fermion

From Fermi + -on. Named after Italian-American physicist Enrico Fermi. Coined by English physicist Paul Dirac in 1945 in a lecture titled "Developments in Atomic Theory".

فرميون

particle with totally antisymmetric composite quantum states

The fermions treated by the Standard Model are the (composite) baryons and the (elementary) leptons and quarks.

According to the spin–statistics theorem, the wavefunction of a system of identical fermions (particles of half-integer spin) is antisymmetric under the operation of swapping any two particles.

A remarkable feature of lattice regularization is the appearance of several fermion species per fermion field in the lattice action.

1994, István Montvay, Gernot Münster, Quantum Fields on a Lattice, Cambridge University Press, page 208:

For 2D systems, going beyond first order pertu[r]bative calculations, we show that the second harmonic of the current is strongly suppressed in the case of spinless fermion models but significantly enhanced for the Hubbard model.

1996, Georges Bouzerar, Didier Poilblanc, “Persistent Currents in Interacting Electronic Systems”, in T. Martin, G. Montambaux, J. Trân Thanh Vân, editors, Correlated Fermions and Transport in Mesoscopic Systems, Editions Frontieres, page 149:

It is not known whether the Higgs mechanism is the true source for the masses of the fundamental fermions.

1996, Georg G. Raffelt, Stars as Laboratories for Fundamental Physics, University of Chicago Press, page 253:

The snapshots were taken by MIT physicists and are the first images that directly capture the pairing of fermions — a major class of particles that includes electrons, as well as protons, neutrons, and certain types of atoms.

2023 July 6, Jennifer Chu, “MIT physicists generate the first snapshots of fermion pairs”, in MIT News:

Pauli exclusion principle
Pauli exclusion principle

(particle physics, Standard Model) Any elementary or composite particle that has half-integer spin and thus obeys Fermi–Dirac statistics and the Pauli exclusion principle (equivalently, a particle for which the wavefunction of any system of identical such particles changes sign whenever two are swapped); a baryon, a lepton or a quark;

Any elementary or composite particle that has half-integer spin and thus obeys Fermi–Dirac statistics and the Pauli exclusion principle (equivalently, a particle for which the wavefunction of any system of identical such particles changes sign whenever two are swapped); a baryon, a lepton or a quark;
(slightly more loosely) any such particle or any composite particle composed of fermions.


freefall

/ˈfɹiːˌfɔːl/

(physics) The state of being in a motion affected by no acceleration (force) other than that provided by gravity.

caiguda lliure

falling through atmosphere without additional drag devices


boson

From Bose + -on. Named after Indian physicist Satyendra Nath Bose (1894–1974); coined by English physicist Paul Dirac in 1945 in a lecture titled "Developments in Atomic Theory".

coin

Bose-Einstein statistics
Bose-Einstein statistics

(physics) A particle with totally symmetric composite quantum states, which exempts them from the Pauli exclusion principle, and that hence obeys Bose-Einstein statistics. They have integer spin. Among them are many elementary particles, and some (gauge bosons) are known to carry the fundamental forces. Compare fermion.


troll

Partly:
* from Middle English trol (“demon (?); sorcerer (?)”) [and other forms], from Old Norse trǫll (“conjurer, mage; witch”), from Proto-Germanic *truzlą (“supernatural being; demon, fiend; giant; monster”), probably from *trudaną (“to step on; to tread”) + *-ilą (suffix forming agent nouns); and
* borrowed from Norwegian Bokmål troll, Swedish troll, or Danish trold, from Old Norse trǫll (see above).
Doublet of droll and trow.
cognates
* Danish fortrylle (“to bewitch”), trylle (“to conjure”)
* Icelandic tröll
* Middle High German trol, trolle (“spook, wraith; ogre, monster”)
* Norwegian fortrylle (“to bewitch”), trylle (“to conjure”)
* Swedish trolla (“to conjure”)

der

(astronomy, meteorology) An optical ejection from the top of the electrically active core region of a thunderstorm that is red in colour that seems to occur after tendrils of vigorous sprites extend downward towards cloudtops.


lepton

From Ancient Greek λεπτός (leptós) + -on. Coined by Dutch-American physicist Abraham Pais in 1947.

coin

In the present paper we deal with the second order radiative correction to the beta disintegration of nucleon, assuming the Fermi's interaction between necleon and lepton fields, and show that there appears such an ultraviolet divergence as can not be removed by the procedure of renormalization of mass and coupling constant, so far as a single type of coupling is assumed for the decay Hamiltonian.

1950, Tadao Nakano, “Radiative Correction to Decay Processes”, in Progress of Theoretical Physics, volume 5, number 6:

strong nuclear force
strong nuclear force

(particle physics) An elementary particle that has a spin of 1/2 (i.e., is a fermion) and does not interact via the strong nuclear force; examples include the electron, the muon, the neutrino and the tauon.


pinch

→ Japanese: ピンチ (pinchi)

From Middle English pinchen, from Old Northern French *pinchier (compare Old French pincier, pincer (“to pinch”)), a word of uncertain origin, possibly from Vulgar Latin *pinciāre (“to puncture, pinch”), from a merger of *punctiāre (“to puncture, sting”), from Latin punctiō (“a puncture, prick”) and *piccāre (“to strike, sting”), from Frankish *pikkōn, from Proto-Germanic *pikkōną (“to pick, peck, prick”). More at point, pick and pitch.

der

pinch and a punch for the first of the month

(physics) A magnetic compression of an electrically-conducting filament.


active galaxy

active galactic nucleus
active galactic nucleus

(by restriction) A galaxy with an active nucleus (AGN, active galactic nucleus)


trip

From Middle English trippen (“tread or step lightly and nimbly, skip, dance”), perhaps from Old French triper (“to hop or dance around, strike with the feet”), from a Frankish source; or alternatively from Middle Dutch trippen (“to skip, trip, hop, stamp, trample”) (> Modern Dutch trippelen (“to toddle, patter, trip”)). Akin to Middle Low German trippen ( > Danish trippe (“to trip”), Swedish trippa (“to mince, trip”)), West Frisian tripje (“to toddle, trip”), German trippeln (“to scurry”), Old English treppan (“to trample, tread”). Related also to trap, tramp.

cog

It's dark because the trip operated.


commensurate

en-adj

commensurate (comparative more commensurate, superlative most commensurate)

more commensurate (comparative)
most commensurate (superlative)

/kəˈmɛnʃəɹət/

/kəˈmɛnʃəɹət/

From Late Latin commēnsūrātus, from com- (“together, with”) + mēnsūrātus, past participle of mēnsūrāre (“to measure, to estimate”), from Latin mēnsūra (“measure”).

(physics) Describing a crystal in which every atom or molecule is placed in the same relative position


permease

(biochemistry) Any of several enzymes that transport membrane proteins.

permeaasi

enzyme that transports membrane proteins


neutral

neutral (comparative more neutral, superlative most neutral)

more neutral (comparative)
most neutral (superlative)

[ˈnuːt͡ʃɹəl]

From Middle French neutral (compare modern French neutre), from Latin neutrālis. By surface analysis, neuter + -al.

(physics) Neither positive nor negative; possessing no charge or equivalent positive and negative charge such that there is no imbalance.


distortion

en-noun

distortion (countable and uncountable, plural distortions)

/dɪsˈtɔːʃən/

Borrowed from Latin distortio, distortionis, from distortus.

(optics) An aberration that causes magnification to change over the field of view.


negative

en-adj

negative (comparative more negative, superlative most negative)

more negative (comparative)
most negative (superlative)

/ˈnɛ(e)ɡəˌɾɪv/

From Middle English negative, negatif, from Old French negatif, from Latin negātīvus (“that denies, negative”), from negāre (“to deny”); see negate.

der

(physics) Of electrical charge of an electron and related particles


tidal

title (with flapping but not Canadian raising)

From tide + -al. For “tide,” Latin actually used aestus, which had a secondary signification of “heat.” British Medieval Latin had the rare tīda, from Old English tīd, but *tīdālis is unattested. The word for “tidal” in Latin was aestuālis, which would yield *estual in English (vide estuary).


grand unification theory

en-noun

grand unification theory (plural grand unification theories)

electromagnetic interaction
electromagnetic interaction#English

weak interaction
weak interaction#English

strong interaction
strong interaction#English

(physics) A theory that unifies the electromagnetic interaction, the weak interaction, and the strong interaction.

نَظَرِيَّة اَلاِتِّحَاد اَلْكَوْنِيّ اَلْعَظِيم


physicist

From physics + -ist. Coined by the English polymath William Whewell (1794–1866) in his book The Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences (1840): see the quotation.

coinage

Thus we may say, that while the Naturalist employs principally the ideas of resemblance and life, the Physicist proceeds upon the ideas of force, matter, and the properties of matter.

1840, William Whewell, “Aphorisms Concerning the Language of Science. Aphorism VI. When Common Words are Appropriated as Technical Terms, this Must be Done so that They are Not Ambiguous in Their Application.”, in The Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences, Founded upon Their History. […], volume I, London: John W[illiam] Parker, […]; Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: J. and J. J. Deighton, →OCLC, page lxxi:

Physicists find themselves called in to deal with such varied problems as the reduction of noise in diesel railcars, investigation of the Hertzian stresses set up by wheel-rail contact and improvement of the insulation of fish and banana vans.

1961 February, R. K. Evans, “The role of research on British Railways”, in Trains Illustrated, page 95:

A person whose occupation specializes in the science of physics, especially at a professional level.


theory of everything

en-noun

theory of everything (plural theories of everything)

(physics) A supposed theory uniting all fundamental physical phenomena into a single framework.

(physics) A theory that would unite the four known fundamental forces of nature: gravity, electromagnetism, strong nuclear force (color force), weak nuclear force.


tidal wave

A large and sudden rise and fall in the tide.

при́ливна вълна́

The last tidal wave here killed twenty and left thousands homeless.

(proscribed) A large, sudden, and disastrous wave of water caused by a tremendous disturbance in the ocean; a tsunami. (See Usage notes below.)

During the day conditions worsened quickly—for example, a 2-6-0 on the Uckfield line suddenly encountered flood water high enough to enter its ashpan and extinguish its fire—until lock gates up-river at Barcombe gave way and a tidal wave rolled down the valley meeting head-on a spring tide rolling up from the coast.

1961 January, “Talking of Trains: Flooding at Lewes”, in Trains Illustrated, page 5:

(proscribed) A large, sudden inundation of water from the storm surge, or waves of that surge; a sudden surge of river water.

As the doors opened, a tidal wave of people flooded into the room.

I was overcome by a tidal wave of emotions.

But this is no stream, folks. This will be a tidal wave that can swamp our democracy.

2003, Michael Moore, chapter 3, in Dude, Where’s My Country:

(figuratively) A sudden and powerful surge.

(archaic) A crest of ocean water; a wave.

(oceanography) A crest of ocean water resulting from tidal forces.

golf

oceanography: crest of ocean water resulting from tidal forces


transient

en-adj

transient (comparative more transient, superlative most transient)

more transient (comparative)
most transient (superlative)

From Late Latin transiēnt- (for classical transeunt-), stem of transiēns, present participle of transire (“to go over, to pass”).

