Dictionary of Computing [5th ed.] 0747566224, 9781408102251, 9780747566229

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DICTIONARY OF

COMPUTING FIFTH EDITION

Dictionary Titles in the Series

Specialist Dictionaries: Dictionary of Accounting

0 7475 6991 6

Dictionary of Banking and Finance

0 7475 6685 2

Dictionary of Business

0 7475 9680 0

Dictionary of Economics

0 7475 6632 1

Dictionary of Environment and Ecology

0 7475 7201 1

Dictionary of Hotels, Tourism and Catering Management

1 9016 5999 2

Dictionary of Human Resources and Personnel Management

0 7475 6623 2

Dictionary of ICT

0 7475 6990 8

Dictionary of Marketing

0 7475 6621 6

Dictionary of Medical Terms

0 7475 6987 8

Dictionary of Military Terms

1 9038 5620 5

Dictionary of Nursing

0 7475 6634 8

Dictionary of Science and Technology

0 7475 6620 8

English Language: Easier English Basic Dictionary

0 7475 6644 5

Easier English Basic Synonyms

0 7475 6979 7

English Study Dictionary

1 9016 5963 1

Easier English Student Dictionary

0 7475 6624 0

English Thesaurus for Students

1 9016 5931 3

Check your English Vocabulary Workbooks: Business

0 7475 6626 7

Computing

1 9016 5928 3

English for Academic Purposes

0 7475 6691 7

PET

0 7475 6627 5

FCE +

0 7475 6981 9

IELTS

0 7475 6982 7

TOEFL®

0 7475 6984 3

Visit our website for full details of all our books http://www.bloomsbury.com/reference

DICTIONARY OF

COMPUTING FIFTH EDITION

S.M.H. Collin

www.bloomsbury.com Originally published by Peter Collin Publishing Fifth edition published 2004 Fourth edition published 2002 Third edition published 1998 Second edition published 1994 First published in Great Britain 1988 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 38 Soho Square, London W1D 3HB © Copyright S.M.H. Collin, 1988, 1994, 1998, 2002 This edition © copyright Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2004 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the permission of the publishers. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library eISBN-13: 978-1-4081-0225-1 Text processing and computer typesetting by Bloomsbury Printed and bound in Italy by Legoprint Text Production and Proofreading Lesley Brown, Stephen Curtis, Howard Sargeant, Megan Thomson, Katy McAdam, Joel Adams, Daisy Jackson, Charlotte Regan

All papers used by Bloomsbury Publishing are natural, recyclable products made from wood grown in well-managed forests. The manufacturing processes conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin.

Preface This dictionary provides the user with a comprehensive range of the vocabulary used in the field of computing. It covers all aspects of computing, including hardware, software, peripherals, networks and programming, as well as many applications in which computers are used, such as the Internet or desktop publishing. It also describes the latest developments in networks, the Internet, communications, programming, multimedia, processor design and storage technology. Each headword is explained in clear, straightforward English. Examples are given to show how the words and phrases can be used in context. General comments about particular items of interest, complex ideas or hardware or software applications are given in separate boxes. Quotations from magazines and journals are given to show how the words are used in real text. The dictionary includes a number of product names and company names. The trademarked names that are included are those that are judged to be of de facto importance to users or important in the development of computer technology.

Pronunciation The following symbols have been used to show the pronunciation of the main words in the dictionary. Stress has been indicated by a main stress mark (
) and a secondary stress mark (). Note that these are only guides, as the stress of the word changes according to its position in the sentence. Vowels  ɑ ɒ a aυ aə aυə ɔ ɔ e eə e eυ  i

i ə 

ə u u

υ

υə &

Consonants back harm stop type how hire hour course annoy head fair make o word keep happy about fit near annual pool book tour shut

b d ð d f  h j k l m n

ŋ p r

s

ʃ

t tʃ θ v w x  z

buck dead other jump fare gold head yellow cab leave mix nil

sing print rest save shop take change theft value work loch

measure zone

Computing.fm Page 1 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

A A1 /e/ symbol the hexadecimal equivalent A

of the decimal number 10 A2 /e/ abbr ampere A: used in some operating systems to denote the first disk drive on the system Å abbr angstrom abandon /əbndən/ verb to clear a document, file or work from a computer’s memory without saving it 쑗 Once you have abandoned your spreadsheet, you cannot retrieve it again. abb. add. abbr abbreviated addressing abbreviated address /ə bri vietid ə dres/ noun (in a network) a user name that has fewer characters than the full name, making it easier to remember or type in or faster to decode abbreviated addressing /ə

bri vietid ədresŋ/ noun the use of abbreviated addresses. Abbr abb. add. abbreviated installation /ə

bri vietid nstəleʃ(ə)n/ noun the installing of new hardware or software without restoring the previous backup settings of the operating system abbreviation /ə bri vieʃ(ə)n/ noun a short form of a word, command or instruction 쑗 Within the text, the abbreviation proc is used instead of processor. ABD abbr Apple Desktop Bus abend /bend/ noun an unexpected stoppage of a program that is being run, caused by a fault, error or power failure 쑗 An interrupt from a faulty printer caused an abend. Also called abnormal end, abA

A:

Å

abandon



aberration / bəreʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. distortion of a light beam or image caused by defects in the optical system 2. distortion of a television picture caused by a corrupt signal or incorrect adjustment ablation /əbleʃ(ə)n/ noun a method of writing data to an optical storage device in which a laser burns a hole or pit, representing digital bits of data, into the thin metal surface of the storage device aberration



ablation



COMMENT: A laser burns a hole or pit (which represents digital bits of data) into the thin metal surface of the storage device.

abb. add.

abbreviated address





abbreviated addressing





abbreviated installation





abbreviation





ABD

abend

normal termination abend code /bend kəυd/ noun a speabend code

cial number, generated by the operating system, that identifies the type of error that has caused a particular problem abend recovery program / bend r kv(ə)ri prəυrm/ noun a piece of software that will reload a program or system software and restart it at the point at which an abend occurred abend recovery program



abnormal end /b nɔ m(ə)l end/ abnormal end



noun same as abend

abnormal termination /b nɔ m(ə)l

t mneʃ(ə)n/ noun same as abend abort /əbɔ t/ verb to end a process in the event of a malfunction occurs by switching the computer off manually or by an internal feature 쑗 The program was aborted by pressing the red button. aborted connection /ə bɔ td kə nekʃ(ə)n/ noun a connection to a network or online service that has not been shut down correctly abort sequence /əbɔ t si kwəns/ noun a unique sequence of bits that indicates that the transmission will be terminated because of a fault, error or power failure About… /əbaυt/ a menu selection in the SAA CUA front end that tells you who developed the program and gives copyright information above-the-fold /ə bv ðə fəυld/ adjective referring to the part of a webpage that is seen by all users who call up the page, because they do not have to scroll down to read it. Compare below-the-fold ABR / e bi ɑ / noun a service provided by an ATM network that tries to provide the bandwidth requested by a customer, though it cannot guarantee to do so. Full form available bit rate abnormal termination





abort



aborted connection



abort sequence



About…



above-the-fold



ABR



Computing.fm Page 2 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

AB roll 2 pletely describes the operation to be perAB roll / e bi rəυl/ noun (in a multiformed, requiring no other data media application) a sequence of two video or music segments that are synchroabsolute loader /bsəlu t ləυdə/ nised so that one fades as the second starts noun a program that loads a section of code into main memory ABS / e bi es/ noun a programming instruction that returns the magnitude of a absolute maximum rating number without the number’s sign 쑗 The / bsəlu t mksməm retŋ/ noun a command ABS(-13) will return the answer statement of the maximum values or limits 13. Full form absolute function of a system absolute address / bsəlu t ədres/ absolute positioning / bsəlu t pə noun 1. a computer storage address that zʃ(ə)nŋ/ noun the position of an object directly, without any modification, accessin relation to a point of origin es a location or device 쑗 Program execuabsolute priority / bsəlu t pra tion is slightly faster if you code only with ɒrti/ noun (in the OS/2 operating sysabsolute addresses. Compare indexed tem) the priority of a process that cannot address 2. a computer storage address be changed by the operating system that can only access one location 왘 also absolute program / bsəlu t called actual address, machine adprəυrm/ noun a computer program dress written in absolute code absolute addressing / bsəlu t ə absolute time /bsəlu t tam/ noun dresŋ/ noun the locating of a data word (in CD-audio) the length of time that an stored in memory by the use of its absolute audio disc has been playing address absolute value / bsəlu t vlju / absolute assembler / bsəlu t ə noun the size or value of a number, regardsemblə/ noun a type of assembly lanless of its sign 쑗 The absolute value of – guage program designed to produce code 62.34 is 62.34. that uses only absolute addresses and valabsorb /əbzɔ b/ verb to take in light, ues liquid or a signal absolute cell reference / bsəlu t absorptance /əbzɔ ptəns/ noun a sel ref(ə)rəns/ noun a spreadsheet refermeasure of how completely an object or ence that always refers to the same cell, substance absorbs radiant energy. Oppoeven when copied to another location site reflectance absolute code /bsəlu t kəυd/ noun absorption /əbzɔ pʃən/ noun the powbinary code that directly operates the cener loss of a signal when travelling through tral processing unit, using only absolute a medium, due to its absorptance addresses and values. Also called actual abstract data type / bstrkt detə code, basic code

tap/ noun a general data type that can absolute coordinates / bsəlu t store any kind of information kəυɔ dnətz/ plural noun coordinates A-bus /e bs/ noun the main internal that describe the distance of a point from bus in a microprocessor the intersection of axes ac abbr academic organisation (NOTE: absolute device / bsəlu t dvas/ used in email and website addresses) noun an input device such as a tablet or AC abbr alternating current mouse that returns the coordinates of a ACAP / e si e pi / noun an email syspointer within specified axes tem developed to work with the IMAP4 absolute error / bsəlu t erə/ noun email protocol to provide extra features the value or magnitude of an error, ignorsuch as management of an address book. ing its sign Full form application configuration acabsolute expression / bsəlu t k cess protocol (NOTE: It was originally spreʃ(ə)n/ noun (in assembly language) termed IMSP (Interactive Mail Support the value of an expression that is not afProtocol).) fected by program relocation ACC / e si si / noun the most important absolute function / bsəlu t internal CPU storage register, containing fŋkʃən/ noun full form of ABS the data word that is to be processed 쑗 absolute instruction / bsəlu t n Store the two bytes of data in registers A strkʃən/ noun an instruction that comand B and execute the add instruction – AB roll

absolute loader

ABS

absolute maximum rating

absolute address

absolute positioning





absolute priority



absolute program

absolute addressing

absolute time



absolute value

absolute assembler



absorb



absolute cell reference

absorptance



absolute code

absorption



abstract data type

absolute coordinates

A-bus



ac

absolute device



AC

ACAP

absolute error

absolute expression



ACC

absolute function

absolute instruction



Computing.fm Page 3 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

3 the answer will be in the ACC. Full form accumulator

graphics port /ək

seləretd rfks pɔ t/ noun full form of AGP acceleration time /ək seləreʃ(ə)n tam/ noun 1. the time taken for a disk drive to spin a disk at the correct speed, from rest 쑗 Allow for acceleration time in the access time. 2. the total time between an access instruction’s issue to a peripheral and the transfer of the data accelerator board /əkselə retə bɔ d/, accelerator card /əkselə retə kɑ d/ noun a circuit board that carries a faster or more advanced version of the same processor that runs your computer. Adding an accelerator board to your computer makes it run faster. accelerator key /əkselə retə ki / noun a key that, when pressed together with another, carries out a function that would otherwise have to be selected from a menu using a mouse 쑗 Instead of selecting the File menu then the Save option, use the accelerator keys Alt and S to do the same thing and save the file. accept /əksept/ verb to establish a session or connection with another computing device acceptable use policy /ək

septəb(ə)l ju z pɒlsi/ noun a set of rules that describe what a user can write or do on the Internet without offending other users. Abbr AUP acceptance sampling /əkseptəns

sɑ mplŋ/ noun the testing of a small random part of a batch to see if the whole batch is up to standard acceptance test /əkseptəns test/ noun a test to check that a piece of equipment will perform as required or will reach required standards acceptance testing /ək septəns testŋ/ noun the performing of an acceptance test access /kses/ noun 1. the fact of being able to reach or use something 쑗 to have access to the computer room 2. the fact of being allowed to use a computer and read or alter files stored in it. This is usually controlled by a security device such as a password. 왍 to deny access to refuse access to a circuit or system for reasons of workload or security 쐽 verb to call up data which is stored in a computer 쑗 accelerated accelerated graphics port



acceleration time





accelerator board









accelerator key





accept



acceptable use policy



acceptance sampling



acceptance test



acceptance testing



access

accession number She accessed the employee’s file stored on the computer. access arm /kses ɑ m/ noun a mechanical device in a disk drive used to position the read/write head over the correct track on a disk 쑗 The access arm moves to the parking region during transport. access authority /kses ɔ θɒrəti/ noun permission to carry out a particular operation on data access-barred / kses bɑ d/ adjective prevented from accessing particular data access category /kses ktə(ə)ri/ noun a category that defines which files or data a user can access and which he or she cannot access channel control / kses

tʃn(ə)l kəntrəυl/ noun (in a TokenRing network) the set of protocols that manage the data transfer between a station and a medium access control access charge /kses tʃɑ d'/ noun a cost due when logging onto a system or viewing special pages on a bulletin board access code /kses kəυd/ noun a series of characters or symbols that must be entered to identify a user before access to a computer is permitted access control /kses kən trəυl/ noun a security device such as a password that only allows selected users to use a computer system or read files access control byte / kses kən trəυl bat/ noun (in a Token-Ring network) a byte following a start marker in the token that indicates if the station can access the network access controller /kses kən

trəυlə/ noun (in CD-i) an electronic device that transfers image data to the video controller access control list / kses kəntrəυl lst/ noun full form of ACL access counter /kses kaυntə/ noun 쏡 counter access head /kses hed/ noun the part of a disk drive that moves to the correct part of the disk’s surface and reads information stored on the disk access hole /kses həυl/ noun an opening in both sides of a floppy disk’s casing allowing the read-write head to be positioned over the disk’s surface accession number /əkseʃ(ə)n

nmbə/ noun a number in a record that access arm

access authority



access-barred

access category

access channel control



access charge

access code

access control



access control byte



access controller



access control list



access counter

access head

access hole

accession number



Computing.fm Page 4 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

access level 4 cording changes to an access path in case shows in which order each record was enof malfunction tered access level /kses lev(ə)l/ noun a access period /kses pəriəd/ noun a period of time during which a user can predefined access category (NOTE: The access data lowest access level might allow the user to only view data, the highest access levaccess permission /kses pə el allows a user to do anything.)

mʃ(ə)n/ noun a description of all the acaccess line /kses lan/ noun a percess rights for a particular user manently connected communications line access point /kses pɔnt/ noun a between a terminal and a computer test point on a circuit board or in software, access log /kses lɒ/ noun a file on allowing an engineer to check signals or a website server computer that contains a data record of every visitor to the website, access privilege /kses prvld'/ showing when a person visited and which noun the status granted to a user that alpages he or she viewed 쑗 The access log is lows him or her to see, read or alter files invaluable – we produce graphs of the access provider /kses prə vadə/ pages that are most popular using an acnoun same as ISP cess log analyser program. access rights /kses rats/ plural access mechanism /kses noun the rights of a particular user to ac mekənz(ə)m/ noun a mechanical device cess a particular file or data object that moves an access arm over the surface access time /kses tam/ noun 1. the of a disk total time that a storage device takes beaccess method /kses meθəd/ tween the moment the data is requested noun 1. a means used for the internal and the return of the data 쑗 The access transfer of data between memory and distime of this dynamic RAM chip is around play or peripheral devices. Differences in 200nS – we have faster versions if your the methods used are often the cause of system clock is running faster. 2. the length compatibility problems. 2. a set of rules of time required to find a file or program, that allows a device to send data onto a neteither in main memory or a secondary work. Token passing and CSMA/CD are memory source two methods commonly used in a local access unit /kses ju nt/ noun (in a area network. Token-Ring network) a wiring concentraaccess method routines /kses tor

meθəd ru ti nz/ plural noun software accidental / ksdent(ə)l/ adjective routines that move data between main which happens by accident 쑗 Always keep storage and an output device backup copies in case of accidental damaccess name /kses nem/ noun a age to the master file. unique name that identifies an object in a accordion fold /əkɔ diən fəυld/, acdatabase cordion fanfold noun method of folding access number /kses nmbə/ continuous paper, one sheet in one direcnoun the telephone number that a compution, the next sheet in the opposite directer dials up in order to be connected to an tion, allowing the paper to be fed into a Internet service provider or other network printer continuously with no action on the provider part of the user. Also called fanfold accessor /ksesə/ noun a person who account /əkaυnt/ noun (in a network accesses data or online system) a record of a user’s accessory /əksesəri/ noun an extra, name, password and rights to access a netadd-on device, e.g. a mouse or printer, that work or online system 쑗 If you are a new is attached to or used with a computer 쑗 user, you will have to ask the supervisor to The printer comes with several accessocreate an account for you. 쐽 verb to keep ries including a soundproof hood. (NOTE: track of how much time and resources The plural is accessories.) each user of a network or online system access path /kses pɑ θ/ noun a deuses scription of the location of a stored file accounting package noun a piece of within the directory structure of a disk software that automates a business’s acaccess path journalling / kses counting functions 쑗 We now type in each

pɑ θ d' nəlŋ/ noun the process of retransaction into the new accounting packaccess level

access period

access permission



access line

access point

access log

access privilege

access provider



access rights

access mechanism

access time

access method

access unit

access method routines

accidental





access name

accordion fold



access number

accessor

account



accessory



access path

accounting package

access path journalling

Computing.fm Page 5 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

5 age rather than write it into a ledger. Also called accounts package account name /əkaυnt nem/ noun the unique name of a user on a network or online system 쑗 John Smith’s account name is JSMITH. accounts package /əkaυnts

pkd'/ noun same as accounting account name



accounts package



package

accumulate /əkju mjυlet/ verb to accumulate



gather several things together over a period of time 쑗 We have gradually accumulated a large databank of names and addresses. (NOTE: accumulates – accumulating – accumulated)

accumulator /əkju mjυletə/, accu

mulator register noun full form of ACC accumulator address /ə kju mjυletə ə dres/ noun an address accumulator address





accessed by an instruction held in the ACC

accumulator shift instruction /ə accumulator shift instruction



kju mjυletə ʃft n strkʃən/ noun a command to shift the contents of an ACC left or right by one bit accuracy /kjυrəsi/ noun 1. the extent to which something is correct or true 2. the extent to which a person avoids errors 3. the total number of bits used to define a number in a computer (NOTE: The more 

accuracy

bits allocated the greater the accuracy of the definition.)

accuracy

control

character

/ kjυrəsi kəntrəυl krktə/ noun a 

code that indicates whether data is accurate or whether the data should be disregarded by a particular device ACD / e si di / noun a specialised telephone system that can handle lots of incoming calls and direct them to a particular operator according to programmed instructions in a database. Full form ACD

automatic call distribution ACDI abbr asynchronous communicaACDI

tions device interface ACF abbr advanced communications function ACH / e si etʃ/ noun an automated network that links banks together and enables them to handle payments made from one bank to another through electronic points of sale and withdrawals from cashpoints. Full form automated clearing ACF

ACH

house

achromatic colour / ekrəυmtk

interface adapter ACK / e si ke/ noun a signal that is ACK

sent from a receiver to indicate that a transmitted message has been received and that it is ready for the next one 쑗 The printer generates an ACK signal when it has received data. Full form acknowledge Ackerman’s function /kəmənz

fŋkʃən/ noun a recursive function used to test the ability of a compiler to cope with recursion acknowledge /əknɒld'/ noun full form of ACK 쐽 verb 1. to tell a sender that a message or letter has been received 2. to send a signal from a receiver to show that a transmitted message has been received Ackerman’s function

accumulator

accuracy control character

acoustic delay line ACIA / e si a e/ noun a circuit that allows a computer to transmit and receive serial data using asynchronous access. Full form asynchronous communications ACIA

achromatic colour

klə/ noun a grey colour within the range between black and white displayed by a graphics adapter

acknowledge



(NOTE: acknowledges – acknowledging – acknowledged) acknowledge character /ək nɒld' krktə/ noun a special code sent by a reacknowledge character



ceiver to indicate to the transmitter that the message has been correctly received acknowledged mail /ək nɒld'd mel/ noun a function that signals to the sender when an electronic mail message has been read by the recipient ACL / e si el/ noun a security system that has a list of user names and passwords that is checked by the operating system to find out if a particular user is allowed to access or use a resource or feature of the shared computer or network. Full form acacknowledged mail



ACL

cess control list

acoustic /əku stk/ adjective referring acoustic



to sound

acoustic coupler /ə ku stk kplə/ acoustic coupler



noun a device that connects to a telephone handset, converting binary computer data into sound signals to allow it to be transmitted down a telephone line COMMENT: The acoustic coupler also converts back from sound signals to digital signals when receiving messages. It is basically the same as a modem but uses a handset on which a loudspeaker is placed to send the signals rather than direct connection to the phone line. It is portable and clips over both ends of a normal telephone handset. It can be used even in a public phone booth. The acoustic coupler has generally been replaced by a direct cable link from the computer’s modem to the standard telephone socket.

acoustic delay line /ə ku stk dle lan/ noun an outdated data storage methacoustic delay line





Computing.fm Page 6 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

acoustic feedback 6 od that delays data in the form of sound ActionMedia / kʃənmi diə/ a trade pulses as they travel across a medium name for a digital video system developed by Intel that uses its i750 video processor acoustic feedback /ə ku stk chip to allow a computer to record, play fi dbk/ noun 쏡 feedback back and manipulate digital video acoustic hood /əku stk hυd/ noun a action message / kʃən mesd'/ soundproof cover put over a line printer to noun a message displayed to inform the cut down its noise user that an action or input is required acoustic memory /ə ku stk action-object / kʃən əbd'ekt/ noun mem(ə)ri/ noun same as acoustic store (in a SAA CUA front end ) an object to acoustic panel /ə ku stk pn(ə)l/ which a user specifies an action should be noun a soundproof panel placed behind a applied device to reduce noise activate /kt vet/ verb 1. to start a acoustic store /əku stk stɔ / noun process or to make a device start working an outdated form of regenerative memory 쑗 Pressing CR activates the printer. 2. (in that uses an acoustic delay line. Also an authoring tool or programming lancalled acoustic memory guage) to make a button or menu option or ACPI / e si pi a/ noun a software sysfield on a screen layout available to a user tem that allows the operating system to 쑗 If the button or field is not activated, it is configure compatible hardware automatinormally displayed greyed out and does cally. Full form advanced configuration not respond if a user selects it. (NOTE: acActionMedia



acoustic feedback



acoustic hood



action message

acoustic memory



action-object



acoustic panel



activate



acoustic store



ACPI

and power interface

acquisition / kwzʃ(ə)n/ noun the acquisition



accepting, capturing or collecting of information

Acrobat 쏡 Adobe Acrobat ACS / e si es/ noun a computer linked Acrobat

ACS

to a network that controls several dial-up modems and allows remote users to connect to the server using a modem link and gain access to the network. Full form asynchronous communication server action /kʃən/ noun (in a SAA CUA front end ) a user event, e.g. pressing a speaction

cial key, that moves the cursor to the action bar at the top of the screen action bar /kʃən bɑ / noun a top line of the screen that displays the menu names action bar pull-down /kʃən bɑ pυl/ noun (in a SAA CUA front end ) a feature whereby the full menu is displayed below the menu name when a user moves the cursor to a particular menu name on the action bar action code /kʃən kəυd/ noun (in a SAA CUA front end ) a single letter associated with a particular menu option to speed up selection. When the letter action code is pressed, the menu option is selected. action cycle / kʃən sak(ə)l/ noun the series of steps required to carry out a process or operation on data, e.g. reading, processing, output and storage action list /kʃən lst/ noun (in a SAA CUA front end ) a list of choices action bar

action bar pull-down

action code

action cycle

action list

tivates – activating – activated)

active /ktv/ adjective busy, working active

or being used

application / ktv pl keʃ(ə)n/ noun (in a multitasking operating system) an application currently being used by a user active area / ktv eəriə/ noun 1. (in a spreadsheet program) the area that contains data bounded by the top left hand corner and the bottom right hand cell 2. (in a graphical window) an area that will start or select a function if the user moves the pointer into it with a mouse active cell /ktv sel/ noun the spreadsheet cell that is currently selected with a cursor or pointer active code page / ktv kəυd

ped'/ noun a code page currently in use by the system active database / ktv detəbes/ noun a database file currently being accessed by a database management program active device / ktv dvas/ noun an electronic component that requires electrical power to operate and provides gain or a logical function Active Document / ktv dɒkjυmənt/ noun a standard Windows application that is accessed from within a web browser and controlled by special commands in the webpage active file / ktv fal/ noun a file that is currently being worked on active active application



active area

active cell

active code page

active database

active device



Active Document

active file

Computing.fm Page 7 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

7

active gateway / ktv etwe/ active gateway

noun (in a network) a gateway that exchanges routing information active high /ktv ha/ noun an electronic signal that is valid when it is high or logical one or at five volts active hub / ktv hb/ noun a hub that selectively directs packets of data according to their address or content active line / ktv lan/ noun a line in a communications link or port that is being used to transfer data or carry control signals active link / ktv lŋk/ noun a link currently being used to transfer information active low / ktv ləυ/ noun an electronic signal that is valid when it is low or logical zero or at zero volts active menu / ktv menju / noun a menu selection currently displayed below a menu bar active node / ktv nəυd/ noun a node on a network connected to or available to connect to another node active pixel region / ktv pks(ə)l

ri d'ən/ noun an area of a computer screen that can display graphic image information active printer / ktv prntə/ noun a printer that is currently connected to the computer’s printer port active program / ktv prəυrm/ noun (in a multitasking system) a program that is currently in control of the processor active record / ktv rekɔ d/ noun a record that is being updated or accessed active region / ktv ri d'(ə)n/ noun an area on a screen that will start an action or has been defined as a hotspot Active Server Page / ktv s və ped'/ noun a webpage that is created only when accessed by a visitor, allowing the website to display up-to-date information or information from a database 쑗 The database search results page is implemented as an Active Server Page. Abbr ASP active star /ktv stɑ / noun a network consisting of a central point with nodes branching out, in which a central processor controls and routes all messages between devices active state / ktv stet/ noun an electronic state in which an action occurs active high

active hub

active line

active link

active low

active menu

active node

active pixel region

active printer

active program

active record

active region

Active Server Page

active star

active state

actual data transfer rate active storage / ktv stɔ rd'/ noun a main storage, fast access RAM whose locations can be directly and immediately addressed by the CPU active streaming format / ktv stri mŋ fɔ mt/ noun full form of ASF active video / ktv vdiəυ sn(ə)l/, active video signal noun a part of a video signal that contains picture information ActiveVRML / ktv vi ɑ em el/ active storage

active streaming format

active video

ActiveVRML

noun 쏡 VRML

active window / ktv wndəυ/ noun active window

1. an area of the display screen where the operator is currently working 2. (in a GUI or SAA CUA front end ) the window that is currently the focus of cursor movements and screen displays. 쒁 window ActiveX / ktv eks/ a trade name for a programming language and program definition used to create small applications designed to enhance the functionality of a webpage. 쒁 Java, VBScript ActiveX

COMMENT: ActiveX applications, called applets, are often used to add database or multimedia effects to a website that cannot be supported with basic HTML commands. When a user visits the web page that uses the ActiveX applet, the program is automatically downloaded by the user’s browser and run on the user’s computer.

activities /ktvtiz/ plural noun jobs or tasks which are being performed on a computer activity level /k tvəti lev(ə)l/ noun the maximum number of jobs that can run in a multitasking system activity light /ktvti lat/ noun small light or LED on the front of a disk drive or computer that indicates when the disk drive is reading or writing data to disk activity loading /k tvti ləυdŋ/ noun a method of organising disk contents so that the most often accessed files or programs can be loaded quickly activity ratio /k tvti reʃiəυ/ noun the number of files currently in use compared to the total stored activity trail /ktvti trel/ noun a record of activities carried out actual address / ktʃuəl ədres/ noun same as absolute address actual code /ktʃuəl kəυd/ noun same as absolute code actual data transfer rate / ktʃuəl

detə trnsf ret/ noun the average number of data bits transferred in a period of time activities



activity level



activity light



activity loading



activity ratio



activity trail



actual address



actual code

actual data transfer rate

Computing.fm Page 8 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

actual instruction 8 actual instruction / ktʃuəl n adaptive packet assembly /ə strkʃən/ noun the resulting instruction

dptv pkt ə sembli/ noun a method executed after the modification of an origused by the MNP error correcting protocol inal instruction to adjust the size of data packets according to the quality of the telephone line. The actuator /ktʃυetə/ noun a mechanibetter the line, the bigger the packet size. cal device that can be controlled by an external signal, e.g. the read/write head in a adaptive routing /ə dptv ru tŋ/ disk drive noun the ability of a system to change its communications routes in response to varACU / e si ju / noun a device that alious events or situations such as line faillows a computer to call stations or dial telure (NOTE: The messages are normally ephone numbers automatically. Full form actual instruction

adaptive packet assembly







actuator

adaptive routing



ACU

automatic calling unit ad abbr Andorra (NOTE: used in email and website addresses) A/D abbr analog to digital ADA / e di e/ noun a high-level proad

A/D

ADA

gramming language that is used mainly in military, industrial and scientific fields of computing adapt /ədpt/ verb to change, adjust or modify something so that it fits 쑗 Can this computer be adapted to take 5.25 inch disks? adaptation / dpteʃ(ə)n/ noun the ability of a device to adjust its sensitivity range according to various situations adapter /ədptə/, adaptornoun a device that allows two or more incompatible devices to be connected together adapter card /ədptə kɑ d/ noun a card that plugs into an expansion bus in a PC and adds a new function to the computer or allows it to communicate with another device (NOTE: A sound card is a type of adapt



adaptation



adapter



adapter card



adapter card that plugs into an expansion connector and allows sound to be played back or recorded.) adapter plug /ədptə pl/ noun a

sent along the most cost-effective path unless there is a problem with that route, in which case they are automatically rerouted.) adaptive system /ə dptv sstəm/ noun a system that is able to alter its readaptive system



sponses and processes according to inputs or situations adaptor /ədptə/ noun another spelling of adapter ADB abbr Apple Desktop Bus ADC / e di si / noun an electronic device that converts an analog input signal to a digital form, which can be processed by a computer. Full form analog to digital adaptor



ADB™

ADC

converter

add /d/ verb 1. to put figures together to add

make a total 2. to put things together to form a larger group 쑗 The software house has added a new management package to its range of products. addend /dend/ noun the number added to the augend in an addition adder /də/ noun a device or routine that provides the sum of two or more inputs, either digital or analog addend

adder

adapter plug



plug that allows plugs with different numbers or shapes of pins to be fitted into the same socket adaptive channel allocation /ə

dptv tʃn(ə)l lə keʃ(ə)n/ noun provision of communications channels according to demand rather than a fixed allocation adaptive compression /ə dptv kəmpreʃ(ə)n/ noun a data compression system that continuously monitors the data it is compressing and adjusts its own algorithm to provide the most efficient compression adaptive channel allocation





adaptive compression





adaptive differential pulse code modulation /ə dptv dfə renʃ(ə)l adaptive differential pulse code modulation





pls kəυd mɒdju leʃ(ə)n/ noun full form of ADPCM 

COMMENT: A parallel adder takes one clock cycle to add two words, a serial adder takes a time equal to the number of bits in a word to add.

adder-subtractor / də səbtrktə/ adder-subtractor



noun a device that can either add or subtract add file /d fal/ noun a file in which new records are stored prior to updating the main database add-in /d n/ noun, adjective something that is added to something else 쐽 adjective that is added to something else addition /ədʃ(ə)n/ noun an arithmetic operation that produces the sum of an addend and augend additional /ədʃ(ə)nəl/ adjective which is added or extra 쑗 Can we link three additional workstations to the network? add file

add-in

addition



additional



Computing.fm Page 9 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

9

addition record /ə dʃ(ə)n rekɔ d/ addition record



noun a record with changes used to update a master record or file addition time /ədʃ(ə)n tam/ noun the time an adder takes to carry out an addition operation addition without carry /ə dʃ(ə)n wð aυt kri/ noun an addition operation without any carry bits or words additive colour / dətv klə/ noun a colour produced by mixing two or three colours from red, green and blue add-on /d ɒn/ adjective added to a computer system to improve its performance 쑗 The add-on hard disk will boost the computer’s storage capabilities. Opposite built-in 쐽 noun a piece of software or hardware that is added to a computer system to improve its performance add on board /d ɒn bɔ d/ noun same as expansion board add register /d red'stə/ noun a register that is an adder address /ədres/ noun 1. a number allowing a central processing unit to reference a physical location in a storage medium in a computer system 쑗 Each separate memory word has its own unique address. 2. a unique number that identifies a device on a network 쑗 This is the address at which the data starts. 쐽 verb to put the location data onto an address bus to identify which word in memory or storage device is to be accessed 쑗 A larger address word increases the amount of memory a computer can address. addressability /ə dresəblti/ noun the control available over pixels on screen addressable /ədresəb(ə)l/ adjective which can be addressed 쑗 With the new operating system, all of the 5MB of installed RAM is addressable. addressable cursor /ə dresəb(ə)l k sə/ noun a cursor which can be programmed to be placed in a certain position addressable point /ə dresəb(ə)l pɔnt/ noun a point or pixel in a graphics system that can be directly addressed addressable terminal /ə dresəb(ə)l t mn(ə)l/ noun a terminal that will only accept data if it has the correct address and identification number in the message header address access time /ə dres kses tam/ noun the total time which a storage device takes between the moment the data is requested and the return of the data addition time



addition without carry





additive colour

add-on

add on board

add register

address



addressability





addressable



addressable cursor



addressable point



addressable terminal



address access time



addressing method address base /ədres bes/ noun the address base



part of an address that defines the origin to which the logical address is added address book /ədres bυk/ noun 1. (in a network) a list of node addresses 2. (in electronic mail ) a list of the network addresses of other users to which electronic mail can be sent address bus /ədres bs/ noun a physical connection that carries the address data in parallel form from the central processing unit to external devices address code /ədres kəυd/ noun a special code that identifies the part of a document that is an address address computation /ə dres

kɒmpjυteʃ(ə)n/ noun an operation on address data in an instruction address decoder /ədres di kəυdə/ noun a logical circuit that will produce a signal when a certain address or range is placed on the address bus address field /ədres fi ld/ noun 1. (in a network) the part of a packet that contains the address of the destination node 2. (in programming) the part of a computer instruction that contains the location of the operand address format /ədres fɔ mt/ noun the set of rules defining the way the operands, data and addresses are arranged in an instruction address harvester /ədres hɑ vstə/ noun a computer program that collects email addresses from the Internet address highway /ədres hawe/ noun the set of physical connections that carry the address data in a parallel form between the central processing unit and memory or external devices addressing /ədresŋ/ noun the process of accessing a location in memory addressing capacity /ədresŋ kə

psti/ noun the largest location that a certain program or CPU can directly address, without special features, e.g. virtual memory or memory banks addressing level /ədresŋ lev(ə)l/ noun zero-level: operand is the address part of the instruction; first-level: operand stored at the address of the instruction; second-level: operand stored at the address given in the instruction addressing method /ədresŋ

meθəd/ noun the manner in which a section of memory is located address book



address bus



address code



address computation





address decoder





address field



address format



address harvester



address highway



addressing



addressing capacity





addressing level



addressing method



Computing.fm Page 10 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

addressing mode 10 adjacent domains /ə d'es(ə)nt dəυ addressing mode /ədresŋ məυd/ menz/ plural noun two domains linked noun a way in which a location is adby two adjacent nodes dressed, e.g. sequential, indexed or direct adjacent nodes /əd'es(ə)nt nəυdz/ address mapping /ədres mpŋ/ plural noun two nodes connected by a path noun the translation of a virtual address to that does not connect any other node an absolute real address adjunct register / d'ŋkt red'stə/ address mark /ədres mɑ k/ noun a noun a 32-bit register in which the top 16 special code on a disk that indicates the bits are used for control information and start of sector location data only the bottom 16 bits are available for address mask /ədres mɑ sk/ noun a use by a program pattern of binary data bits that is used to adjustment /əd'stmənt/ noun the block out parts of an address data word. It making of a slight change made to someis normally used to separate the network thing so that it works better, or a change and subnet parts of an address within a made 쑗 The brightness needs adjustment. long Internet or IP address. 쑗 The address AdLib /dlb/ noun a type of sound card mask ‘111000’ will block off the last three for a PC with basic sound playback and bits of any address data. MIDI functions address modification /ə dres administrator /ədmnstretə/ noun a

mɒdfkeʃ(ə)n/ noun the changing of person who is responsible for looking after the address field, so that it can refer to a a network, including installing, configurdifferent location ing and maintaining it address register /ədres red'stə/ Adobe Acrobat /ə dəυbi krəbt/ a noun register in a computer that is able to trade name for a piece of software that store all the bits that make up an address converts documents and formatted pages ,which can then be processed as a single into a file format that can be viewed on alunit most any computer platform or using a address resolution /ədres web browser on the Internet (NOTE: For

rezəlu ʃ(ə)n/ noun the converting pf an example, if you publish a newsletter, you Internet address into the correct physical could lay out the pages using a desktop network address that corresponds to the publish system, print the pages for a padistant computer or resource per version and convert the files to Acrobat format allowing you to distribute the address resolution protocol /ə same formatted pages on CD-ROM or

dres rezəlu ʃ(ə)n prəυtəkɒl/ noun over the Internet.) full form of ARP Adobe Systems /ə dəυbi sstəmz/ a address space /ədres spes/ noun the software company that developed products total number of possible locations that can including Acrobat, ATM, and PostScript be directly addressed by the program or Adobe Type Manager /ə dəυbi tap CPU mnd'ə/ a trade name for a standard for address strobe /ədres strəυb/ noun a describing scalable fonts, used with Apple signal in the form of a pulse that indicates System 7 and Microsoft Windows to prothat a valid address is on the address bus vide fonts that can be scaled to almost any address track /ədres trk/ noun point size, and printed on almost any printtrack on a magnetic disk containing the ader. Abbr ATM dresses of files or other data stored on othADP / e di pi / noun data processing er tracks done by a computer. Full form automatic address translation /ə dres trns data processing leʃ(ə)n/ noun an address produced by ADPCM / e di pi si em/ noun a calculating an expression CCITT standard that defines a method of address word /ədres w d/ noun a converting a voice or analog signal into a computer word that contains the address compressed digital signal. Full form data. In a small micro it is usually made up adaptive differential pulse code modof two data words. ulation add time /d tam/ noun a period of ADSL / e di es el/ noun high-speed time taken either by a CPU or adder to pertransmission standard that uses the same form one addition operation copper telephone wires as a normal teleaddressing mode

adjacent domains







adjacent nodes

address mapping





adjunct register

address mark



address mask



adjustment



AdLib



address modification



administrator





address register

Adobe Acrobat





address resolution



address resolution protocol





Adobe Systems

address space





Adobe Type Manager



address strobe



address track



ADP

address translation





ADPCM

address word



add time

ADSL

Computing.fm Page 11 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

11 phone service, but is much faster than a standard modem or a digital system such as ISDN. Full form Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (NOTE: As well as the speed, ADSL provides a user with an ‘always on’ connection to the Internet – there is no need to dial an access number and no delay. Typically, companies provide ADSL for a fixed monthly rental; data is usually transferred from the Internet to the user’s computer at 2Mbps but transferred from the user’s computer to the Internet at a slower rate of 256Kbps.)

