
What is High Art? High Art is a 1998 film directed by American filmmaker Lisa Cholodenko, starring Ally Sheedy and Radha Mitchell. The movie revolves around the two main characters Sydney (Syd), an assistant editor for a high art photography magazine, and Lucy, a once famous photographer who is now a heroin addict. Syd accidentally [...]
What is a Continental Breakfast? A continental breakfast is on offer as a breakfast option at most hotels, lodges and inns. They are usually light and simple, in line with the traditional Mediterranean breakfast. The term ‘continental’ is used here to refer to ‘The Continent’, another term for mainland Europe. Continental breakfasts are usually served [...]
What is Insha Allah? Insha Allah is a generally Islamic expression used by Muslims which means “God willing”. While other religions from Arabic countries also use the expression, it is more closely tied to Islam because of the use of Allah, the term for God used by Muslims. The term insha’Allah is used when speaking [...]
What is White Collar Blood Pressure? White collar blood pressure refers to the increased blood pressure that individuals experience when seeing a doctor. “White collar” pertains to the uniforms that doctors wear on duty. This is also called white collar effect or white coat effect. Anxiety and agitation makes a person’s blood pressure increase, and [...]
What is Jacuzzi? Jacuzzi, while generally used as a generic term for hydrojet bath tubs, is actually a brand name. Jacuzzi is the pioneer in the self contained jet action hot tub industry, and it has also managed to remain a market leader in the hydro-jet bathtub industry. There is some dispute as to who [...]
What is Infantilism? Infantilism is a condition wherein a person feels the desire to wear diapers or wear other baby accessories as a way of somewhat regressing back to their infantile days, without any medical reasons at all. Some of them do it occasionally, while others do it 24/7, wearing diapers under their clothing all [...]