مُؤَقَّت

passing or disappearing with time; transitory

(physics) Decaying with time, especially exponentially.


transient

(physics) A transient phenomenon, especially an electric current; a very brief surge.

(acoustics) A relatively loud, non-repeating signal in an audio waveform that occurs very quickly, such as the attack of a snare drum.


tonic

tonic (comparative more tonic, superlative most tonic)

more tonic (comparative)
most tonic (superlative)

From Ancient Greek τονικός (tonikós), from τόνος (tónos). 17th century writers believed health to be derived from firmly stretched muscles, thus tonic; the extension of tonic medicine appeared in the late 18th century. By surface analysis, ton(e) + -ic.

Out in front and across the street, Doc noted half a dozen or so young men, not loitering or doing substances but poised and tonic, as if waiting for some standing order to take effect.

2009, Thomas Pynchon, Inherent Vice, Vintage, published 2010, page 316:

(physics, pathology) Pertaining to tension, especially of muscles.


chameleon

From Middle English camelion, from Old French cameleon, from Latin chamaeleon, from Ancient Greek χαμαιλέων (khamailéōn), from χαμαί (khamaí, “on the earth, on the ground”) + λέων (léōn, “lion”); ultimately a calque from Akkadian 𒌨𒈤𒊭𒆠 (nēšu ša qaqqari, “chameleon, reptile”, literally “lion of the ground", "predator that crawls upon the ground”). The spelling was re-latinized in the early 18th century. The physics sense was coined by Justin Khoury and Amanda Weltman in 2003 in a paper in Physical Review Letters.

der

(physics) A hypothetical scalar particle with a non-linear self-interaction, giving it an effective mass that depends on its environment: the presence of other fields.


repel

en-verb

repel (third-person singular simple present repels, present participle repelling, simple past and past participle repelled)

repels (present singular third-person)
repelling (participle present)
repelled (participle past)
repelled (past)
repel (infinitive)

From Middle English repellen, a borrowing from Old French *repeller, from Latin repellere (“to drive back”), from re- (“back”) + pellere (“to drive”). Doublet of repeal.

(transitive, physics) To force away by means of a repulsive force.


concavo-convex

en-adj

concavo-convex (comparative more concavo-convex, superlative most concavo-convex)

more concavo-convex (comparative)
most concavo-convex (superlative)

Coordinate term: concavoconcave

(optics) Having one side concave and the other convex.

凹凸

having one side concave and the other convex


Area 51

Unclear, but perhaps from a grid numbering system of the area by the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). While Area 51 is not part of this system, it is adjacent to Area 15.

Nevada Test and Training Range
w:Nevada Test and Training Range

(science fiction or ufology, informal) A secret military facility, airport, and airbase in Nevada Test and Training Range, Nevada, United States. It is the subject of conspiracy theories claiming it is where the US government hides extra-planetary alien visitors.

Atomic Energy Commission
en:Area 51
en:Area 51 (disambiguation)

Area 51

military base in Nevada rumored to contain extraterrestrial life


dome

Borrowed from Middle French dome, domme (modern French dôme), from Italian duomo, from Latin domus (ecclesiae) (literally “house (of the church)”), a calque of Ancient Greek οἶκος τῆς ἐκκλησίας (oîkos tês ekklēsías). Doublet of domus and duomo.

cal

οἶκος τῆς ἐκκλησίας

(crystallography) A prism formed by planes parallel to a lateral axis which meet above in a horizontal edge, like the roof of a house; also, one of the planes of such a form.


bond

en-verb

bond (third-person singular simple present bonds, present participle bonding, simple past and past participle bonded)

bonds (present singular third-person)
bonding (participle present)
bonded (participle past)
bonded (past)

A house's distribution panel should always be bonded to the grounding rods via a panel bond.

(transitive, electricity) To make a reliable electrical connection between two conductors (or any pieces of metal that may potentially become conductors).


quench

quench (third-person singular simple present quenches, present participle quenching, simple past quenched, past participle quenched or (obsolete) quent)

quenches (present singular third-person)
quenching (participle present)
quenched (past)
quenched (participle past)
quent (obsolete participle past)

From Middle English quenchen, from Old English cwenċan, from Proto-Germanic *kwankijaną.

A suitable method to prepare a system out of equilibrium in order to study the ensuing dynamics is to quench the system, i.e., to change its parameters abruptly.

2018, P. Bleicker and G. S. Uhrig, “Strong quenches in the one-dimensional Fermi-Hubbard model”, in Physical Review A, volume 98, →DOI, page 1:

(transitive, physics) To rapidly change the parameters of a physical system.

If someone is pinned against the MRI magnet by a ferromagnetic object, you may need to quench the magnet in order to free them.

These knobs are generally mounted behind a cover of some sort, to prevent someone from leaning up against them or putting a philodendron on top of them, because (1) that aforementioned geyser can represent thousands to tens of thousands of dollars of helium these days, and (2) quenching is Not Good for the integrity of the magnet, and in the worse^([sic]) case you might find yourself with a lot of high-quality scrap metal.

2015 May 15, Derek Lowe, “Quenching NMRs, Accidentally and On Purpose”, in In the Pipeline, archived from the original on 2022-11-20:

(transitive, physics) To rapidly terminate the operation of a superconducting electromagnet by causing part or all of the magnet's windings to enter the normal, resistive state.


quench

There are two main types of quenches, and both are triggered by the red button. A customer of ours actually pushed his once, out of curiosity. And no, he was not 7 years old. This button is primarily for safety purposes. In some rare cases, clear signage is ignored and metal objects like mop buckets, oxygen tanks, etc. get sucked into the bore of the MRI. These are very difficult to remove while the magnet is at field. And, if a patient is somehow pinned inside, an emergency push of the quench button can be a lifesaver. The button artificially heats the magnet and starts the chain reaction described above.

2019 June 13, Steve Rentz, “What Is an MRI Quench?”, in Block Imaging, archived from the original on 2022-11-20:

(physics) The abnormal termination of operation of a superconducting magnet, occurring when part of the superconducting coil enters the normal (resistive) state.

(physics) A rapid change of the parameters of a physical system.


galileo

The CGS unit of acceleration, equal to 1 centimetre per second per second (1 centimeter per second squared, 1cm/s^2). Symbol: Gal


capacitance

en-noun

capacitance (countable and uncountable, plural capacitances)

(physics, uncountable) The property of an electric circuit or its element that permits it to store charge, defined as the ratio of stored charge to potential over that element or circuit (Q/V); SI unit: farad (F).

(physics, countable) An element of an electrical circuit exhibiting capacitance.

капацитет

property of an element of an electrical circuit


albedo

albedo (countable and uncountable, plural albedos or albedoes)

Borrowed from Latin albēdō (“whiteness”).

bor+

For track, painting rails white at weak points that are more prone to buckling (where the 'critical rail temperature' is close to the 'stress free temperature' [...]) increases their albedo and can help slow how quickly they heat up, reducing their temperature by perhaps five degrees or so.

2022 August 10, Gareth Dennis, “How can we run trains when the heat is on?”, in RAIL, number 963, page 45:

(physics, meteorology, astronomy, optics) The fraction of incident light or radiation reflected by a surface or body, commonly expressed as a percentage.


hyper-

From Ancient Greek ὑπέρ (hupér, “over”), from Proto-Indo-European *upér (“over, above”) (English over), from *upo (“under, below”) (whence English up). Doublet of over-, super-, and sur-.

der

hyper- → hyperspace

Used to create forms that are found beyond the root.

(mathematics, physics) existing in more than three spatial dimensions


inclined plane

On this railway there were three inclined planes of the self-acting type, the full wagons pulling up the empty.

1947 May and June, “Notes and News: The Fordell Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 188:

(mechanics) One of the simple machines; a sloping surface such as a ramp such that an object can be raised with less effort than being lifted vertically.


electric motor

A motor that converts electrical energy into kinetic energy.


electronics

en-noun

electronics (countable and uncountable, plural electronics)

Electronics is a popular subject.

(physics) The study and use of electrical devices that operate by controlling the flow of electrons or other electrically charged particles or by converting the flow of charged particles to or from other forms of energy.


biconcave

a biconcave lens

the biconcave vertebrae

Red blood cells are biconcave.

(optics, anatomy) Having both sides that are concave.


dichromatic

en-adj

dichromatic (comparative more dichromatic, superlative most dichromatic)

more dichromatic (comparative)
most dichromatic (superlative)

From di- + Ancient Greek χρῶμα (khrôma, “color”) + -ic.

(optics) having two hues, either of which may be visible depending on both the concentration of the absorbing substance and the depth or thickness of the medium traversed, such as in pumpkin seed oil. A form of polychromatism.

(optics) exhibiting dichroism; dichroic.


Big Bang

Coined by English astronomer Fred Hoyle on the BBC Third Programme, broadcast at 18:30 GMT on 28 March 1949. It is a popular but misinformed belief that this was intended as a derogatory term, Hoyle being a proponent of the opposing steady state theory, but Hoyle himself has rejected that notion.

On scientific grounds this big bang assumption is much less the palatable of the two.

1955, Fred Hoyle, chapter 6, in The nature of the universe, page 113:

(cosmology) The cosmic event that marks the beginning of time and the rapid expansion of space for the visible universe. The evolution of the universe since that beginning point is described by the Big Bang Theory.


spring tide

Spring tides at Chepstow rise 40 ft., and there is a rapid current except for a very short time.

1952 September, “Chepstow River Bridge Centenary”, in Railway Magazine, page 623:

The tide which occurs when the moon is new or full; the effects of the Sun and moon being reinforced so that this tide is of maximum range.

springgety

geut veshefel bemolad hayareakh uvemilo'o

גֵּאוּת וְשֵׁפֶל בְּמוֹלַד הַיָּרֵחַ וּבְמִלּוֹאוֹ


neap tide

From neap + tide. Compare Danish niptid (“neap tide”), German Nipptide (“neap tide”), Old English nēpflōd (“neap tide”).

Spring tides occur when the Sun and Moon line up, since the gravities of the two bodies add together to create larger tidal forces. Neap tides occur when the Sun and Moon are at right angles to one another as seen from Earth. In this case, the gravitational forces counteract each other, creating weaker tidal forces.

1992 July 20, Neil F. Comins, “A New Slant on Earth”, in Astronomy, volume 20, number 7, page 44:

Rear Adm. Harry Hill, put in command of the amphibious force, consults with local mariners and reaches a cautious consensus that neap high tide in the lagoon on November 20 will surely be close to five feet deep.

1993 November 20, Michael Kernan, (Tarawa), “...heavy fire...unable to land...issue in doubt.”, in Smithsonian, volume 24, number 8, page 118:

... and neap tides (tides that occur during the first and third quarters of the moon and that have the least difference between high and low tides), ...