advanced configuration and power interface /əd vɑ nst kən fjə advanced







reʃ(ə)n ən paυə ntəfes/ noun full form of ACPI Advanced Micro Devices /əd

vɑ nst makrəυ d vasz/ full form of Advanced Micro Devices





AMD

advanced peer-to-peer networking /əd vɑ nst pə tə pə netw kŋ/ advanced peer-to-peer networking

advanced power management







prɒd'ekts ed'(ə)nsi netw k/ noun full form of ARPANET advanced run-length limited /əd

vɑ nst rn leŋθ lmtd/ noun a method of storing data onto a hard disk that is faster and more efficient than RLL. Abbr advanced run-length limited



ARLL

advanced technology attachment advanced technology attachment





advanced technology attachment packet interface /əd vɑ nst tek advanced technology attachment packet interface





nɒləd'i ə ttʃmənt pkt ntəfes/ noun a type of standard interface that is used for CD-ROMs. Abbr ATAPI. Also called ATA packet interface 

Advanced Television Systems Committee /əd vɑ nst telv'(ə)n Advanced Television Systems Committee



sstəmz kə mti/ noun full form of 

ATSC

advanced version /əd vɑ nst v ʃ(ə)n/ noun a program with more complex features for use by an experienced user advanced version



aerial perspective



AFAIK

in emails and text messages)

marketing /əfliət

mɑ ktŋ/ noun a type of marketing that uses a central website to advertise and sell products and services from other sites affirmative /əf mətv/ adjective meaning ‘yes’ 왍 the answer was in the affirmative the answer was ‘yes’ affirmative acknowledgement /ə

f mətv əknɒld'mənt/ noun an ACK from the receiver that it has accepted the message and is ready for the next one AFIPS abbr American Federation of Information Processing Societies AFP / e ef pi / noun a protocol used to communicate between workstations and servers in a network of Apple Macintosh computers. Full form Appletalk Filing affiliate affiliate marketing





AFIPS

Protocol

afterglow /ɑ ftələυ/ noun afterglow

쏡 persist-

ence

after-image / ɑ ftə md'/ noun a copy of a block of data that has been modified AGC / e d'i si / noun an electronic circuit that adjusts the level of an incoming signal so that it is suitable for the next part of the circuit. Full form automatic gain after-image

AGC

əttʃmənt/





AFP

Advanced Research Projects Agency Network /əd vɑ nst ri s tʃ Advanced Research Projects Agency Network

/əd vɑ nst tek nɒləd'i noun full form of ATA

advisory system



advanced program to program communications /əd vɑ nst 



affirmative acknowledgement



advanced program to program communications

prəυrm tə prəυrm kə mju n keʃ(ə)nz/ noun full form of APPC

advisory lock



noun full form of APPN

vɑ nst paυə mnd'mənt/ noun full form of APM



vɑ nst wev mɒdjυleʃ(ə)n/ noun full form of AWM advisory lock /ədvaz(ə)ri lɒk/ noun (in a multitasking system) a lock placed on a region of a file by one process to prevent any other process accessing the same data advisory system /əd vaz(ə)ri sstəm/ noun an expert system that provides advice to a user aerial perspective / eəriəl pə spektv/ noun a view of a three-dimensional landscape as if the viewer is above the scene AFAIK abbr as far as I know (NOTE: used

affirmative



advanced power management /əd

aggregate bandwidth advanced wave modulation /əd advanced wave modulation

control

agent /ed'ənt/ noun 1. a program or piece of software that runs on a workstation in a network and sends performance and statistical information about the workstation to a central network management console 2. a series of commands or actions that are carried out automatically on a particular file or data aggregate /rət/ noun a collection of data objects aggregate bandwidth / rət bndwdθ/ noun the total bandwidth of a agent

aggregate

aggregate bandwidth

Computing.fm Page 12 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

aggregate function 12 about something 쑗 The alert box warned channel carrying a multiplexed data stream me that I was about to delete all my files. alert condition /ə l t kəndʃ(ə)n/ aggregate function / rət noun a status of a particular object or defŋkʃən/ noun a mathematical database vice that triggers an alarm function performed on a selected field in every record in a selected database algebra /ld'brə/ noun the use of letters in certain mathematical operations to aggregate line speed / rət lan represent unknown numbers or a range of

spi d/ noun the maximum speed at which possible numbers data can be transmitted through a particualgebraic language / ld'brek lar channel lŋwd'/ noun a context-free language aggregate operator / rət ALGOL /lɒl/ noun a high-level proɒpəretə/ noun a command in a database gramming language using algorithmic management program that starts an aggremethods for mathematical and technical gate function applications. Full form algorithmic lanAGP / e d'i pi / noun a dedicated bus guage between a graphics controller and main algorithm /lərð(ə)m/ noun a set of memory that allows data to be transferred rules used to define or perform a specific very quickly without using the main proctask or to solve a specific problem essor. Full form accelerated graphics alert condition

aggregate function





algebra

aggregate line speed

algebraic language

aggregate operator

ALGOL

AGP

algorithm

port (NOTE: It is used with the Intel Pentium II processor to provide very highspeed three-dimensional graphics and video processing. This port does not replace a PCI bus but works with it.) AI / e a/ noun the design and developAI

ment of computer programs that attempt to imitate human intelligence and decisionmaking functions, providing basic reasoning and other human characteristics. Full form artificial intelligence. 쒁 IKBS aiming symbol /emŋ smb(ə)l/, aiming field noun a symbol displayed on screen which defines the area in which a light-pen can be detected airbrush /eə brʃ/ noun (in graphics software) a painting tool that creates a diffuse pattern of dots, like an mechanical airbrush 쑗 We used the airbrush to create the cloud effects in this image. air gap /eə p/ noun a narrow gap between a recording or playback head and the magnetic medium AIX / e a eks/ a trade name for a version of UNIX produced by IBM to run on its range of PCs, minicomputers and mainframes. Full form advanced interactive aiming symbol

airbrush



air gap

AIX

executive

A law /ə lɔ / noun a method of encoding A law

digital audio data so that an 8-bit data word can contain a 13-bit audio sample alert /əl t/ noun a warning message sent from software to warn a person or application that an error or problem has occurred alert box /əl t bɒks/ noun a warning panel displayed on screen to warn a user alert



alert box



‘…image processing algorithms are step by step procedures for performing image processing operations’ [Byte] ‘…the steps are: acquiring a digitized image, developing an algorithm to process it, processing the image, modifying the algorithm until you are satisfied with the result’ [Byte]

algorithmic / lərðmk/ adjective algorithmic



expressed using algorithms

algorithmic language / lərðmk lŋwd'/ noun full form of ALGOL alias /eliəs/ noun a representative name given to a file, port, device or spreadsheet cell or range of cells 쑗 The operating system uses the alias COM1 to represent the serial port address 3FCh. aliasing /eliəsŋ/ noun jagged edges that appear along diagonal or curved lines displayed on a computer screen caused by the size of each pixel alias name /eliəs nem/ noun another name that is used on a network instead of the user name alien /eliən/ adjective not fitting the usual system alien disk /eliən dsk/ noun a disk formatted on another system or containing data in a format that cannot be read or understood 쑗 When you have an alien disk select the multi-disk option to allow you to turn the disk drive into an alien disk reader. alien disk reader / eliən dsk ri də/ noun an add-on device that allows a computer to access data on disks from other computers or systems align /əlan/ verb 1. to make sure that the characters to be printed are spaced and levelled correctly, either vertically or horialgorithmic language

alias

aliasing

alias name

alien

alien disk

alien disk reader

align



Computing.fm Page 13 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

13 zontally 2. to arrange numbers into a column with all figured lines up against the right hand side (right-aligned) or the lefthand side (left-aligned) 3. to ensure that a read/write head is correctly positioned over the recording medium aligner /əlanə/ noun a device used to make sure that the paper is straight in a printer aligning edge /əlanŋ ed'/ noun an edge of an optical character recognition system used to position a document alignment /əlanmənt/ noun the correct spacing and levelling of printed characters 왍 in alignment correctly aligned alignment pin /əlanmənt pn/ noun a peg that fits in a hole to ensure that two devices are correctly aligned allocate /lə ket/ verb to divide a period of time or a piece of work in various ways and share it out between users 쑗 The operating system allocated most of main memory to the spreadsheet program. aligner



aligning edge



alignment



alignment pin



allocate



(NOTE: allocates – allocating – allocated) allocation / ləkeʃ(ə)n/ noun the diallocation



viding of something such as memory, disk space, printer use, operating system time, or a program or device in various ways allocation routine / ləkeʃ(ə)n ru

ti n/ noun a short program that divides the memory resources of a system between the software and peripherals that use it allocation unit / ləkeʃ(ə)n ju nt/ noun a sector or set of sectors on a hard disk that is used to store a file or part of a file all points addressable mode / ɔ l

pɔnts ədresəb(ə)l məυd/ noun a graphics mode in which each pixel can be individually addressed and its colour and attributes defined. Also called APA mode alpha /lfə/ noun 1. same as alpha test 쑗 The new software is still in an alpha product stage. 2. an item of data that defines the properties of a pixel or part of an image ALPHA /lfə/ noun a 64-bit RISC processor chip developed by Digital Equipment Corporation alpha beta technique / lfə bi tə tek ni k/ noun a free structure technique used in artificial intelligence for solving game and strategy problems allocation routine





allocation unit



all points addressable mode



alpha

ALPHA

alpha beta technique



alphabetic alphabetic character set

character

set

/ lfəbetk krktə set/ noun the set of

characters, both capitals and small letters, that make up the alphabet

alphanumeric operand alphabetic string / lfəbetk strŋ/ alphabetic string

noun a string that only contains alphabetic characters alphabetise /lfəbetaz/, alphabetize verb to put items into alphabetical order 쑗 Enter the bibliographical information and alphabetise it. (NOTE: alphabetises – alphabetising – alphabetised) alpha blending /lfə blendŋ/ noun control over the transparency of a graphical object, normally used to display complex graphical objects such as glass and water alpha channel /lfə tʃn(ə)l/ noun (in 32-bit graphics systems) the top eight bits that define the properties of a pixel (NOTE: The lower 24 bits define the pixel’s colour.) alphageometric / lfəd'i əυmetrk/ adjective referring to a set of codes that instruct a teletext terminal to display various graphics patterns or characters alphameric / lfəmerk/ adjective US same as alphanumeric alphamosaic / lfəməυzek/ adjective (character set) used in teletext to provide alphanumeric and graphics characters alphanumeric / lfənjυmerk/ adjective using the letters of the alphabet, the Arabic numerals and punctuation marks (NOTE: The US term is alphameric.) alphanumeric array / lfənjυmerk əre/ noun an array whose elements are letters and numbers alphabetise

alpha blending

alpha channel

alphageometric



alphameric



alphamosaic



alphanumeric



alphanumeric array



alphanumeric

characters

alphanumeric characters

/ lfənjυmerk krktəz/ plural noun

Roman letters and Arabic numerals and other signs such as punctuation marks. Also called alphanumerics alphanumeric data / lfənjυmerk detə/ noun data that represents the letters of the alphabet and the Arabic numerals alphanumeric data

alphanumeric

display

alphanumeric display

/ lfənjυmerk dsple/ noun a display 

device able to show characters as well as numbers alphanumeric key / lfənjυmerk ki / noun a keyboard key which produces a letter, symbol or figure alphanumeric key

alphanumeric alphanumeric keyboard

keyboard

/ lfənjυmerk ki bɔ d/ noun a key-

board containing character keys as well as numerical keys

alphanumeric alphanumeric operand

operand

/ lfənjυmerk ɒpərnd/ noun an oper-

Computing.fm Page 14 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

alphanumerics 14 and which can contain alphanumeric charalternating current1 / ɔ ltənetŋ acters, e.g. a string krənt/ noun an electrical current whose value varies with time in a regular sinusoialphanumerics / lfənjυmerks/ dal way, changing direction of flow each plural noun same as alphanumeric charhalf cycle. Abbr AC acters COMMENT: The mains electricity supply uses alphanumeric string / lfənjυmerk alternating current to minimise transmission strŋ/ noun a series of alphanumeric power loss, with a frequency of 50 Hz in the characters that are manipulated and treated UK, 60 Hz in the USA. as a single unit alternating current2 / ɔ ltənetŋ krənt/ noun full form of AC alpha-particle /lfə pɑ tk(ə)l/ noun an emitted alpha radiation particle alternation / ɔ ltəneʃ(ə)n/ noun a logical function that produces a true output alpha-particle sensitivity / lfə if any input is true

pɑ tk(ə)l sensətvəti/ noun a problem experienced by certain MOS memory dealternative denial /ɔ l t nətv d vices exposed to alpha radiation, causing naəl/ noun a logical function whose outloss of stored charge and so of data put is false if all inputs are true and true if any input is false alphaphotographic / lfəfəυtəυ rfk/ adjective which represents picAlt key /ɔ lt ki / noun a special key on a tures using predefined graphics characters, PC’s keyboard used to activate special for teletext services functions in an application 쑗 Press Alt and P at the same time to print your document. alphasort / lfəsɔ t/ verb to sort data COMMENT: The Alt key has become the standinto alphabetical order ard method of activating a menu bar in any alpha test /lfə test/ noun the first software running on a PC. For example, Alt-F working attempt of a computer product. normally displays the File menu of a program, Alt-X normally exits the program. Also called alpha. 쒁 beta test ALU / e el ju / noun a section of the alt /ɔ lt/ noun a type of newsgroup on the CPU that performs all arithmetic and logiInternet that contains discussions about alcal functions. Full form arithmetic logic ternative subjects. 쒁 newsgroup (NOTE: unit. Also called arithmetic unit. 쒁 CPU These are not official newsgroups and always on /ɔ lwez ɒn/ adjective referare not supported or monitored by any ring to a feature of high-speed broadband company, and any user can write just communications devices such as cable about anything that he or she wants to modems and ADSL that link your compusay. Some online service providers do ter to the Internet whereby your computer not allow their subscribers to view all of appears to be permanently connected to the alt newsgroups because they may the net and you do not need to dial up a contain offensive and pornographic maspecial number terial.) AM abbr amplitude modulation alternate /ɔ ltənet/ verb to change from one state to another and back, over ambience /mbiəns/ noun the sum of and over again (NOTE: alternates – alteracoustic properties of a room that gives the nating – alternated) listener a sense of space, creating echoes due to the size of the room alternate character set /ɔ l t nət ambient /mbiənt/ adjective referring krktə set/ noun a second set of speto normal background conditions cial characters that can be accessed from a keyboard 쑗 We can print Greek characters ambient noise / mbiənt nɔz/ noun by selecting the alternate character set. normal background noise that is present all the time, usually given a reference presalternate key /ɔ lt nət ki / noun a sure level of 0.00002 pascal in SI units key in a database file that is not the primary key ambient temperature / mbiənt temprtʃə/ noun the normal average alternate mode /ɔ lt nət məυd/ temperature of the air around a device noun an application for multi-user use, in which two operators can access and share ambiguity / mbju ti/ noun somea single file at the same time thing which is not clearly defined alternate route /ɔ lt nət ru t/ noun a ambiguity error / mbju ti erə/ noun an error due to incorrect selection of backup path in a communications system, ambiguous data used in case of a fault or breakdown alternating current

alphanumerics



alphanumeric string

alternating current

alpha-particle

alternation



alpha-particle sensitivity



alternative denial





alphaphotographic



Alt key

alphasort



alpha test

ALU

alt

always on

AM

alternate

ambience

alternate character set



ambient

ambient noise

alternate key



ambient temperature

alternate mode



ambiguity



alternate route

ambiguity error





Computing.fm Page 15 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

15

ambiguous /mbjuəs/ adjective ambiguous



which has two or more possible meanings ambiguous filename /m bjuəs falnem/ noun a filename which is not unique to a single file, making it difficult to locate the file AMD a company that develops and produces processor components including a range of processors that are compatible with Intel processors and are used in many PCs. Full form Advanced Micro Devicambiguous filename



AMD

es

amendment record /ə men(d)mənt amendment record



rekɔ d/ noun a record containing new information used to update a master record or file

American National Standards Institute /ə merkən

nʃ(ə)nəl American National Standards Institute



stndədz nsttju t/ noun full form of ANSI

American Standard Code for Information Interchange /ə merkən American Standard Code for Information Interchange



stndəd kəυd fər nfəmeʃ(ə)n ntətʃend'/ noun full form of ASCII America Online /ə merkə ɒnlan/ a company that is the largest Internet service provider in the world. Abbr AOL amount /əmaυnt/ verb 왍 to amount to to make a total of 쑗 The total keyboarded characters amount to ten million. amp /mp/ noun same as ampere America Online



amount



amp

(NOTE: used with figures: a 13-amp fuse) ampere /mpeə/ noun the base SI unit ampere

of electrical current, defined as the current flowing through an impedance of one ohm which has a voltage of one volt across it. Abbr A amplification / mplfkeʃ(ə)n/ noun the output-to-input signal strength ratio 쑗 Increase the amplification of the input signal. amplifier /mpl faə/ noun an electronic circuit that magnifies the power of a signal amplify /mpl fa/ verb to magnify a signal power or amplitude 쑗 The received signal needs to be amplified before it can be processed. (NOTE: amplifies – amplifyamplification



amplifier



amplify



ing – amplified)

amplitude /mpl tju d/ noun the amplitude



strength or size of a signal

amplitude modulation /mpltju d mɒdju leʃ(ə)n/ noun a method of carrying data by varying the size of a carrier signal of fixed frequency according to the data amplitude modulation



analog recording amplitude quantisation / mpltju d kwɒntazeʃ(ə)n/ noun conversion of an analog signal to a numerical representation analog /nəlɒ/, analogue /n(ə)lɒ/ noun the representation and measurement of numerical data by continuously variable physical quantities, as for the size of electrical voltages. Compare amplitude quantisation



analog

digital

analog channel / nəlɒ tʃn(ə)l/ analog channel

noun a communications line that carries analog signals such as speech analog computer / nəlɒ kəm pju tə/ noun a computer which processes data in analog form, represented by a continuously varying signal analog data / nəlɒ detə/ noun data that is represented as a continuously variable signal. Speech is a form of analog data. analog display / nəlɒ dsple/ noun a display or monitor that can display an infinite range of colours or shades of grey, unlike a digital display that can only display a finite range of colours. VGA monitors are a form of analog display. analog gate /nəlɒ et/ noun a logic gate whose output is proportional to an input signal analog input card / nəlɒ npυt

kɑ d/ noun all circuitry on one PCB required for amplifying and converting analog input signals to a digital form analog line / nəlɒ lan/ noun a communications line that carries analog signals, e.g. a telephone line analog loopback / nəlɒ lu pbk/ noun a test mode on a modem used to test the serial port of the local computer or terminal 왍 analog loopback with selftest a test mode on a modem used to test the serial port of the modem analog monitor / nəlɒ mɒntə/ noun a display screen that uses a continuously variable input signal to control the colours display so that it can display a near infinite range of colours analog output card / nəlɒ aυt pυt kɑ d/ noun all circuitry on one PCB required to convert digital output data from a computer to an analog form analog recording / nəlɒ rkɔ dŋ/ noun the storing of signals in their natural form without conversion to digital form analog computer



analog data

analog display



analog gate

analog input card

analog line

analog loopback

analog monitor

analog output card



analog recording



Computing.fm Page 16 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

analog representation 16 analog representation / nəlɒ AND gate /nd et/ noun electronic

reprzenteʃ(ə)n/ noun a value or variagate that performs a logical AND function ble in analog form on electrical signals. Also called AND circuit, AND element. Compare coincianalog signal / nəlɒ sn(ə)l/ dence gate noun a continuously varying signal AND operation /nd ɒpəreʃ(ə)n/ analog to digital / nəlɒ tə noun the processing of two or more input dd't(ə)l/ adjective referring to changsignals, outputting their AND function ing a signal from an analog form to a digitally coded form. Abbr A/D, A to D anechoic chamber / nekəυk analog to digital converter tʃembə/ noun a perfectly quiet room in / nəlɒ tə dd't(ə)l kənv tə/ noun which sound or radio waves do not reflect full form of ADC off the walls analog transmission / nəlɒ angle /ŋəl/ noun a measure of the trnzmʃ(ə)n/ noun data transmission in change in direction, usually as the distance which the data is sent as a series of changturned from a reference line es in a continuously varying signal angled line / ŋləd lan/ noun a line analyser /nəlazə/ noun a piece of with three or more points, e.g. a zig-zag electronic test equipment that displays varangstrom /ŋstrɒm/ noun a unit of ious features of a signal (NOTE: The US measurement equal to one thousand milspelling is analyzer.) lionth of a metre. Abbr Å analyst /nəlst/ noun a person who ANI / e en a/ noun a telephone system carries out an analysis of a problem which displays the telephone number of analytical engine / nəltk(ə)l the caller. Full form automatic number end'n/ noun a mechanical calculating identification machine developed by Charles Babbage in animated GIF / n metd d'i a 1833 that is generally considered the first ef/ noun a simple animation effect creatgeneral-purpose digital computer ed by saving several small graphic images anamorphic / nəmɔ fk/ adjective within one file so that they can be repeatreferring to an image that has unequal veredly displayed in sequence giving an imtical and horizontal scaling, making it appression of animation. It is often used to pear squashed or taller than the original create animated buttons or other effects on ancestral file /n sestrəl fal/ noun a a webpage. 쒁 transparent GIF system of backing up files based on a son animation / nmeʃ(ə)n/ noun the to father to grandfather file, where the son creation of the illusion of movement by is the current working file displaying a series of slightly different imanchor cell /ŋkə sel/ noun a cell in a ages on screen very rapidly to give the efspreadsheet program that defines the start fect of smooth movement. Also called of a range of cells computer animation ancillary equipment /n sləri  animation software / nmeʃ(ə)n kwpmənt/ noun equipment which is

sɒftweə/ noun software that allows you used to make a task easier but which is not to draw several separate frames, each absolutely necessary slightly different, and then display them AND /nd/ noun an operator, often used one after another in rapid succession to in searches, that matches text that contains give the impression of movement. Each both search words. Compare OR (NOTE: frame is called a cel and the objects that For example, searching for ‘cat AND dog’ move are normally called actors. finds all entries that contain both the animatronics / nmətrɒnks/ noun words ‘cat’ and ‘dog’) a technology that uses computers and a AND circuit, AND element noun same form of radio control to make puppets or as AND gate other models appear to move in a lifelike AND function /nd fŋkʃən/ noun a way, e.g. in films logical function whose output is true if annotation / nəteʃ(ə)n/ noun a both its inputs are true. Also called coincomment or note in a program which excidence function plains how the program is to be used COMMENT: If both inputs are 1, results of the annotation symbol / nəυteʃ(ə)n AND will be 1. If one of the input digits is 0,

smb(ə)l/ noun a symbol used when makthen AND will produce a 0. analog representation

AND gate



analog signal

AND operation

analog to digital

anechoic chamber

analog to digital converter



analog transmission

angle



angled line

analyser

angstrom

analyst

ANI

analytical engine

animated GIF



anamorphic



ancestral file



animation



anchor cell

ancillary equipment





animation software



AND

animatronics



AND circuit

AND function

annotation



annotation symbol



Computing.fm Page 17 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

17 ing flowcharts, to allow comments to be added announce /ənaυns/ verb to publicise a new or updated website by registering the domain name with the main search engines; (NOTE: announces – announcing – announce



announced) COMMENT: Each search engine allows a person to add a new website and enter a description and category. Because there are now several hundred search engines, special software utilities are available to automatically register the website with each engine.

anti-tinkle suppression ANSI screen control / nsi skri n ANSI screen control

kən trəυl/ noun a set of standard codes developed by ANSI that control how colours and simple graphics are displayed on a computer screen answer /ɑ nsə/ verb to reply to a signal and set up a communications link 쑗 The first modem originates the call and the second answers it. answer back /ɑ nsə bk/ noun a signal sent by a receiving computer to identify itself answering machine /ɑ ns(ə)rŋ mə

ʃi n/ noun an application software that runs on a PC and controls a modem that has voice-mail functionality answer mode /ɑ nsə məυd/ noun the state of a modem that is waiting to receive a telephone call and establish a connection answer modem /ɑ nsə məυdem/ noun the state of a modem that emits an answertone before establishing a connection with an originate modem 

answer

answer back

annunciator /ənnsietə/ noun a sigannunciator



nal which can be heard or seen in order to attract attention anode /nəυd/ noun a positive electrical terminal of a device anonymiser /ənɒnmazə/, anonymizer noun a website that allows a person to browse the World Wide Web without leaving any traces of his or her identity anonymous FTP /ə nɒnməs ef ti pi / noun a method commonly used on the Internet that allows a user to connect to a remote computer using the FTP protocol and log in as a guest to download publicly accessible files. 쒁 FTP (NOTE: If you are anode

anonymiser



anonymous FTP



using the FTP protocol to connect to a remote computer and you are asked for a login name and password, you can normally gain access to the remote computer’s public areas by entering ‘anonymous’ as the login user name and your full email address as the password.) ANSI /nsi/ a US organisation which ANSI

specifies computer and software standards, including those of high-level programming languages (US) Full form American National Standards Institute ANSI C / nsi si / noun a standard verANSI C

sion of the C programming language ANSI driver /nsi dravə/ noun a small resident software program in a PC that interprets ANSI screen control codes and controls the screen appropriately ANSI escape sequence / nsi  skep si kwəns/ noun a sequence of ANSI screen control characters that controls the colours and attributes of text on screen (NOTE: The sequence must begin ANSI driver

ANSI escape sequence



with the ASCII character Esc (ASCII 27) and the character [ (ASCII 91).) ANSI keyboard / nsi ki bɔ d/ noun ANSI keyboard

a standard for a keyboard that provides either uppercase or upper and lowercase characters on a typewriter-style keyboard

answering machine



answer mode

answer modem

answer/originate, answer/originate answer/originate

device noun a communications device,

e.g. a modem, that can receive or send data

answer time /ɑ nsə tam/ noun the answer time

time taken for a receiving device to respond to a signal answertone /ɑ nsətəυn/ noun a tone an answering modem emits before the carrier is exchanged answertone

anthropomorphic anthropomorphic software

software

/ nθrəpəmɔ fk sɒftweə/ noun artifi-

cial intelligence software that appears to react to what a user says anti-aliasing / nti eliəsŋ/ noun 1. a method of reducing the effects of jagged edges in graphics by using shades of grey to blend in along edges. Also called dejagging 2. a method of adding sound signals between the sound samples to create a smoother sound anticoincidence circuit / ntikəυ nsdəns s kt/, anticoincidence function noun a logical function whose output is true if either of two inputs is true, and false if both inputs are the same anti-static mat / nti sttk mt/ noun a special rubberised mat which dissipates static electricity charge through an electrical earth connection (NOTE: An opanti-aliasing

anticoincidence circuit



anti-static mat

erator touches the mat before handling sensitive electronic components that could be damaged by static electricity.) anti-tinkle suppression / nti tŋk(ə)l sə preʃ(ə)n/ noun a switch that anti-tinkle suppression



Computing.fm Page 18 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

anti-virus program 18 be appended to the end of file A. 2. to add prevents other telephones on a line ringing when a modem dials out a file or data to the end of an existing file Apple Computer Corporation anti-virus program / nti varəs / p(ə)l kəmpju tə kɔ pəreʃ(ə)n/ a

prəυrm/ noun a software program that company, formed in 1975, that has devellooks for virus software on a computer and oped a range of personal computers indestroys it before it can damage data or cluding the Apple II, Apple Lisa and, more files recently, the Apple Mac anti-virus software / nti varəs ‘Apple Computer has fleshed out details of a migra sɒftweə/ noun software that removes a tion path to the PowerPC RISC architecture for its 7 virus from a file million Apple Macintosh users. Developments in the pipeline include PowerPC versions of the AppleTalk anycast /enikɑ st/ noun a type of comRemote Access networking protocol.’ [Computing] munication in which a single computer Apple Desktop Bus / p(ə)l user sends data across a network to the

desktɒp bs/ a trade name for a serial nearest of a group of receivers bus built into Apple Macs that allows lowAOL abbr America Online speed devices, e.g. the keyboard and APA abbr all points addressable mouse, to communicate with the procesApache HTTPD /ə ptʃi etʃ ti ti sor. Abbr ADB pi di / noun a popular piece of web servApple file exchange / p(ə)l fal ks er software that provides the basic func tʃend'/ a trade name for a software protions required to operate a web server on a gram that runs on an Apple Mac allowing computer it to read disks from a PC aperture /pətʃə/ noun an opening in a Apple filing protocol / p(ə)l falŋ device that allows a certain amount of light

prəυtəkɒl/ a trade name for a method of or a signal to pass through it storing files on a network server so that aperture mask /pətʃə mɑ sk/ noun they can be accessed from an Apple Mac. a mask used in colour monitors to keep the Abbr AFP red, green and blue beams separate Apple Key /p(ə)l ki / a trade name for API / e pi a/ noun a set of standard a special key on the keyboard of an Apple program functions and commands that alMac that, when pressed with another key, low any programmer to interface a proprovides a short-cut to a menu selection gram with another application 쑗 If I follow Apple Mac /p(ə)l mk/ , Apple Macthe published API for this system, my prointosh computer a trade name for any of gram will work properly. Full form applia range of personal computers developed cation programming interface by Apple Computer Corporation that has a APL / e pi el/ noun a high-level prographical user interface and uses the gramming language used in scientific and 68000 family of processors mathematical work. Full form A proAppleScript /p(ə)lskrpt/ a trade gramming language name for a script language built into the APM / e pi em/ noun a specification operation system of an Apple Mac that althat allows an operating system such as lows a user to automate simple tasks older Windows to control the power manAppleshare /p(ə)lʃeə/ a trade name agement features of a computer. Full form for software that allows Apple Macs to advanced power management. 쒁 ACPI share files and printers using a file server (NOTE: This standard has been replaced Apple System / p(ə)l sstəm/ a by the ACPI standard in Windows 98 and trade name for a version of the operating Windows NT 5.0.) system for the Apple Mac that introduces APPC / e pi pi si / noun a set of promultitasking, virtual memory and peer-totocols developed by IBM that allows peerpeer file sharing to-peer communication between workstaapplet /plət/ noun 1. a small utility tions connected to an SNA network. Full within Microsoft Windows, originally any advanced program to program form of the icons in the Control Panel window, communication. Also called LU 6.2 probut now any piece of software that is used tocols to configure the computer 쑗 There are apappend /əpend/ verb 1. to add data to plets to help format your disk and configan existing file or record 쑗 If you enter the ure your keyboard. 2. a small applications DOS command COPY A+B, the file B will on the Internet designed to enhance the Apple Computer Corporation

anti-virus program



anti-virus software

anycast

Apple Desktop Bus

AOL

APA

Apache HTTPD



Apple file exchange



aperture

Apple filing protocol

aperture mask

Apple Key

API

Apple Mac

APL

AppleScript

APM

Appleshare

Apple System

APPC

applet

append



Computing.fm Page 19 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

19 functionality of a webpage. 쒁 ActiveX,



Java, VBScript (NOTE: For example, if you want to add multimedia effects to your webpage, you cannot carry out these functions with standard HTML commands, but you could write a small ActiveX program, called an applet, that is automatically downloaded by the user’s browser and run on the user’s computer.) AppleTalk /p(ə)ltɑ k/ a trade name AppleTalk

for a communications protocol developed by the Apple Computer Corporation that carries data over network hardware between two or more Apple Macs and peripherals (NOTE: AppleTalk is similar to

the seven-layer OSI protocol model. It can link up to 32 devices, uses a CSMA/CA design and transmits data at 230 Kbps.) AppleTalk Filing Protocol / p(ə)l tɔ k falŋ prəυtəkɒl/ full form of AFP appliance computer /ə plaəns kəm pju tə/ noun a ready-to-run computer AppleTalk Filing Protocol

appliance computer





system that can be bought in a shop, taken home and used immediately for a particular purpose. 쒁 turnkey system application / plkeʃ(ə)n/ noun a task which a computer performs or a problem which a computer solves application



application configuration access protocol / plkeʃ(ə)n kən fjυ application configuration access protocol

ACAP

application

developer

/ plkeʃ(ə)n dveləpə/ noun a pro

grammer who designs the look of an application and defines its functions application file / plkeʃ(ə)n fal/ noun a binary file stored on disk that contains the machine code instructions of a program application form /plkeʃ(ə)n fɔ m/ noun a form to be filled in when applying for something 쑗 to fill in an application form for an account on the system application generator / pl keʃ(ə)n d'enəretə/ noun a piece of special software that allows a programmer to define the main functions and look of an application. The generator then automatically creates the instructions to carry out the defined application. application icon / plkeʃ(ə)n

akɒn/ noun a small image or graphical symbol that represents an application program in a graphical user interface application file



application form



application generator



application icon



application orientated language

application package



package

application program / plkeʃ(ə)n

prəυrm/ noun a piece of application software 쑗 The multi-window editor is used to create and edit applications programs. application program



application programming interface / plkeʃ(ə)n prəυrmŋ application programming interface

ntəfes/ noun full form of API

application application service element

service

element

/ plkeʃ(ə)n s vs elmənt/ noun a

part of a program in the application layer of an OSI environment that interacts with the layers beneath it

application application service provider



reʃ(ə)n kses prəυtəkɒl/ full form of application developer

applications programmer application layer / plkeʃ(ə)n

leə/ noun the seventh and top layer in an ISO/OSI network, which allows a user to requests functions such as transfer files, send mail and use resources. The other layers are not normally accessed by users. application orientated language / plkeʃ(ə)n ɔ riəntetd lŋwd'/ noun a programming language that provides functions which allow the user to solve certain application problems application package / plkeʃ(ə)n

pkd'/ noun a set of computer programs and manuals that cover all aspects of a particular task, e.g. payroll, stock control or tax. Also called applications application layer

service

provider

/ plkeʃ(ə)n s vs prə vadə/ noun a 

specialist company that installs, configures and manages software on its own server and then allows any business to use the software via the Internet or a private network. Abbr ASP (NOTE: The user does

not realise that the software is located on a distant server, and the business does not need to buy or support the software, just rent it.) application software / plkeʃ(ə)n sɒftweə/ noun software designed to application software

make the computer do what is required and perform particular tasks. Also called applications software

package / pl keʃ(ə)nz pkd'/ noun same as appliapplications applications package



cation package

application specific integrated circuits / plkeʃ(ə)n spə sfk application specific integrated circuits



ntretd s kts/ noun full form of

ASIC

programmer / pl keʃ(ə)nz prəυrmə/ noun a programmer who writes application software applications applications programmer