1995, Richard M. Schlenker, Sarah J. Yoshida, “Developing Science Activities”, in Science Activities, volume 32, number 2, page 34:

The tide which occurs just after the first and third quarters of the moon, when there is least difference between high tide and low tide.

dooie gety

tide which occurs when the moon is in its first or third quarter


composition

en-noun

composition (countable and uncountable, plural compositions)

→ Korean: 컴포지션 (keompojisyeon)

/ˌkɒmpəˈzɪʃən/

From Middle English composicioun, borrowed from Old French composicion, from Latin compositiō, compositiōnem.

hyvitys

agreement to pay money in order to clear a liability or obligation

(physics) The compounding of two velocities or forces into a single equivalent velocity or force.


tunnel

en-verb

tunnel (third-person singular simple present tunnels, present participle (UK) tunnelling or (US) tunneling, simple past and past participle (UK) tunnelled or (US) tunneled)

tunnels (present singular third-person)
tunnelling (UK participle present)
tunneling (US participle present)
tunnelled (UK participle past)
tunnelled (UK past)
tunneled (US participle past)
tunneled (US past)

From Middle French tonnelle (“net”) or tonel (“cask”), diminutive of Old French tonne (“cask”), a word of uncertain origin and affiliation. Related to Old English tunne (“tun; cask; barrel”). More at tun.

(physics) To undergo the quantum-mechanical phenomenon where a particle penetrates through a barrier that it classically cannot surmount.


specific

en-adj

specific (comparative more specific, superlative most specific)

more specific (comparative)
most specific (superlative)

From Old French specifique, from Late Latin specificus (“specific, particular”), from Latin speciēs (“kind”) + faciō (“make”).

der

(physics) of a value divided by mass (e.g. specific orbital energy)

en:by any standardizing divisor, in physics

(physics) similarly referring to a value divided by any measure which acts to standardize it (e.g. thrust specific fuel consumption, referring to fuel consumption divided by thrust)

en:instance of dimensionless ratio, in physics

(physics) a measure compared with a standard reference value by division, to produce a ratio without unit or dimension (e.g. specific refractive index is a pure number, and is relative to that of air)

relativní

of a measure compared to a standard reference


capacity

en-noun

capacity (countable and uncountable, plural capacities)

From Middle English capacite, from Old French capacite, from Latin capācitās, from capāx (“able to hold much”), from capiō (“to hold, to contain, to take, to understand”).

Surprisingly few men are lacking in capacity, but they fail because they are lacking in application. Either they never learn how to work, or, having learned, they are too indolent to apply themselves with the seriousness and the attention that is necessary to solve important problems.

1929, Calvin Coolidge, The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge, New York: Cosmopolitan Book Corporation, →OCLC, page 171:

Capability; the ability to perform some task

kapacitet

capability; the ability to perform some task

A faculty; the potential for growth and development


particle accelerator

particle accelerator (plural particle accelerators)

A device that accelerates electrically charged particles to extremely high speeds, for the purpose of inducing high energy reactions or producing high energy radiation.

مُعَجِّل جُسَيْمَات

a device that accelerates electrically charged particles to extremely high speeds


biophysics

Greek: βιοφυσική (viofysikí)

For quotations using this term, see Citations:biophysics.

The interdisciplinary science that applies theories and methods of the physical sciences to questions of biology.


interface

→ Armenian: միջերես (miǰeres) (calque)

→ Japanese: インターフェース (intāfēsu)

→ Korean: 인터페이스 (inteopeiseu)

desctree

→ Russian: интерфе́йс (interféjs)
→ Kazakh: интерфейс (interfeis)

→ Turkish: ayarüz (calque)

From inter- (“between”) + face (“shape, figure, form”).

تَعْشِيق

point of interconnection between entities

interfaze

computing, object-oriented: connection between parts of software

If water and oil are mixed together, they tend to separate, and at equilibrium they are in different strata with an oil-water interface in between.

The surface of a lake is a water-air interface.

(chemistry, physics) A thin layer or boundary between different substances or two phases of a single substance.

фа́зова гра́ница

chemistry, physics: thin layer or boundary between different substances, or phases of a single substance


modulus

Learned borrowing from Latin modulus. Doublet of module and mold.

(mathematics) The base with respect to which a congruence is computed.

系数

(physics) A coefficient that expresses how much of a certain property is possessed by a certain substance.

модуль

(physics) A scalar field controlling the shape and size of extra dimensions in a compactification.

(computing, programming) An operator placed between two numbers, to get the remainder of the division of those numbers.

moduuli

computing, programming: type of operator


excite

en-verb

excite (third-person singular simple present excites, present participle exciting, simple past and past participle excited)

excites (present singular third-person)
exciting (participle present)
excited (participle past)
excited (past)
excite (infinitive)

From Middle English exciten, from Old French exciter, from Latin excitare (“call out, call forth, arouse, wake up, stimulate”), frequentative of exciere (“call out, arouse, excite”), from ex (“out”) + ciere (“call, summon”). See cite and compare to accite, concite, incite.

der

By applying electric potential to the neon atoms, the electrons become excited, then emit a photon when returning to normal.

(transitive, physics) To cause an electron to move to a higher than normal state; to promote an electron to an outer level.

възбуждам

to cause an electron to move to a higher than normal state


flocculation

en-noun

flocculation (countable and uncountable, plural flocculations)

/ˌflɒkjʊˈlɛɪ̯ʃən/

(physical chemistry) A condition in which clays, polymers or other small charged particles become attached and form a fragile structure, a floc.


momentum

momentum (countable and uncountable, plural momentums or momenta)

From Latin mōmentum. Doublet of moment and movement.

(physics) Of a body in motion: the tendency of a body to maintain its inertial motion; the product of its mass and velocity, or the vector sum of the products of its masses and velocities.

(physics) Strength or force gained by motion or movement.


pixie

Uncertain; 17thC, originally in the folklore of southwest England; perhaps diminutive of Swedish pysk (“fairy”); perhaps Puck + -sy; see Wikipedia.

(astronomy, meteorology) An upper-atmospheric optical phenomenon associated with thunderstorms, a short-lasting pinpoint of light on the surface of convective domes that produces a gnome.


wave-particle duality

(physics) The concept applying to all matter and radiation, but most evident in light and particles such as the electron, that properties of waves and of particles are exhibited simultaneously

aalto-hiukkasdualismi

concept applying to matter and radiation

粒子と波動の二重性

りゅうしとはどうのにじゅうせい


quantum number

(quantum mechanics) One of certain integers or half-integers that specify the state of a quantum mechanical system (such as an electron in an atom).

númberu cuánticu

number that specifies the state of a quantum mechanical system


molecular orbital

molecular orbital (plural molecular orbitals)

(physical chemistry, quantum mechanics) The quantum mechanical behavior of an electron in a molecule describing the probability of the electron's particular position and energy; approximated by a linear combination of atomic orbitals.


atomic orbital

(quantum mechanics, physical chemistry) A mathematical function that describes the wave-like behavior of either one electron or a pair of electrons in an atom. This function can be used to calculate the probability of finding any electron of an atom in any specific region around the atom's nucleus.


wavefunction

The interpretation of the wavefunction was one of the thorny issues facing the early pioneers of quantum theory.

2011, Brian Cox, Jeff Forshaw, The Quantum World, Allen Lane, published 2011, page 41:

(physics) A mathematical function that describes the propagation of the quantum mechanical wave associated with a particle (or system of particles), related to the probability of finding the particle in a particular region of space.


plus

minus

antonym(s) of “being positive rather than negative or zero”

bad

antonym(s) of “positive, involving advantage”

A battery has both a plus pole and a minus pole.


duality

duality (countable and uncountable, plural dualities)

(mathematics, physics) The mathematical equivalence of two seemingly different theoretical descriptions of a physical system.


subatomic

(physics) Relating to particles that are constituents of the atom, or are smaller than an atom; such as proton, neutron, electron, etc.

subatómicu

relating to particles that are smaller than an atom


quantum leap

(quantum mechanics) The discontinuous change of the state of an electron in an atom or molecule from one energy level to another.


coherent

en-adj

coherent (comparative more coherent, superlative most coherent)

more coherent (comparative)
most coherent (superlative)

/kəʊˈhɪə.ɹənt/

/kəʉˈhɪə.ɹənt/

From Middle French coherent, from Latin cohaērēns, from co- + haereō. By surface analysis, cohere + -ent.

(physics) Of waves having the same direction, wavelength and phase, as light in a laser.

кохерентен

of waves having the same direction, wavelength and phase


quantum mechanics

(physics) The branch of physics which studies matter and energy at the level of atoms and other elementary particles, and substitutes probabilistic mechanisms in place of classical Newtonian ones.


simple machine

(physics, engineering) A device that only requires the application of a single force to work.


vacancy

en-noun

vacancy (countable and uncountable, plural vacancies)

(physics) A defect in a crystal caused by the absence of an atom in a lattice


handedness

handedness (countable and uncountable, plural handednesses)

(chemistry, physics) The property that distinguishes an asymmetric object from its mirror image. For example, the essential difference between a left and right glove.


astration

(physics, astronomy) In the galactic cycle of matter, the incorporation of matter into a stellar interior during star formation, especially when referring to a specific element or isotope.


kinetic energy

kinetic energy (countable and uncountable, plural kinetic energies)

As on Nos. 20001-3, the motor and generator armature shafts of the new locomotive each carry a heavy flywheel to provide kinetic energy and help maintain the speed of the motor-generator set during interruptions of supply, as at breaks in the continuity of the conductor rail.

1959 March, “The 2,500 h.p. electric locomotives for the Kent Coast electrification”, in Trains Illustrated, page 123:

(physics) The energy possessed by an object because of its motion, equal (nonrelativistically) to one half the mass of the body times the square of its speed.


s-

Abbreviation of scalar (“particle with spin 0”).

abbrev

(physics) Subatomic particles with a spin (quantum angular momentum) of 0, predicted by supersymmetry; the bosonic equivalent of known fermions.


pitchblende

en-noun

pitchblende (countable and uncountable, plural pitchblendes)

From German Pechblende, from Pech (“pitch”) + Blende (“blende”).

Working in Paris in 1898, Marie and Pierre Curie processed thousands of pounds of pitchblende from the same glass-factory tailings in order to isolate two radioactive elements that had hitherto been unknown: radium and polonium.

2004, Richard Fortey, The Earth, Folio Society, published 2011, page 205:

(mineralogy) Naturally-occurring uranium oxide, a variety of the mineral uraninite.


uranite

uranite (countable and uncountable, plural uranites)

A dark, lustrous, heavy mineral, a source of uranium and radium.


siren

From Middle English siren, from Old French sereine and Latin Sīrēn, Sīrēna, from Ancient Greek Σειρήν (Seirḗn). The mammalian sense was first attested in French in Dominique Bouhours, Les entretiens d'Ariste et d'Eugène, in 1671. The aquatic salamander sense was originally introduced by Linnaeus in 1766, for a genus of his reptiles. Doublet of serin.

2017, B.P. Abbott, “A gravitational-wave standard siren measurement of the Hubble constant”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name):

(astronomy, astrophysics) An astrophysical event that can be used for calculating cosmic distances.


elementary

en-adj

elementary (comparative more elementary, superlative most elementary)

more elementary (comparative)
most elementary (superlative)

From Latin elementārius (“elementary”), from elementum (“one of the four elements of antiquity; fundamentals”) + -ārius (adjective-forming suffix). Cognate with French élémentaire.

The physics of elementary particles in the 20th century was distinguished by the observation of particles whose existence had been predicted by theorists sometimes decades earlier.