Computing.fm Page 20 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

applications software 20 applications software / pl archival quality /ɑ kav(ə)l kwɒləti/ keʃ(ə)nz sɒftweə/ noun same as apnoun the length of time that a copy can be plication software stored before it becomes illegible application terminal / plkeʃ(ə)n archive /ɑ kav/ noun storage of data

t mn(ə)l/, applications terminal over a long period 쐽 verb to put data in / plkeʃ(ə)nz t mn(ə)l/ noun a terstorage (NOTE: archives – archiving – arminal, e.g. at a sales desk, which is spechived) cially configured to carry out certain tasks archive attribute / ɑ kav ətrbju t/, application window / plkeʃ(ə)n archive bit noun a special attribute at wndəυ/ noun an application program tached to a file that indicates if the file has running in a window displayed in a graphbeen archived since it was last changed. ical user interface such as Microsoft’s Also called archive flag Windows archived copy / ɑ kavd kɒpi/ noun a APPN / e pi pi en/ noun an extension copy kept in storage to the IBM SNA protocol that allows archive file /ɑ kav fal/ noun a file workstations to share information on a containing data which is out of date but peer-to-peer basis without the need for a which is kept for future reference central mainframe. Full form advanced archive flag /ɑ kav fl/ noun same peer-to-peer networking (NOTE: It is ofarchive attribute as ten used to route information around a archive site /ɑ kav sat/ noun one network and dynamically adjusts the computer on the Internet that provides a route if part of the network is damaged.) vast collection of public-domain files and approximation error /ə prɒks programs, copied from other computers meʃ(ə)n erə/ noun an error caused by around the Internet, that a user can downrounding off a real number load A programming language / e archive storage / ɑ kav stɔ rd'/ prəυrmŋ lŋwd'/ noun full form noun storage of data for a long period of of APL time APT / e pi ti / noun a programming area /eəriə/ noun a section of memory or language used to control numerically concode that is reserved for a certain purpose trolled machines. Full form automaticalarea fill /eəriə fl/ noun (in graphics) an ly programmed tools instruction to fill an area of the screen or Arabic figures / rəbk fəz/ noun an enclosed pattern with a colour or patsame as Arabic numbers tern Arabic numbers / rəbk nmbəz/, area graph /eəriə rɑ f/ noun a line Arabic figures / rəbk fəz/, Arabic graph in which the area below the line is numerals / rəbk nju mərəl/ noun filled with a pattern or colour figures such as 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. (as opposed area search /eəriə s tʃ/ noun a to the Roman numerals I, II, III. IV, etc.) 쑗 search for specific data within a certain The page numbers are written in Arabic section of memory or files figures. arbitration software / ɑ btreʃ(ə)n arg /ɑ / noun same as argument

sɒftweə/ noun software that is responsiargument /ɑ jυmənt/ noun a variable ble for allocating resources to devices, ofacted upon by an operator or function 쑗 If ten used to manage the way Plug and Play you enter the words ‘MULTIPLY A, B’, the adapters use other resources in a computer processor will recognise the operator, Archie /ɑ tʃi / noun a system of servers MULTIPLY, and use it with the two arguon the Internet that catalogue the public ments, A and B. 쒁 operand. Abbr arg files available on the Internet argument separator /ɑ jυmənt architecture /ɑ ktektʃə/ noun the

sepəretə/ noun a punctuation mark or layout and interconnection of a computer’s symbol that separates several arguments internal hardware and the logical relationon one line 쑗 The command ‘MULTIPLY ships between CPU, memory and I/O deA, B’ uses a comma as the argument sepavices rator. ‘Software giant Microsoft is also interested in using arithmetic capability / rθmetk Xerox’ Glyph technology as part of its Microsoft At

kepəblti/ noun the ability of a device Work architecture that seeks to unite office computto perform mathematical functions ers with fax machines and copiers.’ [Computing] applications software

archival quality



application terminal

archive





archive attribute



application window



archived copy

APPN

archive file

archive flag

archive site

approximation error





A programming language

archive storage

APT

area

area fill

Arabic figures

Arabic numbers

area graph

area search

arbitration software

arg



argument

Archie

argument separator

architecture

arithmetic capability



Computing.fm Page 21 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

21

arithmetic check /ərθmətk tʃek/ arithmetic check



noun a further arithmetic operation carried out to ensure that a result is correct arithmetic functions /ə rθmətk fŋkʃənz/ plural noun calculations carried out on numbers, e.g. addition, subtraction, multiplication and division arithmetic instruction / rθmetk nstrkʃən/ noun an instruction to perform an arithmetic operation on data rather than a logical function arithmetic logic unit / rθmetk lɒd'k ju nt/ noun full form of ALU arithmetic operation / rθmetk

ɒpəreʃ(ə)n/ noun a mathematical function carried out on data arithmetic operator / rθmetk ɒpəretə/ noun a symbol which indicates an arithmetic function, e.g. + for addition, x for multiplication arithmetic register / rθmetk red'stə/ noun a memory location which stores operands arithmetic shift / rθmetk ʃft/ noun a word or data moved one bit to the left or right inside a register, losing the bit shifted off the end arithmetic unit / rθmetk ju nt/ noun same as ALU arm /ɑ m/ verb 1. to prepare a device or machine or routine for action or inputs 2. to define which interrupt lines are active armed interrupt /ɑ md ntərpt/ noun an interrupt line which has been made active, using an interrupt mask ARP / e ɑ pi / noun a protocol within the TCP/IP standard that is used to determine whether the source and destination address in a packet are in the data-link control or Internet protocol format. Full form address resolution protocol (NOTE: Once the format of the address is known, the packet can be correctly routed over a network.) ARPANET /ɑ pənet/ noun the original network of interconnected computers, linked by leased lines, that formed the first prototype for the current Internet. It was developed by the US Department of Defense. Full form advanced research projects agency network ARQ / e ɑ kju / noun an error correction system, used in some modems, which asks for data to be re-transmitted if it contains errors. Full form automatic repeat request arithmetic functions



arithmetic instruction



arithmetic logic unit

arithmetic operation



arithmetic operator

arithmetic register

arithmetic shift

arithmetic unit

arm

armed interrupt

ARP

ARPANET

ARQ

ascender array /əre/ noun an ordered structure containing individually accessible elements referenced by numbers, used to store tables or sets of related data array bounds /əre baυndz/ plural noun limits to the number of elements which can be given in an array array dimension /əre da menʃ(ə)n/ noun the number of elements in an array, given as rows and columns array element /əre elmənt/ noun one individual piece of data within an array array processor /əre prəυsesə/ noun a computer that can act upon several arrays of data simultaneously, for very fast mathematical applications 쑗 The array processor allows the array that contains the screen image to be rotated with one simple command. arrow key /rəυ ki / noun each of a set of four keys on a keyboard that move the cursor or pointer around the screen, controlling movement up, down, left and right arrow pointer / rəυ pɔntə/ noun a small arrow on-screen that you can move using the mouse artefact /ɑ tfkt/, artifact noun 1. a very small error in a video signal 2. a very small error in a digital version of an analog signal article /ɑ tk(ə)l/ noun one message in a newsgroup artifact /ɑ tfkt/ noun another spelling of artefact artificial intelligence / ɑ tfʃ(ə)l n teld'(ə)ns/ noun full form of AI artificial life / ɑ tfʃ(ə)l laf/ noun the use of computer systems to imitate aspects of natural human behaviour such as learning and reproduction artificial neural network / ɑ tfʃ(ə)l njυərəl netw k/ noun a system for processing information that is made up of interconnected elements that behave in a similar way to the neurons in the human nervous system and have the ability to learn through experience artwork /ɑ t w k/ noun graphical work or images ascend /əsend/ verb to increase ascender /əsendə/ noun a part of a character that rises above the main line of printed characters, e.g. the upward line of a ‘b’ or ‘d’ array



array bounds



array dimension





array element



array processor



arrow key

arrow pointer

artefact

article

artifact

artificial intelligence



artificial life

artificial neural network

artwork



ascend



ascender



Computing.fm Page 22 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

ascending order 22 the disk drive are made in Japan and asascending order /ə sendŋ ɔ də/ sembled in France. (NOTE: assembles – noun an arrangement of data with the assembling – assembled) 2. to translate smallest value or date first in the list assembly code into machine code 쑗 There ASCII /ski / noun a code which repreis a short wait during which time the prosents alphanumeric characters in binary gram is assembled into object code. 3. to code. Full form American Standard insert specific library routines or macros Code for Information Interchange or parameters into a program ASCII character /ski krktə/ assembler /əsemblə/ noun a program noun a character which is in the ASCII list which converts a program written in asof codes sembly language into machine code. Also ASCII file /ski fal/ noun a stored file called assembler program containing only ASCII coded character data 쑗 Use a word processor or other proassembler error messages /ə gram that generates a standard ASCII file.

semblə erə mesd'/ plural noun messages produced by an assembler that indiASCII keyboard / ski ki bɔ d/ noun cate that errors have been found in the a keyboard that provides a key for every source code ASCII code ASCII text /ski tekst/ noun the set of assembler language /əsemblə letter and number characters with an AS lŋwd'/ noun same as assembly lanCII code between 0 and 127 guage ASCIIZ string / ski zed strŋ/ noun assembler mnemonic /ə semblə n a sequence of ASCII characters followed mɒnk/ noun a standard word abbreviaby the ASCII code zero that indicates the tion used when writing a program for a end of the sequence in programming particular CPU in assembly language, e.g. ASF / e es ef/ noun a multimedia delivLDA for load register A ery format developed by Microsoft for deassembler program /əsemblə livery over the Internet and used in its Net prəυrm/ noun same as assembler Show product. Full form active streamassembly /əsembl/ noun the process ing format of putting an item together from various ASIC / e es a si / plural noun specially parts 쑗 There are no assembly instructions designed ICs for one particular function or to show you how to put the computer toto special specifications. Full form appligether. cation specific integrated circuits assembly code /əsembli kəυd/ noun ASP abbr 1. Active Server Page 2. applia set of mnemonics which are used to repcation service provider resent machine code instructions in an asaspect ratio / spekt reʃiəυ/ noun sembler program the ratio of the width to the height of pixel assembly language /əsembli shapes

lŋwd'/ noun a programming lanaspect system / spekt sstəm/ guage using mnemonics to code instrucnoun a method of storing and indexing tions which will then be converted to madocuments in a retrieval system chine code. Also called assembler lamASR / e es ɑ / noun a device or terminal guage, base language that can transmit and receive information. assembly listing /əsembli lstŋ/ Full form automatic send/receive. noun a display of an assembler ordered acCompare KSR cording to memory location COMMENT: An ASR terminal can input information via a keyboard or via a tape cassette or assembly plant /əsembli plɑ nt/ paper tape. It can receive information and noun a factory where units are put together store it in internal memory or on tape. from parts made in other factories ASR keyboard / e es ɑ ki bɔ d/ assembly routine /əsembli ru ti n/, noun a communications console keyboard assembly system /əsembl sstəm / that has all the characters and punctuation noun a part of a computer program that keys and special control, send and receive translates assembly code into machine keys code assemble /əsemb(ə)l/ verb 1. to put a assembly system /əsembl sstəm/ hardware or software product together noun same as assembly routine from various smaller parts 쑗 The parts for ascending order



ASCII

ASCII character

assembler



ASCII file

assembler error messages



ASCII keyboard

ASCII text

assembler language



ASCIIZ string

assembler mnemonic





ASF

assembler program



assembly



ASIC

assembly code

ASP



aspect ratio

assembly language



aspect system

ASR

assembly listing



assembly plant



ASR keyboard

assembly routine







assemble



assembly system



Computing.fm Page 23 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

23

assembly time /əsembli tam/ noun assembly time



the time taken by an assembler to translate a program assertion /əs ʃ(ə)n/ noun a program statement of a fact or rule assets /sets/ plural noun separate data elements such as video, audio and image that are used in a multimedia application assign /əsan/ verb 1. to give a computer or person something to do 쑗 He was assigned the job of checking the sales figures. 2. to set a variable equal to a string of characters or numbers 3. to keep part of a computer system for use while a program is running assigned numbers /ə sand nmbəz/ plural noun unique numbers that are each assigned to an Internet or network manufacturer’s device, protocol or other resource (NOTE: Manufacturers apassertion



assets

assign



assigned numbers



ply for a unique ID number from the IANA organisation.) assignment /əsanmənt/ noun the assignment



process of setting a variable equal to a value or string or character assignment compatible /ə

sanmənt kəmptəb(ə)l/ adjective (in the Pascal programming language) referring to a value whose type is established by a check to be allowed assignment conversion /ə

sanmənt kənv ʃ(ə)n/ noun (in the C and Fortran programming languages) an operation to change the type of a value assignment statement /ə sanmənt stetmənt/ noun a basic programming command that sets a variable equal to a value or string or character associated document /fal/, associated file noun a document or file that is linked to its originating application (NOTE: assignment compatible





assignment conversion





assignment statement



associated document

When you select the file, the operating system automatically starts the originating application.) associative addressing /ə səυsiətv ədresŋ/ noun the identification of a loassociative addressing





cation by its contents rather than its address. Also called content-addressable

addressing

memory /ə səυsiətv mem(ə)ri/ noun a method of data retrieval that uses part of the data rather than an address to locate the data. Also called as-

associative associative memory

sociative storage



asynchronous communication associative processor /ə səυsiətv associative processor



prəυsesə/ noun a processor that uses associative memory associative storage /ə səυsiətv stɔ rd'/ noun same as associative associative storage



memory

associative storage register /ə associative storage register



səυsiətv stɔ rd' red'stə/ noun a register that is located by its contents rather than a name or address asterisk /stərsk/ noun 1. a graphical symbol (*) used in programming as a sign for multiplication 2. a graphical symbol (*) used as a wildcard in many operating systems, including DOS, to mean any characters asterisk fill /st(ə)rsk fl/ noun the filling of unused decimal places with the asterisk symbol asymmetric compression / s

metrk kəmpreʃ(ə)n/ noun a method of reducing the space taken by data asterisk

asterisk fill

asymmetric compression





Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line / s metrk dd't(ə)l səb Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line



skrabə lan/ noun full form of ADSL asymmetric transmission /es

metrk trnzmʃ(ə)n/ noun a method of data transmission which has two different speeds for data received by the computer and data transmitted by the computer



asymmetric transmission





asymmetric video compression asymmetric video compression

/es metrk vdiəυ kəm preʃ(ə)n/ noun the use of a powerful computer to 



compress video, allowing it to be played back on a less powerful computer async /esŋk/ adjective same as asynchronous (informal ) asynchronous /əsŋkrənəs/ adjective referring to serial data or equipment which does not depend on being synchronised with another piece of equipment asynchronous access /e sŋkrənəs kses/ noun communication using handshaking to synchronise data transmission asynchronous cache /e sŋkrənəs kʃ/ noun a type of cache memory that provides the slowest performance and uses a type of SDRAM that is cheap but slow asynchronous communication /e

sŋkrənəs kə mju nkeʃ(ə)n/ noun data transmission between devices that is not synchronized to a clock, but is transmitted when ready async



asynchronous



asynchronous access



asynchronous cache



asynchronous communication







asynchronous communication server /e sŋkrənəs kə mju n asynchronous communication server





keʃ(ə)n s və/ noun full form of ACS



Computing.fm Page 24 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

asynchronous communications 24 asynchronous communications ATA packet interface / e ti e interface adapter /ə sŋkrənəs kə pkt ntəfes/ noun same as advanced technology attachment packet

mju nkeʃ(ə)nz ntəfes ə dptə/ interface noun full form of ACIA asynchronous computer /e ATAPI abbr advanced technology attach sŋkrənəs kəmpju tə/ noun 1. a comment packet interface puter that changes from one operation to AT attachment /e ti ə ttʃmənt/ the next according to signals received noun same as ATA when the process is finished 2. a computer ATA Ultra / e ti e ltrə/ noun a proin which a process starts on the arrival of prietary extension to ATA-2, developed by signals or data rather than on a clock pulse Quantum Corp., that provides a highasynchronous data transfer /e speed standard interface that provides data

sŋkrənəs detə trnsf / noun transtransfer at up to 33 MBps. fer of data between two devices that takes AT-bus /ət bs/ noun an expansion bus place without any regular or predictable standard developed by IBM that uses an timing signal edge connector to carry 16-bits of data and asynchronous mode /esŋkrənəs address information məυd/ noun the state of a terminal linked ATC / e ti si / noun permission granted to another piece of equipment in a way in by the software publisher to the user to which the two need not be synchronised make a certain number of copies of a proasynchronous port /e sŋkrənəs gram. Full form authorization to copy pɔ t/ noun a connection to a computer al(NOTE: Some companies have introlowing asynchronous data access 쑗 Since duced ATC schemes that allow users of asynchronous ports are used no special certain software to make duplicates of hardware is required. the companies’ programs for a fee.) asynchronous procedure call /e AT command set / e ti kəmɑ nd

sŋkrənəs prəsi d'ə kɔ l/ noun a proset/ noun a standard set of commands to gram function that runs separately from control a modem, developed by Hayes the main program and will execute when a Corporation particular set of conditions exist. Abbr ATD / e ti di / noun a standard comAPC mand for compatible modems used to dial asynchronous transfer mode /e a telephone number; defined by Hayes

sŋkrənəs trnsf məυd/ noun full Corporation. Full form attention, dial form of ATM ATE / e ti i / noun computer controlled asynchronous transmission /e testing facilities that can check a complex

sŋkrənəs trnzmʃ(ə)n/ noun data circuit or PCB for faults or problems. Full transmission that uses handshaking sigform automatic test equipment nals rather than clock signals to synchroAthlon XP /θlɒn eks pi / a trade nize data pulses name for a 32-bit processor, developed by AT / e ti / noun a trade name for a standAMD, that can run the same software as an ard of PC originally developed by IBM Intel Pentium processor that uses a 16-bit 80286 processor AT-keyboard /ət ki bɔ d/ noun a COMMENT: AT originally meant IBM’s Adstandard keyboard layout for IBM AT pervanced Technology personal computer, but is sonal computers, with 102 keys with a row now used to describe any IBM PC compatible of 12 function keys along the top that uses a 16-bit processor. ATM1 / e ti em/ abbr Adobe Type ATA / e ti e/ noun hard disk drive techManager nology in which the controller is part of ATM2 / e ti em/ noun 1. method of the disk drive rather than being part of the transferring data very rapidly, at up to 155 main computer or located on the motherMbps, across an ISDN link or network 2. a board. Full form advanced technology attachment. Also called AT attachment CCITT and ANSI standard defining cell relay transmission 왘 full form asynchroATA Fast / e ti e fɑ st/ noun a pronous transfer mode prietary standard interface developed by ATM adaptation layer / e ti em Seagate and based on ATA that improves

dpteʃ(ə)n leə/ noun part of the the transfer rate and has three modes of opATM system that translates a user’s data to eration that provide either 11.1 MBps, the standard ATM cell format. Abbr AAL 13.3 MBps or 16.6 MBps transfer rates asynchronous communications

ATA packet interface







asynchronous computer

ATAPI





AT attachment



ATA Ultra

asynchronous data transfer



AT-bus

asynchronous mode



ATC

asynchronous port



asynchronous procedure call

AT command set







ATD

asynchronous transfer mode



ATE

asynchronous transmission





Athlon XP

AT

AT-keyboard



ATA

ATM

ATM

ATA Fast

ATM adaptation layer



Computing.fm Page 25 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

25

ATM cell format / e ti em sel/ noun ATM cell format

data sent over an ATM network in a 53-octet packet that includes a header and address information ATM layers / e ti em leəs/ noun a method of dividing the functions of an ATM network system into hierarchical layers AT mode / e ti məυd/ noun a state of a modem that is ready to accept commands using the Hayes AT command set ATM payload / e ti em peləυd/ noun a section of an ATM cell that contains the data. It contains 48 octets of data within the 53-octet cell. A to D adjective same as analog to digATM layers

AT mode

ATM payload



A to D

ital

A to D converter /ə tə, tυ di / noun A to D converter

same as ADC 쑗 The speech signal was first passed through an A to D converter before being analysed. atom /təm/ noun 1. the smallest particle of an element that has the same properties as the element 2. a value or string that cannot be reduced to a simpler form atomic /ətɒmk/ adjective an referring to an operation that returns data to its original state if it is stopped during processing ATSC / e ti es si / noun a committee that defines the SDTV and HDTV standards for use in the USA. Full form Adatom

atomic



ATSC

vanced Television Systems Committee attach /əttʃ/ verb to connect a node or attach



login to a server on a network

audit trail attention interruption /ə tenʃ(ə)n attention interruption



ntərpʃən/ noun an interrupt signal that requests the attention of the processor attention key /ətenʃ(ə)n ki / noun a key on a terminal that sends an interrupt signal to the processor attenuation /ə tenjueʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. reduction or loss of signal strength 2. the difference between transmitted and received power measured in decibels 쑗 If the cable is too long, the signal attenuation will start to cause data errors. Opposite 

attention key



attenuation





gain

attribute /trbju t/ noun 1. a field entry in a file 쑗 This attribute controls the colour of the screen. 2. a piece of information concerning the display or presentation of information 3. a set of control data stored with and controlling particular functions or aspects of the file in some operating systems such as DOS and OS/2 auctioneering device / ɔ kʃənərŋ d vas/ noun a device that will select the maximum or minimum signal from a number of input signals audible /ɔ db(ə)l/ adjective which can be heard 쑗 The printer makes an audible signal when it runs out of paper. audio /ɔ diəυ/ adjective referring to sound or to things which can be heard audio board /ɔ diəυ bɔ d/ noun same as sound card audio file /ɔ diəυ fal/ noun a digital sound sample stored on disk audio range /ɔ diəυ rend'/ noun the frequency range between 50–20,000 Hz that can be detected by a human ear audio response unit / ɔ diəυ r spɒns ju nt/ noun a speech synthesiser that allows a computer to speak responses to requests audiotex /ɔ diəυteks/ noun an interactive voice response over the telephone in which a computer asks the caller questions and the caller responds by pressing numbers on his telephone audio/video interleaved / ɔ diəυ

vdiəυ ntəli vd/ noun full form of AVI attribute

auctioneering device





audible

audio

audio board

audio file

audio range

attached processor /ə ttʃt prəυsesə/ noun a separate microprocessor in a system that performs certain functions under the control of a central processor attachment /əttʃmənt/ noun a named file which is transferred together with an electronic mail message 쑗 There is an attachment with my last mail message – it contains the sales report. attack /ətk/ noun the shape of the start of a sound signal over time attended operation /ə tendd ɒpə reʃ(ə)n/ noun a process which has an operator standing by in case of problems attention, dial /ə tenʃən daəl/ noun full form of ATD attention code /ətenʃən kəυd/ noun the two characters ‘AT’ that are used to preface a command to a Hayes-compatible modem (NOTE: For example, ‘ATD123’ attached processor



attachment



attack



attended operation



attention, dial



attention code



tells the modem to dial the number ‘123’)



audio response unit



audiotex

audio/video interleaved



audio-video audio-video support system

support

system

/ ɔ diəυ vdiəυ səpɔ t/ noun full form of AVSS audit /ɔ dt/ noun the process of noting tasks carried out by a computer 쐽 verb to 

audit

examine the state of a system and check that it is still secure or working properly audit trail /ɔ dt trel/ noun a record of details of the use made of a system by notaudit trail

Computing.fm Page 26 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

augend 26 ing transactions carried out, used for authorisation code / ɔ θəra checking on illegal use or malfunction zeʃ(ə)n kəυd/ noun a code used to restrict access to a computer system to auaugend /ɔ end/ noun the number to thorised users only which another number, the addend, is added to produce the sum authorisation to copy / ɔ θərazeʃ(ə)n tə kɒp/ noun full augmented addressing /ɔ  mentd form of ATC ədresŋ/ noun the producing of a usable address word from two shorter words authorised user / ɔ θə razd ju zə/, authorized user noun person who is alaugmenter / ɔ mentə/ noun a value added to another lowed to access a system AUI connector / e ju a kə nektə/ authority file, authority list noun a list noun a D-connector used to connect thick of special terms used by people compiling Ethernet cable to a network adapter a database and also by the users of the database AUP abbr acceptable use policy author level / ɔ θə lev(ə)l/ noun the authentication of messages /ɔ mode of an authoring software package

θentkeʃ(ə)n əv mesd'z/ noun the that is used by the author to design the apuse of special codes to identify the sender plication (NOTE: The user uses the finof messages, so that the messages can be ished application at user level.) recognised as being genuine auto advance / ɔ təυ ədvɑ ns/ noun a authenticator /ɔ θentketə/ noun a system by which the paper in a printer is trustworthy company that provides auautomatically moved forward to the next thentication for digital signatures on the line at the end of a line Internet (NOTE: This process is used by secure websites (shopping or payment auto-answer / ɔ təυ ɑ nsə/ noun a sites) to prove to a visitor that the website feature of a modem that will automatically has been created by the authorised pubanswer a telephone when called lisher.) auto-baud scanning /ɔ təυ bɔ d/, author /ɔ θə/ noun the person who auto-baud sensing /ɔ təυ bɔ d/ noun a wrote a program 쐽 verb to create a multifeature of a modem that can automatically media application by combining sound, sense and select the correct baud rate for a video and images line ‘The authoring system is a software product that inauto-boot /ɔ təυ bu t/ noun a feature tegrates text and fractally compressed images, using of a computer system that will initiate a any wordprocessor line editor, to create an electronic book with hypertext links between different pages.’ boot-up procedure when it is switched on [Computing] auto-dial / ɔ təυ daəl/ noun feature of authoring language / ɔ θərŋ a modem that dials a number automaticallŋwd'/ noun a programming lanly using stored data guage used to write CAL and training proAUTOEXEC.BAT / ɔ təυzek bt/ grams authorisation code



augend

authorisation to copy

augmented addressing





authorised user



augmenter



AUI connector

authority file



AUP

author level

authentication of messages



auto advance

authenticator





auto-answer

auto-baud scanning

author

auto-boot

auto-dial

authoring language

AUTOEXEC.BAT



/ ɔ θərŋ sstəm/, authoring system noun 1. a

authoring authoring software

software

special application that allows you to create multimedia titles. Authoring software lets you design the pages of the multimedia book and place video clips, images, text and sound on a page. (NOTE: Almost all multimedia developers use some type of authoring software rather than a traditional programming language because it’s a much faster and easier way to create multimedia programs.) 2. same as webpage design software authorisation / ɔ θərazeʃ(ə)n/, authorization noun 1. permission or power to do something 2. the process of giving a authorisation



user permission to access a system

noun (in an IBM PC running the MS-DOS operating system) a batch file that contains commands that are executed when the computer is first switched on or reset autoflow /ɔ təυfləυ/ noun a feature of DTP or wordprocessing software that automatically flows text around a graphic image or from one page to the next auto-login / ɔ təυ lɒn/, auto-logon / ɔ təυ lɒɒn/ noun a phone number, password and user’s number transmitted when requested by a remote system to automate logon. Also called automatic logon autoflow

auto-login

automated automated teller machine

teller

machine

/ ɔ təmetd telə mə ʃi n/ noun full form of ATM 

Computing.fm Page 27 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

27

automatically programmed tools

automatic speed matching automatic letter writing / ɔ təmtk

automatically programmed tools

automatic letter writing

/ ɔ təmtkli prəυrmd tu lz/ plural noun full form of APT automatic backup / ɔ təmtk bkp/ noun same as auto save

letə ratŋ/ noun the writing of form letters using a word-processor automatic loader / ɔ təmtk ləυdə/ noun a short program, usually in ROM, that will boot up a system and load a program automatic log on / ɔ təmtk lɒ

ɒn/ noun same as auto-login automatic mailing list / ɔ təmtk melŋ lst/ noun 쏡 listserv automatic mode / ɔ təmtk məυd/ noun a feature of a monitor that can adjust its internal circuits to the different frequencies used by different video standards. Also called automatic frequency

automatic backup

automatic automatic call distribution

call

distribution

/ ɔ təmtk kɔ l dstrbju ʃ(ə)n/ noun full form of ACD automatic calling unit / ɔ təmtk kɔ lŋ ju nt/ noun full form of ACU automatic calling unit

automatic automatic carriage return

carriage

return

/ ɔ təmtk krd' r t n/ noun a sys

tem in which the cursor automatically returns to the beginning of a new line when it reaches the end of the previous one automatic checking / ɔ təmtk tʃekŋ/ noun error detection and validation check carried out automatically on received data automatic data capture / ɔ təmtk detə kptʃə/ noun a system in which data is automatically recorded in a computer system, as it is input automatic checking

automatic data capture

automatic automatic data processing

data

processing

/ ɔ təmtk detə prəυsesŋ/ noun full form of ADP

automatic automatic decimal adjustment

decimal

adjustment

/ ɔ təmtk desm(ə)l ə d'stmənt/ noun the process of lining up all the deci

mal points in a column of figures

automatic automatic error correction

error

correction

/ ɔ təmtk erə kə rekʃ(ə)n/ noun cor

rection of received data, using error detection and correction codes

automatic automatic error detection

error

detection

/ ɔ təmtk erə d tekʃ(ə)n/ noun use of an alphanumeric code, e.g. a grey code, that will allow any errors to be detected 

automatic automatic font downloading

font

downloading

/ ɔ təmtk fɒnt dəυn ləυdŋ/ noun the 

process in which special font information is sent to a printer by the application

automatic frequency switching automatic frequency switching

/ ɔ təmtk fri kwənsi swtʃŋ/ noun same as automatic mode automatic gain / ɔ təmtk en/ noun an electronic circuit which automatautomatic gain

ically increases the volume when someone is speaking quietly and drops it when someone is speaking loudly automatic gain control / ɔ təmtk

en kəntrəυl/ noun full form of AGC automatic hyphenation / ɔ təmtk

hafənaʃ(ə)n/ noun a feature of a software program that looks up in an electronic dictionary how to correctly split and hyphenate words automatic gain control



automatic hyphenation



automatic loader

automatic log on

automatic mailing list

automatic mode



switching

automatic number identification automatic number identification

/ ɔ təmtk nmbə a dentfkeʃ(ə)n/ noun full form of ANI automatic power off / ɔ təmtk

paυə ɒf/ noun a feature of equipment 

automatic power off

that will switch itself off if it has not been used for a certain time

automatic

programming

automatic programming

/ ɔ təmtk prəυrmŋ/ noun the

process of producing an optimum operating system for a particular process

automatic

recalculation

automatic recalculation

/ ɔ təmtk ri klkjuleʃ(ə)n/ noun a 



spreadsheet mode in which the answers to new formula are calculated every time any value or cell changes

automatic

recovery

automatic recovery program

program

/ ɔ təmtk rkv(ə)ri prəυrm/ noun a piece of software that is automati

cally run when a piece of equipment fails, to ensure that the system continues to operate automatic repeat / ɔ təmtk rpi t/ noun a facility whereby a character is automatically repeated if the key is kept pressed down. Also called auto repeat automatic repeat



automatic

repeat

automatic repeat request

request

/ ɔ təmtk rpi t r kwest/ noun full form of ARQ 



automatic

send/receive

automatic send/receive

/ ɔ təmtk send rsi v/ noun full form of ASR automatic sequencing / ɔ təmtk si kwənsŋ/ noun the ability of a compu

automatic sequencing

ter to execute a number of programs or tasks without extra commands

automatic automatic speed matching

speed

matching

/ ɔ təmtk spi d mtʃŋ/ noun the

ability of a modem to adjust its data rate to the speed of the remote modem

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automatic test equipment 28 AUX / e ju eks/ noun a serial commuautomatic test equipment nications port under the DOS operating / ɔ təmtk test  kwpmənt/ noun full system. Full form auxiliary form of ATE A/UX a trade name for a version of the automatic volume control Unix operating system for the Apple Mac / ɔ təmtk vɒlju m kən trəυl/ noun range of computers full form of AVC auxiliary /ɔ zliəri/ noun full form of auto-redial / ɔ təυ ri daəl/ noun a AUX feature of a modem that dials a telephone auxiliary device /ɔ  zliəri dvas/ number again if engaged, until it replies noun a piece of computer hardware that is auto-reliable mode / ɔ təυ r not part of the central processing unit but laəb(ə)l məυd/ noun a feature of a mois controlled by it, e.g. a printer or scanner. dem in which the modem will try and esAlso called peripheral tablish a reliable connection with another auxiliary equipment /ɔ  zliəri  modem using error correction kwpmənt/ noun backup or secondary auto repeat / ɔ təυ rpi t/ noun same equipment in case of a breakdown as automatic repeat auxiliary memory /ɔ  zliəri autoresponder / ɔ təυrspɒndə/ mem(ə)ri/ noun same as auxiliary stornoun a software application that automatage ically indicates that a person is unavailable auxiliary processor /ɔ  zliəri to respond to incoming email prəυsesə/ noun an extra, specialised processor, e.g. an array or numerical procauto restart / ɔ təυ ri stɑ t/ noun a essor, that can work with a main processor feature of a computer that can initialise to improve performance and reload its operating system if there is a fault or power failure or at switch on auxiliary storage /ɔ  zliəri stɔ rd'/, auxiliary store noun any data auto save /ɔ təυ sev/ noun a feature storage medium that is not the main high of some application programs, e.g. wordspeed computer storage (RAM) 쑗 Disk processor or database software, that autodrives are auxiliary storage on this mamatically saves the file being used every chine. Also called auxiliary memory few minutes in case of a power failure or auxilliary audio device /ɔ  zliəri system crash. Also called automatic ɔ diəυ d vas/ noun an audio device backup whose output is mixed with other waveauto scan /ɔ təυ skn/ noun the abiliforms ty of a monitor to maintain the same recavailable bit rate /ə veləb(ə)l bt tangular image size when changing from

ret/ noun full form of ABR one resolution to another available list /əveləb(ə)l lst/ noun a auto start /ɔ təυ stɑ t/ noun a facility list of unallocated memory and resources to load a program automatically when the in a system computer is switched on available point /əveləb(ə)l pɔnt/ auto stop /ɔ təυ stɒp/ noun a feature noun the smallest single unit or point of a of a tape player which stops when it has display whose colour and brightness can reached the end of a tape be controlled autosync /ɔ təυsŋk/ noun a feature of available power /ə veləb(ə)l paυə/ a modem that allows it to transfer synchronoun the maximum electrical or processnous data signals to and from a computer ing power that a system can deliver that can only transfer asynchronous sigavailable time /əveləb(ə)l tam/ nals noun the time during which a system may auto trace /ɔ təυ tres/ noun a feature be used of some graphics programs that will transavalanche /vəlɑ ntʃ/ noun a seform a bit-mapped image into a vector imquence of actions in which each action age by automatically locating the edges of starts another 쑗 There was an avalanche of the shapes in the image and drawing lines errors after I pressed the wrong key. around them avatar /vətɑ / noun 1. the graphical auto verify / ɔ təυ verfa/ noun a verimage that is used to represent a real perification procedure carried out automatison in a cyberspace or three-dimensional cally, as soon as the data has been saved system, e.g. the image of a person in a automatic test equipment

AUX



A/UX

automatic volume control



auxiliary

auto-redial



auxiliary device





auto-reliable mode



auxiliary equipment





auto repeat



auxiliary memory



autoresponder



auxiliary processor



auto restart

auxiliary storage



auto save

auxilliary audio device





auto scan

available bit rate



available list

auto start



available point



auto stop

autosync

available power



available time



auto trace

avalanche

avatar

auto verify

Computing.fm Page 29 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

29 three-dimensional adventure game 2. the name for the superuser account on a UNIX system. Also called root AVC1 / e vi si / noun an electronic circuit that maintains a constant sound level despite undesired differences in strength of the incoming signal. Full form autoAVC

matic volume control

AVC2 / e vi si / a trade name for multiAVC

media software developed by IBM that works with its Audio Capture and Video Capture boards average access time / v(ə)rd' kses tam/ noun the average time taken between a request being sent and data being returned from a memory device average delay / v(ə)rd' dle/ noun the average time that a user must wait when trying to access a communication network 쑗 The average delay increases at nine-thirty when everyone tries to log-in. AVI / e vi a/ noun a Windows multimedia video format developed by Microsoft. Full form audio/video interleaved AVSS / e vi es es/ noun a digital video system, originally for MS-DOS, used to average access time

average delay



AVI

AVSS

BABT approval play back video and audio files on a computer. Full form audio-video support system

AWM / e db(ə)l ju em/ noun a sysAWM

tem developed by Yamaha to sample natural sounds and convert them to digital form. Full form advanced wave modu-

lation

axis /kss/ noun 1. a line around which axis

something turns 쑗 The CAD package allows an axis to be placed anywhere. (NOTE: The plural is axes.) 2. a reference line which is the basis for coordinates on a graph azerty keyboard /ə z ti ki bɔ d/ noun a method of arranging the keys on a keyboard where the first line begins AZERTY, used mainly in Continental Europe. Compare QWERTY keyboard azimuth /zməθ/ noun the angle of a tape head to a reference, e.g. a tape plane azimuth alignment / zməθ ə lanmənt/ noun the correct horizontal angle of a tape head to the magnetic tape 쑗 Azimuth alignment is adjusted with this small screw azerty keyboard



azimuth

azimuth alignment



B b abbr bit B1 abbr byte B2 symbol the hexadecimal equivalent of b

B

B

the decimal number 11 B: used in personal computers to indicate the second disk drive, normally a floppy disk drive 쑗 Copy the files from the hard drive, C:, to the floppy drive, B:. B2B / bi tə bi / adjective referring to advertising or marketing that is aimed at other businesses rather than at consumers. Full form business-to-business B2C / bi tə si / adjective referring to advertising or marketing that is aimed at B:

B2B

B2C

consumers rather than at other businesses. Full form business-to-consumer babble /bb(ə)l/ noun crosstalk or noise from other sources which interferes with a signal BABT / bi e bi ti / noun an independent organisation that tests and certifies telecommunications equipment 쑗 If you design a new modem, you must have BABT approval before you can sell it. Full form babble

BABT

British Approvals Board for Telecommunications BABT approval / bi e bi ti ə pru vəl/ noun official approval required BABT approval



before a new modem can be sold and be

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backbone 30 connected to the UK telephone network background communication (NOTE: The approval does not provide / bkraυnd kə mju n keʃ(ə)n/ noun any quality assurance about the modem, data communication activity, e.g. downbut ensures that it is manufactured in loading a file, carried out as a low-priority such a way that it does not damage the task in the background telephone network. A green label is visibackground image / bkraυnd ble on modem equipment that has remd'/ noun an image displayed as a ceived BABT approval.) backdrop behind a program or windows of backbone /bk bəυn/ noun a higha GUI (NOTE: The background image does not move and does not interfere speed, high-capacity connection path that with any programs.) links smaller sub-networks, usually used to connect servers on a network 쑗 We have background job /bkraυnd d'ɒb/ linked the servers in each office using a noun a low-priority task high-speed backbone. (NOTE: Smaller background mode /bkraυnd workgroups or networks are connected

məυd/ noun in a computer system in to the backbone as segments or ribs.) which two modes for program execution backbone ring /bk bəυn rŋ/ noun a are possible, the mode that is for househigh-speed ring network that connects a keeping and other necessary system pronumber of smaller ring networks grams. Compare foreground mode back buffer /bk bfə/ noun a section background noise / bkraυnd of memory used as a temporary storage for nɔz/ noun noise which is present along graphics before they are displayed on with the required signal 쑗 The other mascreen (NOTE: The image is built up in the chines around this device will produce a back buffer memory area then translot of background noise. ferred to the main video memory area for background operation / bkraυnd display.)

ɒpəreʃ(ə)n/ noun a low-priority procbackdoor /bk dɔ / noun same as ess that works as and when resources betrapdoor come available from high-priority foreground tasks backdrop /bkdrɒp/ noun a static background image in front of which are background printing / bkraυnd displayed actors or scenes prntŋ/ noun printing from a computer while it is processing another task 쑗 Backback-end network / bk end ground printing can be carried out whilst netw k/ noun a connection between a you are editing another document. mainframe computer and a high-speed mass storage device or file server background processing / bkraυnd prəυsesŋ/ noun the exeback-end processor / bk end cution of a low-priority job when there are prəυsesə/ noun a special purpose auxilno higher priority activities for the compuiary processor ter to attend to back-end server / bk end s və/ background program / bkraυnd noun a computer connected to a network prəυrm/ noun a computer program that carries out tasks requested by client with a very low priority workstations background recalculation background /bkraυnd/ noun 1. the / bkraυnd ri klkjuleʃ(ə)n/ noun a part of a picture which is behind the main facility in a spreadsheet program that alobject of interest 쑗 The new graphics lows a user to enter new numbers or equaprocessor chip can handle background, tions while the program recalculates the foreground and sprite movement indesolutions in the background pendently. 2. a system in a computer where low-priority work can be done in the interbackground reflectance vals when very important work is not be/ bkraυnd rflektəns/ noun light reing done flected from a sheet of paper that is being scanned or read by an optical character background colour / bkraυnd reader klə/ noun the colour of a computer background task /bkraυnd tɑ sk/ screen display, different from that of charnoun a process executed at any time by the acters and graphics 쑗 White background colour with black characters is less stresscomputer system, not normally noticed by ful for the eyes. the user background communication





background image

backbone



background job

background mode

backbone ring



back buffer

background noise

background operation



backdoor



backdrop

background printing

back-end network

background processing

back-end processor

back-end server

background program

background

background recalculation



background reflectance



background colour

background task



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31

backing memory / bkŋ mem(ə)ri/ backing memory

noun same as backing store backing storage /bkŋ stɔ rd'/ noun same as backing store backing store /bkŋ stɔ /, backing storage /bkŋ stɔ rd'/, backing memory / bkŋ mem(ə)ri/ noun a permanent storage medium onto which data can be recorded before being processed by the computer or after processing for later retrieval 쑗 By adding another disk drive, I will increase the backing store capabilities. back-level /bk lev(ə)l/ noun the earlier release of a product which may not support a current function backlight /bklat/ noun light behind a liquid crystal display unit that improves the contrast of characters on the screen and allows it to be read in dim light backlit display / bklt dsple/ noun a liquid crystal display unit that has a backlight fitted to improve the contrast of the display backlog /bk lɒ/ noun work or tasks that have yet to be processed 쑗 The programmers can’t deal with the backlog of programming work. back office / bk ɒfs/ noun a secure area of e-commerce software containing details of a company’s store properties and products and tax tables backout / bkaυt/ verb to restore a file to its original condition before any changes were made back panel /bk pn(ə)l/ noun a panel at the rear of a computer which normally holds the connectors to peripherals such as keyboard, printer, video display unit and mouse backplane /bkplen/ noun part of the body of a computer which holds the circuit boards, buses and expansion connectors (the backplane does not provide any processing functions) (NOTE: The backplane does not provide any processing functions.) back pointer /bk pɔntə/ noun a pointer in a tree structure that holds the position of the parent node relative to the current node, used in programming to search backwards through a file back projection /bk prəd'ekʃ(ə)n/ noun the projection of an image from behind a screen (NOTE: It is often used in animation where the static scene is displayed with back projection, then the backing storage

backing store

back-level

backlight

backlit display



backlog



back office

backout



back panel

backplane

back pointer

back projection



backup domain controller foreground characters are displayed and the composite scene photographed.) backslash /bkslʃ/ noun ASCII backslash

character 92, , the sign which is used in MS-DOS to represent the root directory of a disk, such as C: or to separate subdirectories in a path, such as C: backspace /bk spes/ noun a movement of a cursor or printhead left or back by one character backspace character /bkspes

krktə/ noun a code that causes a backspace action in a display device. Abbr BS backspace key /bk spes ki / noun the key which moves the cursor left on the screen or back by one character 쑗 If you make a mistake entering data, use the backspace key to correct it. backtab /bktb/ verb (in an SAA CUA front end ) to move the cursor back to the previous field (NOTE: backtabbing – backspace



backspace character

backspace key



backtab

backtabbed) backtrack /bktrk/ verb to carry out backtrack

list processing in reverse, starting with the goal and working towards the proofs back up /bk p/ verb 1. to support something or help someone 쑗 He brought along a file of documents to back up his claim. 2. to make a copy of a file or data or disk 쑗 The company accounts were backed up on disk as a protection against fire damage. backup /bkp/ noun 1. the providing of help 쑗 We offer a free backup service to customers. 2. the process of making a copy of a file or data or disk as a security precaution 3. a copy of a file or data or disk made as a security precaution. Also called back up

backup

backup copy, backup version ‘…the previous version is retained, but its extension is changed to .BAK indicating that it’s a back-up’ [Personal Computer World]

backup agent /bkp ed'ənt/ noun backup agent

a software program that will carry out an automatic backup of a set of files or folders for you at a regular time and date each week backup copy /bkp kɒpi/ noun same as backup 3 backup disk /bkp dsk/ noun a disk which contains a copy of the information from other disks, as a security precaution backup domain controller / bkp dəυmen kən trəυlə/ noun a server in a network that keeps a copy of database of user accounts to validate login requests in case of a fault with the main server backup copy

backup disk

backup domain controller





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backup file 32 backup file /bkp fal/ noun a copy backwards search / bkwədz s tʃ/ noun a search for data in a word-processor of a file, made as a security precaution or database that begins at the position of backup path /bkp pɑ θ/ noun (in a the cursor or end of the file and searches to Token-Ring network) an alternative path the beginning of the file for a signal around a network avoiding a backwards supervision / bkwədz malfunctioning device

su pəv'(ə)n/ noun data transmission backup plan /bkp pln/ noun a set controlled by the receiver of rules that take effect when normal operation has gone wrong 쑗 The normal UPS BACS /bks/ noun a system to transfer has gone wrong, so we will have to use our money between banks using computer backup plan to try and restore power. linked via a secure network. Full form Bankers Automated Clearing Services backup procedure / bkp prə si d'ə/ noun a method of making backup bad break / bd brek/ noun a hyphen copies of files inserted in the wrong place within a word, a problem sometimes caused by the autobackup server / bkp s və/ noun a matic hyphenation feature of wordsecond computer on a network that conprocessing software tains duplicate files and up-to-date data in case of a problem with the main server badge reader /bd' ri də/ noun a machine that reads data from an identification backup utility / bkp ju tlti/ noun badge 쑗 A badge reader makes sure that a piece of software that simplifies the only authorised personnel can gain access process of backing up data (NOTE: Backup to a computer room. utilities often allow a user to back up files automatically at a particular time.) bad sector /bd sektə/ noun a disk sector that has been wrongly formatted or backup version / bkp v ʃ(ə)n/ which contains an error or fault and is unnoun same as backup 3 able to be correctly written to or read from Backus-Naur-Form / bkəs naυə 쑗 You will probably receive error messag fɔ m/ noun full form of BNF es when you copy files that are stored on backward chaining /bkwəd bad sectors on a disk. tʃenŋ/ noun a method used in artificial baffle /bf(ə)l/ noun a loudspeaker intelligence systems to calculate a goal which is built into a unit from a set of results bag /b/ noun a number of elements in backward channel / bkwəd no particular order tʃn(ə)l/ noun a channel from the receivBAK file extension / bk fal  er to transmitter allowing the receiver to stenʃ(ə)n/ noun a standard three-letter send control and handshaking signals file extension used in MS-DOS systems to backward error correction signify a backup or copy of another file / bkwəd erə kə rekʃ(ə)n/ noun correcbalance /bləns/ noun the placing of tion of errors which are detected by the retext and graphics on a page in an attractive ceiver and a signal is sent to the transmitter way 쑗 The dtp package allows the user to to request a re-transmission of the data see if the overall page balance is correct. backward LAN channel / bkwəd balanced circuit / blənst s kt/ ln tʃn(ə)l/ noun (in a broadband noun an electronic circuit that presents a network) a channel from receiver to sender correct load to a communications line used to carry control signals (NOTE: The correct load is usually equal backward mode /bkwəd məυd/ to the impedance of a line element.) noun negative displacement from an oribalanced error / blənst erə/ noun gin the probability of any error occurring from backward recovery / bkwəd r a number of errors when it is the same for kv(ə)ri/ noun data retrieval from a sysall errors tem that has crashed balanced line /blənst lan/ noun a backwards compatible / bkwədz communications line that is terminated at kəmptəb(ə)l/ adjective 1. able to work each end with a balanced circuit, preventwith older versions or systems 2. referring ing signal reflections to a new piece of software that provides balanced routing /blənst raυtŋ/ the same functions as the previous version noun a method of using all possible routes and can read the files created in the previthrough a network equally ous version backup file

backwards search

backup path

backwards supervision

backup plan



BACS

backup procedure



bad break

backup server

badge reader

backup utility



bad sector

backup version

Backus-Naur-Form

backward chaining

baffle

bag

backward channel

BAK file extension



backward error correction



balance

backward LAN channel

balanced circuit

backward mode

balanced error

backward recovery



backwards compatible

balanced line



balanced routing

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balun /blən/ noun a transformer that balun

matches two circuits which have different impedances 쑗 We have used a balun to connect the coaxial cable to the twistedpair circuit. band /bnd/ noun 1. a range of frequencies between two limits 2. a group of tracks on a magnetic disk bandpass filter /bndpɑ s fltə/ noun an electronic filter that allows a range of frequencies to pass but attenuates all frequencies outside the specified range bandwidth /bndwdθ/ noun 1. a range of frequencies 2. a measure of the amount of data that can be transmitted along a cable or channel or other medium 쑗 This fibre-optic cable has a greater bandwidth than the old copper cable and so it can carry data at higher speeds. 3. a measure of the range of frequencies that a monitor or CRT will accept and display

base ries an advertising slogan, logo or message and is displayed on a web page COMMENT: A long, narrow strip is now the unofficial standard format for advertisements that appear on almost every commercial website on the Internet. Some banner ads are images, others include animation to attract the viewer’s attention. If you click on a banner ad, you will usually jump to the advertiser’s own site. If you would rather not see banner advertisements when you surf, you can install special software that blocks them. Websites normally charge advertisers according either to the number of times the banner ad is displayed (called the number of impressions) or the number of times that a user clicks on the ad (called the click-through rate).

band

bandpass filter

bandwidth

(NOTE: High resolution monitors display more pixels per area so need high speed data input and so a higher bandwidth.) bandwidth on demand / bnd wdθ ɒn dmɑ nd/ noun a system used with a bandwidth on demand





switching service, e.g. ISDN, in a wide area network that allows a user to send as much information as he or she wants because the network will adjust to transmit this amount of information bank /bŋk/ noun a collection of similar devices 쑗 A bank of minicomputers process all the raw data. bank

COMMENT:

Memory banks are used to expand the main memory of a CPU (often above the addressing range of the CPU) by having a number of memory chips arranged into banks. Each bank operates over the same address range but is selected independently by a special code.

Bankers Services

Bankers Automated Clearing Services

Automated

Clearing

/ bŋkəz

ɔ təmetd klərŋ s vsz/ noun full form of BACS

bank Internet payment system bank Internet payment system

/ bŋk ntənet pemənt sstəm / noun

a protocol that enables bank payments to be made over the Internet and gives each financial institution a unique identification number for the purposes of Internet transactions. Abbr BIPS bank switching /bŋk swtʃŋ/ noun selection of a particular memory bank from a group banner /bnə/, banner advertisement, banner ad noun an image that carbank switching

banner

banner page /bnə ped'/ noun a banner page

page that is printed out first with the time, date, name of the document and the name of the person who has printed it bar /bɑ / noun a thick line or block of colour bar chart /bɑ tʃɑ t/ noun a graph on which values are represented as vertical or horizontal bars. Also called bar graph bar code /bɑ kəυd/ noun data represented as a series of printed stripes of varying widths (NOTE: The US term is bar bar

bar chart

bar code

graphics.) COMMENT: Bar codes are found on most goods and their packages; the width and position of the stripes is sensed by a light pen or optical wand and provides information about the goods such as price and stock quantities.

bar code reader /bɑ kəυd ri də/ bar code reader

noun same as optical bar reader bare board /beə bɔ d/ noun a circuit board with no components on it, especially a memory expansion board that does not yet have any memory chips mounted on it bar graph /bɑ rɑ f/ noun same as bar chart bar graphics /bɑ rfks/ noun US same as bar code barrel /brəl/ noun a conducting post in a terminal base /bes/ noun 1. the lowest or first position 2. a collection of files used as a reference. 쏡 database 3. an initial or original position 4. notation referring to a number system 5. (in C++ programming language) a class from which other classes can be derived by inheritance 쐽 verb 1. to start to calculate something from a position 쑗 We based our calculations on the basic keyboarding rate. 2. to set up a company or a person in a place 쑗 The European manager is based in our London office. (NOTE: bases – basing – based) bare board

bar graph

bar graphics

barrel

base

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base 2 34 stage or author level of an application, base 2 /bes tu / noun the binary which define the size and layout of a page number system, using the two digits 0 and in an application 2. a horizontal line along 1 which characters are printed or displayed base 8 /bes et/ noun the octal number and below which the descenders of a charsystem, using the eight digits 0 – 7 acter drop base 10 / bes ten/ noun the decimal number system, using the ten digits 0 – 9 base memory /bes mem(ə)ri/, base RAM noun the first 640Kb of random acbase 16 / bes sksti n/ noun the hexacess memory fitted to an IBM-compatible decimal number system, using the ten digPC its 0 – 9 and the six letters A – F base address /bes ədres/ noun an inbase register /bes red'stə/ noun a itial address in a program used as a referregister in a CPU, though not usually in a ence for others small computer, that contains the address of the start of a program. Also called B base address register / bes ədres box

red'stə/ noun a register in a CPU that is used to store the base address base station /bes steʃ(ə)n/ noun a baseband /besbnd/, base band fixed radio transmitter/receiver that relays noun 1. the frequency range of a signal beradio signals to and from data terminals or fore it is processed or transmitted 쑗 Voice radios baseband ranges from 20 Hz to 15 KHz. 2. BASIC /besk/ noun a high-level prodigital signals transmitted without modugramming language for developing prolation 3. information modulated with a grams in a conversational way, providing single carrier frequency an easy introduction to computer programbase band local area network ming. Full form beginner’s all-purpose / bes bnd ləυk(ə)l eəriə netw k/ symbolic instruction code noun a transmission method in which the basic code /besk kəυd/ noun same whole bandwidth of the cable is used and as absolute code the data signal is not modulated 쑗 Base basic controller / besk kəntrəυlə/ band local area networks can support a noun a part of a communications controlmaximum cable length of around 300m. ler that carries out arithmetic and logic (NOTE: Ethernet is a baseband local area functions network.) basic control system satellite base band modem / bes bnd / besk kən trəυl sstəm stəlat/ məυdem/ noun a communications circuit noun a system that runs dedicated prothat transmits an unmodulated, baseband grams or tasks for a central computer. It is signal over a short distance 쑗 Do not use a controlled by using interrupt signals. Abbr base band modem with a normal phone BCS line. basic direct access method baseband signalling / besbnd / besk darekt kses meθəd/ noun a snəlŋ/ noun transmission of data as method of directly updating or retrieving a varying voltage levels across a link particular block of data stored on a direct base font /bes fɒnt/ noun a default access device. Abbr BDAM font and point size used by a wordbasic encoding rules / besk n processing program kəυdŋ ru lz/ plural noun full form of base hardware /bes hɑ d weə/ noun BER the minimum hardware requirements that basic exchange format / besk ks a particular software package needs in ortʃend' fɔ mt/ noun a standard methder to run od of storing data on a disk so that it may base language /bes lŋwd'/ be accessed by another type of computer noun same as assembly language basic input/output operating sysbase level synthesizer / bes lev(ə)l tem / besk npυt aυtpυt ɒpəretŋ sŋθesazə/ noun (on a sound card ) a

sstəm/ noun full form of BIOS synthesiser that supports three melodic instruments and can play six notes simultabasic instruction / besk n neously strkʃən/ noun an unmodified program base line /bes lan/ noun 1. any of the instruction which is processed to obtain lines, only displayed during the design the instruction to be executed base 2

base 8

base 10

base memory

base 16



base register

base address



base address register



base station

baseband

BASIC

base band local area network

basic code

basic controller



basic control system satellite

base band modem



basic direct access method

baseband signalling

base font

basic encoding rules



base hardware



basic exchange format



base language

base level synthesizer

basic input/output operating system

basic instruction



base line

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35

basic mode link control / besk məυd lŋk kən trəυl/ noun a standardised control of transmission links using special codes basic product / besk prɒdkt/ noun the main product made from a raw material basic rate access / besk ret kses/ noun full form of BRA basic rate interface / besk ret ntəfes/ noun full form of BRI basic mode link control



basic product

basic rate access

basic rate interface

basic sequential access method basic sequential access method

/ besk s kwenʃ(ə)l kses meθəd/ noun a method of storing or retrieving 

blocks of data in a continuous sequence. Abbr BSAM

basic cess

telecommunications acmethod / besk

basic telecommunications access method

telikəmju nkeʃ(ə)nz kses meθəd/ noun full form of BTAM BAT /bt/ noun a three-letter file extension used in MS-DOS systems to signify a batch file batch /btʃ/ noun 1. a group of documents which are processed at the same time 쑗 today’s batch of orders 2. a group of tasks or amount of data to be processed as a single unit 쑗 We deal with the orders in batches of fifty. 쐽 verb to put data or tasks together in groups batched communication / btʃ kə

mju nkeʃ(ə)n/ noun high-speed transmission of large blocks of data without requiring an acknowledgement from the receiver for each data item batch file /btʃ fal/ noun a file stored on disk that contains a sequence of system commands. When the batch file is run, the commands are executed, saving a user typing them in. 쑗 This batch file is used to save time and effort when carrying out a routine task. batch processing /btʃ prəυsesŋ/ noun 1. computer system able to process groups of tasks 2. a system of data processing where information is collected into batches before being processed by the computer in one machine run BAT

batch

batched communication





batch file

batch processing

COMMENT: Batch processing is the opposite of interactive processing, where the user gives instructions and receives an immediate response.

BBS batch region /btʃ ri d'(ə)n/ noun a batch region

memory area where the operating system executes batch programs batch system /btʃ sstəm/ noun a system that executes batch files batch total /btʃ təυt(ə)l/ noun the sum of a number of batches of data, used for error checking, validation or to provide useful information BAT file extension / bt fal k stenʃən/ noun a standard three-letter file extension used in MS-DOS systems to signify a batch file battery-backed /bt(ə)ri bkd/ noun referring to a volatile storage device that has a battery backup battery backup / bt(ə)ri bkp/ noun a battery to provide power to volatile storage devices to retain data after a computer has been switched off battery charging /bt(ə)ri tʃɑ d'ŋ/ noun the replenishing of the charge stored in a re-chargeable battery battery meter / bt(ə)ri mi tə/ noun a utility in a laptop computer that tells you how much life or working time you have left in your batteries (NOTE: In Windows batch system

batch total

BAT file extension



battery-backed

battery backup

battery charging

battery meter

95, a tiny icon appears in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen and this shows you when you are about to run out of battery power and need to recharge.) baud /bɔ d/ noun a unit of data compresbaud

sion speed equal to one unit element per second baud rate /bɔ d ret/ noun a measure of the number of signal changes transmitted per second 쑗 The baud rate of the binary signal was 300 bits per second. baud rate

COMMENT: Baud rate is often considered the same as bits per second, but in fact it depends on the protocol used and the error checking (300 baud is roughly equivalent to 30 characters per second using standard error checking).

baud rate generator / bɔ d ret d'enəretə/ noun a device that produces various timing signals to synchronise data at different baud rates bay /be/ noun a space within a computer’s casing where a disk drive is fitted. Also called drive bay B box /bi bɒks/ noun same as base baud rate generator

bay

B box

register

batch processor

BBS / bi bi es/ noun an information

noun a computer system able to process groups of tasks

board system

batch processor /btʃ prəυsesə/

BBS

and message database accessible by modem and computer link. Full form bulletin

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BCC 36 BCC / bi si si / noun an error detection Bell-compatible modem / bel kəm method for blocks of transmitted data. Full

ptb(ə)l məυdem/ noun a modem that form block character check operates according to standards set down by AT&T BCD / bi si di / noun a representation of single decimal digits as a pattern of four bells and whistles / belz ənd binary digits 쑗 The BCD representation of ws(ə)lz/ plural noun advanced features decimal 8 is 1000. Full form binary codor added extras to an application or periphed decimal eral 쑗 This word-processor has all the bells and whistles you would expect – inBCD adder / bi si di də/ noun a cluding page preview. full adder able to add two four-bit BCD words below-the-fold /b ləυ ðə fəυld/ adjective referring to the lower part of a webBCH code / bi si etʃ kəυd/ noun an page that is seen only by a user who scrolls error correcting code. Full form Bosedown the page and that is therefore less Chandhuri-Hocquenghem code commercially valuable. Compare aboveBCNF / bi si en ef/ noun 쏡 normal BCC

Bell-compatible modem



BCD

bells and whistles

BCD adder

below-the-fold



BCH code



BCNF

the-fold

form

BCPL / bi si pi el/ noun a high level BCPL

programming language

BCS abbr 1. British Computer Society 2. BCS

basic control system satellite beacon /bi kən/ verb a signal transmitted repeatedly by a device that is malfunctioning on a network beacon frame /bi kən frem/ noun a special frame within the FDDI protocol that is sent after a network break has occurred bead /bi d/ noun a small section of a program that is used for a single task beam /bi m/ noun a narrow set of light or electron rays 쑗 A beam of laser light is used in this printer to produce high-resolution graphics. beam deflection /bi m dflekʃ(ə)n/ noun to move a CRT’s electron beam with the CRT across the screen BEC abbr bus extension card beacon

beacon frame

bead

beam

beam deflection



BEC

beginner’s all-purpose symbolic instruction code /b nəz ɔ l beginner’s all-purpose symbolic instruction code



p pəs sm bɒlk nstrkʃən kəυd/ noun full form of BASIC beginning of file /b nŋ əv fal/ noun a character or symbol that shows the start of a valid section of data. Abbr bof beginning of information mark /b

nŋ əv nfəmeʃ(ə)n mɑ k/ noun full form of BIM beginning of tape marker /b nŋ əv tep mɑ kə/ noun a section of material that marks the start of the recording area of a reel of magnetic tape. Also called 



beginning of file



beginning of information mark





beginning of tape marker



bot marker

bell character /bel krktə/, BEL bell character

noun a control code that causes a machine to produce an audible signal, equivalent to ASCII code 7

benchmark /bentʃmɑ k/ noun 1. a benchmark

point in an index which is important, and can be used to compare with other figures 2. a program used to test the performance of software or hardware or a system 쑗 The magazine gave the new program’s benchmark test results. benchmarking /bentʃmɑ kŋ/ noun the testing of a system or program with a benchmark benchmark problem / bentʃmɑ k prɒbləm/ noun a task or problem used to test and evaluate the performance of hardware or software benchmarking

benchmark problem

COMMENT: The same task or program is given to different systems and their results and speeds of working are compared.

BER / bi i ɑ / noun a standard method BER

of encoding data that is stored in the ASN language, often used in libraries and other Internet data sites. Full form basic en-

coding rules

Berkeley UNIX / b kli ju nks/ noun Berkeley UNIX

a version of the UNIX operating system developed by the University of California, Berkeley bespoke software /b spəυk sɒftweə/ noun software that has been written especially for a customer’s particular requirements best fit /best ft/ noun a function that selects the smallest free space in main memory for a requested virtual page beta site /bi tə sat/ noun a company or person that tests new software before it is released in a real environment to make sure it works correctly beta software /bi tə sɒf(t)weə/ noun software that has not finished all its testing before release and so may still contain bugs bespoke software



best fit

beta site

beta software

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beta test /bi tə test/ noun a second beta test

stage of tests performed on new software just before it is due to be released 쑗 The application has passed the alpha tests and is just entering the beta test phase. ‘The client was so eager to get his hands on the product that the managing director bypassed internal testing and decided to let it go straight out to beta test.’ [Computing]

beta version /bi tə v 'n/ noun a verbeta version

sion of a software application that is almost ready to be released 쑗 We’ll try out the beta test software on as many different PCs as possible to try and find all the bugs. betaware /bi təweə/ noun of computer software in a version that is given to a few customers before the final version is put on sale bezel /bez(ə)l/ noun the front cover of a computer’s casing or disk drive unit Bézier curve /bezie k v/ noun a geometric curve with the overall shape defined by two midpoints, called control handles betaware

bezel

Bézier curve

COMMENT: Bézier curves are a feature of many high-end design software packages. They allow a designer to create smooth curves by defining a number of points. The PostScript page description language uses Bézier curves to define the shapes of characters during printing.

allows routers to share routing information to allow each router to calculate the most efficient path for information. Full form

billion

BIM

mation mark bin /bn/ noun a tray used to hold a supply bin

of paper ready to be fed into a printer

binary /banəri/ adjective referring to binary

the number notation system which uses only the digits 0 and 1 binary adder / banəri də/ noun a device that provides the sum of two or more binary digits binary arithmetic / banəri ə rθmətk/ noun the rules and functions governing arithmetic operations in the binary system binary bit /banəri bt/ noun same as binary adder

binary bit

binary digit

binary cell /banəri sel/ noun a storage binary cell

element for one bit

binary chop /banəri tʃɒp/ noun same as binary search

binary code /banəri kəυd/ noun code binary code



nent in a floating point number bid /bd/ verb (of a computer ) to gain control of a network in order to transmit data 쑗 The terminal had to bid three times before there was a gap in transmissions on the network. bi-directional bus / ba da

rekʃ(ə)n(ə)l bs/ noun data or control lines that can carry signals travelling in two directions bi-directional printer / ba da

rekʃ(ə)n(ə)l printə/ noun a printer that is able to print characters from left to right and from right to left as the head is moving forwards or backwards across the paper, speeding up the printing operation bi-directional transmission / ba da rekʃ(ə)n(ə)l trnzmʃ(ə)n/ noun bid

bi-directional bus



bi-directional printer







binary chop

biased exponent



bilinear filtering



BGP / bi d'i pi / noun a protocol that

bi-directional transmission

Big Blue

binary arithmetic

BGP

border gateway protocol (NOTE: This protocol is most often used between routers installed at Internet Service Providers (ISPs).) biased exponent / baəst k spəυnənt/ noun the value of the expo-

binary dump data transfer that can occur to and from a device along a particular channel Big Blue /b blu / noun same as IBM (informal ) bilinear filtering /ba lniə fltərŋ/ noun a method of removing unwanted image defects, particularly on a texturemapped object, by looking at the four adjacent pixels that surround each pixel to check that there is no sudden change in colour billion /bljən/ noun a number equal to one thousand million. Abbr bn BIM / bi a em/ noun a symbol indicating the start of a data stream stored on a disk drive. Full form beginning of infor-

using different patterns of binary digits to represent various symbols and elements binary coded characters / banəri

kəυdd krktəz/ plural noun alphanumeric characters represented as patterns of binary digits binary coded decimal / banəri

kəυdd desm(ə)l/ noun full form of binary coded characters

binary coded decimal

BCD

binary counter / banəri kaυntə/ binary counter

noun a circuit that will divide a binary input signal by two, producing one output pulse for two input pulses binary digit / banəri dd't/ noun smallest single unit in binary notation, either a 0 or a 1. Also called binary, binary bit, binary number, bit binary dump /banəri dmp/ noun a section of memory dumped onto another medium or printed out in binary form binary digit

binary dump

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binary encoding 38 binary representation / banəri binary encoding / banəri nkəυdŋ/

reprzenteʃ(ə)n/ noun same as binary noun representation of each character or notation element with a unique combination or pattern of bits in a word binary scale /banəri skel/ noun a power of two associated with each bit pobinary exponent / banəri k sition in a word 쑗 In a four bit word, the spəυnənt/ noun one word that contains binary scale is 1,2,4,8. the sign and exponent of a binary digit, exbinary search /banəri s tʃ/ noun a pressed in exponent and mantissa form search method for use on ordered lists of binary field /banəri fi ld/ noun a field data. Also called binary chop, binary in a database record that contains binary look-up (NOTE: The search key is comdigits, often one capable of holding any inpared with the data in the middle of the formation, including data, text, graphics list and one half is discarded. This is reimages, voice and video peated with the remaining half until only binary file /banəri fal/ noun a file that the required data item is left.) contains data rather than alphanumeric binary sequence / banəri si kwəns/ characters. A binary file can include any noun a series of binary digits character code and cannot always be disbinary signalling / banəri snəlŋ/ played or edited. 쑗 The program instrucnoun transmission using positive and zero tions are stored in the binary file. voltage levels to represent binary data binary fraction / banəri frkʃən/ binary split /banəri splt/ noun a noun a representation of a decimal fracmethod of iteration in which the existing tion in binary form 쑗 The binary fraction number is compared to a new value calcu0.011 is equal to one quarter plus one lated as the mid-point between the high eighth (i.e. three eighths). and low limits binary half adder / banəri hɑ f binary synchronous communica də/ noun a binary adder that can protions / banəri sŋkrənəs kə mju n duce the sum of two inputs, producing a keʃ(ə)nz/ noun full form of BSC carry output if necessary, but cannot acbinary system /banəri sstəm/ cept a carry input noun the use of binary digits, or the data binary large object / banəri lɑ d' system that operates with binary digits ɒbd'ekt/ noun a field in a database binary-to-decimal conversion record that can contain a large quantity of / banəri tə, tυ desm(ə)l/ noun the binary data, normally a bitmap image. process to convert a binary digit into its Abbr blob equivalent decimal value binary loader / banəri ləυdə/ noun a binary tree /banəri tri / noun a data short section of program code that allows system where each item of data or node programs in binary form, e.g. object code has only two branches. Also called btree from a linker or assembler, to be loaded binary variable / banəri veəriəb(ə)l/ into memory noun a variable that can contain either a binary look-up /banəri lυk/ noun one or zero same as binary search binaural sound /banɔ rl saυnd/ binary mantissa / banəri mntsə/ noun a method of recording sound so that noun a fractional part of a number, in binait gives the impression of stereophony ry form when played back. 쒁 Dolby Digital binary notation / banəri nəυ bind /band/ verb to link and convert one teʃ(ə)n/ noun the numerical system usor more object code programs into a form ing only the digits 0 and 1. Also called that can be executed base 2, binary representation BIND / bi a en di / noun software that binary operation / banəri ɒpə provides the functions of a Domain Name reʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. an operation on two opServer for server computers running BSD erands 2. an operation on an operand in biUNIX nary form binder /bandə/ noun a program that converts object code into a form that can binary point /banəri pɔnt/ noun a be executed dot that indicates the division between the Bindery /bandəri/ noun a special databits for the numbers’ whole units and the base used in a Novell NetWare network fractional part of the binary number binary encoding

binary representation





binary scale

binary exponent



binary search

binary field

binary file

binary sequence

binary signalling

binary fraction

binary split

binary half adder

binary synchronous communications



binary system

binary large object

binary-to-decimal conversion

binary loader

binary tree

binary variable

binary look-up

binaural sound



binary mantissa



binary notation

bind



BIND

binary operation



binder

binary point

Bindery



Computing.fm Page 39 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

39 operating system to store user account, access and security details binding offset / bandŋ ɒfset/ noun an extra wide margin on the inside of a printed page to prevent text being hidden during binding (NOTE: It is the left margin binding offset

on a right hand page, the right margin on a left hand page.) binding time /bandŋ tam/ noun the binding time

time taken to produce actual addresses from an object code program BinHex /bnheks/ noun a method encoding binary data into ASCII characters. BinHex



쒁 Uuencoding COMMENT: Software programs and data files are stored as binary data (using all eight bits of information within one byte of storage space), whereas ASCII characters can be stored in just the first seven of the eight bits of storage space within one byte. Email and many communication systems originally only supported the transfer of text (ASCII characters), so if you wanted to attach a data file to your email message, the data had to be encoded before it could be transferred. Now almost all email software and links between computers support full eight-bit transfer, so data does not have to be encoded.



noun code in which decimal digits are represented as two digits added together (NOTE: Decimal digits smaller than 5 are represented as 0 + the digit; decimal digits greater than 4 are represented as 5 + the digit minus 5.) B-ISDN /bi a es di en/ abbr broadband ISDN bistable /basteb(ə)l/ adjective referring to a device or circuit that has two possible states, on and off bit /bt/ noun 1. same as binary digit 2. the smallest unit of data that a system can handle bit addressing /bt ədresŋ/ noun selection of a register or word and examining one bit of it bit blit /bt blt/ noun same as blit bit block /bt blɒk/ noun (in computer graphics) a group of bits treated as one unit bit block transfer / bt blɒk trnsf / noun full form of blit bit bucket /bt bkt/ noun an area of memory into which data can be discarded BITC abbr burned-in time code bit density /bt densəti/ noun the number of bits that can be recorded per unit of storage medium bit depth /bt depθ/ noun the number of bits used to represent the number of colours that can be displayed on a screen or printer at one time (NOTE: The bit depth of each pixel is represented by a number of bits associated with the pixel that describe the number of colours that can be displayed.) bit error rate / bt erə ret/ noun the ratio of the number of bits received compared to the number of errors in a transmission, especially in fibre optics. Abbr BER bit flipping /bt flpŋ/ noun inversion of the state of bits from 0 to 1 and 1 to 0 bitFTP / bt ef ti pi / noun a type of server that allows a user to retrieve a file using only an email link (NOTE: The user sends an email to the bitFTP server, containing a series of FTP commands that ask it to fetch the file from a remote server. When it has done this, the bitFTP server sends an email back to the user as an email attachment or encoded mail message. If you want to retrieve a file, send a message that contains just ’help’ B-ISDN

bistable



bit

bit addressing



bit blit

bit block

bit block transfer

bit bucket

biochip /baəυtʃp/ noun a computer biochip

chip that uses organic molecules to store and process information biocomputer /baəυkəm pju tə/ noun a very fast computer that operates using biological processes instead of semiconductor technology BIOS /baɒs/ noun a set of system routines that interface between high-level program instructions and the system peripherals to control the input and output to various standard devices. Full form basic biocomputer