2012 March 20, Jeremy Bernstein, “A Palette of Particles”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, page 146:

(physics) Relating to a subatomic particle.


alpha particle

(physics) A doubly positively charged nucleus of a helium-4 atom (consisting of two protons and two neutrons), emitted as a consequence of radioactivity; α-particle


gamma ray

electromagnetic radiation
electromagnetic radiation

Very high frequency (and therefore very high energy) electromagnetic radiation emitted as a consequence of radioactivity.

raig gamma

very high frequency electromagnetic radiation


conserve

en-verb

conserve (third-person singular simple present conserves, present participle conserving, simple past and past participle conserved)

conserves (present singular third-person)
conserving (participle present)
conserved (participle past)
conserved (past)

From Middle English conserven, from Old French conserver, from Latin conservare (“to keep, preserve”), from com- (intensive prefix) + servo (“keep watch, maintain”). See also observe.

(physics, chemistry, intransitive) To remain unchanged during a process


mass number

(physics, physical chemistry) The total number of protons and neutrons in an atomic nucleus. Symbol: A

عَدَد كُتْلِيّ

нукло́нне число́ n (nuklónne čysló, literally “nucleon number”)


catalyst

Enzymes, the catalysts of biological systems, are remarkable molecular devices that determine the pattern of chemical transformations.

1988, Lubert Stryer, Biochemistry, 3rd edition, page 177:

(chemistry) A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed in the process.

حَفَّاز

substance which increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed in the process


tritium

en-noun

tritium (countable and uncountable, plural tritiums)

From trito- + -ium. From Ancient Greek τρίτος (trítos, “third”).

(physics) A radioactive isotope of the element hydrogen (symbol T, ³H or ³₁H) having one proton and two neutrons.


radioactivity

radioactivity (usually uncountable, plural radioactivities)

Spontaneous emission of ionizing radiation as a consequence of a nuclear reaction, or directly from the breakdown of an unstable nucleus.

The radiation so emitted; including gamma rays, alpha particles, neutrons, electrons, positrons, etc.


orbital

Borrowed from Medieval Latin orbitālis, from orbita (“a track or rut; a circuit, orbit”) + -ālis (“-al”, adjectival suffix), equivalent to orbit + -al. Doublet of orbitalis.

af

(physics) A specification of the energy and probability density of one or more electrons at any point in an atom or molecule, and can be represented as a wave function.


isopleth

From iso- + Ancient Greek πλῆθος (plêthos, “a great number”).

der

(thermodynamics) A line in a phase diagram indicating the same mole fraction.


spacetime

en-noun

spacetime (countable and uncountable, plural spacetimes)

From space + time, as a calque of German Raumzeit, introduced in this sense by Hermann Minkowski. First appears in print c. 1893 in the Philosophical Review.

An event is a point in spacetime, specified by the coordinates x, y, z, and t.

(uncountable, physics) The four-dimensional continuum of the three spatial dimensions plus time.

a Minkowski spacetime

a 5-dimensional spacetime

(physics) An n-dimensional continuum consisting of dimensions of both space and time. Normally spacetime is considered as having 4 dimensions (x, y, z, t), but higher-dimensional spacetimes are often encountered in theoretical physics, e.g. the 5-dimensional spacetime of Kaluza-Klein theory or the 11 dimensions of spacetime in M-theory.

a Schwarzschild spacetime

a Reissner-Nordström spacetime

(relativity) A specific region of the universe with mathematically different properties than the surrounding spacetime. Synonymous with "metric" within the context of general relativity.


half-life

semivida

chemistry: time required for concentration to fall to half

(physics) The time required for half the nuclei in a sample of an isotope to undergo radioactive decay.


isotope

From iso- (“equal”) + -tope (“place”), because the different isotopes of a chemical element always occupy the same position in the periodic table of elements. The term was coined by Scottish doctor Margaret Todd in 1909 and first used publicly on February 27, 1913 by English chemist Frederick Soddy.

coin

(nuclear physics) Any of two or more forms of an element where the atoms have the same number of protons, but a different number of neutrons within their nuclei. Thus, isotopes have the same atomic number but a different mass number.

نَظِير

atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons


isobar

From Ancient Greek ἴσος (ísos, “equal”) + βάρος (báros, “weight”), equivalent to iso- + bar-.

(thermodynamics) A set of points or conditions at constant pressure.

isobare

(thermodynamics) set of points at constant pressure

(nuclear physics) Either of two nuclides of different elements having the same mass number.


unstable

en-adj

unstable (comparative more unstable, superlative most unstable)

more unstable (comparative)
most unstable (superlative)

From Middle English unstable; equivalent to un- + stable.

tottering

not held or fixed securely and likely to fall over

emotionally unstable personality disorder

(physics) Radioactive, especially with a short half-life.


effective

effective (comparative more effective, superlative most effective)

more effective (comparative)
most effective (superlative)

From French effectif, from Latin effectīvus (“productive; effective”), from efficiō (“I make; I bring about”).

der

(physics, for any effective theory) approximate; Not describing the fundamental dynamic changes in some system as they happen.


radioactive

en-adj

radioactive (comparative more radioactive, superlative most radioactive)

more radioactive (comparative)
most radioactive (superlative)

Coined by Pierre Curie and Marie Curie in 1898 as French radio-actif, equivalent to English radio- + active.

As a matter of fact many of our best drinking waters have all sorts of unspecified qualities. Burton water, for example, is radioactive by Beetham's standards up to the ninth degree.

1917, H. G. Wells, “The First Vision”, in The Soul of a Bishop:


actinic

From Ancient Greek ἀκτίς, ἀκτῖν- (aktís, aktîn-, “ray”) + -ic.

uder

ἀκτίς, ἀκτῖν-

Related to radiation; used most often in reference to light, especially in the ultraviolet range.

He bounded over cresting waves that shone in the actinic glare.

In medicine, actinic keratoses usually occur in sundamaged skin and exhibit hyperkeratosis.

(medicine) Caused by extensive exposure to ultraviolet light.

It should be borne in mind that the actinic power of the sun is subject to considerable variations, due to its elevation above the horizon.

1883, Abraham Cowley Malley, Micro-photography: Including a Description of the Wet Collodion and Gelatino-Bromide Processes, page 32:

I got my picture, and it turned out quite a good one, despite the rather poor light which at that time of day, 7 p.m., was lacking in actinic value.

1943 May and June, Chas. S. Lake, “Some Continental Travel Experiences (1922-1939)—III”, in Railway Magazine, page 141:

(chemistry, photography) Of or relating to actinism, the range of photochemical effects produced by exposure to EM radiation, particularly sunlight.


enthalpy

en-noun

enthalpy (countable and uncountable, plural enthalpies)

From Ancient Greek ἐν- (en-, “in”) + θάλπω (thálpō, “to warm”). Coined by Dutch physicist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes, but first used in print by J. P. Dalton in 1909 in a paper titled "Researches on the Joule-Kelvin-effect, especially at low temperatures".

coin

H=U+pV, where H is enthalpy, U is internal energy, p is pressure, and V is volume.

(thermodynamics, physical chemistry) A measure of the heat content of a chemical or physical system.


viscose

en-noun

viscose (countable and uncountable, plural viscoses)

From Latin viscōsus, from viscum (“birdlime”). Doublet of viscous.

A viscous orange-brown liquid obtained by chemical treatment of cellulose and used as the basis of manufacturing rayon and cellulose film.


blank

From Middle English blank, blonc, blaunc, blaunche, from Anglo-Norman blonc, blaunc, blaunche, from Old French blanc, feminine blanche, from Frankish *blank (“gleaming, white, blinding”), from Proto-Germanic *blankaz (“white, bright, blinding”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleyǵ- (“to shine”). Akin to Old High German blanch (“shining, bright, white”) (German blank), Old English blanc (“white, grey”), blanca (“white steed”), Spanish blanco. More at blink, blind, blanch. Doublet of blanc.

cog

(mechanics, engineering) A piece of material roughly cut, forged, cast, etc. to the size and shape of the thing to be made, and ready for the finishing operations; (coining) the disc of metal before stamping .

Any article of glass on which subsequent processing is required [since the 19th century].

(electric recording) The shaved wax ready for placing on a recording machine for making wax records with a stylus [20th century].


viscosity

en-noun

viscosity (countable and uncountable, plural viscosities)

From Middle French viscosité, from Old French viscosité, from Medieval Latin viscositas; analysable as viscous + -ity.

(uncountable) The state of being viscous.

Aquafaba was recovered from 10 commercial canned chickpea products and correlations among aquafaba composition, density, viscosity and foaming properties were investigated. Proton NMR was used to characterize aquafaba composition before and after ultrafiltration through membranes with different molecular weight cut offs (MWCOs of 3, 10, or 50 kDa).

2018 October 3, Youn Young Shim, Rana Mustafa, Jianheng Shen, Kornsulee Ratanapariyanuch, Martin J. T. Reaney, “Composition and Properties of Aquafaba: Water Recovered from Commercially Canned Chickpeas”, in Journal of Visualized Experiments, volume 132, →DOI, →PMID:

(countable, physics) A quantity expressing the magnitude of internal friction in a fluid, as measured by the force per unit area resisting uniform flow.

viskositeit

physics: quantity expressing the magnitude of internal friction in a fluid


fringe

From Middle English frenge, from Old French frenge, from Vulgar Latin *frimbia, a metathesis of Latin fimbriae (“fibers, threads, fringe”, plural), of uncertain origin. Compare German Franse and Danish frynse. Eclipsed native Middle English fnæd (“fringe”), Middle English byrd (“fringe”), Middle English fasel (“fringe”) from Old English fæs (“fringe”), and Old English fnæs (“fringe”). Doublet of fimbria.

der

interference fringe

(physics) A light or dark band formed by the diffraction of light.


hydrodynamic

On the descent from Semmering to Payerbach-Reichenau, with a ruling gradient of 1 in 39 [...], the Voith hydrodynamic brake kept the train within the 19 and 23 m.p.h. limitations without recourse to air brakes, [...].

1961 October, David W. Beadle, “Krauss-Maffei 4,000 h.p. diesel-hydraulic unit for the U.S.A. on trial”, in Trains Illustrated, page 619:

(physics) Of, or relating to the science of hydrodynamics.

hidrodinàmic

of or relating to the science of hydrodynamics


poise

en-noun

poise (countable and uncountable, plural poises)

From Middle English poys, poyse, from Anglo-Norman pois, Middle French pois (“weight”) and Anglo-Norman poise, Middle French poise (“measure of weight”), from Latin pēnsāre (“to ponder, weight, think”).

der

Letterpress and offset gloss varnishes normally have viscosities varying from 50 to 250 poises; they must stain the paper as little as possible, have insufficient tack to cause plucking, […]

1959, E. A. Apps, Printing Ink Technology, page 415:

(physics) A CGS unit of dynamic viscosity equal to one dyne-second per square centimetre.


twin

PIE word
 *dwóh₁
From Middle English twinne, twynne, from Old English ġetwin, ġetwinn (“twin, multiple”, noun) and twinn (“twin, two-fold, double, two by two”, adjective), from Proto-Germanic *twinjaz, *twinahz (“two each”), from Proto-Indo-European *dwino- (“twin”), from *dwóh₁ (“two”). Cognate with Scots twyn (“twin”), Dutch tweeling (“twin”), German Zwilling (“twin”), Danish tvilling (“twin”), Swedish tvilling (“twin”), Faroese tvinnur (“a double set”), Icelandic tvenna (“duo, pair”), Lithuanian dvynys (“twin”), Russian двойня (dvojnja, “twin”).


viscous

en-adj

viscous (comparative more viscous, superlative most viscous)

more viscous (comparative)
most viscous (superlative)

First attested in 1605. Borrowed from Middle French visqueux and Late Latin viscōsus, from Latin viscum (“birdlime”). Doublet of viscose.