BIOS

input/output system (NOTE: This often includes controlling the screen, keyboard and disk drives.) bipolar /bapəυlə/ adjective with two bipolar



levels

bipolar coding / bapəυlə kɒdŋ/ bipolar coding

BITC

bit density

bit depth

bit error rate

bit flipping

noun a transmission method that uses alternate positive and negative voltage levels to represent a binary one, with binary zero represented by zero level bipolar signal / bapəυlə sn(ə)l/ noun the use of positive and negative voltage levels to represent the binary digits bipolar transistor / bapəυlə trn zstə/ noun a transistor constructed of three layers of alternating types of doped semiconductor, p-n-p or n-p-n BIPS abbr bank Internet payment system bipolar signal

bipolar transistor



BIPS

bitFTP biquinary code /ba kwnəri kəυd/ biquinary code

bitFTP

Computing.fm Page 40 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

bit handling

40

to ’[email protected]’ to find out how the system works.) bit handling /bt hndlŋ/ noun the bit handling

bit pattern

use of CPU commands and processes that allow bit manipulation and changing bit image /bt md'/ noun a collection of bits that represent the pixels that make up an image on screen or on a printer bit interleaving /bt ntə li vŋ/ noun a form of time domain multiplexing used in some synchronous transmission protocols such as HDLC and X.25. bit manipulation /bt mə npjυ leʃ(ə)n/ noun the use of various instructions that provide functions such as examine a bit, change or set or move a bit within a word bit-map /btmp/, bitmap verb to define events or data using an array of single bits, which can be, e.g., an image or graphics or a table of devices in us (NOTE: bitbit image

bit interleaving



bit manipulation





bit-map

mapping – bitmapped) ‘…the expansion cards fit into the PC’s expansion slot and convert bit-mapped screen images to video signals’ [Publish]

bit-mapped font / bt mpt fɒnt/ bit-mapped font

noun a font whose characters are made up of patterns of pixels bit-mapped graphics / bt mpt rfks/ plural noun images whose individual pixels can be controlled by changing the value of stored bits (NOTE: One is on, zero is off. In colour displays, more than one bit is used to provide control for the three colours red, green and blue.) bit-mapped register / bt mpt red'stə/ noun a memory location that holds configuration information in a processor in which each separate bit within the location has a different use or meaning (NOTE: For example, a register that refers to a mouse might be one byte (eight bits) wide and each bit could indicate whether a mouse button is up or down.) bitmp /btmp/ abbr bit-map BitNet /btnet/ noun a network used to connect mostly academic sites and computers and allows transfer of electronic mail and listserver application (NOTE: BitNet is similar to the Internet and is connected to allow the transfer of electronic mail to and from academic users to other users on the Internet.) bit parallel /bt prəlel/ noun the transmission of a collection of bits simultaneously over a number of lines. The parallel printer port uses bit parallel transmisbit-mapped graphics

bit-mapped register

bitmp

BitNet

bit parallel

sion to transfer eight bits at a time to a printer. bit pattern /bt pt(ə)n*/ noun an arrangement of bits within a word, that represents a particular character or action bit plane /bt plen/ noun (in computer graphics) one layer of a multiple-layer image in which each layer defines one colour of each pixel bit position /bt pəzʃ(ə)n/ noun the place of a bit of data in a computer word bit rate /bt ret/ noun a measure of the number of bits transmitted per second bit rotation /bt rəυteʃ(ə)n/ noun a shifting a pattern of bits in a word to the left or right, the old last bit moving to the new first bit position bit-significant / bt snfkənt/ adjective using the bits within a byte to describe something 쑗 Testing bit six of a byte containing an ASCII character is bit significant and determines if the ASCII character is upper or lower case. bit-slice architecture / bt slas ɑ ktektʃə/, bit-slice design / bt slas dzan/ noun the construction of a large word size CPU by joining a number of smaller word size blocks 쑗 The bit-slice design uses four four-bit word processors to make a sixteen-bit processor. bit-slice microprocessor / bt slas makrəυprəυsesə/, bit-slice processor / bt slas prəυsesə/ noun a large word size CPU constructed by joining a number of smaller word size blocks 쑗 The bit-slice microprocessor uses four 4-bit processors to make a 16-bit word processor. bits per inch / bts p ntʃ/ noun full form of BPI bits per pixel / bts p pks(ə)l/ noun full form of BPP bits per second / bts p sekənd/ noun a measure of the number of binary digits transmitted every second. Abbr bps bit stream /bt stri m/ noun a binary data sequence that does not consist of separate, distinct character codes or groups bit stuffing /bt stfŋ/ noun the addition of extra bits to a group of data to make up the length required for transmission bit track /bt trk/ noun a track on a magnetic disk along which bits can be recorded or read back bitwise /btwaz/ adverb carried out on each bit in a byte, one bit at a time bit plane

bit position



bit rate

bit rotation



bit-significant



bit-slice architecture



bit-slice microprocessor

bits per inch

bits per pixel

bits per second

bit stream

bit stuffing

bit track

bitwise

Computing.fm Page 41 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

41

BIX / bi a eks/ noun a commercial onBIX

line system founded by Byte magazine biz /bz/ noun a type of newsgroup that contains business discussions and opportunities (NOTE: For example, ‘biz.opportubiz

nities’ contains messages from users that are offering ways of making money. Only the biz series of newsgroups are supposed to discuss commercial aspects: the rest of the newsgroups are for technical or academic discussion.) black and white / blk ən wat/ noun 1. the use of shades of grey to represent colours on a monitor or display 2. an imblack and white

age in which each pixel is either black or white with no shades of grey black box /blk bɒks/ noun a device that performs a function without the user knowing how black level /blk lev(ə)l/ noun a level of a video signal that represents absolutely no light: total blackness black matrix /blk metrks/ noun a CRT monitor tube in which the colour phosphor dots are surrounded by black for increased contrast black writer /blk ratə/ noun a printer in which toner sticks to the points hit by the laser beam when the image drum is scanned 쑗 A black writer produces sharp edges and graphics, but large areas of black are muddy. blank cell /blŋk sel/ noun an empty cell in a spreadsheet blank character /blŋk krktə/ noun a character code that prints a space blank disk /blŋk dsk/ noun a disk that does not have data stored on it blanking interval /blŋkŋ ntəvəl/ noun the period during which a screen displays nothing, in between two images or during the picture beam flyback blank instruction /blŋk n strkʃən/ noun an instruction in a program that is only there to satisfy language syntax or to make up a block length blank string /blŋk strŋ/ noun same as null string blank tape /blŋk tep/ noun a tape that does not have data stored on it blast /blɑ st/ verb 1. to write data into a programmable ROM device 2. to free sections of previously allocated memory or resources black box

black level

black matrix

black writer

blank cell

blank character

blank disk

blanking interval

blank instruction



blank string

blank tape

blast

blast-through blast-through alphanumerics

alphanumerics

/ blɑ st θru lfənju merks/ plural noun characters that can be displayed on a 

block capitals videotext terminal when it is in graphics mode bleed /bli d/ noun 1. a line of printing that runs off the edge of the paper 2. a badly adjusted colour monitor in which colours of adjoining pixels blend bleeding edge / bli dŋ ed'/ adjective referring to technology that is very new and has not yet fully tested to see whether it works correctly blessed folder / blesd fəυldə/ noun the Apple Mac System Folder that contains files loaded automatically when the Mac is switched on blind /bland/ adjective which will not respond to certain codes blind certificate / bland sətfkət/ noun a means of tracking visitors to websites that identifies the user’s system but not his or her name blind dialling / bland daəlŋ/ noun the ability of a modem to dial out even if the line appears dead, used on certain private lines blind keyboard / bland ki bɔ d/ noun a keyboard whose output is not displayed but is stored directly on disk B-line counter / bi lan kaυntə/ noun an address register that is added to a reference address to provide the location to be accessed blinking /blŋkŋ/ noun a flashing effect caused by varying the intensity of a displayed character blit /blt/ noun (in computer graphics) the act of moving a block of bits from one memory location to another. Full form bit block transfer. Also called bit blit blitter /bltə/ noun an electronic component designed to process or move a bitmapped image from one area of memory to another 쑗 The new blitter chip speeds up the graphics display. bloatware /bləυtweə/ noun a computer program that has many, often unnecessary features, which take up so much memory that the computer does not work as well as it should blob /blɒb/ noun a field in a database record that can contain a large quantity of binary data, usually a bitmap image. Full form binary large object block /blɒk/ noun 1. a number of stored records treated as a single unit 2. a wide printed bar block capitals / blɒk kpt(ə)lz/ plural noun capital letters, e.g. A,B,C 쑗 Write bleed

bleeding edge

blessed folder

blind

blind certificate



blind dialling

blind keyboard

B-line counter

blinking

blit

blitter

bloatware

blob

block

block capitals

Computing.fm Page 42 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

block character check 42 your name and address in block letters. block marker /blɒk mɑ kə/ plural Also called block letter noun each of two markers inserted at the start and finish of a section of data or text block character check / blɒk to indicate a special block which can then krktə tʃek/ noun full form of BCC be moved or deleted or copied as a single block code /blɒk kəυd/ noun an error unit detection and correction code for block block move /blɒk mu v/ verb 1. to data transmission move selected word-processed text from block-copy / blɒk kɒpi/ verb 1. to duone area of a document to another 2. to plicate a block of data to another section of move the contents of an area of memory to memory 2. to copy a selected area of another area of memory word-processed text from one part of a block operation /blɒk ɒpəreʃ(ə)n/ document to another noun a process carried out on a block of block cursor /blɒk k sə/ noun a curdata sor in the shape of a solid rectangle that block parity /blɒk prəti/ noun a parfills a character position ity error check on a block of data block-delete / blɒk dli t/ verb to deblock protection /blɒk prətekʃən/ lete a selected area of word-processed text noun prevention of the splitting of a seblock device /blɒk dvas/ noun a delected block of word-processed text by an vice that manipulates many bytes of data at automatic page break once 쑗 The disk drive is a block device that block retrieval /blɒk rtri v(ə)l/ noun can transfer 256bytes of data at a time. the accessing of blocks of data stored in block diagram /blɒk daə rm/ memory noun a graphical representation of a sysblock synchronisation / blɒk tem or program operation

sŋkrənazeʃ(ə)n/ noun the correct block error rate /blɒk erə ret/ noun timing of start, stop and message bits acthe number of blocks of data that contain cording to a predefined protocol errors compared with the total number block transfer /blɒk trnsf / noun transmitted the moving of large numbers of records block gap /blɒk p/ noun a stretch of around in memory blank magnetic tape between the end of blog /blɒ/ verb to create or run a weblog one block of data and the start of the next (NOTE: blogging – blogged) in backing store blogosphere /blɒə sfə/ noun the block header /blɒk hedə/ noun a secarea of the World Wide Web in which tion of information at the start of a file debloggers communicate with each other scribing content organisation or character(informal ) istics blogware /blɒweə/ noun computer block ignore character / blɒk nɔ software tools for creating a weblog

krktə/ noun a symbol at the start of a block indicating that it contains corrupt bloop /blu p/ verb to pass a magnet over data a tape to erase signals which are not needed blocking factor /blɒkŋ fktə/ noun the number of records in a block blow /bləυ/ verb to program a PROM device with data. Also called burn (NOTE: block input processing / blɒk blew – blown) npυt prəυsesŋ/ noun an input system that requires a whole error-free block to be Blue Book Ethernet / blu bυk received before it is processed i θənet/ noun a version of Ethernet developed by DEC, Intel and Xerox block length /blɒk leŋθ/ noun the number of records or fields or characters in blueprint /blu prnt/ noun a copy of a block of data an original set of specifications or design in graphical form block letters / blɒk letəz/ plural noun same as block capitals blue-ribbon program / blu rbən block list /blɒk lst/ noun a list of the

prəυrm/ noun a perfect program that blocks and records as they are organised in runs first time, with no errors or bugs a file Bluetooth /blu tu θ/ a trade name for a block mark /blɒk mɑ k/ noun a code short-range radio communications system that indicates the end of a block that is designed to provide a simple way block marker

block character check

block code

block move

block-copy

block operation



block cursor

block parity

block-delete



block protection



block device



block retrieval



block diagram



block synchronisation

block error rate



block transfer

block gap

blog

blogosphere

block header



blogware

block ignore character



bloop

blocking factor

blow

block input processing

Blue Book Ethernet

block length

blueprint



block letters

blue-ribbon program

block list

Bluetooth

block mark

Computing.fm Page 43 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

43 for computer, Internet and input devices to communicate (NOTE: For example, a palm-top computer could transfer information to a mobile phone using a Bluetooth link. The technology was developed by a group of computer and telecommunications companies that included Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Nokia and Toshiba.) blur /bl / noun an image in which the edges or colours are not clear 쐽 verb to blur

make the edges or colours of an image fuzzy 쑗 The image becomes blurred when you turn the focus knob. (NOTE: blurring – blurred)

BMP / bi em pi / noun a three-letter exBMP

tension to a filename that indicates that the file contains a bitmapped graphics image 쑗 This paint package lets you import BMP files. 쒁 GIF, JPEG, TIFF bn abbr billion BNC connector / bi en si kə nektə/ noun a cylindrical metal connector with a copper core that is at the end of coaxial cable and is used to connect cables together bn

BNC connector



(NOTE: It attaches by pushing and twisting the outer cylinder onto two locking pins.) BNC T-piece connector / bi en si ti pi s kə nektə/ noun a T-shaped metal BNC T-piece connector



connector used to connect an adapter card to the ends of two sections of RG-58 ‘thin’ coaxial cable, used in many Ethernet network installations BNF / bi en ef/ noun a system of writing and expressing the syntax of a programming language. Full form BackusBNF

Naur-Form

board /bɔ d/ noun a flat insulation mateboard

rial on which electronic components are mounted and connected body /bɒdi/ noun 1. the main section of text in a document 2. the main part of a program body type /bɒdi tap/ noun a default font and point size that is used for the main section of text in a document bof, BOF abbr beginning of file boilerplate /bɔləplet/ noun a final document that has been put together using standard sections of text held in a wordprocessor boilerplating /bɔləpletŋ/ noun the putting together of a final document out of various standard sections of text bold face /bəυld fes/ noun a thicker and darker form of a typeface body

body type

bof

boilerplate

boilerplating

bold face

Boolean variable bomb /bɒm/ noun a routine in a program designed to crash the system or destroy data at a particular time 쐽 verb (of software) to fail (informal ) 쑗 The program bombed, and we lost all the data. book /bυk/ noun a multimedia title. 쒁 ebbomb

book

ook (NOTE: The name comes from the fact that most multimedia titles are arranged as a series of different pages, which together form a book.) bookmark /bυkmɑ k/ noun a code inbookmark

serted at a particular point in a document that allows the user to move straight to that point at a later date book palette /bυk plət/ noun a set of colours that is used in a particular multimedia application (NOTE: Two different book palette

applications could use different palettes, and each must load its own palette otherwise the colours will appear corrupted.) Boolean algebra / bu liən ld'brə/ noun a set of rules that define, simplify Boolean algebra

and manipulate logical functions, based on statements which are true or false. 쏡 AND, NOT function, OR. Also called Boolean logic

Boolean connective / bu liən kə Boolean connective



nektv/ noun a symbol or character in a Boolean operation that describes the action to be performed on the operands Boolean data type / bu liən detə

tap/ noun same as Boolean variable Boolean logic / bu liən lɒd'k/ noun same as Boolean algebra Boolean operation / bu liən ɒpə reʃ(ə)n/ noun a logical operation on a number of operands, conforming to Boolean algebra rules Boolean operation table / bu liən

ɒpəreʃ(ə)n teb(ə)l/ noun a table showing two binary words, or operands, the operation and the result Boolean operator / bu liən ɒpəretə/ noun a logical operator such as AND, NOT and OR Boolean search / bu liən s tʃ/ noun a search that uses the AND and OR functions Boolean value / bu liən vlju / noun each of two values, either true or false Boolean variable / bu liən veəriəb(ə)l/ noun a binary word in which each bit represents true or false, using the digits 1 or 0. Also called Boolean data Boolean data type

Boolean logic

Boolean operation



Boolean operation table



Boolean operator

Boolean search

Boolean value

Boolean variable

type

Computing.fm Page 44 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

boot 44 in ROM when a computer is switched on. boot /bu t/ verb to execute a set of inAlso called booting structions automatically in order to reach a required state border /bɔ də/ noun 1. an area around printed or displayed text 2. a thin boundabootable /bu təb(ə)l/ adjective referry line around a button or field or a graphic ring to a storage device that holds the comimage mands to boot up a computer and load the border style /bɔ də stal/ noun an atoperating system (NOTE: The main hard tribute that determines the type of border disk normally is a bootable device as is around a button or field, e.g. a single line, the floppy disk drive A:.) a shadow or a double line boot block /bu t blɒk/ noun the first borrow /bɒrəυ/ noun an operation in track, track 0, on a boot disk of an IBMcertain arithmetic processes such as subcompatible floppy disk. Also called boot traction from a smaller number record Bose-Chandhuri-Hocquenghem boot disk /bu t dsk/ noun a special code noun full form of BCH code disk that contains a bootstrap program and bot1 /bɒt/, BOT abbr beginning of tape the operating system software 쑗 After you bot2 /bɒt/ noun a robot utility program switch on the computer, insert the boot that helps a user or another application disk. carry out a particular task – e.g. a search booting /bu tŋ/ noun same as boot up bot will help a user search the Internet by bootleg /bu t le/ noun an illegal copy submitting the query to several engines at of recorded material once; a link bot will check that all the hyBOOTP / bi əυ əυ ti pi / noun an Inperlinks on a website are correct ternet protocol used by a diskless workstaBOT marker /bɒt mɑ kə/ noun a section to find out its IP address, then load its tion of material that marks the start of the operating system from a central server. recording area of magnetic tape bootstrap protocol . 쒁 IP Full form bottom up method /prəυrmŋ/, (NOTE: This protocol allows a workstation bottom up programming noun a methto start up and load all its software over od in which low-level instructions are the network: a normal workstation would combined to form a high-level instruction, load its operating system software stored which can then be further combined on an internal floppy or hard disk drive.) bounce /baυns/ noun 1. a multiple key boot partition /bu t pɑ tʃ(ə)n/ noun contact caused by a faulty switch 2. an a partition on a hard disk that contains the electronic mail message that could not be bootstrap and operating system correctly delivered and is returned to the boot record /bu t rekɔ d/ noun same sender as boot block boundary /baυnd(ə)ri/ noun a line or boot sector /bu t sektə/ noun a part of marker that indicates the limits of somea disk that contains instructions that are thing read by the computer when it is first boundary protection / baυnd(ə)ri switched on or reset (NOTE: The instrucprətekʃən/ noun a function designed to tions tell the computer how to load the prevent any program writing into a reoperating system from the disk.) served area of memory bootstrap, bootstrap loader noun a boundary punctuation / baυnd(ə)ri set of instructions that are executed by the

pŋktʃueʃ(ə)n/ noun punctuation that computer before a program is loaded, usumarks the beginning or end of a file ally to load the operating system once the boundary register / baυnd(ə)ri computer is switched on. Compare loader red'stə/ noun a register in a multi-user bootstrap memory /bu tstrp system that contains the addresses for the

mem(ə)ri/ noun permanent memory limits of one user’s memory allocation within a terminal or microcomputer, that bounding box /baυndŋ bɒks/ noun a allows a user to customise the attributes, rectangle that determines the shape and booting the system and loading programs position of an image that has been placed bootstrap protocol / bu tstrp in a document or on screen prəυtəkɒl/ noun full form of BOOTP Boyce-Codd normal form / bɔs boot up /bu t p/ noun automatic exekɒd nɔ məl fɔ m/ noun 쏡 normal form. cution of a set of instructions usually held Abbr BCNF boot

border

bootable

border style

boot block

borrow

Bose-Chandhuri-Hocquenghem code

boot disk

bot

bot

booting

bootleg



BOOTP

BOT marker

bottom up method

bounce

boot partition



boot record

boundary

boot sector

boundary protection



bootstrap

boundary punctuation



boundary register

bootstrap memory

bounding box

bootstrap protocol

Boyce-Codd normal form

boot up

Computing.fm Page 45 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

45

bozo bit /bəυzəυ bt/ noun (in an Apbozo bit

ple Macintosh system) an attribute bit that prevents a file being copied or moved BPI, bpi noun the number of bits that can be recorded per inch of recording medium. Full form bits per inch BPP / bi pi pi / noun the number of bits assigned to store the colour of each pixel. One bit provides black or white, four bits give 16 colour combinations, eight bits give 256 colour combinations. Full form bits per pixel bps / bi pi es/ noun the number of bits that can be transmitted per second 쑗 Their transmission rate is 60,000 bits per second (bps) through a parallel connection. Full form bits per second Bps / bi pi es/ noun the number of bytes that can be transmitted per second. Full form bytes per second bps rate / bi pi es ret/ noun the rate at which information is sent, equal to the number of bits transmitted or received per second bps rate adjust / bi pi es ret ə d'st/ noun the ability of a modem to adjust the speed of its serial port automatically so as to match the communications speed BRA / bi ɑ e/ noun a basic ISDN service that provides two data channels capable of carrying data at a rate of 64Kbps together with a signalling channel used to carry control signals at 16Kbps. Full form BPI

BPP

bps

Bps

bps rate

bps rate adjust



BRA

basic rate access braces /bresz/ plural noun curly braces

bracket characters ( {} ) used in some programming languages to enclose a routine bracket /brkt/ noun a printing sign to show that an instruction or operation is to be processed separately 쐽 verb 왍 to bracket together to print brackets round several items to show that they are treated in the same way and separated from the rest of the text branch /brɑ ntʃ/ noun 1. a possible path or jump from one instruction to another 2. a line linking one or more devices to the main network 쑗 The faulty station is on this branch. 쐽 verb to jump from one section of a program to another, often using a test or decision with two or more possible results that lead to two different points in the program bracket

branch

COMMENT: In BASIC, the instruction GOTO makes the system jump to the line indicated; this is an unconditional branch. The instruction IF…THEN is a conditional branch, be-

breakpoint symbol cause the jump will only take place if the condition is met.

branch cable /brɑ ntʃ keb(ə)l/ noun branch cable

a cable that runs from a main cable to a node branch instruction /brɑ ntʃ n strkʃən/ noun a conditional program instruction that provides the location of the next instruction in the program, if a condition is met branchpoint /brɑ ntʃpɔnt/ noun a point in a program where a branch can take place branch table /brɑ ntʃ teb(ə)l/ noun a table that defines where to jump to in a program depending on the result of a test breach /bri tʃ/ noun a failure to carry out the terms of an agreement 왍 breach of warranty the supplying of goods which do not meet the standards of the warranty applied to them breadboard /bredbɔ d/ noun a device that allows prototype electronic circuits to be constructed easily without permanent connections or soldering break /brek/ noun an action performed, or a key pressed, to stop the execution of a program Break key /brek ki / noun a special key on an IBM-compatible keyboard that halts the execution of a program when it is pressed at the same time as the Control key 쑗 I stopped the problem by pressing CtrlBreak. breakout box /brekaυt bɒks/ noun a device that displays the status of lines within an interface, cable or connector 쑗 The serial interface doesn’t seem to be working – use the breakout box to see which signals are present. breakpoint /brekpɔnt/ noun a symbol inserted into a program which stops its execution at that point to allow registers, variables and memory locations to be examined (NOTE: Breakpoints are often branch instruction



branchpoint

branch table

breach

breadboard

break

Break key

breakout box

breakpoint

used when debugging a program.)

breakpoint halt /brekpɔnt hɔ lt/ breakpoint halt

noun same as breakpoint instruction breakpoint instruction /brekpɔnt n strkʃən/ noun a halt command inserted in a program to stop its execution temporarily. This allows the programmer to examine data and registers while debugging a program. breakpoint symbol /brekpɔnt

smb(ə)l/ noun a special character used to provide a breakpoint in a debugging breakpoint instruction



breakpoint symbol

Computing.fm Page 46 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

breakup 46 program. The program allows breakpoint Briefcase utility /bri fkes ju tlti/ symbols to be inserted, then executes the noun (in Windows) a special utility that alprogram until it reaches one, then halts. lows you to keep files stored on a laptop and a desktop PC up to date breakup /brekp/ noun (in video) loss brightness /bratnəs/ noun the intenor distortion of a signal sity of the light emitted by an image on a B register /bi red'stə/ noun 1. an adscreen 쑗 A control knob allows you to address register that is added to a reference just brightness and contrast. address to provide the location to be acbrightness range /bratnəs rend'/ cessed 2. a register used to extend the acnoun the variation in the intensity of the cumulator in multiplication and division light emitted by something operations brilliant /brljənt/ adjective (of light or BRI / bi ɑ a/ noun one part of the colour ) very bright and shining ISDN service that provides two data transfer channels, also called bearer channels, bring up / brŋ p/ verb to start a comthat can transmit data at 64Kbit/second puter system and one control channel that can transfer British Approvals Board for Teleextra control information at 16Kbit/seccommunications / brtʃ ə pru vəlz ond. Full form basic rate interface bɔ d fɔ telikəmkju n keʃ(ə)nz/ noun bricks-and-mortar / brks ən mɔ tə/ full form of BABT adjective referring to businesses that operBritish Standards Institute / brtʃ ate using buildings such as shops and stndədz nsttju t/ noun full form of warehouses, as opposed to operating only BSI (UK) or mainly via the Internet. Compare broadband /brɔ dbnd/ noun (in local clicks-and-mortar area networks or communications) a bridge /brd'/ verb to use bridgeware to transmission method that combines severhelp transfer programs and data files to anal channels of data onto a carrier signal other system (NOTE: A bridging product is and can carry the data over long distances. available for companies with both generCompare baseband. Also called wideations of machines.) 쐽 noun 1. a device band that connects two networks together and COMMENT: The three most popular broadband communication devices are ISDN, cable moallow information to flow between them. 쒁 Briefcase utility



breakup

brightness

B register

brightness range

brilliant

BRI

bring up

British Approvals Board for Telecommunications





bricks-and-mortar

British Standards Institute

broadband

bridge

router, brouter (NOTE: Bridges function at the data link layer of the OSI network model.) 2. a process of ensuring that piec-

es of computer equipment match, so that power losses between them are kept to a minimum 3. hardware or software that allows parts of an old system to be used on a new system ‘Lotus Development and IMRS are jointly developing a bridge linking their respective spreadsheet and client server reporting tools. It will allow users of IMRS’ Hyperion reporting tool to manipulate live data from Lotus Improv.’ [Computing]

bridgeware /brd'weə/ noun hardbridgeware

ware or software used to make the transfer from one computer system to another easier, by changing e.g. file format and translation bridging /brd'ŋ/ noun the use of bridgeware to help transfer programs and data files to another system bridging

COMMENT: A bridge connects two similar networks: a gateway connects two different networks. To connect two Ethernet networks, use a bridge.

bridging product /brd'ŋ prɒdkt/ bridging product

noun same as bridge

dems and ADSL, which is part of the wider DSL standard. Each country has different prevalent standards and pricing models. For example, ISDN provides a digital link that can transfer data at the rate of 64Kbps; it dials an access number and provides a link when required. ADSL, in contrast, provides a direct connection that appears to be ‘always on’ using a network adapter to link the computer to the Internet provider. ADSL normally supports a transfer speed of up to 2Mbps.

broadband communication device / brɔ dbnd kə mju nkeʃ(ə)n broadband communication device





d vas/ noun a communication channel and device that allow a computer to connect to the Internet at a very high speed, often several thousand times faster than a dial-up modem connected to a telephone line broadband ISDN / brɔ dbnd a es di en/ noun a high-speed data transfer service that allows data and voice to be transmitted over a wide area network. Abbr B-ISDN broadcast /brɔ dkɑ st/ noun (in a network) a message or data sent to a group of users 쐽 verb to distribute information over a wide area or to a large audience 쑗 He 

broadband ISDN

broadcast

Computing.fm Page 47 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

47 broadcast the latest news over the WAN. (NOTE: broadcasts – broadcasting – broadcast) broadcast message / brɔ dkɑ st mesd'/ noun a message sent to everyone broadcast message

on a network 쑗 Five minutes before we shut down the LAN, we send a broadcast message to all users. broadcast network / brɔ dkɑ st netw k/ noun a network for sending data to a number of receivers broadcast quality / brɔ dkɑ st kwɒlti/ noun a quality of video image or signal that is the same as that used by professional television stations 쑗 We can use your multimedia presentation as the advert on TV if it’s of broadcast quality. brochure site /brəυʃə sat/ noun a simple, often one-page, website that advertises a company’s products and gives its contact details brouter /bru tə/ noun a device that combines the functions of a router and bridge to connect networks together 쑗 The brouter provides dynamic routing and can bridge two local area networks. 쒁 bridge, broadcast network

broadcast quality

brochure site

brouter

router

brown-out /braυn aυt/ noun a power brown-out

failure caused by a low voltage level rather than no voltage level browse /braυz/ verb 1. to view data in a database or online system 2. to search through and access database material without permission browser /braυzə/ noun a software program that is used to navigate through webpages stored on the Internet. A browser program asks the Internet server to send it a page of information, stores, decodes and displays the page, and will jump to other pages if you click on hyperlinks. 쒁 HTML, browse

browser

NetScape, IE COMMENT: A browser program asks the Internet server (called the HTTP server) to send it a page of information; this page is stored in the HTML layout language that is decoded by the browser and displayed on screen. The browser displays any hotspots and will jump to another page if the user clicks on a hyperlink.

browsing /braυzŋ/ noun the activity browsing

of moving through sites on the Internet, a list of files or a multimedia title in no particular order. You control which page you move to next and what you view. brush /brʃ/ noun a tool in paint package software that draws pixels on screen 쑗 The paint package lets you vary the width brush

buffer of the brush (in pixels) and the colour it produces. brush style /brʃ stal/ noun the width and shape of the brush tool in a paint package 쑗 To fill in a big area, I select a wide, square brush style. brute force method / bru t fɔ s meθəd/ noun a problem-solving method which depends on computer power rather than elegant programming techniques BS abbr backspace BSAM abbr basic sequential access method BSC / bi es si / noun an old standard for medium/high speed data communication links. Full form binary synchrobrush style

brute force method

BS

BSAM

BSC

nous communications BSI / bi es a/ noun an organisation that BSI

monitors design and safety standards in the UK. Full form British Standards Institute

BTAM / bi ti e em/ noun a method of BTAM

providing access for read or write operations to a remote device. Full form basic telecommunications access method

btree /bi tri / noun same as binary tree bubble-help /bb(ə)l help/ noun a sinbtree

bubble-help

gle line that appears on screen to describe what you are pointing at bubble jet printer / bb(ə)l d'et prntə/ noun 쏡 ink-jet printer bubble memory / bb(ə)l mem(ə)ri/ noun a method of storing binary data using the magnetic properties of certain materials, allowing very large amounts of data to be stored in primary memory bubble memory cassette / bb(ə)l mem(ə)ri kə set/ noun a bubble memory device on a removable cartridge similar to an audio cassette that can be inserted into a controller card to provide removable memory bubble sort /bb(ə)l sɔ t/ noun a sorting method which repeatedly exchanges various pairs of data items until they are in order bucket /bkt/ noun a storage area containing data for an application buffer /bfə/ noun 1. a circuit that isolates and protects a system from damaging inputs from driven circuits or peripherals. 쒁 driver 2. a temporary storage area for data waiting to be processed 쐽 verb to use a temporary storage area to hold data until the processor or device is ready to deal with it bubble jet printer

bubble memory

bubble memory cassette



bubble sort

bucket

buffer

Computing.fm Page 48 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

buffered input/output COMMENT:

Buffers allow two parts of a computer system to work at different speeds, e.g. a high-speed central processing unit and a slower line printer.

buffered input/output / bfəd npυt aυtpυt/ noun the use of a temporary storage area on input or output ports to allow slow peripherals to operate with a fast CPU buffered memory / bfəd mem(ə)ri/ noun a type of memory that allows instructions or data to be entered before the processor has finished processing the ones it is currently dealing with buffering /bfərŋ/ noun using buffers to provide a link between slow and fast devices buffer length /bfə leŋθ/ noun the number of data item that can be stored in a buffer while waiting for the processor to attend to them buffer register / bfə red'stə/ noun temporary storage for data read from or being written to main memory buffer size /bfə saz/ noun the total number of characters that can be held in a buffer bug /b/ noun an error in a computer program which makes it run incorrectly (informal ) buggy /bi/ noun a small computercontrolled vehicle (NOTE: The plural is buffered input/output

buffered memory

buffering

buffer length

48

built-in message / blt n mesd'/ built-in message

noun a message generated by a system or authoring language in response to an action such as a mouse click bulk erase /blk rez/ verb to erase a complete disk in one action bulk storage medium / blk stɔ rd' mi diəm/ noun a medium that is able to store large amounts of data in a convenient size and form bulk update terminal / blk pdet

t mn(ə)l/ noun a device used by an information provider to prepare videotext pages off-line, then transmit them rapidly to the main computer bullet /bυlt/ noun a symbol, often a filled circle 쎲 or square 쮿, placed in front of a line of text and used to draw attention to a particular line in a list bulk erase



bulk storage medium

bulk update terminal

bullet

‘For a bullet chart use four to six bullet points and no more than six to eight words each’ [Computing]

buffer register

buffer size

bug

buggy

buggies.)

bug patch /b ptʃ/ noun 1. a tempobug patch

rary correction made to a program 2. a small correction made to software by a user on the instructions of the software publisher build /bld/ noun a particular version of a program 쑗 This is the latest build of the new software. building block /bldŋ blɒk/ noun a self-contained unit that can be joined to others to form a system built-in /blt n/ adjective already included in a system 쑗 The built-in adapter card makes it fully IBM compatible. Opposite add-on built-in check / blt n tʃek/ noun an error detection and validation check carried out automatically on received data built-in font / blt n fɒnt/ noun a font stored permanently within a peripheral, normally a printer built-in function / blt n fŋkʃ(ə)n/ noun a special function already implemented in a program build

building block

built-in

built-in check

built-in font

built-in function

bulleted adjective marked with a bullet in front of the line of text 쑗 a bulleted list bulletin board /bυltn bɔ d/, bulletin board system noun an online forum used to exchange e-mails, chat and access software. Abbr BBS bundle /bnd(ə)l/ noun 1. a number of optic fibres gathered together 2. a package containing a computer together with software or accessories offered at a special price 쑗 The bundle now includes a PC with CD-rewriter, digital camera and scanner for just £599. 쐽 verb to market at a special price a package that contains a computer together with a range of software or accessories bundled software / bnd(ə)ld sɒftweə/ noun software included in the price of a computer system bureau /bjυərəυ/ noun an office that specialises in keyboarding data or processing batches of data for other small companies 쑗 The company offers a number of bureau services, such as printing and data collection. bulleted

bulletin board

bundle

bundled software

bureau

‘IMC has a colour output bureau that puts images onto the uncommon CD-ROM XA format.’ [Computing]

burn /b n/ verb 1. same as blow 2. to copy data onto a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM burned-in time code / b nd n tam

kəυd/ noun time code information included in the video signal as an image that is visible on any TV or monitor. Abbr burn

burned-in time code

BITC

burner /b nə/ noun a device which burns in programs onto PROM chips burner

Computing.fm Page 49 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

49

burn in /b n n/ verb 1. to mark a teleburn in

vision or monitor screen after displaying a high-brightness image for too long 2. to write data into a PROM chip burn-in /b n n/ noun a heat test for electronic components burn out / b n aυt/ noun excess heat or incorrect use that causes an electronic circuit or device to fail burst /b st/ noun a short isolated sequence of transmitted signals burster /b stə/ noun a machine used to separate the sheets of continuous fanfold paper burst mode /b st məυd/ noun data transmission using intermittent bursts of data bursty /b sti/ adjective transmitted in short uneven bursts, rather than a smooth continuous stream bus /bs/ noun 1. a communication link consisting of a set of leads or wires which connects different parts of a computer hardware system, and over which data is transmitted and received by various circuits in the system. Also called highway 2. a central source of information that supplies several devices bus address lines / bs ədres lanz/ plural noun wires, each of which carries one bit of an address word bus arbitration /bs ɑ btreʃ(ə)n/ noun the protocol and control of transmission over a bus that ensures fair usage by several users burn-in

burn out

burst

burster

burst mode

bursty

bus

bus address lines



bus arbitration



‘The slot controller detects when a new board is inserted, it activates power up and assigns a bus arbitration and card slot ID to the board.’ [Computing]

bus bar /bs bɑ / noun an electrical bus bar

conductor or group of electrical conductors used as a connector in a circuit, especially as a bus in a computer system bus board /bs bɔ d/ noun a PCB containing conducting paths for all the computer signals for the address, data and control buses bus clock /bs klɒk/ noun the speed at which data is transferred along the main bus in a computer (NOTE: This is not albus board

bus clock

ways the same speed as the processor speed.) bus clock speed / bs klɒk spi d/ noun the frequency of the clock that govbus clock speed

erns the main bus in a computer

bus unit bus data lines / bs detə lanz/ plural noun wires, each of which carries one bit of a data word bus driver /bs dravə/ noun high power transistors or an amplifier that can provide enough power to transmit signals to a number of devices bus extender / bs ikstendə/, bus extension card /bs kstenʃən kɑ d/ noun 1. device that extends an 8-bit bus to accommodate 16-bit add-in cards 2. special board (used by repair engineers) that moves an add-in board up to a position that is easier to work on business computer /bzns kəm

pju tə/ noun a powerful small computer which is programmed for special business tasks business package /bzns pkd'/ noun same as business system business system /bzns sstəm/ noun a set of programs adapted for business use, comprising e.g. payroll, invoicing and customers file bus master /bs mɑ stə/ noun a device that controls the bus whilst transmitting (NOTE: Bus master status can move bus data lines

bus driver

bus extender





business computer



business package

business system

bus master

between sending stations.)

bus master adapter / bs mɑ stə ə bus master adapter

bus network

bus slave

bus structure

bus topology



bus unit

bus control lines / bs kəntrəυl bus control lines



lanz/ plural noun wires, each of which carries one bit of a control word



dptə/ noun an adapter card that fits in a EISA or MCA expansion slot in a PC, and that can take control of the main bus and transfer data to the computer’s main memory independently of the main processor 쑗 The bus master network adapter provides much faster data throughput than the old adapter. bus network /bs netw k/ noun a network of computers where the machines are connected to a central bus unit which transmits the messages it receives bus slave /bs slev/ noun a data sink that receives data from a bus master bus structure /bs strktʃə/ noun the way in which buses are organised, i.e. whether serial, parallel or bidirectional bus topology / bs təpɒləd'i/ noun a network topology in which all devices are connected to a single cable which has terminators at each end 쑗 Ethernet is a network that uses the bus topology. bus unit /bs ju nt/ noun (within a microprocessor ) the place where instructions flow between the main memory and the processor

Computing.fm Page 50 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

busy 50 busy /bzi/ adjective (of a signal ) indibytecode /batkəυd/ noun a form of cating that a device is not ready to receive Java instructions that can be executed in a data Java Virtual Machine. When a programmer develops a program written in Java, button /bt(ə)n/ noun 1. a switch on a the Java compiler converts the instructions mouse or joystick that carries out an action into a bytecode form that can then be run 쑗 Use the mouse to move the cursor to the on any computer that supports the Virtual icon and start the application by pressing Machine software. 쒁 Java, virtual mathe mouse button. 2. a square shape dischine played that will carry out a particular acbyte machine /bat məʃi n/ noun a tion if selected with a pointer or keyboard variable word length computer 쑗 There are two buttons at the bottom of the status window, select the left button to byte manipulation /bat mə npjυ cancel the operation or the right to continleʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of moving, edue. iting and changing the contents of a byte button bar /bt(ə)n bɑ / noun a line of byte mode /bat məυd/ noun a way of small buttons along the top of the screen, transmitting data one byte at a time just below the menu bar, in many applicabyte-orientated protocol / bat tions such as Microsoft Word, Works and

ɔ riəntetd prəυtəkɒl/ noun a commuExcel. Each button on the bar contains an nications protocol that transmits data as icon that helps describe its function and is characters rather than as a bit-stream equipped with bubble-help. byte serial mode / bat səriəl BYAM abbr between you and me

məυd/ noun same as byte serial transBYKT abbr but you know/knew that mission bypass /ba pɑ s/ noun an alternative byte serial transmission / bat route around a component or device, usu səriəl trnzmʃ(ə)n/ noun the transally a faulty one, so that it is not used 쑗 mission of bytes of data sequentially, durThere is an automatic bypass around any ing which individual bits can be sent in a faulty equipment. serial or parallel way byte /bat/ noun a group of usually eight bytes-per-inch /batz pə/ noun a bits or binary digits that a computer opermeasure of the data storage capacity of ates on as a single unit magnetic tape byte address /bat ə dres/ plural noun bytes per second / bats p the location of data bytes in memory sekənd/ noun full form of Bps busy

bytecode

button

byte machine



byte manipulation



button bar

byte mode

byte-orientated protocol

byte serial mode

BYAM

BYKT

bypass

byte serial transmission





byte

bytes-per-inch

byte address

bytes per second





Computing.fm Page 51 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

C C1 symbol the hexadecimal number C

equivalent to decimal 12 C2 noun a high level programming language developed mainly for writing structured systems programs (NOTE: The C lanC

guage was originally developed for and with the UNIX operating system.) C++ / si pls pls/ noun a high-level C++

programming language based on its predecessor, C, but providing object-oriented programming functions CA abbr certificate authority CAAT abbr certificate authority administration tool cable /keb(ə)l/ noun a flexible conducting electrical or optical link 쑗 The cable has the wrong connector for this printer. cable connector / keb(ə)l kənektə/ noun a connector at either end of a cable cable matcher /keb(ə)l mtʃə/ noun an impedance matching device that allows non-standard cable to be used with a particular device cable modem / keb(ə)l məυdem/ noun a device that links a computer to the Internet via an existing cable television line. This system provides high speed access to the Internet by sharing the coaxial cable that is used to distribute cable television signals. cable plant /keb(ə)l plɑ nt/ noun all the cables, connectors and patch panels within a building or office cable tester / keb(ə)l testə/ noun test equipment used to find breaks or faults or cracks in cabling cabling /keblŋ/ noun cable as a material 쑗 Using high-quality cabling will allow the user to achieve very high data transfer rates. CA

CAAT

cable

cable connector



cable matcher

cable modem

cable plant

cable tester

cabling

‘It has won a £500,000 contract to supply a structured voice and data cabling system to the bank and its stockbrocking subsidiary.’ [Computing]

cabling diagram /keb(ə)lŋ

daərm/ noun a drawing showing where the main cable runs through an office, and where the connection points to it are cache /kʃ/ noun a section of memory used to store a temporary copy of selected data for faster access. Also called cache memory 쐽 verb to file or store in a cache 쑗 This CPU caches instructions so improves performance by 15 percent. cache controller /kʃ kəntrəυlə/ noun a set of logic circuits that determines when to store data in the high-speed cache memory, when to access data in the cache and when to access data stored in the slower storage device cache hit /kʃ ht/ noun data retrieved from cache memory rather than from the storage device cache memory /kʃ mem(ə)ri/ noun same as cache CAD /kd/ noun the use of a computer and graphics terminal to help a designer in his work 쑗 All our engineers design on CAD workstations. Full form computercabling diagram

cache

cache controller



cache hit

cache memory

CAD

aided design, computer-assisted design ‘John Smith of CAD supplier CAD/CAM Limited has moved into sales with responsibilities for the North of England. He was previously a technical support specialist.’ [Computing]

CAD/CAM noun interaction between computers used for designing and those for manufacturing a product caddy /kdi/ noun 쏡 CD caddy CAE / si e i / noun the use of a computer to help an engineer solve problems or calculate design or product specifications. Full form computer-aided engineering, CAD/CAM

caddy

CAE

computer-assisted engineering

CAI / si e a/ noun the use of a compuCAI

ter to assist in teaching a subject. Full form

computer-aided instruction, computer-assisted instruction

Computing.fm Page 52 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

CAL 52 call duration /kɔ l djυreʃ(ə)n/ noun CAL / si e el/ noun the use of a computhe length of time spent between starting ter to assist pupils to learn a subject. Full and ending a call 쑗 Call duration depends form computer-aided learning, comon the complexity of the transaction. puter-assisted learning called party /kɔ ld pɑ ti/ noun the percalculated field /klkjυ letd fi l*d/ son or station to which a call is made noun a field within a database record that contains the results of calculations percaller /kɔ lə/ noun a person who teleformed on other fields phones or requests a call Calculator /klkjυ letə/ a software call handler /kɔ l hndlə/ noun 쏡 utility that is supplied with Windows, handler works just like a normal calculator and is calling /kɔ lŋ/ noun a signal to request started by double-clicking on the Calculaattention, sent from a terminal or device to tor icon in the Accessories group the main computer calendar program / klndə calling sequence / kɔ lŋ si kwəns/ prəυrm/ noun a software diary utility noun a series of program commands rethat allows a user to enter and keep track of quired to direct execution to or back from appointments a subroutine calibrate /klbret/ verb to adjust a call instruction /kɔ l nstrkʃən/ monitor or joystick so that it is responding noun a programming instruction that dicorrectly and accurately to the signals or rects control to a routine (NOTE: Before the movements call, the program counter contents are calibration / kləbreʃ(ə)n/ noun the saved to show the return instruction where to return to in the main program, process of comparing the signal from an and control is passed back once the rouinput with a known scale to provide a tine has finished.) standardised reading call logger /kɔ l lɒə/ noun a device call /kɔ l/ verb to transfer control from a which keeps a record of telephone calls main program to a separate program or routine call scheduling /kɔ l ʃedju lŋ/ noun (in a fax server ) the process of arcall accepted signal /kɔ l əkseptd/, ranging calls so that long-distance calls are call accept signal /kɔ l əksept/ noun a made at off-peak times signal sent by a device showing that it is willing to accept a caller’s data call up / kɔ l p/ verb to ask for information from a backing store to be discallback /kɔ lbk/ noun a security sysplayed 쑗 All the customers addresses were tem that is used to reduce the risk of any called up. unauthorised user connecting to your computer if you have installed dial-in networkCAM / si e em/ noun the use of a coming . With callback, you use your commuputer to control machinery or assist in a nications software and modem to dial the manufacturing process. Full form compuremote computer and enter your name and ter-aided manufacture, computer-aspassword. The remote computer then sisted manufacturing 쐽 abbr content hangs up the telephone line and calls you addressable memory back on a preset telephone number. Cambridge ring / kembrid' rŋ/ call back modem /kɔ l bk noun a local area networking standard

məυdem/ noun a modem that, on anused for connecting several devices and swering a call, immediately hangs up and computers together in a ring with simple calls the user back to establish a conneccable links tion. It is used to provide better security campus environment / kmpəs n than a normal dial-up modem. varənmənt/ noun a large area or locacall control signal /kɔ l kən trəυl tion that has lots of users connected by

sn(ə)l/ noun the signal necessary to esseveral networks, such as a university or tablish and end a call hospital call discrimination /kɔ l d skrm campus network / kmpəs neʃ(ə)n/ noun a feature of a modem that netw k/ noun a network that connects allows it to check if an incoming telephone together the smaller local area networks in call is from a fax machine, another compueach department within a building or uniter with a modem or from a person versity site CAL

call duration



called party

calculated field



caller

Calculator

call handler



calling

calendar program

calling sequence

calibrate

call instruction



calibration



call

call logger

call scheduling

call accepted signal





call up

callback

CAM

Cambridge ring

call back modem

campus environment



call control signal



call discrimination

campus network





Computing.fm Page 53 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

53

cancel /knsəl/ verb to stop a process cancel

or instruction before it has been fully executed cancelbot /kns(ə)lbɒt/ noun a computer program that cancels unwanted articles sent to an Internet newsgroup by a particular user cancel character / kns(ə)l krktə/ noun a control code used to indicate that the last data transmitted was incorrect cancellation / knsəleʃ(ə)n/ noun the action of stopping a process which has been started canonical schema /kə nɒnkl ski mə/ noun a model of a database that is independent of hardware or software available capability list / kepəbləti lst/ noun a list of operations that can be carried out capacitance /kpstəns/ noun the ability of a component to store electrical charge capacitative /kəpstətv/, capacititive adjective that has capacitance capacitor /kəpstə/ noun an electronic component that can store charge capacitor storage /kə pstə stɔ rd'/ noun a device that uses the capacitative properties of a material to store data capacity /kəpsti/ noun the amount of storage space available in a system or on a disk capitalisation / kpt(ə)lazeʃ(ə)n/, capitalization noun function of a wordprocessor to convert a line or block of text into capitals capitals /kpt(ə)lz/, caps plural noun letters in their large form, A,B,C,D, etc., as opposed to lower-case letters, a,b,c,d, etc. 쑗 The word BASIC is always written in caps. caps lock /kps lɒk/ noun a key on a keyboard that allows all characters to be entered as capitals 쑗 The LED lights up when caps lock is pressed. capstan /kpstən/ noun a spindle of a tape player or tape backup unit that keeps the tape pressed against the magnetic read/write head or pinch roller caption /kpʃən/ noun a descriptive text that appears at the top of a window, in white text on a blue background caption generator /kpʃən

d'enəretə/ noun a computer or eleccancelbot

cancel character

cancellation



canonical schema



capability list



capacitance



capacitative



capacitor



capacitor storage



capacity



capitalisation



capitals

caps lock

capstan

caption

caption generator

cardinal number tronic device that allows a user to add titles or captions to a video sequence capture /kptʃə/ verb 1. to take data into a computer system 쑗 The software allows captured images to be edited. 왍 capture a printer port to redirect data intended for a local printer port over a network to a shared printer 왍 capture a screen to store the image that is currently displayed on the screen in a file 쑗 In Windows, you can capture the current screen as a graphics image by pressing the PrintScreen key on the keyboard. 2. (in a Token-Ring network) to remove a token from the network in order to transmit data across the network carbon copy / kɑ bən kɒpi/ noun full form of cc carbon ribbon / kɑ bən rbən/ noun a thin plastic ribbon, coated with black ink, used in printers. Compare fibre ribbon card /kɑ d/ noun a sheet of insulating material on which electronic components can be mounted capture

carbon copy

carbon ribbon

card

‘A smart card carries an encryption chip, which codifies your ID and password prior to their being transmitted across a network.’ [Computing]

CardBus /kɑ dbs/ a high-speed, up to CardBus

33MHz, version of the original PCMCIA PC Card standard that allows 32-bits of data to be transferred in one operation compared to the 16-bit capability of the original PC Card standard card cage /kɑ d ked'/ noun a metal supporting frame for circuit boards card chassis /kɑ d ʃsi/ noun same as card frame card edge connector / kɑ d ed' kə nektə/ noun a series of metal tracks ending at the edge and on the surface of a circuit board, allowing it to be plugged into an edge connector to provide an electrical path for data transmission card extender /kɑ d ik stendə/ noun a card containing only conducting tracks, inserted between a motherboard connector and an expansion board, allowing the expansion board to be worked on and examined easily, outside the card cage card frame /kɑ d frem/ noun a frame containing a motherboard into which printed circuit boards can be plugged to provide a flexible system cardinal number / kɑ dn(ə)l nmbə/ noun a positive whole number 쑗 13, 19 and 27 are cardinal numbers, –2.3 and 7.45 are not. card cage

card chassis

card edge connector



card extender



card frame

cardinal number

Computing.fm Page 54 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

cardioid microphone 54 cardioid microphone / kɑ diɔd carrier signalling /kriə snəlŋ/ noun a simple form of data transmission in makrəfəυn/ noun a highly sensitive microphone that is used to pick up sound in a which a carrier signal is switched on and specific area, not used for general noise reoff according to binary data cording carrier system / kriə sstəm/ noun a method of transmitting several different cardioid response / kɑ diɔd r spɒns/ noun the heart-shaped response signals on one channel by using different curve of an antenna or microphone when a carrier frequencies signal source is moved around it carrier wave /kriə wev/ noun a waveform used as a carrier card reader /kɑ d ri də/ noun a device which reads data from the magnetic strip carry /kri/ noun an extra digit due to on the back of a identity or credit card an addition result being greater than the number base used 쑗 When 5 and 7 are caret /krət/ noun symbol ‘^’ that is ofadded, there is an answer of 2 and a carry ten used to mean the Control key which is put in the next column, giving 12. carpal tunnel syndrome / kɑ p(ə)l carry bit /kri bt/ noun an indicator tn(ə)l sndrəυm/ noun same as repetthat a carry has occurred itive strain injury carry complete signal / kri kəm carriage /krd'/ noun the mechanical pli t sn(ə)l/ noun a signal from an section of a printer that correctly feeds or adder circuit indicating that all carry opermoves the paper that is being printed ations have been completed carriage control /krd' kən trəυl/ carry flag /kri fl/ noun same as noun a set of codes that control the movecarry bit ments of a printer carriage 쑗 Carriage control codes can be used to move the pacarry look ahead / kri lυk əhed/ per forward two lines between each line of noun a high-speed adder that can predict if text. a carry will be generated by a sum and add it in, removing the delay found in an adder carriage return / krd' rt n/ noun with ripple-through carry a code or key to indicate the end of an input line and to move the cursor to the start carry time /kri tam/ noun the period of the next line. Abbr CR of time taken to transfer a carry digit to the next higher digit position carriage return key / krd' rt n

ki / noun a key that moves a cursor or cartesian coordinates /kɑ ti ziən printhead to the beginning of the next line kəυɔ dnəts/ plural noun a positional on screen or in printing system that uses two axes at right angles and represents a point within these axes by carrier /kriə/ noun a continuous highmeans of two numbers that give the point’s frequency waveform that can be modulatposition on each axis. Compare axis, poed by a signal lar coordinates carrier detect / kriə dtekt/ noun a cartesian structure /kɑ ti ziən signal generated by a modem to inform the strktʃə/ noun a data structure whose local computer that it has detected a carrier size is fixed and the elements are in a linefrom a remote modem. Abbr CD ar order carrier frequency / kriə cartridge /kɑ trd'/ noun a removable fri kwənsi/ noun the frequency of the cassette, containing a disk or tape or procarrier signal before it is modulated gram or data, usually stored in ROM carrier sense multiple access-colcartridge drive /kɑ trd' drav/ noun lision avoidance / kriə sens a drive which uses a disk or tape in a car mltip(ə)l kses kəl'(ə)n ə vɔdəns/ tridge noun full form of CSMA-CA cartridge fonts /kɑ trd' fɒntz/ plucarrier sense multiple access-colral noun fonts contained in a ROM carlision detection / kriə sens tridge which can be plugged into a printer,

mltip(ə)l kses kəl'(ə)n d providing a choice of new typefaces

tekʃ(ə)n/ noun full form of CSMA-CD cartridge ribbon / kɑ trd' rbən/ carrier signal / kriə sn(ə)l/ noun a noun a printer ribbon in a closed cartridge continuous high-frequency waveform that CAS / si e es/ noun a standard develcan be modulated by a signal 쑗 He’s not using a modem – there’s no carrier signal oped by Intel and DCA to allow communion the line. cation software to control a fax modems. cardioid microphone

carrier signalling

carrier system

cardioid response



carrier wave

card reader

carry

caret

carpal tunnel syndrome

carry bit

carry complete signal

carriage



carriage control



carry flag

carry look ahead



carriage return



carry time

carriage return key



cartesian coordinates





carrier

carrier detect



cartesian structure



carrier frequency

cartridge

carrier sense multiple access-collision avoidance

cartridge drive





cartridge fonts

carrier sense multiple access-collision detection



carrier signal



cartridge ribbon

CAS

Computing.fm Page 55 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

55 Full form communicating applications specification

cascade carry /k sked kri/ noun cascade carry



a carry generated in an adder from an input carry signal cascade connection /k sked kə nekʃ(ə)n/ noun a number of devices or circuits arranged in series, the output of one driving the input of the next cascade control /k sked kəntrəυl/ noun a set of several control units, each controlling the next cascaded star /kskedd stɑ / noun a setup in which the nodes in a star topology network are connected to more than one hub to provide a backup in case of a problem cascading menu /k skedŋ menju / noun a secondary menu that is displayed to the side of the main pulldown menu cascading style sheet /k skedŋ stal ʃi t/ noun a method of describing the font, spacing and colour of text within a webpage and storing this information in a style sheet that can be applied to any text within the page. Abbr CSS cascading windows /k skedŋ wndəυz/ plural noun (in a GUI) multiple windows that are displayed overlapping so that only the title bar at the top of each window is showing case /kes/ noun 1. 왍 upper case capital letters 쑗 He corrected the word ‘coMputer’, replacing the upper case M with a lower case letter. 2. a programming command that jumps to various points in a program depending on the result of a test case branch /kes brɑ ntʃ/ noun a branch to a part of a program that is dependent upon the result of a test case change /kes tʃend'/ noun a key used to change from upper to lower case on a keyboard case sensitive /kes sensətv/ adjective referring to a command or operation that will only work when the characters are entered in a particular case 쑗 The password is case sensitive. case sensitive search / kes

sensətv s tʃ/ noun a search function that succeeds only if both the search word and the case of the characters in the search word match cassette /kəset/ noun a hard container used to store and protect magnetic tape cascade connection





cascade control





cascaded star



cascading menu



cascading style sheet



cascading windows



case

case branch

case change

case sensitive

case sensitive search

cassette



catastrophic error cassette recorder /kəset r kɔ də/ noun a machine to transfer audio signals onto magnetic tape cassette tape /kəset tep/ noun narrow reel of magnetic tape housed in a solid case for protection (NOTE: Using cassette cassette recorder





cassette tape



tape allows data to be stored for future retrieval. It is used instead of a disk system on small computers or as a slow, serial access, high-capacity back-up medium for large systems.) cast /kɑ st/ noun 1. (in a programming language) an instruction that converts data cast

from one type to another 쑗 To convert the variable from an integer to a character type, use the cast command. 2. (in a multimedia presentation or animation) each individual part of a multimedia presentation or animation. The members of a cast can be individual images, sound clips or text. cast-based animation / kɑ st bes

nmeʃ(ə)n/ noun a type of animation in which everything is an object and has its defined movement, colour and shape, and the actions of each object are controlled by a script cast member /kɑ st membə/ noun a single object, e.g. text, an image or an animated object, within a cast used in a presentation CAT /kt/ noun 1. the use of a computer to demonstrate to and assist pupils in learning a skill. Full form computer-aidcast-based animation



cast member

CAT

ed training, computer-assisted training 2. the use of a computer to test equip-

ment or programs to find any faults. Full form computer-aided testing, computer-assisted testing catalogue /kt(ə)lɒ/ noun a list of catalogue

contents or items in order 왍 disk catalogue, directory list of files stored on a magnetic disk 쑗 The entry in the disk catalogue is removed when the file is deleted. 쐽 verb to make a catalogue of items stored 쑗 All the terminals were catalogued, with their location, call sign and attribute table. catastrophe /kətstrəfi/ noun a serious fault, error or breakdown of equipment, usually leading to serious damage and shutdown of a system catastrophic error / ktəstrɒfk erə/ noun an error that causes a program to crash or files to be accidentally erased catastrophe



catastrophic error

Computing.fm Page 56 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

catastrophic failure 56 are visible when the controllable electron catastrophic failure / ktəstrɒfk beam strikes the phosphor, causing it to glow. feljə/ noun a complete system failure or cathode ray tube storage / kθəυd crash re tju b stɔ rd'/ noun a cathode ray Category 1 / ktə(ə)ri wn/ noun tube with a long-persistence phosphor (part of the EIA/TIA 568 specification) a screen coating that retains an image for a standard that defines an older-style unlong time shielded twisted-pair cable, unsuitable for CAV / si e vi / noun a CD-ROM that data transmission, that is formed by loosespins at a constant speed. The size of each ly twisting two insulated wires together to data frame on the disc varies so as to mainreduce noise and interference tain a regular data throughput of one frame Category 2 / ktə(ə)ri tu / noun per second. Full form constant angular (part of the EIA/TIA 568 specification) a velocity standard that defines a type of unshielded CB abbr call back twisted-pair cable that can be used to CBI /*/ abbr computer-based instruction transmit data at rates up to 4MHz CBL / si bi el/ noun education or learnCategory 3 / ktə(ə)ri θri / noun ing using special programs running on a (part of the EIA/TIA 568 specification) a computer. Full form computer-based standard that defines a type of unshielded learning twisted-pair cable that can be used to transmit data at rates up to 10MHz. This CBMS / si bi em es/ noun the use of a type of cable is the minimum standard of computer system to allow users to send cable required for a 10BaseT network and receive messages from other users, (NOTE: The standard suggests that the causually in-house. Full form computerble should have three twists per foot of cabased message system. 쒁 BBS ble.). CBT / si bi ti / noun the use of a comCategory 4 / ktə(ə)ri fɔ / noun puter system to train students. Full form (part of the EIA/TIA 568 specification) a computer-based training standard that defines a type of unshielded cc / si si / noun a feature of electronic twisted-pair cable that is the minimum mail software that allows you to send a standard of cable required for data transcopy of a message to another user (see) mission rates up to 16Mbit/second on a Full form carbon copy Token Ring network CCA abbr cardholder certificate authority Category 5 / ktə(ə)ri fav/ noun CCD abbr charge-coupled device (part of the EIA/TIA 568 specification) a CCD memory / si si di mem(ə)ri/ standard that defines a type of cable that noun capacitors used with MOS transiscan carry data transmitted at up to tors to store data, allowing either serial or 100MHz and is suitable for FDDI over random access copper wire, 100BaseT or other highCCIR 601 / si si a ɑ sks əυ wn/ speed networks noun a recommended standard for defincategory wiring / ktə(ə)ri ing digital video waərŋ/ noun one of five levels of standCCITT / si si a ti ti / noun an internaards defined by the Electronics Industry tional committee that defines communicaAssociation/Telecommunications Industry tions protocols and standards. Full form Association (EIA/TIA) that defines the Comité Consultatif International Télétype of cable or wire used in a network phonique et Télégraphique catena /kəti nə/ noun 1. a chained list CCP / si si pi / noun software which consisting of a number of items 2. a series interfaces between a user’s terminal and of characters in a word system BIOS. Full form command concatenate /ktənet/ verb to join tosole processor gether two or more sets of data CD1 /si di / noun a system instruction in cathode ray tube / kθəυd re tju b/ MS-DOS and UNIX that moves you noun full form of CRT around a directory structure 쑗 Type in CD COMMENT: Cathode ray tubes are used in traDOCS to move into the DOCS subdirectoditional-style television sets, computer monitors and VDUs. A CRT consists of a vacuum ry. Also called CHDIR. Full form change catastrophic failure

cathode ray tube storage

Category 1

CAV

Category 2

CB

CBI

CBL

Category 3

CBMS

CBT

Category 4

cc

CCA

Category 5

CCD

CCD memory

CCIR 601

category wiring

CCITT

catena



CCP

catenate

CD

cathode ray tube



tube, one end of which is flat and coated with phosphor, while the other end contains an electron beam source. Characters or graphics

directory CD2 /si di / abbr compact disc CD



Computing.fm Page 57 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

57

CD32 / si di θ ti tu / noun a unit

CD-ROM mode 1 CD quality / si di kwɒlti/ adjective

CD32

CD quality

with a processor and CD-ROM drive developed by Commodore that uses its Amiga computer CD-audio / si di ɔ diəυ/ noun a standard that defines how music can be stored in digital form, i.e. as a series of numbers, on a compact disc CD-bridge / si di brd'/ noun an extension to the CD-ROM XA standard that allows extra data to be added so that the disc can be read on a CD-i player CD caddy / si di kdi/ noun a flat plastic container that is used to hold a compact disc CD-DA abbr compact disc digital audio

able to provide recording quality similar to a compact disc. The term normally refers to equipment that can store 16-bit samples at a sample rate of over 44,000 samples per second. 쑗 A sound card in a computer might have several modes of operation: low-quality for general use that does not use up too much memory and CD quality recording mode for final recordings. CD-R / si di ɑ / noun technology that allows a user to write data to and read from a CD-R disc 쑗 A CD-R disc can be played in any standard CD-ROM drive but needs a special CD-R drive to write data to the disc. Full form recordable CD C: drive /si drav/ noun the main hard disk drive, denoted by the letter C in many operating systems, including DOS, Windows and OS/2. 쒁 floppy disk, hard disk

CD-audio

CD-bridge

CD caddy

CD-DA

(NOTE: also called Red Book audio) CD-E / si di i / noun a format that alCD-E

lows data to be saved to and erased from a compact disc CD+G / si di pls d'i /, CD+Graphics / si di pls rfks/ noun CD format that adds a text track to an audio disc – used to store song title information CD-i / si di a/ noun hardware and software standards that combine sound, data, video and text onto a compact disc and allow a user to interact with the software stored on a CD-ROM. The standard defines encoding, compression and display functions. CD-I / si di a/ noun set of enhancements to the normal CD-ROM standard, developed by Philips, and aimed for home use. The system uses its own special hardware console with speakers, joystick and a connection to a television screen to display the images. The special feature of CD-I is that it allows you to interact with what you see on the television screen and choose options or respond to questions or a game. CD-i digital audio / si di a

dd't(ə)l ɔ diəυ/ noun a format that enables a CD-i disc to record audio in digital format in one of four ways, either mono or stereo and at two different sample rates CD-i digital imaging / si di a

dd't(ə)l md'ŋ/ plural noun the compression method used to store images and video frames on a CD-i disc CD-i sector / si di a sektə/ noun a unit of storage on a CD-i disc that can store 2352 bytes CD Player / si di pleə/ noun a utility supplied with Windows that allows a user to play back audio CDs in the PC’s CDROM drive CD+G

CD-i

CD-I

CD-i digital audio

CD-i digital imaging

CD-i sector

CD Player

CD-R

C: drive

COMMENT: Normally, a PC has two or three disk drives within its casing. The convention is to provide one floppy disk, called ‘A:’ and one hard disk called ‘C:’. If you have a second floppy disk, this is called ‘B:’ and a CD-ROM drive is normally ‘D:’. When talking about the different disk drives, you say ‘Drive A’ for the floppy drive, but normally write ‘A:’. If you are using DOS, when your PC starts up it will normally show what’s called the C-prompt (which looks like ‘C:\ your screen); this means you are currently looking at the hard disk. If you want to change to drive A to read data from a floppy disk, enter ’A:’ and press return.

CD-ROM / si di rɒm/ noun a small CD-ROM

plastic disc that is used as a high capacity ROM storage device that can store 650Mb of data; data is stored in binary form as holes etched on the surface which are then read by a laser ‘’Customers’ images will be captured, digitised, and stored on optical disk or CD-ROM, and produced if queries arise about responsibility for ATM transactions.’’ [Computing]

CD-ROM drive / si di rɒm/ noun a CD-ROM drive

mechanical device that spins a compact disc and reads data stored on the surface of the disc using a tiny laser beam

CD-ROM Extended Architecture CD-ROM Extended Architecture

/ si di rɒm k stendd ɑ ktektʃə/ noun an extended CD-ROM format that 

defines how audio, images and data are stored on a CD-ROM disc. Abbr CDROM/XA

CD-ROM Extensions / si di rɒm/ CD-ROM Extensions

plural noun the software required to allow an operating system to access a CD-ROM drive CD-ROM mode 1 / si di rɒm məυd/ noun the standard, original method of storing data in the High Sierra file format CD-ROM mode 1

Computing.fm Page 58 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

CD-ROM mode 2 58 rows are normally numbered and the colCD-ROM mode 2 / si di rɒm məυd/ umns use the letters of the alphabet. noun the higher-capacity storage format that stores data in the space used in mode cellar /selə/ noun a temporary storage 1 for error correction (NOTE: Neither for data or registers or tasks, in which mode 1 nor mode 2 can play audio and items are added and retrieved from the simultaneously read data, hence the XA same end of the list in a LIFO order extension.) cell definition /sel defənʃ(ə)n/ noun CD-ROM player / si di rɒm/ noun a (in a spreadsheet) a formula that is condisc drive that allows a computer to read tained in a cell data stored on a CD-ROM; the player uses cell format /sel fɔ mt/ noun (in a a laser beam to read etched patterns on the spreadsheet) the way in which the result surface of the CD-ROM that represent data or data in a cell is displayed 쑗 The cell forbits mat is right-aligned and emboldened. CD-ROM Re-Writable / si di rɒm Cello /tʃeləυ/ noun a web browser apre/ noun a disc technology that can read a plication. 쒁 browser standard CD-ROM, write to a CD-R or cell protection /sel prətekʃən/ noun write data many times to the same CD-R a function that prevents the contents of a CD-ROM/XA abbr CD-ROM Extended particular cell or range of cells from being Architecture changed CDRTOS / si di ɑ ti əυ es/ noun an cell reference variable / sel operating system used to run a CD-i hard ref(ə)rəns veəriəb(ə)l/ noun a register ware platform that contains the reference locating a certain cell that is being operated on CD-RW / si di ɑ db(ə)lju / noun a compact disc that can have its contents cell relay /sel ri le/ noun a way of erased and something else recorded onto it transmitting packets of information over a many times broadband network, such as Broadband ISDN. The ATM system, e.g., transfers CDTV / si di ti vi / noun a CD-ROM data by moving cells of data between standard developed by Commodore that nodes in a wide area network. combines audio, graphics and text. This standard is mainly intended as an interaccellular phone / seljυlə fəυn/ noun tive system for home use, with the player same as mobile phone connected to a television and also able to central computer / sentrəl kəm play music CDs. pju tə/ noun same as host computer CD-V / si di vi / noun a format, now no centralised computer network longer used, for storing 5 minutes of video / sentrə lazd kəmpju tə/, centralized data on a 3-inch disc in analog form computer network noun a network with CD-video / si di vdiəυ/ noun a comprocessing power provided by a central pact disc used to store and play back video computer images centralised data processing / sentrə lazd detə/, centralized data CD-WO / si db(ə)l ju əυ/ noun a processing noun data processing faciliCD-ROM disc and drive technology that ties located in a centralised place that can allows a user to write data to the disc once be accessed by other users only. It is useful for storing archived documents or for testing a CD-ROM before it is central memory / sentrəl mem(ə)ri/ duplicated. noun full form of CM cel /sel/ noun a single frame in an animacentral processing element tion sequence / sentrəl prəυsesŋ elmənt/ noun a short, i.e. 2, 4 or 8 bit, word length module cell /sel/ noun 1. a single function or that can be used to produce large word number in a spreadsheet program 2. a sinCPU’s using bit slice techniques. Abbr gle memory location, capable of storing a CPE data word, accessed by an individual address 3. (in a transmission system such central processing unit, central as ATM) a fixed-length packet of data, e.g. processor noun full form of CPU a cell in the ATM system contains 53 central terminal / sentrəl t mn(ə)l/ cell address /sel ədres/ noun (in a noun a terminal which controls communispreadsheet) a code that identifies the pocations between a central or host computer sition of a cell by row and column. The and remote terminals CD-ROM mode 2

cellar

cell definition



CD-ROM player

cell format

CD-ROM Re-Writable

Cello

cell protection



CD-ROM/XA

CDRTOS

cell reference variable

CD-RW

cell relay



CDTV

cellular phone

central computer



CD-V

centralised computer network



CD-video

centralised data processing

CD-WO



central memory

cel

central processing element

cell

central processing unit

central terminal

cell address





Computing.fm Page 59 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

59

centre /sentə/ verb 1. to align the centre

read/write head correctly on a magnetic disk or tape 2. to place a piece of text in the centre of the paper or display screen 쑗 Which key do you press to centre the heading? centre channel / sentə tʃn(ə)l/ noun (in a multichannel sound system) the audio channel that carries sound information that will be played back by a loudspeaker placed in the centre of a room, in front of the listener centre operator / sentə ɒpəretə/ noun a person who looks after central computer operations centre text / sentə tekst/ noun an option in a word-processing or DTP package that changes the formatting of a line of text so that is in the centre of the page or frame Centronics interface /sentrɒnks

ntəfes/ noun a parallel printer interface devised by Centronics Inc Centronics port /sentrɒnks pɔ t/ noun a standard that defines the way in which a parallel printer port on a PC operates CERN /s n/ noun the research laboratory in Switzerland where the world wide web was originally invented. Full form centre channel

centre operator

centre text

Centronics interface



Centronics port



CERN

Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire CERT /s t/ abbr computer emergency CERT

response team

certificate /sətfkət/ noun a unique set of numbers that identifies a person or company and is used to prove the person’s identity certificate



COMMENT:

A certificate is normally used to provide security over the Internet for secure email or secure website transactions. A trusted company, such as VeriSign (www.verisign.com) or Thawte (www.thawte.com) issues the certificate once it is satisfied that the person or company is legitimate, authentic and who they claim to be. The company can now use this certificate to prove its identity, create secure messages or setup a secure website to accept payments online.

certificate authority /sətfkət ɔ



(NOTE: The certificate authority issues a special encrypted number that complies with the X.509 standard and is encrypted with a public-key encryption system.) certificate database /sətfkət

detəbes/ noun a database in which all 





certificate walker



CGI

CGM

chain

chain code

chained file

chained list

chaining

θɒrti/ noun an independent server or company on the Internet that supplies or validates a special digital certificate to prove that another company is genuine

certificate database

certificate of approval

chained record

certificate authority



chain printer the certificates issued and used by a certificate authority are stored certificate of approval /sə tfkət əv əpru v(ə)l/ noun a document showing that an item has been approved officially certificate walker /sətfkət wɔ kə/ noun a software program that reads digital certificates and displays their contents CGI / si d'i a/ noun a standard that defines how a webpage can call programs or scripts stored on an Internet server to carry out functions and exchange information with the program, e.g., to provide a search function. Full form common gateway interface. 쒁 Perl CGM / si d'i em/ noun a device-independent file format that provides one method of storing an image as objects. Full form computer graphics metafile chain /tʃen/ noun 1. a series of files or data items linked sequentially 2. a series of instructions to be executed sequentially 쐽 verb to link files or data items in series by storing a pointer to the next file or item at each entry 쑗 More than 1,000 articles or chapters can be chained together when printing. 쒁 catena chain code /tʃen kəυd/ noun a series of words, each word being derived from the previous word, usually by being shifted one bit chained file / tʃend fal/ noun a file in which an entry will contain data and an address to the next entry that has the same data content . It allows rapid retrieval of all identical data records. chained list /tʃend lst/ noun a list in which each element contains data and an address to the next element in the list chained record /tʃend rekɔ d/ noun a data record in a chained file chaining /tʃenŋ/ noun the execution of a very large program by executing small segments of it at a time. This allows programs larger than memory capacity to be run. chaining search /tʃenŋ s tʃ/ noun a search of a file of elements arranged in a chained list chain list /tʃen lst/ noun a list of data with each piece of information providing an address for the next consecutive item in the list chain printer /tʃen prntə/ noun a printer whose characters are located on a continuous belt chaining search

chain list

chain printer

Computing.fm Page 60 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

change directory 60 channel synchroniser /tʃn(ə)l change directory /tʃend' da

sŋkrənazə/, channel synchronizer

rekt(ə)ri/ noun full form of CD, CHDIR noun an interface between a central comchange dump /tʃend' dmp/ noun a puter and peripherals, providing a channel, printout of all the locations whose contents channel command interpretation and stahave been changed during a program run tus signals from the peripherals change file /tʃend' fal/ noun a file channel-to-channel connection containing records that are to be used to / tʃn(ə)l tə tʃn(ə)l kənekʃ(ə)n/ update a master file noun a direct link between the main I/O change over / tʃend' əυvə/ verb to channels of two computers, allowing high switch from one computer system to anspeed data transfer other chapter /tʃptə/ noun a section of a changer /tʃend'ə/ noun a device main program that can be executed in its which changes one thing for another own right, without the rest of the main prochange record /tʃend' rekɔ d/ noun gram being required a record containing new data which is to char /tʃɑ / noun (in programming) a data be used to update a master record type which defines a variable as containing change tape / tʃend' tep/ noun a data that represents a character using the magnetic tape containing recent changes ASCII code or transactions to records which is used to character /krktə/ noun a graphical update a master file symbol which appears as a printed or dischannel /tʃn(ə)l/ noun a physical played mark such as one of the letters of connection between two points that allows the alphabet, a number or a punctuation data to be transmitted, e.g. a link between mark a CPU and a peripheral 쐽 verb to send sigcharacter assembly /krktə ə nals or data via a particular path

sembli/ noun a method of designing channel adapter /tʃn(ə)l ə dptə/ characters with pixels on a computer noun an interfacing device allowing difscreen ferent channels to be interconnected character-based /krktə best/ adchannel bank /tʃn(ə)l bŋk/ noun a jective referring to a screen design that is collection of a number of channels, and drawn using ASCII characters rather than circuits to switch between them graphical windows channel capacity /tʃn(ə)l kə character blink /krktə blŋk/ noun

psti/ noun the maximum rate for data a character whose intensity is switched on transmission over a channel and off as an indicator channel command /tʃn(ə)l kə character block /krktə blɒk/ noun

mɑ nd/ noun an instruction to a channel the pattern of dots that will make up a or control unit, providing control informacharacter on a screen or printer tion such as data selection or routes character byte /krktə bat/ noun a channel isolation / tʃn(ə)l asə byte of data containing the character code leʃ(ə)n/ noun the separation of channels and any error check bits measured as the amount of crosstalk becharacter check /krktə tʃek/ noun tween two channels (NOTE: Low crosstalk a check to ensure that a character code prois due to good channel isolation.) tocol and format are correct channelling /tʃnəlŋ/ noun a proteccharacter code /krktə kəυd/ noun tive pipe containing cables or wires a system where each character is reprechannel map /tʃn(ə)l mp/ noun (in sented by a unique number 쑗 The ASCII the Windows MIDI Mapper utility) a list code is the most frequently used character that shows if a MIDI channel is being redicoding system. rected to another channel character density /krktə densti/ noun the number of characters that can be channel overload /tʃn(ə)l stored or displayed per unit area

əυvələυd/ noun the transmission of data at a rate greater than the channel capacity character display /krktə d sple/ noun a device that displays data in alphachannel queue /tʃn(ə)l kju / noun numeric form 1. a queue of requests to use a channel 2. a character fill /krktə fl/ noun the queue of data that has yet to be sent over a writing of one character to every location channel change directory

channel synchroniser



change dump

change file

channel-to-channel connection



change over

chapter

changer

change record

char

change tape

character

channel

character assembly



channel adapter



character-based

channel bank

channel capacity

character blink



channel command

character block



character byte

channel isolation



character check

channelling

character code

channel map

character density

channel overload

character display



channel queue

character fill

Computing.fm Page 61 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

61 within an area of memory, a process used for clearing and resetting the memory character generator /krktə

d'enəretə/ noun a ROM that provides the display circuits with a pattern of dots which represent the character block 쑗 The ROM used as a character generator can be changed to provide different fonts. character interleaving / krktə

ntəli vŋ/ noun a form of time division multiplexing for asynchronous protocols characteristic / krktərstk/ noun 1. the value of exponent in a floating point number 쑗 The floating point number 1.345 x 103, has a characteristic of 3. 2. a measurement or property of a component character generator

character interleaving



characteristic



characteristic characteristic overflow

overflow

/ krktərstk əυvəfləυ/ noun an ex-

ponent value of a floating point number that is greater than the maximum allowable character key /krktə ki / noun same as alphanumeric key character machine /krktə mə