(physics) Of or pertaining to viscosity.


aerodynamics

From French aérodynamique, from aero- + dynamics.

The aerodynamic properties of a particular object (typically a car).


isometric

isometric (comparative more isometric, superlative most isometric)

more isometric (comparative)
most isometric (superlative)

From Ancient Greek ἰσομέτρητος (isométrētos, “equal in measure”), from ἴσος (ísos, “equal”) + μέτρον (métron, “measure”). See also: iso- + -metric.

der

(physics, of a thermodynamic process) Taking place at constant volume because of being confined by rigid boundaries.


adiabatic

19th-century coinage (introduced by W. J. M. Rankine in the 1860s) based on Ancient Greek ἀδιάβατος (adiábatos, “impassable”), used of terrain (rivers, forests) by Xenophon, from ἀ- (a-, “not”) + διά (diá, “through”) + βατός (batós, “passable”), from βαίνω (baínō, “to go”).

uder

The line drawn on the indicator diagram in the latter case has been named by Professor Rankine an Adiabatic line, because it is defined by the condition that heat is not allowed to pass through (διαβαίνειν) the vessel which confines the substance.

1871, James Clerk Maxwell, Theory of Heat, page 129:

Talk of dynamic compression and adiabatic gradients didn't carry as much weight as the certainty of its conscious intent.

2006, Thomas Pynchon, Against the Day, Vintage 2007, page 737:

(physics, thermodynamics, of a process) That occurs without gain or loss of heat (and thus with no change in entropy, in the quasistatic approximation).

In this section we examine the limiting cases when T is very small (sudden change) and very large (adiabatic change).

1961, Albert Messiah, Quantum Mechanics, volume II, page 740:

(physics, quantum mechanics, of a process) That involves the slow change of the Hamiltonian of a system from its initial value to a final value.


running

en-noun

running (countable and uncountable, plural runnings)

(physics) The dependence of measured value, typically a coupling constant, on the energy scale at which it is probed due to higher-order interaction terms and associated renormalization issues becoming relevant; metaphorically, the "running" of the measurement from its limiting macroscopic value.


resistance

resistance (countable and uncountable, plural resistances)

From earlier resistence, from Middle English resistence, from Old French resistence, from Latin resistentia.
Morphologically resist + -ance.

(physics) A force that tends to oppose motion.

Electrical resistance
electrical resistance#English


equilibrium

equilibrium (plural equilibriums or equilibria)

equilibriums (plural)
equilibria (plural)

/ɛkwɪˈlɪbɹɪəm/

From Latin aequilībrium, from equal + lībra (“balance”).

It now appears that the locomotive did not blow up, as was commonly stated at the time, but that the aeroplane flew so low as to come into contact with the dome of the engine, knocking it off. It was the combination of the impact and the uprush of steam that so disturbed the equilibrium of the raider as to cause it to crash.

1943 May and June, “Notes and News: Effective Locomotive "Ack-Ack" Fire”, in Railway Magazine, page 180:

(physics) The state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero.

равнове́сие

physics: state of a body at rest or in uniform motion in which the resultant of all forces on it is zero

heat death

thermodynamic equilibrium state of maximum entropy


angstrom

Borrowed from Swedish ångström, named after Swedish physicist Anders Jonas Ångström.

named-after

electromagnetic radiation
electromagnetic radiation#English

(physics, metrology) A unit of length equal to 10⁻¹⁰ meters (that is, one ten-billionth of a meter), approximately the size of an atom, and denoted by the symbol Å, used especially to measure the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation or distances between atoms.


hyper

en-noun

hyper (countable and uncountable, plural hypers)

Shortenings, ultimately from the prefix hyper-.

(uncountable, science fiction, informal) Clipping of hyperspace.


drizzle

drizzle (countable and uncountable, plural drizzles)

Perhaps a back-formation from dryseling, a dissimilated variant of Middle English drysning (“a falling of dew”), from Old English drysnan (“to extinguish”), related to Old English drēosan (“to fall, to decline”), making it cognate to modern English droze and drowse. Compare also dialectal Swedish drösla.

cog

No longer pouring, the rain outside slowed down to a faint drizzle.

(physics, weather) Very small, numerous, and uniformly dispersed water drops, mist, or sprinkle. Unlike fog droplets, drizzle falls to the ground.

plovisqueig

(physics, weather) numerous small and uniformly dispersed water drops


aerosol

→ Cebuano: ayrosol

→ Irish: aerasól

→ Punjabi: ਐਰੋਸੋਲ (airosol)

→ Welsh: erosol

/ˈɛə.ɹəˌsɒl/

(physics) A colloidal system in which the dispersed phase is composed of either solid or liquid particles and in which the dispersal medium is some gas, usually air.

aerosol

physics: colloidal system with gas as dispersal medium


insectoid

Two hundred Earth years earlier, a race of Insectoids discovered them as the Squishys were sending their first probes to other planets in their own star system.

2017, A.K. Brown, Humans on the Menu (Champagne Universe Series: Book 2), page 24:

(science fiction, ufology) An insect-like creature.


zone

→ Korean: 존 (jon)

→ Punjabi: ਜ਼ੋਨ (zon)

From Latin zōna, from Ancient Greek ζώνη (zṓnē, “girdle, belt”).

der

(crystallography) A series of planes having mutually parallel intersections.


stoke

(physics) Misconstruction of stokes (unit of kinematic viscosity)


flit

From Middle English flitten, flytten, from Old Norse flytja (“to move”), from Proto-Germanic *flutjaną, from Proto-Indo-European *plewd- (“to flow; run”). Cognate Icelandic flytja, Swedish flytta, Danish flytte, Norwegian flytte, Faroese flyta. Compare also Saterland Frisian flitskje (“to rush; run quickly”).

cog

My computer just had a flit.

(physics) A particular, unexpected, short lived change of state.


flit

en-verb

flit (third-person singular simple present flits, present participle flitting, simple past and past participle flitted)

flits (present singular third-person)
flitting (participle present)
flitted (participle past)
flitted (past)

My blender flits because the power cord is damaged.

(physics) To unpredictably change state for short periods of time.

pätkiä

to unpredictably change state for short periods


actinism

en-noun

actinism (usually uncountable, plural actinisms)

(chemistry, physics) That property of electromagnetic radiation that leads to the production of photochemical effects

aktinisme

the property of electromagnetic radiation that leads to the production of photochemical effects


monomer

Nothing at all in the German fridge, so new that its interior smells only of cold and long-chain monomers.

2003, William Gibson, Pattern Recognition (Bigend cycle; book 1), New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, →ISBN, page 1:

(chemistry) A relatively small molecule which can be covalently bonded to other monomers to form a polymer or oligomer.

մոնոմեր

small molecule, bonded covalently to form polymers


catenary

From Late Latin catenaria, in turn from Latin catēna (“chain”). Attested since 1788.

/ˈkætəˌnɛɹi/

(geometry) The curve described by a flexible chain or a rope if it is supported at each end and is acted upon by no other forces than a uniform gravitational force due to its own weight and variations involving additional and non-uniform forces. It is described by the hyperbolic cosine function.

(engineering) Any physical cable, rope, chain, or other weight-supporting structure taking such geometric shape, as a suspension cable for a bridge or a power-transmission line or an arch for a bridge or roof.

(nautical) The curve of an anchor cable from the seabed to the vessel; it should be horizontal at the anchor so as to bury the flukes.

The result was catenary being torn down several hundred feet at a time.

1958, The Railway Review: An Intelligent Survey of Transit News and Trends:

The colour-lights showed up much better than the semaphores which, in spite of their approach warning boards, are not readily visible at any distance between the supports for the catenaries.

1962 April, P. W. B. Semmens, “The Netherlands Railways today”, in Modern Railways, page 241:

The electric overhead was catenary, using 0000 contact wire, and the new railway employed the latest in electric block signal systems.

1977, Paul Castelhun Trimble, Interurban Railways of the Bay Area, page 119:

In addition the catenary itself is divided into 1-2 km sections (corresponding to mechanical sections or tension lengths) with motorized remotely controlled sectioning off-load isolators such that only one train is likely to be immobilized at any one time as a result of an incident associated with the catenary system.

1995, The Channel Tunnel: Transport systems, →ISBN, page 22:

Overhead construction was catenary rather than a single wire to allow the use of pantographs instead of trolley poles so that speeds could be higher.

2009, Jan Young, Studebaker and the Railroads, volume 2, page 47:

(transport) A cable, the segments of which between supports take a catenary geometric shape, supporting in turn an overhead conductor that provides trains, trams or trolley buses with electricity, or the combination of the conductor, the cable, and supports.


simple harmonic motion

simple harmonic motion (plural simple harmonic motions)

(mathematics, physics) oscillating motion (as of a pendulum) in which the acceleration of the oscillator has an equal magnitude but opposite direction to the displacement of it from the equilibrium position


compliance

compliance (countable and uncountable, plural compliances)

(uncountable) The state of being compliant.

toimitaan / tehdään sääntöjen / sopimuksen mukaisesti

(mechanics) A measure of the extension or displacement of a loaded structure; its flexibility


dusty plasma

dusty plasma (countable and uncountable, plural dusty plasmas)

(physics) A plasma containing particles larger than the ions of the plasma; typically manufactured plastic microspheres.


anti

en-adj

anti (comparative more anti, superlative most anti)

more anti (comparative)
most anti (superlative)

Conversion of the prefix anti- to an adjective.

(physical chemistry) That has a torsion angle between 90° and 180°

vastustava

that has a torsion angle between 90° and 180°


impulsive

impulsive (comparative more impulsive, superlative most impulsive)

more impulsive (comparative)
most impulsive (superlative)

Borrowed from Middle French impulsif, from Latin impulsivus.

(mechanics) Acting momentarily, or by impulse; not continuous – said of forces.

impulsief

(mechanics) acting momentarily, or by impulse; not continuous


polymer

en-noun

polymer (countable and uncountable, plural polymers)

From poly- + -mer, from Ancient Greek πολύς (polús, “many”) + μέρος (méros, “part”). Coined by Jöns Jacob Berzelius in 1833, though his definition was quite different from the modern one.

(organic chemistry) A long or larger molecule consisting of a chain or network of many repeating units, formed by chemically bonding together many identical or similar small molecules called monomers. A polymer is formed by polymerization, the joining of many monomer molecules.


aqueous

en-adj

aqueous (comparative more aqueous, superlative most aqueous)

more aqueous (comparative)
most aqueous (superlative)

Formed from Latin aqua + -ous (or from Medieval Latin aqueus), partly the analogy of Middle French aqueux (itself actually from Latin aquosus). Or based on the analogy of Latin terreus from terra.