ʃi n/ noun a computer in which the number of bits which make up a word is variable, and varies according to the type of data Character Map /krktə mp/ noun a utility that is provided with Windows to allow you access the full range of 256 characters that make up every font rather than the limited range that you can access from the keyboard character matrix /krktə metrks/ noun the pattern of dots that makes up a displayed character character mode /krktə məυd/ noun (of a display adapter ) a mode that can only display the characters defined in the built-in character set character-orientated /krktə

ɔ riəntetd/ adjective referring to a computer that addresses character locations rather than words character printer /krktə prntə/ noun a device, e.g. a daisy wheel printer, that prints characters one at a time character recognition / krktə

rekənʃ(ə)n/ noun a system that optically reads written or printed characters into a computer, using various algorithms to ensure that characters are correctly recognised character repertoire / krktə repə twɑ / noun a list of all the characters that can be displayed or printed character key

chat room character representation / krktə character representation

reprzenteʃ(ə)n/ noun the combination of bits used for each character code character rounding /krktə

raυndŋ/ noun the process of making a displayed character more pleasant to look at, within the limits of pixel size, by making sharp corners and edges smooth character set /krktə set/ noun a list of all the characters that can be displayed or printed characters per inch / krktəz p r ntʃ/ plural noun the number of printed characters that fit within the space of one inch 쑗 You can select 10 or 12 cpi with the green button. Abbr cpi characters per second / krktəz pə sekənd/ noun the number of characters that are transmitted or printed per second character string /krktə strŋ/ noun same as alphanumeric string 

character rounding

character set

characters per inch

characters per second

character string

‘This explains a multitude of the database’s problems – three-letter months are treated like character strings instead of as dates.’ [Computing]

character machine



Character Map

character matrix

character mode

character-orientated

character printer

character recognition



character repertoire



character stuffing /krktə stfŋ/ character stuffing

noun the addition of blank characters to a file to increase its length to a preset size charge /tʃɑ d'/ noun 1. a quantity of electricity 2. the number of, excess of or lack of electrons in a material or component 쐽 verb to supply a device with an electric charge charge-coupled device / tʃɑ d'

kp(ə)ld dvas/ noun an electronic device operated by charge. Abbr CCD charge

charge-coupled device



charge-coupled device memory charge-coupled device memory

/tʃɑ d' kp(ə)ld dvas/ noun a set of 

capacitors used, with MOS transistors, to store data, allowing serial and random access chart /tʃɑ t/ noun a diagram showing information as a series of lines or blocks chassis /ʃsi/ noun a metal frame that houses the circuit boards together with the wiring and sockets required in a computer system or other equipment. 쒁 rack chat /tʃt/ verb to send and receive messages, in real time, with other users on the Internet chat group /tʃt ru p/ noun a group of people, often with a common interest, who exchange messages online chat room /tʃt ru m/ noun an area of a website where visitors can exchange messages with other visitors in real time. Special software displays the name of the chart

chassis

chat

chat group

chat room

Computing.fm Page 62 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

CHCP 62 visitor as he or she types in a message to check register /tʃek red'stə/ noun a all the other visitors, allowing them to temporary storage for received data before ‘talk’ to each other. it is checked against the same data reCHCP / si atʃ si pi / noun (in MSceived via another path or method DOS and OS/2 operating systems) a syschecksum /tʃek təυt(ə)l/, check total tem command that selects which code noun a program that checks that data repage to use trieved from memory is correct, summing CHDIR / si atʃ di a ɑ / abbr change it and comparing the sum with a stored directory. 쏡 CD value 쑗 The data must be corrupted if the cheapernet /tʃi pənet/ noun same as checksum is different. thin-Ethernet (informal ) child process, child program noun a check bit /tʃek bt/ noun one bit of a routine or program called by another probinary word that is used to provide a parity gram which remains active while the seccheck ond program runs check box /tʃek bɒks/ noun a small child window /tʃald wndəυ/ noun a box displayed with a cross inside it if the window within a main window. The smalloption has been selected, or empty if the er window cannot be moved outside the option is not selected 쑗 Select the option boundary of the main window and is by moving the cursor to the check box and closed when the main window is closed. pressing the mouse button. chip /tʃp/ noun a device consisting of a check character /tʃek krktə/ noun small piece of a crystal of a semiconductor an additional character inserted into transonto which are etched or manufactured a mitted data to serve as an error detection number of components such as transistors, check, its value being dependent on the resistors and capacitors, which together text perform a function check digit /tʃek dd't/ noun an addichip architecture /tʃp ɑ k tektʃə/ tional digit inserted into transmitted text to noun the design and layout of components monitor and correct errors on a chip checkerboarding /tʃekə bɔ dŋ/ chip card / tʃp kɑ d/ noun a plastic noun (on a virtual page) a form of memocard with a memory and microprocessor ry organisation that results in only odd device embedded in it, so that it can be pages, spread-out pages or segments of used for electronic funds transfer or idenmemory being filled, leaving unusable tification of a user gaps in between and wasting memory check indicator /tʃek nd ketə/ chip count / tʃp kaυnt/ noun number noun a hardware or software device that of chips on a PCB or in a device shows that received text is not correct and ‘Where the display is provided by an LCD system, high levels of performance must be achieved with a check has failed the lowest cost, smallest chip count and lowest powchecking program /tʃekŋ er consumption.’ [Computing] prəυrm/ noun software that finds erchip select / tʃp slekt/ noun a single rors in program or data syntax, format and line on a chip that will enable it to function coding when a signal is present. Abbr CS (NOTE: check key /tʃek ki / noun a series of ICs often do not function, even when characters derived from a text used to power is applied, until a CS signal is procheck for and correct errors vided.) check mark /tʃek mɑ k/ noun an indichip select line / tʃp slekt lan/ cator in a check box that shows if the noun a connection to a chip that will enacheck box has been selected; often a cross ble it to function when a signal is present or tick 쑗 The data strobe line is connected to the check number /tʃek nmbə/ noun latch chip select line. same as check digit chip set / tʃp set/ noun a set of chips check point /tʃek pɔnt/ noun a point that together will carry out a function in a program where data and program status can be recorded or displayed CHKDSK /tʃekdsk/ noun (in MSDOS) a system command that runs a check check point dump / tʃek pɔnt dmp/ noun a printout of data and proon the status of a disk drive and installed gram status at a check point RAM check register

CHCP

checksum

CHDIR

cheapernet

child process

check bit

check box

child window

chip

check character

check digit

chip architecture



checkerboarding



chip card

check indicator

chip count



checking program

chip select



check key

check mark

chip select line



check number

chip set

check point

CHKDSK

check point dump

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63

choiceboard /tʃɔsbɔ d/ noun a prochoiceboard

gram used on the Internet that allows consumers and online companies to communicate in real time choke /tʃəυk/ noun 쏡 inductor Chooser /tʃu zə/ an operating system utility supplied with the Apple Macintosh that allows a user to select the type of printer, network and other peripherals that are connected chop /tʃɒp/ 쏡 binary search chord keying /kɔ d ki ŋ/ noun the action of pressing two or more keys at the same time to perform a function choke

Chooser

chop

chord keying

COMMENT: As an example, to access a second window, you may need to press control and F2; pressing shift and character delete keys at the same time will delete a line of text.

chroma /krəυmə/ noun a measure of chroma

colour hue and saturation. Also called

chrominance

chroma key /krəυmə ki / noun (in vidchroma key

eo) a special effect in which an object is photographed against a normally blue background, which is then replaced with another image to give the impression that the object appears against the image. To give the appearance of flying, e.g., record a video sequence of a person against a blue background, then electronically replace this blue colour, the chroma key with footage of sky. 쒁 colour key chrominance /krəυmnəns/ noun same as chroma chrominance signal /krəυmnəns

sn(ə)l/ noun the section of a colour monitor signal containing colour hue and saturation information chunk /tʃŋk/ noun a basic part of a RIFF file that consists of an identifier (chunk ID) and data CIDR / si a di ɑ / noun a system of organising IP addresses that is more compact and efficient than the older system, adding a slash and a new IP Prefix number that represents a number of individual addresses. For example, the old system used an IP address such as ‘194.124.0.0’ whereas CIDR would replace this with ‘194.124.0.0/12’. The IP Prefix number 12 represents 4,096 unique addresses, and the lower the number the more addresses are represented. CIE / si a i / noun the international group that defines colour and illumination standards. Full form Commission International de l’Éclairage chrominance

chrominance signal

chunk

CIDR

CIE

circuit breaker CIF / si a ef/ abbr common intermediCIF

ate format

videophone / si a ef vdiəυfəυn/ noun an ISDN standard for video image transmission over a telephone link which displays colour images at a resolution of 352x288 pixels. This standard uses two ISDN B channels. CIM / si a em/ noun 1. the coordinated use of microfilm for computer data storage and the method of reading the data. Full form computer input microfilm 2. the coordinated use of computers in every aspect of design and manufacturing. Full form computer-integrated manufacCIF

CIF videophone

CIM

turing

cine-oriented /sni ɔ rientd/ adjective (in a film or video clip) referring to an image that is oriented parallel to the outside edge of the medium cipher /safə/ noun a system that transforms a message into an unreadable form with a secret key 쑗 Always use a secure cipher when sending data over a telephone line. (NOTE: The message can be read normally after it has passed through the cipher a second time to decrypt it.) cipher key /safə ki / noun a secret sequence of characters used with a cipher system to provide a unique ciphertext cipher system /safə sstəm/ noun a formula used to transform text into a secret form ciphertext /safətekst/ noun data output from a cipher. Opposite plaintext CIR / si a ɑ / noun a CPU register that stores the instruction that is currently being executed. Full form current instruction register circuit /s kt/ noun a connection between the electronic components that perform a function circuit analyser /s kt nəlazə/ noun a device that measures voltage or current or impedance or signal in a circuit circuit board /s kt bɔ d/ noun an insulating board used to hold components which are then connected together electrically to form a circuit cine-oriented

cipher

cipher key

cipher system

ciphertext

CIR

circuit

circuit analyser

circuit board

‘The biggest shock was to open up the PC and find the motherboard smothered in patch wires (usually a sign that a design fault in the printed circuit board was rectified at the last minute).’ [Computing]

circuit breaker /s kt brekə/ noun circuit breaker

a device which protects equipment by cutting off the electrical supply when conditions are abnormal

Computing.fm Page 64 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

circuit capacity 64 circuit capacity /s kt kə psti/ CIS / si a es/ noun a scanner in which noun the information-carrying capacity of the detectors, a flat bar of light-sensitive a particular circuit diodes, touch the original, without any lens that might distort the image. Full form circuit card /s kt kɑ d/ noun same contact image sensor as circuit board CISC / si a es si / noun a type of CPU circuit design /s kt d zan/ noun design whose instruction set contains a the layout of components and interconnecnumber of long, complex instructions that tions in a circuit make program writing easier, but reduce circuit diagram /s kt daərm/ execution speed. Full form complex innoun a graphical description of a circuit 쑗 struction set computer. Compare RISC The CAD program will plot the circuit diCIT abbr computer-integrated telephony agram rapidly. CIX abbr commercial Internet exchange circuit switching /s kt swtʃŋ/ noun a method of describing a type of cladding /kldŋ/ noun protective macommunication system in which a path terial surrounding a conducting core 쑗 If the cladding is chipped, the fibre-optic cafrom sender to receiver is created when reble will not function well. quired rather than using a permanent, fixed line. The normal telephone system is an claim frame /klem frem/ noun (in an example of a circuit switching network. FDDI protocol network) a special frame circular buffer / s kjυlə bfə/ noun that is used to determine which station will a computer-based queue that uses two initialise the network markers, for top and bottom of the line of clamper /klmpə/ noun a circuit which stored items. The markers move as items limits the level of a signal from a scanning are read from or written to the stack. head or other input device to a maximum circular file /s kjυlə fal/ noun a data before this is converted to a digital value. file that has no visible beginning or end, Clampers are used to cut out noise and each item points to the location of the next spikes. item with the last pointing back to the first clapper /klpə/ noun the mechanical circularity / s kjυlrti/ noun a fault part of a dot matrix printer that drives the that makes reasoning illogical, because the printing needles onto the ribbon to print a arguments that are supposed to lead to a character on the paper conclusion are only valid if the conclusion class /klɑ s/ noun (in programming lanitself is true guage) a definition of what a particular circular list /s kjυlə lst/ noun a list software routine will do or what sort of in which each element contains data and data a variable can hold an address to the next element in the list Class 1 / klɑ s wn/, Class 2 / klɑ s with the last item pointing back to the first tu / noun a set of standards that define circular reference / s kjυlə how a to control a fax modem using softref(ə)rəns/ noun (in a spreadsheet) an ware, using extensions to the Hayes AT error condition that occurs when two equacommand set used for data modems. Class tions in two cells reference each other 2 expects the modem to carry out more work in managing fax communications. circular shift /s kjυlə ʃft/ noun the Class 1 units can often be upgraded rotation of bits in a word with the previous through software. last bit inserted in the first bit position class interval /klɑ s ntəv(ə)l/ noun circulate /s kjυ let/ verb to go round the range of values that can be contained in in a circle, and return to the first point a class circulating register / s kjuletŋ clean /kli n/ adjective containing no erred'stə/ noun a shift register whose outrors 쑗 I’ll have to start again – I just put is fed back into its input to form a erased the only clean copy. closed loop clean copy /kli n kɒpi/ noun a copy circulating storage / s kjuletŋ which is ready for keyboarding and does stɔ rd'/ noun a storage device that not have many changes to it maintains stored data as a series of pulses clean machine /kli n məʃi n/ noun a that move along the length of the medium, computer that contains only the minimum being regenerated and re-input when they of ROM-based code to boot its system reach the end circuit capacity

CIS



circuit card

CISC

circuit design



circuit diagram

CIT

CIX

circuit switching

cladding

claim frame

circular buffer

clamper

circular file

clapper

circularity



class

circular list

Class 1

circular reference

circular shift

class interval

circulate



circulating register

clean

clean copy

circulating storage

clean machine



Computing.fm Page 65 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

65 from disk, any languages required must be loaded separately clean page /kli n ped'/ noun a page of memory that has not been changed since it was read clean room /kli n ru m/ noun an area where hard disks, wafers and chips are manufactured. The air inside a clean room has been filtered to ensure that no dust or particles are present that could damage a chip. clear /klə/ verb 1. to wipe out or erase or set to zero a computer file or variable or section of memory 쑗 Type CLS to clear the screen. 2. to release a communications link when transmissions have finished clearance /klərəns/ noun authority to access a file 쑗 You do not have the required clearance for this processor. clean page

clean room

clear

clearance

Clearing House Interbank Payment System / klərŋ haυs Clearing House Interbank Payment System

ntəbŋk pemənts sstəm/ noun an electronic system for international dollar payments and currency exchanges clear to send / klə tə send/ noun full form of CTS click /klk/ noun the act of pressing a mouse button or a key on a keyboard 쑗 You move through text and graphics with a click of the button. 쐽 verb to press and release a key or a button on a keyboard or the mouse 쑗 Use the mouse to enlarge a frame by clicking inside its border. click rate /klk ret/ noun a figure representing the number of times that a particular site in an Internet advertisement is visited, and calculated as a percentage of the number of times that the advertisement is viewed clicks-and-mortar / klks ən mɔ tə/ noun referring to businesses that use both the Internet and physical shops to sell their products. Compare bricks-and-mortar clickstream /klkstri m/ noun a record of how often and for what purpose a user clicks on something with the mouse while navigating the Internet clear to send

click

click rate

clicks-and-mortar

clickstream

Clipper chip to a network that can send instructions to a server and display results client application / klaənt pl keʃ(ə)n/ noun an application that can accept linked or embedded objects from a server application or an application that is used in a client-server system client area /klaənt eəriə/ noun (in a GUI) an area inside a window that can be used to display graphics or text client-server architecture / klaənt

s və ɑ ktektʃə/ noun a distribution of processing power in which a central server computer carries out the main tasks in response to instructions from terminals or workstations, the results being sent back across the network to be displayed on the terminal that sent the instruction. The client, i.e. the terminal or workstation, does not need to be able to directly access the data stored on the server. nor does it need to carry out a lot of processing. client-server network / klaənt s və netw k/ noun a method of organising a network in which one central dedicated computer, the server, looks after tasks such as security, user accounts, printing and file sharing, while clients, the terminals or workstations connected to the server, run standard applications client-side /klaənt sad/ adjective referring to data or a program that runs on the client’s computer rather than on the server, e.g. a JavaScript program runs on the user’s web browser and is a client side application clip /klp/ verb to select an area of an image that is smaller than the original clip-art /klp ɑ t/ noun a set of predrawn images or drawings that a user can incorporate into a presentation or graphic 쑗 We have used some clip-art to enhance our presentation. clipboard /klp bɔ d/ noun a temporary storage area for data 쑗 Copy the text to the clipboard, then paste it back into a new document. Clipper chip /klpə tʃp/ noun an electronic component, e.g. an integrated circuit, or chip, that was designed in accordance with the instructions of the US Government to provide a data encryption feature for computers, Internet traffic, telephones, and television programmes. In the original scheme the US Government held the master key to the chip and so could decrypt and read any encrypted mesclient application



client area

client-server architecture

client-server network

client-side

clip

clip-art

clipboard



Clipper chip

‘…the only way of achieving it would be to monitor the clickstreams of every single UK user of the net.’ [The Guardian]

click through /klk θru / noun the act click through

of clicking on a banner advertisement and jumping to the advertiser’s website click through rate /klk θru ret/ noun full form of CTR client /klaənt/ noun (in a network) a workstation or PC or terminal connected click through rate

client

Computing.fm Page 66 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

clock 66 played at the bottom of the television sages. This angered many groups conscreen cerned with freedom of speech and the US Government has since redesigned the origclosed loop / kləυzd lu p/ noun a inal scheme and suggested an alternative. computer control operation in which data clock /klɒk/ noun a circuit that generates is fed back from the output of the controlpulses used to synchronise equipment 쐽 led device to the controlling loop verb to synchronise signals or circuits with closed routine /kləυzd ru ti n/ noun a clock pulse one section of code at a location, that is clock cycle /klɒk sak(ə)l/ noun the used by all calls to the routine period of time between two consecutive closed subroutine /kləυzd sbru clock pulses

ti n/ noun same as closed routine clock doubler /klɒk db(ə)lə/ noun a closed user group / kləυzd ju zə component that doubles the speed of the ru p/ noun full form of CUG main system clock 쑗 The new CPU from close file /kləυs fal/ noun to execute a Intel has an optional clock doubler that computer instruction to shut down access will double performance. to a stored file clocked signals /klɒkd sn(ə)lz/ close menu option / kləυz menju plural noun signals that are synchronised

ɒpʃ(ə)n/ noun a menu option, normally with a clock pulse under the File menu, that will shut the docclock frequency /klɒk fri kwənsi/ ument that is currently open, but will not noun the frequency of the main clock that exit the application. If you have not saved 쑗 The synchronises a computer system the document, the application will warn main clock frequency is 10MHz. you before it closes the document and give clock pulse /klɒk pls/ noun a regular you the chance to save any changes. pulse used for timing or synchronising cloud /klaυd/ noun a part of a computer purposes network, which data passes through, that is clock rate /klɒk ret/ noun the number either unknown or behaves unpredictably of pulses that a clock generates every secCLS / si el es/ noun (in MS-DOS) a sysond tem command to clear the screen, leaving clock speed /klɒk spi d/ noun same as the system prompt and cursor at the top, clock rate left-hand corner of the screen clock track /klɒk trk/ noun a line of cluster /klstə/ noun 1. one or more marks on a disk or tape, which provides sectors on a hard disk that are used to store data about the read head location a file or part of a file 2. a number of terminals, stations, devices or memory locaclone /kləυn/ noun a computer or circuit tions, grouped together in one place and that behaves in the same way as the origicontrolled by a cluster controller nal it was copied from 쑗 They have copied cluster controller /klstə kən our new personal computer and brought

trəυlə/ noun a central computer that conout a cheaper clone. trols communications to a cluster of devic‘On the desktop, the IBM/Motorola/Apple triumvirate is planning to energise a worldwide clone induses or memory locations try based on the PowerPC chip.’ [Computing] clustering /klstərŋ/ noun a series of close /kləυz/ verb to shut down access to elements, occurring in a sequential line a file or disk drive within a hash table CLOSE /kləυz/ noun (in a programming ‘…these include IBM networking and clustering language) a command that means the prohardware and software’ [Personal Computer World] gram has finished accessing a particular CLUT / si el ju ti / noun a table of file or device numbers used in Windows and graphics closed bus system / kləυzd bs programs to store the range of colours

sstəm/ noun a computer with no expanused in an image. Full form colour lookup table. 쒁 palette sion bus, which makes it very difficult for a user to upgrade CLV / si el vi / noun a disk technology closed captioning / kləυzd in which the disk spins at different speeds kpʃənŋ/ noun a system that transfers according to the track that is being actext information with a video signal, so cessed. Full form constant linear velocity that the text data can be decoded and disclosed loop

clock

closed routine



clock cycle

closed subroutine



clock doubler

closed user group

close file

clocked signals

close menu option

clock frequency

clock pulse

cloud

clock rate

CLS

clock speed

clock track

cluster

clone

cluster controller



clustering

close

CLOSE

CLUT

closed bus system

CLV

closed captioning

Computing.fm Page 67 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

67

CM / si em/ noun an area of memory

coincidence function cobweb site /kɒbweb sat/ noun a

CM

cobweb site

whose locations can be directly and immediately addressed by the CPU. Full form

website that has not been updated for a long time code /kəυd/ noun a sequence of computer instructions 쐽 verb to write a program in a programming language code area /kəυd eəriə/ noun a section of main memory in which program instructions are stored code bit /kəυd bt/ noun the smallest signalling element used by the physical layer of an OSI model network for transmission CODEC /kəυdek/ noun a device which encodes a signal being sent or decodes a signal received. Full form coder/decoder code conversion /kəυd kənv ʃ(ə)n/ noun rules used to change characters coded in one form to another code element /kəυd elmənt/ noun a voltage or signal used to represent binary digits code group /kəυd ru p/ noun a special sequence of five code bits that represent an FDDI symbol code line /kəυd lan/ noun one written or displayed computer program instruction code page /kəυd ped'/ noun (in MSDOS) a table that defines the characters that are produced from each key 쑗 In order to enter Swedish characters from an English keyboard, you have to change the system code page. coder /kəυdə/ noun a device which encodes a signal coder/decoder / kəυdə di kəυdə/ noun full form of CODEC code segment /kəυd semənt/ noun (in an IBM-compatible PC) an area of memory assigned to hold the instructions that form a program coding /kəυdŋ/ noun the act of putting a code on something coding form /kɒdŋ fɔ m/ noun same as coding sheet coding sheet /kɒdŋ ʃi t/ noun a special printed sheet used by programmers to write instructions for coding a certain type of program coincidence circuit /elmənt/, coincidence element noun same as coinci-

central memory CMI abbr computer-managed instruction CMIP / si em a pi / noun a protocol ofCMI

CMIP

ficially adopted by the ISO that is used to carry network management information across a network. Full form common management information protocol CMIP over TCP, CMIS over TCP full form of CMOT CMIS / si em a es/ noun a powerful CMIP over TCP

CMIS

network management system. Full form

common management information specification CML abbr computer-managed learning CMOS / si em əυ pi / noun an integratCML

CMOS

ed circuit design and construction method that uses a pair of complementary p- and n-type transistors. Full form complementary metal oxide semiconductor

‘Similarly, customers who do not rush to acquire CMOS companion processors for their mainframes will be rewarded with lower prices when they finally do migrate.’ [Computergram] COMMENT: The CMOS package uses very low power but is relatively slow and sensitive to static electricity as compared to TTL integrated circuits. Its main use is in portable computers where battery power is being used.

CMOT / si em əυ ti / noun the use of CMOT

CMIP and CMIS network management protocols to manage gateways in a TCP/IP network. Full form CMIP over TCP,

CMIS over TCP CMYK / si em wa ke/ noun (in graphics or DTP) a method of describing a colCMYK

our by its four component colours. Full form cyan-magenta-yellow-black CNC / si en si / noun automatic operation of a machine by computer. Full form computer numeric control. 쒁 numeriCNC

cal control

coalesce / kəυəles/ verb to merge two coalesce



or more files

co-axial cable /kəυks/, coax noun a co-axial cable

cable made up of a central core, surrounded by an insulating layer then a second shielding conductor. Compare twisted-

pair cable (NOTE: Co-axial cable is used for high frequency, low loss applications including thin Ethernet network cabling and Arcnet network cabling.) COBOL /kəυbɒl/ noun a programming COBOL

code

code area

code bit

CODEC

code conversion



code element

code group

code line

code page

coder

coder/decoder



code segment

coding

coding form

coding sheet

coincidence circuit

dence gate

function /kəυ nsd(ə)ns fŋkʃən/ noun same as AND coincidence

language mainly used in business applications. Full form common ordinary busi-

coincidence function

ness-oriented language

function



Computing.fm Page 68 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

coincidence gate 68 for example, in your office, but you would coincidence gate /kəυnsd(ə)ns need to install a high-speed link to the Internet et/, coincidence circuit, coincidence and maintain the computer and its software. A element noun a gate that produces a logimore cost-effective solution is co-location: cal output depending on various input comoving the server to a specialist site, often provided by an ISP, who takes on the job of incidences. An AND gate requires the cosupporting the high-speed link and the comincidence in time of all logically true inputer. puts. 쒁 AND colour balance /klə bləns/ noun coincidence operation /kəυ the adjustment of the red, green and blue nsd(ə)ns ɒpəreʃ(ə)n/ noun same as primary colours to produce a pure white AND operation colour. When a colour monitor is configCOL abbr computer-oriented language ured, a colour sensor is placed on the cold boot / kəυld bu t/ noun the act of screen and the red, green and blue electron switching on a computer, or the act of regun settings are adjusted to produce a pure starting a computer by switching it off and white colour. then on again. Compare warm boot colour bits /klə bts/ plural noun the cold fault /kəυld fɔ lt/ noun a compunumber of data bits assigned to a pixel to ter fault or error that occurs as soon as it is describe its colour. One bit provides two switched on colours, two bits give four colours and cold standby /kəυld stndba/ noun eight bits allow 256 colour combinations. a backup system that will allow the equipcolour cell /klə sel/ noun the smallest ment to continue running but with the loss area on a CRT screen that can display colof any volatile data. Compare hot standour information coincidence gate



colour balance

coincidence operation



COL

cold boot

colour bits

cold fault

cold standby

colour cell

by, warm standby cold start /kəυld stɑ t/ noun the act of

colour cycling /klə saklŋ/ noun a colour cycling

cold start

switching on a computer or to run a program from its original start point collating sequence /kəletŋ

si kwəns/ noun a sequence of characters ordered according to their codes collator /kəletə/ noun 1. a piece of software that collates data 2. a device that collates punched cards collect /kəlekt/ verb to receive or capture data collect transfer /kə lekt trnsf / verb to load a register with bits from a number of different locations collision /kəl'(ə)n/ noun an event that occurs when two electrical signals meet and interfere with each other over a network, normally causing an error collision detection /kəl'(ə)n d

tekʃ(ə)n/ noun the detecting and reporting of the coincidence of two actions or events co-location /kəυ ləυkeʃ(ə)n/ noun an arrangement whereby a computer used as an Internet server is located at a specialist site that is designed to support and maintain servers on behalf of their customers collating sequence



collator



collect



collect transfer





collision



collision detection



co-location



COMMENT: If you want to set up a website, you might start by renting web space from your ISP or web hosting provider. If your website grows in popularity or requires complex or secure e-commerce facilities, you might find it effective to rent or purchase a server computer dedicated to serving your website – you could locate this server computer anywhere,



process that changes the colours in a palette over a period of time, normally used to create a special effect or animation colour depth /klə depθ/ noun the number of different colours that can be displayed by any single pixel in a display, which is determined by the number of colour bits in each pixel colour display / klə dsple/ noun a display device able to represent characters or graphics in colour colour key /klə ki / noun an image manipulation technique used to superimpose one image on another. It is often used with two video sources to create special effects. One image is photographed against a coloured background, the matte, when then has another image superimposed on it to produce a combined picture. 쒁 chroma colour depth

colour display



colour key

key

colour look-up table / klə lυk p colour look-up table

teb(ə)l/ noun full form of CLUT colour monitor / klə mɒntə/ noun a screen that has a demodulator that shows information in colour 쑗 The colour monitor is great for games. colour palette / klə plət/ noun the selection of colours that are currently being used in an image colour printer / klə prntə/ noun a printer that can produce hard copy in colour colour monitor

colour palette

colour printer

Computing.fm Page 69 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

69

stʃə reʃ(ə)n/ noun the purity of a colour signal colour separation / klə sepə reʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of separating a colour image into its constituent colours in order to produce printing plates for colour printing. Full colour printing needs fourcolour separation to produce four printing plates for the cyan, magenta, yellow and black inks that together create a colour image. colour standard /klə stndəd/ noun one of three international standards, NTSC, PAL and SECAM, used to describe how colour TV and video images are displayed and transmitted colour temperature /klə

temprtʃə/ noun the hue or shade of the colour white seen if pure carbon is heated to a particular temperature measured in Kelvin. The standard for many TV and video systems is a colour temperature of 6500K, known as Illuminant D65. colour tool /klə tu l/ noun a utility or icon in a graphics or DTP application that allows the user to create custom colours by specifying the CMYK or RGB values and then draw or fill an area with this colour column /kɒləm/ noun a series of characters, numbers or lines of text printed one under the other 쑗 to add up a column of figures columnar graph /kə lmnə rɑ f/ noun a graph on which values are shown as vertical or horizontal bars columnar working /kə lmnə w kŋ/ noun a method of working that shows information in columns column balance /kɒləm bləns/ noun (in a word-processor or DTP system) a method of making sure that the ends of two columns of text are level column guide /kɒləm ad/ noun (in a DTP application) a vertical line that indicates the position and width of a column column indicator /kɒləm ndketə/ noun (in word-processing software) the status bar at the bottom of the screen that displays in which column the cursor is positioned column parity / kɒləm prti/ noun a parity check on every punched card or tape column column report /kɒləm r pɔ t/ noun a method of viewing data in columns, in

colour colour saturation

/ klə

saturation



colour separation



colour standard

colour temperature

colour tool

column

columnar graph



columnar working



column balance

column guide

column indicator

column parity

column report



combo box which each column is one field of a record and each row a separate record com /kɒm/ suffix a suffix that means that the Internet domain name is a company, usually one based in the USA 쑗 www.amazon.com is the website address of the US version of the Amazon Internet bookshop. COM / si əυ em/ noun 1. a standard defined by Microsoft to standardise the way an application can access an object. Full form component object model (NOTE: This is a rival standard to CORBA.) 2. the process of recording the output from a computer directly onto microfilm. Full form computer output on microfilm COM1 / kɒm wn/ noun a name used in PCs to represent the first serial port on the computer. There are normally two serial ports, COM1 and COM2, in a PC, although it can support four. Some PCs have a mouse plugged into the first serial port and the modem plugged into the second port. 쒁 AUX. Also called COM port, COM com

COM

COM1

device

COMAL /kəυbl/ noun a structured COMAL

programming language similar to BASIC. Full form common algorithmic lan-

guage

comb filter /kəυm fltə/ noun an eleccomb filter

tronic device used to separate the luma, Y, and chroma, C, signals from a composite video signal. 쒁 S-Video, Y/C

combinational

circuit

combinational circuit

/ kɒmbneʃən(ə)l s kt/ noun an elec-

tronic circuit consisting of a number of connected components

combinational

logic

combinational logic

/ kɒmbneʃən(ə)l lɒd'k/ noun a logic

function made up from a number of separate logic gates combined head /kəmband hed/ noun a transducer that can read or write data from the surface of a magnetic storage medium such as a floppy disk combined station /kəm band steʃ(ə)n/ noun a high-level data link control station that processes commands and responses combined symbol matching /kəm

band smbəl mtʃŋ/ noun full form of CSM combi player /kɒmbi pleə/ noun a hardware drive that can read two or more different CD-ROM formats combo box /kɒmbəυ bɒks/ noun a box that displays a number of different input and output objects combined head



combined station



combined symbol matching



combi player

combo box

Computing.fm Page 70 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

COM device 70 command file /kəmɑ nd fal/ noun a COM device /kɒm d vas/ noun same sequence of frequently used commands as COM1 stored in a file COM file /kɒm fal/ noun (in operating command file processor /kəmɑ nd systems for the PC) a file with the threefal prəυsesə/ noun a device that exeletter extension .com to its name that indicutes a user’s command file, allowing the cates that the file contains a machine code user to create a customised simple operatin binary format and so can be executed by ing environment or to carry out a series of the operating system. frequently used commands comic-strip oriented / kɒmk strp command interface /kəmɑ nd ɔ rientd/ adjective referring to a film / noun the cue and prompts used

ntəfes image that is oriented at right angles to the by a program to inform and accept from outer edge of the film. Compare cine-oriuser-required inputs. This can be userented friendly, like a WIMP environment, or not Comité Consultatif Internationale so friendly, like a question mark. de TéIégraphie et Téléphonie noun command interpreter /kəmɑ nd n full form of CCITT

t prtə/ noun a program within an opercomma /kɒmə/ noun a symbol (,) that is ating system that recognises a set of sysoften used to separate data or variables or tem commands and controls the processor, arguments screen and storage devices accordingly 쑗 When you type in the command ‘DIR’, the comma-delimited file / kɒmə di command interpreter asks the disk drive

lmtd fal/ noun data file in which each for a list of files and instructs the monitor data item is separated by a comma 쑗 All to display the list. databases can import and export to a comcommand key /kəmɑ nd ki / noun ma-delimited file format. (on an Apple Macintosh) a special key command /kəmɑ nd/ noun 1. an electhat gives access to various special functrical pulse or signal that will start or stop tions, similar in effect to the Control key a process 2. a word or phrase which is recon an IBM PC ognised by a computer system and starts or command language /kəmɑ nd terminates an action 쑗 interrupt command

lŋwd'/ noun a programming lancommand chain /kəmɑ nd tʃen/ guage made up of procedures for various noun list of commands (in a file) executed tasks, that can be called up by a series of sequentially by a batch mode system commands command code /kəmɑ nd kəυd/ command line /kəmɑ nd lan/ noun noun a binary code that starts or stops an 1. a program line that contains a command instruction or action in a CPU instruction 2. a command prompt and sysCOMMAND.COM /kəmɑ nd kɒm/ tem command noun (in MS-DOS) a program file that ‘This gives Unix a friendly face instead of the terrifyingly complex command-line prompts that make contains the command interpreter for the most users reach for their manuals.’ [Computing] operating system. This program is always command line argument /kə mɑ nd resident in memory and recognises and lan ɑ jυmənt/ noun additional items translates system commands into actions. entered following a command 쑗 Use the 쑗 MS-DOS will not work because you decommand ‘DIR’ to view the files on disk, leted the COMMAND.COM file by misadd the command line argument ‘A:’ to take. view the files on drive A:. command console processor /kə command line interface /kə mɑ nd mɑ nd kɒnsəυl prəυsesə/ noun full lan ntəfes/ noun a user interface in form of CCP which the user controls the operating syscommand control language /kə tem or program by typing in commands;

mɑ nd kəntrəυl lŋwd'/ noun a e.g., DOS is a command line interface programming language that allows equipcommand line operating system ment to be easily controlled /kə mɑ nd lan ɒpəretŋ sstəm/ noun command-driven program /kə a computer system software that is con mɑ nd drv(ə)n prəυrm/ noun a trolled by a user typing in commands, as in program which requires the user to enter MS-DOS, rather than allowing a user to instructions at every stage control the system through images COM device

command file





COM file

command file processor



comic-strip oriented

command interface



Comité Consultatif Internationale de TéIégraphie et Téléphonie

command interpreter





comma

comma-delimited file



command key



command



command language



command chain



command code

command line





COMMAND.COM



command line argument



command console processor



command line interface



command control language





command line operating system



command-driven program



Computing.fm Page 71 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

71

command command message

message

/kəmɑ nd 

mesd'/ noun (in MCI) a character or symbol that represents an MCI command command mode /kəmɑ nd məυd/ noun the operating mode of a modem in which the user or communications software can send instructions to the modem that it will then try and execute. The standard method of switching a modem to command mode is to type or send it the three characters ‘+++’. The modem will reply with an ‘OK’ message and is ready to execute configuration or other commands. command prompt /kəmɑ nd prɒmpt/ noun a symbol displayed by the operating system to indicate that a command is expected command register /kəmɑ nd

red'stə/ noun a register that stores the instruction that is to be carried out or that is being processed command state /kəmɑ nd stet/ noun the state of a modem in which it is ready to accept commands command string /kəmɑ nd strŋ/ noun (in MCI) a character string that contains all the information to carry out an MCI command. The string ends with a null character and is split by MCI into the command message and data structure. command window /kəmɑ nd

wndəυ/ noun an area of the screen that always displays the range of commands available 쑗 The command window is a single line at the bottom of the screen. command window history /kə

mɑ nd wndəυ hst(ə)ri/ noun a list of previous commands entered in the command window 쑗 The user can define the size of the command window. comment /kɒment/ noun a helpful note in a program to guide the user 쑗 The lack of comments is annoying. comment field /kɒment fi ld/ noun a section of a command line in an assembly language program that is not executed, but provides notes and comments comment out /kɒment aυt/ noun a method of temporarily disabling a command by enclosing it in a comment field commerce /kɒm s/ 쏡 e-commerce commerce server /kɒm s s və/ noun web software that supports the main functions of an online shop including managing the shopping cart and dealing with the credit card payment processing command mode



command prompt



command register



command state



command string



command window



command window history



comment

comment field

comment out

commerce

commerce server

common commercial Internet exchange /kə commercial Internet exchange



m ʃ(ə)l ntənet ks tʃend'/ noun a connection point for commercial Internet service providers 