(physical chemistry) Consisting mostly of water. Often used in the expression "aqueous solution".


ionic bond

(physical chemistry) A type of chemical bond where two atoms or molecules are connected to each other by electrostatic attraction.

离子键

bond where atoms are connected by electrostatic attraction


coordinate bond

en-noun

coordinate bond (plural coordinate bonds)

(physical chemistry) A type of covalent bond where the two electrons being shared originate from the same atom; a dative bond.

coordination compound
coordination compound

(physical chemistry) One of the bonds between the central metal atom of a coordination compound and its ligands.


covalent bond

(physical chemistry) A type of chemical bond where two atoms are connected to each other by the sharing of two or more electrons.

kovalente binding

bond in which atoms are connected by shared pairs of electrons


bivalent

en-adj

bivalent (comparative more bivalent, superlative most bivalent)

more bivalent (comparative)
most bivalent (superlative)

(inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry) Having a valence of 2; having two ligands


helion

(physics) A helium ion, the nucleus of a helium-3 atom. Formula: ³He⁺² ; Symbol: h


CNC

consensual non-consent
consensual non-consent#English

(BDSM) Initialism of consensual non-consent.

(computing, manufacturing) Initialism of computer numerical control and computerized numerical control.

(organic chemistry) Initialism of cellulose nanocrystal.


CNC

(China, historical) Initialism of Chinese National Currency.


background

en-noun

background (countable and uncountable, plural backgrounds)

background radiation
background radiation#English

(physics) Clipping of background radiation.


pendulum

Borrowed from the neuter of Latin pendulus (“hanging”).

(clocks, mechanics) A body suspended from a fixed support so that it swings freely back and forth under the influence of gravity, commonly used to regulate various devices such as clocks.

The pendulum can be seen to be swinging in favour of rail, as with each issue of RAIL comes news of further intermodal service expansion.

2021 October 20, Industry Insider, “The wheels turn slowly”, in RAIL, number 942, page 68:

(by extension) The tendency of a situation to oscillate (between two extremes).


super-

Learned borrowing from Latin super-. Doublet of sur-, over-, and hyper-.

superparticle, superpartner, superWIMP


axis of evil

2002 State of the Union Address
George W. Bush
axis of evil

Coined by American political commentator David Frum in 2002 and first used publicly by President George W. Bush in the 2002 State of the Union Address. Possibly from a historical analogy to the German-Italian-Japanese axis. Extended to astrophysics by Portuguese scientist João Magueijo in 2005.

coin

cosmic microwave background
cosmic microwave background

(astrophysics, cosmology) An anomaly in the temperature of the cosmic microwave background as the result of a preferential axis which may have shaped the development of the universe, sometimes abbreviated AOE.


polysaccharide

Cellulose, starches, and complex carbohydrates, such as glycogen, are common polysaccharides in biology.

(biochemistry) A polymer made of many saccharide units linked by glycosidic bonds.


hydrogen bomb

A thermonuclear bomb that derives its destructive power from the fusion of isotopes of hydrogen (deuterium and tritium).


impetus

Borrowed from Latin impetus (“a rushing upon, an attack, assault, onset”), from impetō (“to rush upon, attack”), from in- (“upon”) + petō (“to seek, fall upon”).

bor

(history, medieval physics) A principle of motive force, held as equivalent to weight times velocity by John Buridan, in an auxiliary theory of Aristotelian dynamics introduced by John Philoponus, describing projectile motion against gravity as linear until it transitions to a vertical drop and the intellectual precursor to the concepts of inertia, momentum and acceleration in classical mechanics.


bicyclic

[…] substitution of a carboxylate would be expected to destabilize the dritterionic mesomer that contributes to the singlet valence bond description as the benzyne geometry becomes more bicyclic.

2003, Journal of the American Chemical Society, volume 125, page 134:

These geometries are almost reversed in the triplets. The 1,3-borazyne (III) shows more bicyclic character than the corresponding m-benzyne

2006, PJ Fazen, LA Burke, “Theoretical studies of borazynes and azaborines”, in Inorganic chemistry, ACS Publications:

On the basis of a comparison of calculated and measured IR data, the 2 B 2 state could undoubtedly be discarded in favor of a more bicyclic geometry

2007, S Venkataramani, M Winkler, “Trifluoro‐1, 3, 5‐tridehydrobenzene”, in Angewandte Chemie, Wiley Online Library:

(physical chemistry) Having two rings of atoms in the molecule; the rings may be fused, as in naphthalene, or separate, as in biphenyl.


bicyclic

(physical chemistry, organic chemistry) A bicyclic compound.


projectile

/pɹə(ʊ)ˈd͡ʒɛktʌɪl/

From Medieval Latin prōiectilis (“projectile”), from Latin prōiectus, perfect passive participle of prōiciō (“throw forth; extend; expel”).

(physics) Any object propelled or thrown through space by the application of a force, such as strong wind.


crackle

From Middle English crakelen, equivalent to crack + -le (frequentative suffix). The physics sense is part of a facetious sequence "snap, crackle, pop", after the mascots of Rice Krispies cereal.

(physics) The fifth derivative of the position vector with respect to time (after velocity, acceleration, jerk, and jounce), i.e. the rate of change of jounce.


thermonuclear

I can't believe you gave me, a ten-year-old boy, a thermonuclear device [...]

2021 January 30, ISP, quoting iSorrowproductions, Beating Fallout 3 But Every Enemy Has A NUKE - Every Enemy Has A Fat Man Mod:

Of, or relating to the use of atomic weapons based on such fusion, especially as distinguished from those based on fission.


nuclear fusion

en-noun

nuclear fusion (usually uncountable, plural nuclear fusions)

The emergence of this new large-scale lab-based astrophysics was an unanticipated side effect of a much broader, more fraught, and now quite in-the-news scientific journey: the quest for nuclear fusion.

2023 January 3, Adam Frank, “The Universe Is More in Our Hands Than Ever Before”, in The Atlantic:

(nuclear physics) The combining of the nuclei of small atoms to form the nuclei of larger ones, with a resulting release of large quantities of energy; the process that makes the sun shine, and hydrogen bombs explode.

اِنْدِمَاج نَوَوِيّ

the combining of the nuclei of small atoms to form the nuclei of larger ones


triple point

A solid sublimes only when the pressure of its vapor is below that of the triple point for that substance.

2006, David B. Troy, Paul Beringer, Remington: The Science and Practice of Pharmacy, →ISBN, page 179:

(physics) The unique temperature and pressure at which the solid, liquid and gas phases of a substance are all in equilibrium.

trojný bod

the temperature and pressure at which a substance is in equilibrium

When the incident shock wave is at position “a” the second triple point, T, is still inside the zone where the vibrational degree of freedom has not yet reached its equilibrium and the dissociational degree of freedom is still frozen at that position, as its excitation can be assumed to start only after vibrational equilibrium is reached.

2007, Gabi Ben-Dor, Shock Wave Reflection Phenomena, →ISBN, page 198:

A triple point may have a convex Mach stem, in which case the SS points upward.

2012, George Emanuel, Shock Wave Dynamics: Derivatives and Related Topics, →ISBN, page 81:

One constant, however, is that the flow, just downstream of the incident shock, at a triple point, must be supersonic.

2015, George Emanuel, Analytical Fluid Dynamics, Third Edition, →ISBN, page 130:

(physics) A point where the incident shock wave, the reflected shock wave, the Mach stem, and one slipstream meet.


CP

CP (countable and uncountable, plural CPs)


melting point

melting point (countable and uncountable, plural melting points)

(chemistry, physics) The temperature at which the solid and liquid phases of a substance are in equilibrium; it is relatively insensitive to changes in pressure.

熔點

temperature at which solid and liquid phases are in equilibrium


boiling point

boiling point (countable and uncountable, plural boiling points)

/ˈbɔɪlɪŋ ˌpɔɪnt/

(physical chemistry, physics) The temperature at which a liquid boils, with the vapor pressure equal to the given external pressure.

Although the encounter was bathed in sunshine, the match failed to reach boiling point but that will be of little concern to Gerard Houllier's team, who took a huge step forward before they face crucial matches against their relegation rivals.

2011 April 10, Alistair Magowan, “Aston Villa 1 - 0 Newcastle”, in BBC Sport:

(idiomatic) The state of being heated, with high aggression.


cellulose

cellulose (countable and uncountable, plural celluloses)

A complex carbohydrate that forms the main constituent of the cell wall in most plants and is important in the manufacture of numerous products, such as paper, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and explosives.

(biochemistry) A polysaccharide containing many glucose units in parallel chains.


heteronuclear

en-adj

heteronuclear (comparative more heteronuclear, superlative most heteronuclear)

more heteronuclear (comparative)
most heteronuclear (superlative)

(physics) Having atoms or nuclei of different type


quintessence

en-noun

quintessence (countable and uncountable, plural quintessences)

PIE word
 *pénkʷe
From Middle English, borrowed from Middle French, from Medieval Latin quinta essentia (“fifth essence, aether”). "Essence" in this context is a synonym for "element". In pre-atomic/Aristotlean theory, there are four known elements or essences — Earth, Air, Fire and Water — and a putative fifth element (aether), which is considered to be of exceptional superior quality to the other four basic elements.

der

accelerating universe
accelerating universe

(physics) A hypothetical form of dark energy postulated to explain observations of an accelerating universe.

kvintessenssi

physics: hypothetical form of dark energy


Min Min light

Named after the small settlement of Min Min, located between the outback towns of Boulia and Winton, where the light was observed by a stockman in 1918.

Min-min lights are usually seen during the winter, for example, when cold-air inversions abound. This, and his artificial min-min, seemed to confirm the theory.

2003, New Scientist, volume 180, numbers 2415-2428, page 71:

Then, once a man was talking about his outdoor work, he got around to speaking about the mysteries of the min-min light and who saw it where.

2006, Alexis Wright, Carpentaria, Giramondo, published 2012, page 340:

Neuroscientist, Professor Jack Pettigrew, of the University of Queensland claims the Min Min lights are an inverted mirage of light sources hundreds of miles away, caused by a temperature inversion when cold dense air is trapped near the ground to be refracted so that it travels a curved path around the globe.

2006, Marion Houldsworth, From Gulf to God Knows Where, footnote, page 127:

“You′ve heard of Min Min lights?” She grinned. “Sure.”
The strange appearance of those lights in the outback was legendary.[…]
“Min Min lights were part of Aboriginal folklore long before modern day sightings made them famous,” Jack said.

2010, Robyn Grady, Bargaining For Baby, unnumbered page:

Travellers camping out on the plains may witness a glowing light that seems to hover eerily across the vast landscape – the unexplained Min Min Lights that have been shrouded in mystery for over 100 years.

2010, Craig Lewis, Cathy Savage, The Complete 4WD Guide, unnumbered page:

(Australia) An unexplained light reportedly appearing in the sky in remote parts of Australia, especially northwest Queensland, possibly caused by reflections of distant light in the dry air conditions.


cross section

(physics) The probability that a particular nuclear reaction will take place.

vaikutusala

(physics) probability of a particular nuclear reaction


extinct

PIE word
 *h₁eǵʰs
From Late Middle English extinct (“eliminated, eradicated, extinguished”), from Latin extīnctus, exstīnctus (“extinguished, quenched; destroyed, killed; made extinct”), the perfect passive participles of extinguō, exstinguō (“to extinguish, put out, quench; (figurative) to abolish; to destroy, kill”), from ex- (prefix meaning ‘away; out’) + stinguō (“to extinguish, put out, quench”) (from Proto-Indo-European *stengʷ- (“to push”)). The Middle English word displaced Middle English aqueint, aquenched (“extinct; extinguished”). Doublet of extinguish.

der

(nuclear physics) Of a radioisotope: no longer occurring primordially due to having decayed away completely, because it has a relatively short half-life.

hävinnyt

of a radioisotope: no longer occurring primordially due to having decayed away completely


ballast

en-noun

ballast (usually uncountable, plural ballasts)

From Middle English bar (“bare”) + last (“load”).

(countable, electricity, electronics) device used for stabilizing current in an electric circuit (e.g. in a tube lamp supply circuit)


focal point

(optics) A focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge.

կիզակետ

(optics) a focus; a point at which rays of light or other radiation converge


thermal radiation

(physics) The electromagnetic radiation emitted from a body as a consequence of its temperature; increasing the temperature of the body increases the amount of radiation produced, and shifts it to shorter wavelengths (higher frequencies) in a manner explained only by quantum mechanics.


rem

Abbreviation of Roentgen equivalent in man.

abbreviation of

A dose of absorbed radiation equivalent to one roentgen of X-rays or gamma rays.


fusion

en-noun

fusion (countable and uncountable, plural fusions)

fission

antonym(s) of “nuclear reaction in which nuclei combine”

First appears c. 1555, in a translation by Richard Eden. From Middle French fusion, from Latin fūsiōnem (the accusative of fūsiō), from fusus, past participle of fundō (“I pour, I melt”) (see also found). Doublet of foison.

The act of merging separate elements, or the result thereof.

(physics) A nuclear reaction in which nuclei combine to form more massive nuclei with the concomitant release of energy.


ozone layer

A region of the stratosphere, between 15 and 30 kilometres in altitude, containing a relatively high concentration of ozone, which absorbs most solar ultraviolet radiation.


oxyanion

(chemistry) Any anion derived from an oxyacid


oxygenase

From German Oxygenase, corresponding to oxygen + -ase.

(biochemistry) An enzyme which catalyses biochemical reactions with oxygen.


orthoclastic

en-adj

orthoclastic (comparative more orthoclastic, superlative most orthoclastic)

more orthoclastic (comparative)
most orthoclastic (superlative)

From ortho- + Ancient Greek κλαστός (klastós, “broken”) + -ic.

uder

(crystallography) Having cleavage planes at right angles, as in orthoclase.


WIMP

en-noun

WIMP (countable and uncountable, plural WIMPs)

weakly interacting massive particle#English

(astronomy, physics) Acronym of weakly interacting massive particle.


weakly interacting massive particle

weakly interacting massive particle (plural weakly interacting massive particles)

weakly interacting massive particles (plural)

(astronomy, physics) A hypothetical class of particle, proposed to explain the dark matter problem.

robust associations of massive baryonic objects


serving

serving (countable and uncountable, plural servings)

(countable) A layer added to the outside of an electrical cable to protect it.


orthometric

(crystallography) Having axes at right angles.


ortho-

E.g. orthochrysotile is an orthorhombic chrysotile, orthopyroxene is a pyroxene that forms orthorhombic crystals, orthohexagonal is having orthorhombic hexagonal symmetry.

(crystallography) Orthorhombic crystal structure.

E.g. orthopositronium, orthohelium, orthoquarkonium.

(physics) Of any molecule of the form X₂ in which the two nuclei have parallel spin.


wavelength

I'd take requests on the telephone / I'm on a wavelength far from home

1983, Wall of Voodoo (lyrics and music), “Mexican Radio”, in Call of the West:

(physics) The length of a single cycle of a wave, as measured by the distance between one peak or trough of a wave and the next; it is often designated in physics as λ, and corresponds to the velocity of the wave divided by its frequency.


orthorhombic

/ɔː(ɹ)θəˈɹɒmbɪk/

A short form of the word pseudoorthorhombic; equivalent to ortho- + rhombic.

(crystallography) Having three unequal axes at right angles.

ortoròmbic

having three unequal axes at right angles


inactive

en-adj

inactive (comparative more inactive, superlative most inactive)

more inactive (comparative)
most inactive (superlative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-I learned some phrases-inactive.wav

From French inactif. See also earlier unactive.

obojętny

in chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds

Synthetic glycine is optically inactive as it contains equal amounts of the d- and l- form.

(physics) Showing no optical activity in polarized light.

inaktiivinen

showing no optical activity in polarized light


critical

critical (comparative more critical, superlative most critical)

more critical (comparative)
most critical (superlative)

From Latin criticus + -al, from Ancient Greek κριτικός (kritikós, “of or for judging, able to discern”), from
κρίνω (krínō, “I separate, judge”); also the root of crisis.

der

The reaction was about to become critical.

(physics) Of the point (in temperature, reagent concentration etc.) where a nuclear or chemical reaction becomes self-sustaining.

eizik

of the point where a reaction becomes self-sustaining

(physics) Of a temperature that is equal to the temperature of the critical point of a substance, i.e. the temperature above which the substance cannot be liquefied.


shortwave

/ˈʃɔːtˌweɪv/

Shortwaves are longer than microwaves.

(physics) An electromagnetic wave having a wavelength between approximately 10 and 100 meters, corresponding to frequencies between 3 and 30 MHz.


ultrasonic

en-adj

ultrasonic (comparative more ultrasonic, superlative most ultrasonic)

more ultrasonic (comparative)
most ultrasonic (superlative)

The wheel shop also has equipment for ultrasonic testing of axles for flaws; and systematic checking of locomotive axles and crank pins is carried out as they pass through the shops.

1961 March, C. P. Boocock, “The organisation of Eastleigh Locomotive Works”, in Trains Illustrated, pages 159–160:

(acoustics) Beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear; with a frequency of 20 kilohertz or higher.

ультрагукавы́

beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear


observable

Temperature is an observable but entropy is derived.

In quantum mechanics, observables correspond to Hermitian operators. Also, they act a lot like random variables. Taking their expected value one may recover something resembling a classical observable.

(physics) Any physical property that can be observed and measured directly and not derived from other properties


femtoengineering

(technology, physics) Engineering subatomic particles by manipulating quarks.


actinidin

en-noun

actinidin (countable and uncountable, plural actinidins)

(biochemistry) A protein-digesting enzyme present in kiwi fruit. It is also an allergen.


quantum spin liquid

quantum spin liquid (plural quantum spin liquids)

(quantum mechanics) A solid in which small magnetic moments have a fluctuating random orientation, even at low temperature.


GM

GM (countable and uncountable, plural GMs)

The report notes that the minimum GM curves in the stability booklet were generated based on the minimum GM required to meet intact stability criteria in 46 CFR 170.170. However, for vessels required to meet both damage and intact stability requirements, such as El Faro, the higher of intact or damage stability minimum GM must be reflected in the minimum GM curves.

2017 December 12, National Transportation Safety Board, “1.12.10 Postaccident Analysis of Stability, Structures, and Sinking”, in Marine Accident Report: Sinking of US Cargo Vessel SS El Faro, Atlantic Ocean, Northeast of Acklins and Crooked Island, Bahamas, October 1, 2015, archived from the original on 2022-05-15, page 152:

Metacentric height
metacentric height#English

(usually uncountable, nautical, engineering, physics) Metacentric height, a measure of a ship's static stability in roll.


optic

Borrowed from Middle French optique or Medieval Latin opticus, from Ancient Greek ὀπτῐκός (optikós, “of or for sight”), from ὀπτός (optós, “visible”) + -ῐκός (-ikós, “-ic”, adjectival suffix).

af

(optics, relational) Of, or relating to optics or optical instruments.

оптичен

of or relating to optics or optical instruments


optic

The single-imaging optic of the mammalian eye offers some distinct visual advantages. Such lenses can take in photons from a wide range of angles, increasing light sensitivity. They also have high spatial resolution, resolving incoming images in minute detail.

2013, Fenella Saunders, “Tiny Lenses See the Big Picture”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 4, →DOI, page 270:

(optics) A lens or other part of an optical instrument that interacts with light.


oscillate

en-verb

oscillate (third-person singular simple present oscillates, present participle oscillating, simple past and past participle oscillated)

oscillates (present singular third-person)
oscillating (participle present)
oscillated (participle past)
oscillated (past)

From Latin ōscillātus, perfect passive participle of Latin ōscillō (“swing”), from ōscillum (“a swing”), usually identified with ōscillum (“a little face or mask hung on a tree that sways with the wind”), diminutive of ōs (“mouth, face”). Doublet of osculate.

A pendulum oscillates slower as it gets longer.

(intransitive) To swing back and forth, especially if with a regular rhythm.

вибрирам

to swing back and forth, especially if with a regular rhythm

The mood for change oscillated from day to day.

(intransitive) To vacillate between conflicting opinions, etc.

(intransitive) To vary above and below a mean value.


ultraviolet

en-adj

ultraviolet (comparative more ultraviolet, superlative most ultraviolet)

more ultraviolet (comparative)
most ultraviolet (superlative)

A one-loop Feynman graph that represents a virtual process. In the limit in which the virtual process involves short distances or high momenta, one may find an ultraviolet divergence in the corresponding amplitude.

2004, Barton Zwiebach, A First Course in String Theory, →ISBN, Figure 23.1, page 519:

Some have advocated the search for a new theory of quantum gravity, a theory which does not suffer from ultraviolet infinity problems.

2009, Herbert W. Hamber, Quantum Gravitation: The Feynman Path Integral Approach, →ISBN, page vii:

Since current gravitational observations are insensitive to quantum effects, one may wonder why an ultraviolet completion of the gravity theory is needed if inflation, in fact, occurs several orders of magnitude below the Planck scale.

2017, David F. Chernoff, S.-H. Henry Tye, “Inflation, string theory and cosmic strings”, in Wei-Tou Ni, editor, One Hundred Years of General Relativity […], volume 2, →ISBN, page 275:

(figurative, physics) Relating to very high energies or very small distances or time spans.


kilowatt-hour

(electricity) A unit of energy equal to that done by one kilowatt acting for one hour.


kinetics

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-kinetics.wav

From Ancient Greek κινητικός (kinētikós, “kinetic”).

der

(mechanics) The branch of mechanics concerned with motion of objects, as well as the reason i.e. the forces acting on such bodies. This, along with kinematics constitute dynamics, which is concerned purely with the effects of forces on moving bodies.


X-ray crystallography

(analytical chemistry) A technique in which the patterns formed by the diffraction of X-rays on passing through a crystalline substance yield information on the lattice structure of the crystal, and the molecular structure of the substance.


isomeric

(physical chemistry, nuclear physics) Being an isomer.

(physical chemistry) Exhibiting isomerism.


thermodynamic equilibrium

en-noun

thermodynamic equilibrium (countable and uncountable, plural thermodynamic equilibria)

(physics) The state of a system in which its energy distribution is such that all parts of the system have the same temperature and no heat flows.


diffraction

diffraction (countable and uncountable, plural diffractions)

/dɪˈfɹækʃən/

From New Latin diffrāctiō (in which coined by Francesco Maria Grimaldi), from Latin diffrāctus, past participle of Latin diffringo (“to shatter, to break into pieces”). Coined in Physico-mathesis de lumine (1665) by Francesco Maria Grimaldi.

der

(physics) The bending of a wave around an obstacle.

(quantum mechanics) The breaking up of an electromagnetic wave as it passes a geometric structure (e.g. a slit), followed by reconstruction of the wave by interference.

дифракция

the breaking up of an electromagnetic wave as it passes a geometric structure


crystallography

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-crystallography.wav


spectroscopy

en-noun

spectroscopy (countable and uncountable, plural spectroscopies)

(uncountable) The scientific study of spectra.

(analytical chemistry, countable) The use of spectrometers in chemical analysis.


meridional ray

(optics) A ray that passes through the axis of the optical fiber.


massive

en-adj

massive (comparative more massive, superlative most massive)

more massive (comparative)
most massive (superlative)

insubstantial

antonym(s) of “of or pertaining to a large mass”

inconsequential

antonym(s) of “of great significance or import”

From Middle English massif, from Middle French massif, equivalent to mass + -ive. The Irish sense is possibly derived from Irish mas (“fine, handsome”).

massief

of great size, significance or import; overwhelming

gravitationally interacting massive particle

massive astronomical compact halo object

massive astrophysical compact halo object

robust association of massive baryonic objects

super weakly interacting massive particle

Young Jupiter was smacked head-on by massive newborn planet […] "The only scenario that resulted in a core-density profile similar to what Juno measures today is a head-on impact with a planetary embryo about 10 times more massive than Earth," Liu said.

2019 August 15, “Young Jupiter was smacked head-on by massive newborn planet”, in Rice University News, archived from the original on 2020-10-01:

плътен

of or pertaining to a large mass; weighty, heavy, or bulky

Some bosons are massive while others are massless.

(physics, of a particle) Having any mass.


thermodynamics

From thermo- + dynamics. First attested in the 1850s.

(physics) The science of the conversions between heat and other forms of energy.


thermodynamic

(physics) Of, or relating to thermodynamics.


solid angle

(geometry) The three-dimensional analog of an angle, equivalent to the area of that portion of the surface of a unit sphere that it subtends.


etendue

Borrowed from French étendue (“area, expanse; size; extent, range, scale”), short for étendue géométrique (“geometric extent”).

bor

The topics include […] carefully outlining the concepts of etendue, finesse, and their theoretical implications; methods of spectral, spatial, temporal, and polarization discrimination; and application of these topics to search and track systems.

1966, “Advanced Infrared Technology [course title]”, in The University of Michigan Engineering Summer Conferences: Fundamentals of Infrared Technology, June 6–10, 1966; Advanced Infrared Technology, June 27 – July 1, 1966; Precision Radiometry – Calibration and Instrumentation, June 27 – July 1, 1966: Three Intensive One-week Courses for: Engineers, Scientists (University of Michigan Official Publication), volume 67, number 115, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, →OCLC:

The light power transmitted to the detector is proportional to the product of the solid angle #x5C;mathit#x7B;#x5C;Omega#x7D; and area A in the central plane, which is imaged by the lens onto the aperture (often called the étendue U).

2003, Wolfgang Demtröder, “Spectroscopic Instrumentation”, in Laser Spectroscopy: Basic Concepts and Instrumentation (Advanced Texts in Physics), 3rd edition, Berlin: Springer-Verlag, →DOI, →ISBN, →ISSN, page 149:

Etendue is an optical invariant and is called by many different names. One of the names is "light-gathering power." As implied by this terminology, when light enters an optical system with smaller etendue from another optical system with larger etendue, the former optical system fails to transmit some part of the light. […] Therefore, a given EUV [extreme ultraviolet] power with a larger etendue than that of the requirement is substantially equivalent to a smaller EUV power with the etendue of the requirement.

2006, Kazuya Ota, Yukata Watanabe, Vadim Banine, Hans Franken, “EUV Source Requirements for EUV Lithography”, in Vivek Bakshi, editor, EUV Sources for Lithography, Bellingham, Wash.: SPIE Press, →ISBN, section 2.2.6 (Etendue of Source Output and Positioning Stability), pages 36–37:

(optics) A conserved property of the light in an optical system which characterizes how "spread out" the light is in terms of angle and area: it is the product of its cross-sectional area (normal to the direction of propagation) and the solid angle it subtends.


yearning

en-noun

yearning (countable and uncountable, plural yearnings)

PIE word
 *ḱóm
From earlier yerning, from Middle English yernyng, erning, renning. From Old English rynning and gerunnen, geurnen (“run together, coagulated, curdled”), past participles of gerinnan, geirnan, respectively. Influenced by Middle English yern (“to (cause to) coagulate or curdle”), Old English iernan (“to run, flow”), metathesized forms derived from the same origin. From verbal prefix ge- + rinnan (“to run”). First element is from Proto-West Germanic *ga-, from Proto-Germanic *ga-, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm (“with, by”); second element is from Proto-Germanic *rinnaną, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃r̥-néw-ti, from *h₃er- (“to move”). Doublet of rennet, run.

m+

(Scotland, archaic) rennet (an enzyme to curdle milk in order to make cheese).


crystalline

From Middle English cristallyn, cristallyne, from Old French cristallin, from Latin crystallinus, from Ancient Greek κρυστάλλινος (krustállinos), from κρύσταλλος (krústallos, “crystal”).

der

κρυστάλλινος


waveform

(physics, engineering) The shape of a physical wave, such as sound, electric current or electromagnetic radiation, or its representation obtained by plotting a characteristic of the phenomenon (such as voltage) versus another variable, often time.


blink

en-verb

blink (third-person singular simple present blinks, present participle blinking, simple past and past participle blinked)

blinks (present singular third-person)
blinking (participle present)
blinked (participle past)
blinked (past)

From Middle English blynken, blenken, from Old English blincan (suggested by causative verb blenċan (“to deceive”); > English blench), from Proto-Germanic *blinkaną, a variant of *blīkaną (“to gleam, shine”).
Cognate with Dutch blinken (“to glitter, shine”), German blinken (“to flash, blink”), Danish blinke (“to flash, twinkle, wink, blink”), Swedish blinka (“to flash, blink, twinkle, wink, blink”). Related to blank, blick, blike, bleak.

blikat

to flash on and off at regular intervals

(science fiction, video games) To teleport, mostly for short distances.


waveband

Since stomiids are sensitive to the far-red bioluminescence produced by their suborbital photophores, which other animals in the deepsea cannot sea, they have what could be regarded as a private waveband.

2013, Friedrich G. Barth, Ecology of Sensing:

(physics) A range of electromagnetic wavelengths or frequencies; for example shortwave or mediumwave radio.


maltase

en-noun

maltase (countable and uncountable, plural maltases)

(biochemistry) An enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of maltose to glucose; often associated with amylase.

maltáza

an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of maltose to glucose


IR

IR (countable and uncountable, plural IRs)

IR communication

IR blaster

infrared radiation
infrared radiation#English

(physics) Initialism of infrared radiation.


catalysis

catalysis (countable and uncountable, plural catalyses)

From Ancient Greek κατάλυσις (katálusis, “dissolution”), from καταλύω (katalúō, “I dissolve”), from κατά (katá, “down”) + λύω (lúō, “I loose”). By surface analysis, cata- + -lysis.

der

(chemistry) The increase of the rate of a chemical reaction, induced by a catalyst.

կատալիզ

chemistry: the increase of the rate of a chemical reaction induced by a catalyst


catalyze

en-verb

catalyze (third-person singular simple present catalyzes, present participle catalyzing, simple past and past participle catalyzed)

catalyzes (present singular third-person)
catalyzing (participle present)
catalyzed (participle past)
catalyzed (past)

en:to bring about the catalysis of a chemical reaction

(transitive) To bring about the catalysis of a chemical reaction.


water power

en-noun

water power (usually uncountable, plural water powers)

Advantage has been taken of the abundant natural water-power resources (which compensate, to a large extent, for the absence of coal) and some 660 route miles have been electrified with overhead conductors.

1952 January, “Electrification Progress in Norway”, in Railway Magazine, page 54:

(uncountable) Mechanical or electrical energy derived from running or falling water; originally obtained from a waterwheel immersed in a stream; modern hydroelectric power is obtained from turbines fed from reservoirs.

hydropower

mechanical or electrical power derived from water


multiverse

First appears c. 1895. Blend of multiple + universe, coined by American philosopher William James. By surface analysis, multi- + -verse.

coined

Meronyms: monoverse, parallel universe

Our universe is a very small part of the multiverse.

And, it must be remembered, that in the great multiverse they were a mere scattering of seeds; seeds that must survive many elements if they were to grow.

1963 May, Michael Moorcock, “The Blood Red Game”, in Science Fiction Adventures, volume 6, number 32, London: Nova Publications:

I have been describing show us that the multiverse exists and that it contains many counterparts of each particle in the tangible universe. To reach the further conclusion that the multiverse is roughly partitioned into parallel universes, we must consider interference phenomena involving more than one tangible particle.

1998 [1997], David Deutsch, The Fabric of Reality, New York: Penguin Books, →ISBN, page 46:

I can’t help feeling that in the closest arm of the multiverse, there is a version of me that is fatter and happier.

2020, Raven Leilani, Luster, Picador, published 2021, page 26:

(physics, cosmology) The hypothetical group of all the possible universes in existence.

كون متعدد

hypothetical group of all possible universes


amylase

en-noun

amylase (countable and uncountable, plural amylases)

egg yolk amylase

Egg yolks contain a starch-digesting enzyme, amylase, that is remarkably resistant to heat. Unless a starch-egg mix is brought to a full boil, the yolk amylase will survive, digest the starch, and turn the stiff cream into a pourable one.

2004, Harold McGee, chapter 2, in On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, Scribner, →ISBN:

(biochemistry) Any of a class of digestive enzymes, present in saliva and also contributed to the gut by the exocrine pancreas, that break down complex carbohydrates such as starch into simpler sugars such as glucose.

amilasa

enzyme, present in saliva, that breaks down carbohydrates such as starch


Lewis acid

(physical chemistry) Any electrophylic compound that can accept a pair of electrons and form a coordinate covalent bond.


chain reaction

polymerase chain reaction

(physical chemistry) A chemical reaction where the products of the reaction influence the reactants of a following reaction, leading to positive feedback.

The Manhattan Project produced the first recorded controlled chain reaction.

(nuclear physics) A nuclear reaction in which particles produced by the fission of one atom trigger fissions of other atoms.


rayon

rayon (countable and uncountable, plural rayons)

Name chosen by the National Retail Dry Goods Association of America, probably from French rayon (“beam of light, ray”) and so called because it is shiny; however, the Oxford English Dictionary states that it is apparently a blend of ray + cotton.

A manufactured regenerated cellulosic fiber.