Commission International de l’Eclairage full form of CIE common algorithmic language Commission International de l’Eclairage

common algorithmic language

/ kɒmən lərðmk lŋwd'/ noun full form of COMAL

common business orientated language / kɒmən bzns ɔ riəntetd common business orientated language

lŋwd'/ noun a programming language mainly used in business applications. Abbr COBOL common carrier / kɒmən kriə/ noun a private company that supplies data and voice communications services for a fee to anybody common carrier

common common channel signalling

channel

signalling

/ kɒmən tʃn(ə)l sn(ə)lŋ/ noun the

use of one channel as a communications link to a number of devices or circuits

common common gateway interface

gateway

interface

/ kɒmən etwe ntəfes/ noun full form of CGI common hardware / kɒmən hɑ dweə/ noun hardware items that can common hardware

be used for a variety of tasks

common common intermediate format

intermediate

format

/ kɒmən ntəmi diət fɔ mt/ noun a

standard for video images that displays an image 352 pixels wide and 288 pixels high. Abbr CIF common language / kɒmən lŋwd'/ noun a set of data or program instructions in a standardised form that can be understood by other processors or compilers/interpreters common language

common management information protocol / kɒmən mnd'mənt common management information protocol

nfəmeʃ(ə)n prəυtəkɒl/ noun full form of CMIP 

common management information specification / kɒmən common management information specification

mnd'mənt

nfəmeʃ(ə)n

spesfkeʃ(ə)n/ full form of CMIS 

common object request broker architecture / kɒmən əb d'ekt r kwest common object request broker architecture





brəυkə ɑ ktektʃə/ noun a standard defined by the Object Management Group to standardise the way an application can access an object. Abbr CORBA. Compare COM

common ordinary business-oriented language / kɒmən ɔ d(ə)n(ə)ri common

bzns ɔ riəntd lnwd'/ noun full form of COBOL

Computing.fm Page 72 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

common 72 group of devices such as terminals and common real-time applications printers that are interconnected with a cenlanguage / kɒmən rəl tam pl tral computer, allowing the rapid and simkeʃ(ə)nz lnwd'/ noun full form of ple transfer of data CORAL common software / kɒmən communications network processor /kə mju nkeʃ(ə)nz netw k sɒftweə/ noun useful routines that can be used by any program prəυsesə/ noun a processor that provides various types of interfacing and managecommon storage area / kɒmən ment, e.g. buffering or code conversion, stɔ rd' eəriə/ noun a memory or storbetween a computer and communications age area used by more than one program 쑗 link control The file server memory is mainly common storage area, with a section reserved for communications package /kə the operating system.

mju nkeʃ(ə)nz pkd'/ noun a package of software that allows a user to communicating applications control a modem and use an online service specification /kə mju nketŋ

plkeʃ(ə)n spəsfk/ noun full form communications port /kə mju n of CAS keʃ(ə)nz pɔ t/ noun a socket or physical connection allowing a device to communicommunicating word processor cate /kə mju nketŋ w d prəυsesə/ noun a word processor workstation which is communications protocol /kə able to transmit and receive data

mju nkeʃ(ə)nz prəυtəυkɒl/ noun the parameters that define how the transfer communications buffer /kə mju n of information will be controlled 쑗 The keʃ(ə)nz bfə/ noun a terminal or mocommunications protocol for most dial-up dem that is able to store transmitted data online services is eight-bit words, no stop communications channel /kə bit and even parity.

mju nkeʃ(ə)nz tʃn(ə)l/ noun a communications scanner /kə physical link over which data can be trans mju nkeʃ(ə)nz sknə/ noun a piece mitted of line-monitoring equipment that checks communications computer /kə for data request signals

mju nkeʃ(ə)nz kəm pju tə/ noun a communications server /kə mju n computer used to control data transmiskeʃ(ə)nz s və/ noun a computer with sion in a network a modem or fax card attached that allows communications control unit /kə users on a network to share the use of the

mju nkeʃ(ə)nz kəntrəυl ju nt/ modem noun an electronic device that controls communications software /kə data transmission and routes in a network

mju nkeʃ(ə)nz sɒftweə/ noun softcommunications executive /kə ware that allows a user to control a modem

mju nkeʃ(ə)nz  zekjυtv/ noun the and use an online service main set of programs that ensure that procommunity /kəmju nti/ noun same tocol, format and device and line handlers as virtual community are correct for the type of device or line in use comp /kɒmp/ noun a type of newsgroup that provides discussion about computers communications interface adaptand computer programming er /kə mju nkeʃ(ə)nz ntəfes ə

dptə/ noun an electronic circuit that alcompact code /kɒmpkt kəυd/ noun lows a computer to communicate with a the minimum number of program instrucmodem tions required for a task communications link /kə mju n compact disc / kɒmpkt dsk/ noun keʃ(ə)nz lŋk/ noun the physical path a small plastic disc that contains audio sigthat joins a transmitter to a receiver nals in digital form etched onto the surface. Abbr CD communications link control /kə

mju nkeʃ(ə)nz lŋk kəntrəυl/ noun a compact disc-digital audio processor that provides various handshak/ kɒmpkt dsk dd't(ə)l ɔ diəυ/ ing and error detection functions for a noun a standard that defines how music number of links between devices can be stored in digital form, i.e. as a series communications network /kə of numbers, on a compact disc. Abbr CDDA. Also called CD-audio

mju nkeʃ(ə)nz netw k/ noun a common



communications network processor

common software



common storage area

communications package





communicating applications specification



communications port







communicating word processor



communications protocol





communications buffer





communications channel





communications scanner





communications computer







communications server





communications control unit





communications software



communications executive









community



comp

communications interface adapter





compact code

communications link

compact disc





communications link control



compact disc-digital audio



communications network





Computing.fm Page 73 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

73

compact disc erasable / kɒmpkt compact disc erasable

dsk rezəb(ə)l/ noun a format that allows data to be saved to and erased from a compact disc. Abbr CD-E 

compact

disc-interactive

compact disc-interactive

/ kɒmpkt dsk ntərktv/ noun full form of CD-I compact disc player / kɒmpkt dsk pleə/ noun a machine that reads 

compact disc player

the digital data from a CD and converts it back to its original form compact disc ROM / kɒmpkt dsk rɒm/ noun same as CD-ROM 쑗 The compact disc ROM can store as much data as a dozen hard disks. compact disc ROM

compact compact disc write once

disc

write

once

/ kɒmpkt dsk rat wns/ noun CD-

ROM disc and drive technology that allows a user to write data to the disc once only. Full form CD-WO compact Flash /kəm pkt flʃ/ noun a tiny memory expansion device that uses Flash-ROM to store up to 512Mb of data, often used in MP3 music players and digital cameras. Abbr CF compacting algorithm / kɒmpktŋ lə rð(ə)m/ noun a formula for reducing the amount of space required by text compact model /kɒmpkt mɒd(ə)l/ noun a memory model in the Intel 80x86 family of CPUs that allows only 64Kb of space for the code of a program, but 1Mb of space for the program’s data companding /kɒmpndŋ/ noun two processes which reduce or compact data before transmission or storage then restore packed data to its original form. Full form compact Flash



compacting algorithm



compact model

companding



compressing and expanding COMPAQ /kɒmpk/ a US personal COMPAQ

computer company, founded in 1983, that was the first manufacturer to produce a clone to the IBM PC comparator /kəmprətə/ noun a logical device whose output is true if there is a difference between two inputs compatibility /kəm ptblti/ noun the ability of two hardware or software devices to function together (NOTE: Compatcomparator



compatibility





ibility of hardware and software, which means that those of one manufacturer or organisation conform to the standards of another, allows programs and hardware to be interchanged without modification.) ‘The manufacturer claims that this card does not require special drivers on the host machine… and therefore has fewer compatibility problems.’ [Computing]

compiler language compatibility box /kəm ptəblti bɒks/ noun caret mark, caret sign a window or session in an operating system that can execute programs written for a different, but related, operating system 쑗 OS/2 has a compatibility box to allow it to run DOS applications. compatible /kəmptb(ə)l/ adjective used to describe two hardware or software devices that function correctly together 쐽 noun a hardware or software device that functions correctly with other equipment 쑗 Buy an IBM PC or a compatible. compatibility box





compatible



‘…this was the only piece of software I found that wouldn’t work, but it does show that there is no such thing as a totally compatible PC clone’ [Personal Computer World]

compilation / kɒmpleʃ(ə)n/ noun compilation



the translation of an encoded source program into machine readable code ‘This utility divides the compilation of software into pieces and performs the compile in parallel across available machines on the network.’ [Computergram]

compilation error / kɒmpleʃ(ə)n

erə/ noun an error occurring during program compilation time compilation time / kɒmpleʃ(ə)n tam/ noun the length of time it takes for a computer to compile a program compile /kəmpal/ verb to convert a high-level language program into a machine code program that can be executed by itself compile and go /kəm pal ən əυ/ noun a computer program not requiring operator interaction that will load, compile and execute a high-level language program compile phase /kəmpal fez/ noun the time during a program run, when the instructions are compiled compiler, compiler program noun a piece of software that converts an encoded program into a machine code program 쑗 The new compiler has an in-built editor. Compare interpreter compiler diagnostics /kəm palə

daənɒstks/ plural noun a function in a compiler that helps a programmer find faults in the program code 쑗 Thorough compiler diagnostics make debugging easy. compiler language /kəmpalə

lŋwd'/ noun a high-level language such as C or pascal that will convert a source program that follows the language compilation error



compilation time



compile



compile and go



compile phase



compiler

compiler diagnostics





compiler language



Computing.fm Page 74 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

complement 74 syntax into a machine code version, then component video /kəmpəυnənt run it

vdiəυ/ noun a method of transmitting video information, used in professional complement /kɒmplment/ noun 1. video systems, that has separate signals for an inversion of a binary digit 쑗 The comthe luminance and two chrominance chanplement is found by changing the 1s to 0s nels to avoid interference and 0s to 1s. 2. the result after subtracting a number from one less than the radix 쐽 COM port /kɒm pɔ t/ noun same as verb to invert a binary digit COM1 complementary metal oxide semicomposite circuit / kɒmpəzt conductor / kɒmplment(ə)ri met(ə)l s kt/ noun an electronic circuit made

ɒksad semikən dktə/ noun full form up of a number of smaller circuits and of CMOS components complementary operation composite display / kɒmpəzt d / kɒmplment(ə)ri ɒpəreʃ(ə)n/ noun a sple/ noun a video display unit that aclogical operation that results in the logical cepts a single composite video signal and NOT of a function can display an infinite number of colours or shades of grey complementation / kɒmplmən teʃ(ə)n/ noun a number system used to composite monitor / kɒmpəzt represent positive and negative numbers mɒntə/ noun a colour monitor that receives one video signal from a graphics complemented /kɒmplməntd/ addisplay adapter, which must then be elecjective referring to a binary digit that has tronically separated inside the monitor had a complement performed into the red, green and blue colour signals complete operation /kəm pli t ɒpə reʃ(ə)n/ noun an operation that retrieves composite video / kɒmpəzt vdiəυ/ the necessary operands from memory, pernoun a video signal that combines the colforms the operation and returns the results our signals and the monochrome signal and operands to memory, then reads the into one single signal 쑗 Most TV set and next instruction to be processed video players expect a composite video feed. completion /kəmpli ʃ(ə)n/ noun the point at which something is complete 쑗 compound device / kɒmpaυnd d Completion date for the new software vas/ noun a Windows MCI multimedia package is November 15th. device that requires a data file complex instruction set computer compound document /kɒmpaυnd / kɒmpleks n strkʃən set kəm

dɒkjυmənt/ noun a document that conpju tə/ noun full form of CISC tains information created by several other applications complexity measure /kəmpleksti

me'ə/ noun a measure of the system recompound file /kɒmpaυnd fal/ noun sources used in an operation or job a number of individual files grouped together in one file compliant /kəmplaənt/ adjective that conforms to a particular set of standards 쑗 compound logical element If you want to read PhotoCD compact / kɒmpaυnd lɒd'k(ə)l elmənt/ noun discs in your computer you must be sure a logical circuit or function that produces that the CD-ROM drive is PhotoCD or an output from a number of inputs CD-ROM XA compliant. compound statement / kɒmpaυnd component density /kəm pəυnənt stetmənt/ noun a number of program densti/ noun number of electronic cominstructions in one line of program 쑗 The ponents per unit area on a PCB 쑗 Compodebugger cannot handle compound statenent density increases with production exments. pertise. compressed video / kɒmprest component error /kəmpəυnənt erə/ vdiəυ/ noun video signals that have been noun error introduced by a malfunctioning compressed to reduce the data rate redevice or component rather than by incorquired to transmit the information. Whererect programming as a normal television picture is transmitComponent Object Model /kəm ted at around 5090Mbits/second, a com pəυnənt ɒbd'ekt mɒd(ə)l/ noun full pressed video signal can be transmitted at form of COM around one tenth of the data rate. component video



complement

COM port

complementary metal oxide semiconductor

composite circuit



complementary operation

composite display





complementation



composite monitor

complemented

complete operation





composite video

completion



compound device



complex instruction set computer

compound document





complexity measure



compound file

compliant



compound logical element

compound statement

component density



compressed video

component error



Component Object Model



Computing.fm Page 75 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

75

compression /kəmpreʃ(ə)n/ noun the compression



process of reducing the size of a file by encoding the data in a more efficient form. For example, if the file contains five letter ’A’s in line, which take up five bytes of space, the compression software could encode this to 5A which takes two byes of space. compression ratio /kəmpreʃ(ə)n

reʃiəυ/ noun a ratio of the size of an original, uncompressed file to the final, compressed file that has been more efficiently encoded CompuServe /kɒmpju s v/ an online service provider and information service computer /kəmpju tə/ noun a machine that receives or stores or processes data very quickly using a program kept in its memory computer-aided /kəm pju tə edd/ adjective that uses a computer to make the work easier. Also called computer-ascompression ratio



CompuServe

computer



computer-aided



sisted

computer-aided

/kəm

design

computer-aided design



CAD



pju tər edd end'nərŋ/ noun full form of CAE computer-aided instruction /kəm

pju tər edd nstrkʃən/ noun full form of CAI computer-aided learning /kəm

pju tər edd l nŋ/ noun full form of 

computer-aided instruction





computer-aided learning



CAL



pju tər edd mnjυfktʃə/ noun full form of CAM computer-aided testing /kəm

pju tər edd testŋ/ noun full form of 

computer-aided testing



CAT

training /kəm

pju tər edd trenŋ/ noun full form of CAT computer animation /kəm pju tə

nmeʃ(ə)n/ noun same as animation computer applications /kəm pju tə

plkeʃ(ə)nz/ plural noun the tasks and uses that a computer can carry out in a particular field or job computer architecture /kəm pju tə ɑ ktektʃə/ noun 1. the layout and interconnection of a computer’s internal hardware and the logical relationships between CPU, memory and I/O devices 2. the way computer-aided training



computer animation





computer applications





computer architecture





ed

computer-assisted design /kəm computer-assisted design



pju tər ə sstd dzan/ noun full form of CAD 



computer-assisted

engineering

computer-assisted engineering

/kəm pju tər ə sstd noun full form of CAE 

end'nərŋ/





computer-assisted

instruction

computer-assisted instruction

/kəm pju tər ə sstd nstrkʃən/ noun full form of CAI computer-assisted learning /kəm

pju tər ə sstd l nŋ/ noun full form of CAL 





computer-assisted learning





computer-assisted computer-assisted manufacture

manufacture

/kəm pju tər ə sstd mnjυfktʃə/ noun full form of CAM computer-assisted testing /kəm

pju tər ə sstd testŋ/ noun full form of CAT computer-assisted training /kəm

pju tər ə sstd trenŋ/ noun full form of CAT computer-based learning /kəm

pju tə best l nŋ/ noun full form of CBL 





computer-assisted testing











computer-based message system computer-based message system

/kəm pju tə best mesd' sstəm/ noun full form of CBMS computer-based training /kəm

pju tə best trenŋ/ noun full form of CBT computer bureau /kəmpju tə

bjυərəυ/ noun an office that offers to do 

computer-based training



computer bureau

computer-aided manufacture

computer-aided



computer-based learning

computer-aided engineering

computer-aided manufacture /kəm

computer-assisted

computer-assisted training



pju tər edd dzan/ noun full form of

computer-aided engineering /kəm

computer dating in which the CPU, terminals, printers and network connections are arranged computer-assisted /kəm pju tər ə sstd/ adjective same as computer-aid-



work on its computers for companies which do not have their own computer code /kəmpju tə kəυd/ noun a programming language that consists of commands in binary code that can be directly understood by the central processing unit, without the need for translation computer conferencing /kəm

pju tə kɒnf(ə)rənsŋ/ noun the use of a number of computers or terminals connected together to allow a group of users to communicate computer crime /kəmpju tə kram/ noun theft, fraud or other crimes involving computers computer dating /kəm pju tə detŋ/ noun the use of a computer to computer code



computer conferencing



computer crime



computer dating



Computing.fm Page 76 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

computer department 76 match single people who may want to get computer-independent language /kəm pju tə ndpendənt lŋwd'/ married noun a programming language that will computer department /kəmpju tə operate on any computer that has a correct d pɑ tmənt/ noun a department in a compiler or interpreter company that manages the company’s computer indexing /kəm pju tə computers ndeksŋ/ noun the use of a computer to computer engineer /kəm pju tə compile an index for a book by selecting

end'nə/ noun a person who maintains, relevant words or items from the text programs or designs computer equipment computer input microfilm /kəm computer error /kəm pju tər erə/

pju tə npυt makrəυflm/ noun full noun a mistake made by a computer form of CIM computer file /kəmpju tə fal/ noun a computer-integrated manufactursection of information on a computer, e.g. ing /kəm pju tə ntretd mnjυ the payroll, list of addresses or customer fktʃərŋ/ noun full form of CIM accounts computer-integrated system /kəm computer fraud /kəmpju tə frɔ d/

pju tə ntretd sstəm/ plural noun noun the theft of data, dishonest use of a system designed to allow the coordinated data or other crimes involving computers use of computers and other related equipcomputer game /kəmpju tə em/ ment in a process 쑗 This firm is a very noun a game played on a computer, using well-known supplier of computer-integratspecial software ed systems which allow both batch pagination of very long documents with alteracomputer-generated /kəm pju tə tion of individual pages. d'enəretd/ adjective produced using a computer-integrated telephony computer 쑗 They analysed the computer/kəm pju tə ntretd təlefəni/ noun generated image. same as CTI computer generation /kəm pju tə computerisation /kəm pjυtəra

d'enəreʃ(ə)n/ noun any one in a series zeʃ(ə)n/, computerization noun the of classifications used to define the adprocess of introducing a computer system vances in the field of computing or of changing from a manual to a compuCOMMENT: The development of computers has ter system 쑗 Computerisation of the finanbeen divided into a series of ‘generations’. The first generation consisted of computers cial sector is proceeding very fast. constructed using valves and having limited computerise /kəmpju təraz/, comstorage. The second generation of computers puterize verb to change from a manual were constricted using transistors. The third generation used integrated circuits. The system to one using computers 쑗 Our fourth generation, which includes the computstock control has been completely compuers most often used at present, uses low-cost terised. memory and IC packages. The fifth generacomputer language /kəmpju tə tion comprises future computers using very fast processors, large memory and allowing

lŋwd'/ noun a language, formed of human input/output. figures or characters, used to communicate computer graphics /kəm pju tə with a computer rfks/ plural noun information reprecomputer listing /kəm pju tə lstŋ/ sented graphically on a computer display noun a printout of a list of items taken computer graphics metafile /kəm from data stored in a computer

pju tə rfks metəfal/ noun full computer literacy /kəm pju tə form of CGM lt(ə)rəsi/ noun understanding of the bacomputer illiterate /kəm pju tə  sic principles of computers, related exltərət/ adjective unable to understand pressions and concepts, and the ability to computer-related expressions or operause computers for programming or applitions cations computer-literate /kəm pju tə computer image processing /kəm lt(ə)rət/ adjective able to understand ex pju tə md' prəυsesŋ/ noun the pressions relating to computers and how to analysis of information in an image, usualuse a computer ly by electronic means or using a compucomputer logic /kəm pju tə lɒd'k/ ter, also used for recognition of objects in noun (in hardware) the way in which the an image computer-independent language



computer department





computer indexing



computer engineer





computer input microfilm

computer error





computer file

computer-integrated manufacturing







computer-integrated system



computer fraud



computer game



computer-generated



computer-integrated telephony





computer generation



computerisation







computerise



computer language



computer graphics



computer listing



computer graphics metafile



computer literacy



computer illiterate





computer-literate

computer image processing





computer logic



Computing.fm Page 77 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

77 various sections of the CPU, memory and I/O are arranged

computer-managed



instruction

computer-managed instruction

/kəm pju tə mnd'd n strkʃən/ noun the use of a computer to assist students in learning a subject. Abbr CMI computer-managed learning /kəm

pju tə mnd'd l nŋ/ noun the use 



computer-managed learning



of a computer to teach students and assess their progress. Abbr CML computer manager /kəmpju tə

mnd'ə/ noun the person in charge of a computer department computer name /kəmpju tə nem/ plural noun (in Windows 95 and later versions of Windows) a series of words that identify a computer on a network and distinguish it from all other computers on a network (NOTE: If you are linked to an ofcomputer manager



computer name



fice network, you will see an icon on your Desktop called Network Neighborhood. Double-click on this and it will display a list of the other computers on the network, and their computer name.) computer network /kəm pju tə netw k/ noun the shared use of a series computer network



of interconnected computers, peripherals and terminals computer numerical control /kəm

pju tə nju merk(ə)l kəntrəυl/ noun same as numerical control computer numeric control /kəm

pju tə nju merk kəntrəυl/ noun full form of CNC computer office system /kəm

pju tər ɒfs sstəm/ noun a computer and related peripherals used for office tasks such as filing and word processing computer operator /kəmpju tər

ɒpəretə/ noun a person who operates a computer computer organisation /kəm pju tər ɔ ənazeʃ(ə)n/, computer organization noun 쏡 computer archicomputer numerical control







computer numeric control







computer office system



computer operator



computer organisation



tecture

computer output /kəm pju tər aυtpυt/ noun the data or information produced after processing by a computer computer output



computer output on microfilm computer output on microfilm

/kəm pju tər aυtpυt ɒn makrəυflm/ noun full form of COM computer power /kəmpju tə paυə/ noun a measure of the speed and capacity of a computer (NOTE: Several tests for computer power exist, e.g. FLOPS or benchmark timings.) 

computer power



computer word computer printer /kəm pju tə prntə/ noun a machine which prints information from a computer computer printout /kəm pju tə prntaυt/ noun a printed copy of information from a computer 쑗 The sales director asked for a printout of the agents’ commissions. computer program /kəmpju tə

prəυrm/ noun a series of instructions to a computer, telling it to do a particular piece of work 쑗 The user cannot write a computer program with this system. computer programmer /kəm pju tə prəυrmə/ noun a person who writes computer programs computer-readable /kəm pju tə ri dəb(ə)l/ adjective which can be read and understood by a computer 쑗 computer-readable codes computer run /kəmpju tə rn/ noun the action of processing instructions in a program by a computer computer science /kəm pju tə saəns/ noun the scientific study of computers, the organisation of hardware and the development of software computer services /kəm pju tə s vsz/ plural noun work using a computer, done by a computer bureau computer stationery /kəm pju tə steʃ(ə)n(ə)ri/ noun paper specially made for use in a computer printer computer system /kəmpju tə

sstəm/ noun a central processor with storage and associated peripherals that make up a working computer computer-telephony integration /kəm pju tə tə lefəni ntreʃ(ə)n/ noun full form of CTI computer time /kəmpju tə tam/ noun the time when a computer is being used, which is paid for at an hourly rate 쑗 Running all those sales reports costs a lot in computer time. computer virus /kəmpju tə varəs/ noun a program which adds itself to an executable file and copies or spreads itself to other executable files each time an infected file is run. A virus can corrupt data, display a message or do nothing. computer word /kəmpju tə w d/ noun a number of bits, usually 8, 16 or 32, that make up a standard word within a CPU computer printer

computer printout



computer program



computer programmer



computer-readable



computer run



computer science



computer services



computer stationery



computer system



computer-telephony integration







computer time



computer virus



computer word



Computing.fm Page 78 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

computing 78 ously with no action on the part of the user. computing /kəmpju tŋ/ adjective, Also called accordion fold noun referring to computers 쐽 noun work done on computers concurrency /kənkrənsi/ noun data or a resource that is accessed by more than computing power /kəmpju tŋ one user or application at a time

paυə/ noun a measure of the speed of a computer and its ability to perform calcuconcurrent operating system /kən lations

krənt ɒpəretŋ sstəm/ noun operating system software that allows several computing speed /kəmpju tŋ programs or activities to be processed at spi d/ noun the speed at which a computer the same time calculates concurrent processing /kən krənt CON /kɒn/ noun (in IBM-PC compatible prəυsesŋ/ noun 쏡 multitasking systems) a name used to identify the console, i.e. the keyboard and monitor concurrent programming /kən

krənt prəυrmŋ/ noun the act of concatenate /kənktənet/ verb to running several programs apparently sijoin together two or more sets of data multaneously, achieved by executing small concatenated data set /kən sections from each program in turn

ktənetd detə set/ noun more than condition /kəndʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. the one file or set of data joined together to state of a circuit or device or register 2. a produce one set series of requirements that have to be met concatenation operator /kən ktə before an action can occur 쐽 verb to modneʃ(ə)n ɒpəretə/ noun an instruction ify data that is to be transmitted so as to that joins two pieces of data or variables meet set parameters 쑗 Condition the raw together data to a standard format. conceal /kənsi l/ verb to hide informaconditional /kəndʃ(ə)n(ə)l/ adjective tion or graphics from a user, or not to dis1. provided that certain things take place play them 쑗 The hidden lines are con2. referring to a process that is dependent cealed from view with this algorithm. on the result of another concentrate /kɒnsəntret/ verb to conditional branch /kən dʃ(ə)n(ə)l combine a number of lines or circuits or brɑ ntʃ/ noun same as conditional data to take up less space 쑗 The concenjump trated data was transmitted cheaply. conditional breakpoint /kən concentrator /kɒnsəntretə/ noun 1.

dʃ(ə)nəl brekpɔnt/ noun an inserted (in a Token-Ring network) a device at the breakpoint, after which the programmer centre of a Token-Ring network, which can jump to one of a number of sections, provides a logical star topology in which depending on data or program status nodes are connected to the concentrator, conditional jump /kəndʃ(ə)nəl but which connects each arm of the star as d'mp/ noun a programming instruction a physical ring within the device 2. (in an that provides a jump to a section of a proFDDI network) a node which provides acgram if a certain condition is met 쑗 The cess for one or more stations to the netconditional branch will select routine one work 3. (in an 10Base-T Ethernet netif the response is yes and routine two if no. work) the device at the centre of a star-toconditional statement /kən pology 10Base-T Ethernet network that

dʃ(ə)nəl stetmənt/ noun a program receives signals from one port and regeninstruction which will redirect program erates them before sending them out to the control according to the outcome of an other ports 4. (in general networking) a event device in which all the cables from nodes are interconnected conditional transfer /kən dʃ(ə)nəl trnsf / noun same as conditional conceptual model /kən septʃuəl jump mɒd(ə)l/ noun a description of a database or program in terms of the data it contains condition code /kəndʃ(ə)n kəυd/ and its relationships noun a number, or another type of signal, that indicates the status of an arithmetic, concertina fold / kɒnsəti nə fəυld/ logic or input/output operation carried out noun a method of folding continuous papreviously per, one sheet in one direction, the next condition code register /kən sheet in the opposite direction, allowing

dʃ(ə)n kəυd red'stə/ noun a register the paper to be fed into a printer continucomputing



concurrency



computing power



concurrent operating system



computing speed



concurrent processing

CON



concurrent programming



concatenate



concatenated data set



condition



concatenation operator





conceal



conditional



concentrate

conditional branch



conditional breakpoint

concentrator



conditional jump



conditional statement



conditional transfer



conceptual model



condition code



concertina fold



condition code register



Computing.fm Page 79 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

79 that contains the state of the CPU after the execution of the last instruction conduct /kəndkt/ verb to allow an electrical current to flow through a material 쑗 to conduct electricity conduction /kəndkʃən/ noun the ability of a material to conduct 쑗 The conduction of electricity by gold contacts. conductive /kəndktv/ adjective referring to the ability of a material to conduct conductor /kəndktə/ noun a substance such as a metal that conducts electricity 쑗 Copper is a good conductor of electricity. 쒁 semiconductor conduit /kɒndjut/ noun a protective pipe or channel for wires or cables 쑗 The cables from each terminal are channelled to the computer centre by metal conduit. conferencing /kɒnf(ə)rənsŋ/ noun discussion between remote users using computers linked by a modem or a network conduct



conduction



conductive



conductor



conduit

conferencing

‘Small organisations and individuals find it convenient to use online services, offering email, conferencing and information services.’ [Computing]

confidence confidence level

lev(ə)l/ noun the likelihood that a particular number will lie within a range of values CONFIG.SYS /kənf ss/ noun (in MS-DOS) a configuration text file that contains commands to set parameters and load driver software. This file is read automatically once the PC is switched on and the operating system has loaded. 쑗 If you add a new adapter card to your PC you will have to add a new command to the CONFIG.SYS file. configuration /kən fjəreʃ(ə)n/ noun the way in which the hardware and software of a computer system are planned and set up CONFIG.SYS



configuration





configuration file /kən fjəreʃ(ə)n fal/ noun a file that contains data that describes how a particular software program or device has been configured 쑗 The main Windows configuration file is stored in a file called the Registry. configuration state /kən fjə reʃ(ə)n stet/ noun the state of a computer that allows it or the system or a program to be configured configuration file



configuration state



configured-in



configured-off

congestion



conjunct

conjunction



connect





noun (in a commercial on-line system) the cost per minute of time when you are connected to the remote system connectionless /kənekʃənləs/ adjective data transfer that occurs between two devices that do not have a fixed or permanent link and so can take different routes between the two devices. 쒁 circuit switching connectionless



connectionless network protocol connectionless network protocol

/kə nekʃənləs netw k prəυtəkɒl/ noun an OSI transport protocol that pro

vides an efficient way of routing information around a local area network using a datagram to carry the information. Abbr CLNP

connection-oriented /kənekʃ(ə)n

ɔ rientd/ adjective referring to data transfer that occurs according to a series of fixed, pre-defined steps that will create a known and reliable path between the two devices. For example, TCP/IP is a connection-oriented protocol that uses a known modem or network adapter to contact another known computer and establish a link via TCP/IP commands. connection-oriented



‘He said only Banyan Vines had the network configuration and administration capabilities required for implementing an international business plan based on client-server computing.’ [Computing] 



connect charge

/kɒnfd(ə)ns

level

connection-oriented configure /kənfə/ verb to select hardware, software and interconnections to make up a special system 쑗 This terminal has been configured to display graphics. configured-in /kənfəd n/ adjective referring to a device whose configuration state indicates that it is ready and available for use configured-off, configured-out adjective referring to a device whose configuration state indicates that it is not available for use congestion /kənd'estʃən/ noun a state that occurs when communication or processing demands are greater than the capacity of a system conjunct /kɒnd'ŋkt/ noun one of the variables in a logical AND function conjunction /kənd'ŋkʃən/ noun a logical function whose output is true if all inputs are true connect /kənekt/ verb to link together two points in a circuit or communications network connect charge /kənekt tʃɑ d'/ configure



connection-oriented services /kə nekʃən connection-oriented

network

ɔ rientd netw k s vsz/ plural noun an OSI transport protocol that provides an effi

Computing.fm Page 80 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

connective 80 cient way of routing information around a constant linear velocity / kɒnstənt wide area network. Abbr CONS

lniə vəlɒsti/ noun full form of CLV connective /kənektv/ noun a symbol constant ratio code / kɒnstənt between two operands that describes the reʃiəυ kəυd/ noun a character represenoperation to be performed tation code that has a constant number of connectivity / kɒnektvti/ noun the binary ones per word length ability of a device to connect with other constrain /kənstren/ verb to set limits devices and transfer information that define the maximum movement of an connector /kənektə/ noun a physical object on screen device with a number of metal contacts consumables /kənsju məb(ə)lz/ pluthat allow devices to be easily linked toral noun small cheap extra items required gether 쑗 The connector at the end of the in the day-to-day running of a computer cable will fit any standard serial port. system, e.g. paper and printer ribbons 쑗 connector plug /kənektə pl/ noun Put all the printer leads and paper with the (in an FDDI network) a device at the end other consumables. of a fibre-optic or copper cable that concontact /kɒntkt/ noun the section of nects to a receptacle a switch or connector that provides an connector receptacle /kənektə r electrical path when it touches another

septək(ə)l/ noun (in an FDDI network) a conductor 쑗 The circuit is not working bedevice mounted on a panel that connects to cause the contact is dirty. 쐽 verb to try to a plug call a user or device in a network connect state /kənekt stet/ noun the contact bounce /kɒntkt baυns/ state of a modem in which it is transferring noun 쏡 bounce, de-bounce data across a communications line contact card /kɒntkt kɑ d/ noun a connect time /kənekt tam/ noun the smart card with a chip that can be read length of time that a user is logged onto an when it is touched by a reading machine interactive system contact image sensor / kɒntkt conscious error / kɒnʃəs erə/ noun md' sensə/ noun full form of CIS an operator error that is immediately spotcontainer /kəntenə/ noun something ted, but cannot be prevented in time that can be set to a value 쑗 The programconsistency check /kənsstənsi mer uses this variable as a container, stortʃek/ noun a check to make sure that obing the object’s colour. jects, data or items conform to their excontent /kɒntent/ noun information, pected formats ideas, text, images or data that form a letconsole /kɒnsəυl/ noun a unit consistter, document, web page, database or book ing of a keyboard, VDU, and usually a content-addressable addressing printer, which allows an operator to com/ kɒntent ə dresəb(ə)l ədresŋ/ noun municate with a computer system 쑗 The same as associative addressing console consists of input device such as a content-addressable file / kɒntent keyboard, and an output device such as a ə dresəb(ə)l fal/ noun a file for storing printer or CRT. 쒁 CON data in which each item may be individuconstant /kɒnstənt/ noun an item of ally accessed data whose value does not change. Oppocontent-addressable location site variable 쐽 adjective which does not / kɒntent ə dresəb(ə)l ləυkeʃ(ə)n/ change 쑗 The disk drive motor spins at a noun same as content-addressable file constant velocity. content-addressable memory constant angular velocity / kɒntent ə dresəb(ə)l mem(ə)ri/, con/ kɒnstənt ŋjυlə vəlɒsti/ noun full tent-addressable storage /ə səυsiətv form of CAV stɔ rd'/ noun abbr CAM. same as assoconstant bit rate / kɒnstənt bt ret/ ciative memory noun a data transfer service that is part of contention /kəntenʃən/ noun a situaATM and is used to guarantee a certain tion that occurs when two or more devices data transmission rate over a network even are trying to communicate with the same if there is a lot traffic. Abbr CBR piece of equipment constant length field / kɒnstənt contention bus /kəntenʃ(ə)n bs/ leŋθ fi ld/ noun a data field that always noun a communication control system in contains the same number of characters constant linear velocity



connective

constant ratio code



connectivity



constrain



connector



consumables



connector plug



contact

connector receptacle





connect state

contact bounce



contact card

connect time



contact image sensor

conscious error

container



consistency check



content

console

content-addressable addressing





content-addressable file



constant

content-addressable location





content-addressable memory

constant angular velocity







constant bit rate

contention



constant length field

contention bus



Computing.fm Page 81 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

81 which a device must wait for a free moment before transmitting data contention delay /kəntenʃ(ə)n d

le/ noun the length of time spent waiting for equipment to become free for use content provider /kɒntent prə

vadə/ noun a company that supplies information, e.g. text, news stories, images, video, software, for a publication in a website or other medium content-rich /kəntent rtʃ/ adjective containing a lot of useful information contents /kɒntents/ plural noun a list of items in a file context /kɒntekst/ noun a particular way of organising data that is used when transferring it into and out of a business management system context-sensitive / kɒntekst senstv/ adjective that relates to the particular context context-sensitive help / kɒntekst

senstv help/ noun a help message that gives useful information about the particular function or part of the program you are in rather than general information about the whole program context-switching /kɒntekst

swtʃŋ/ noun a process in which several programs are loaded in memory, but only one at a time can be executed contention delay





content provider



content-rich



contents

context

context-sensitive

context-sensitive help

context-switching

COMMENT: Unlike a true multitasking system which can load several programs into memory and run several programs at once, contextswitching only allows one program to be run at a time.

continuous feed



continuous labels



continuous loop



continuous signal



continuous stationery



continuous tone



contouring

contrast

contrast

enhancement

contrast enhancement filter

filter

/ kɒntrɑ st nhɑ nsmənt fltə/ noun a

contiguous file /kən tjυəs fal/ contiguous file





noun a file stored in a series of adjacent disk sectors contiguous graphics /kən tjυəs rfks/ plural noun graphic cells or characters which touch each other 쑗 Most display units do not provide contiguous graphics: their characters have a small space on each side to improve legibility. contingency plan /kəntnd'ənsi pln/ noun a secondary plan that will be used if the first fails to work continuation page /kən tnjυ eʃ(ə)n ped'/ noun a page or screen of text that follows on from a main page continuity / kɒntnju ti/ noun a clear conduction path between two points continuous data stream /kən

tnjυəs detə stri m/ noun high-speed serial data transmission, in which data contiguous graphics



contingency plan



continuation page



control change words are not synchronised, but follow on immediately one after the other continuous feed /kən tnjuəs fi d/ noun a device which feeds continuous stationery into a printer continuous labels /kən tnjυəs leb(ə)lz/ plural noun removable adhesive labels attached to a backing sheet that can be fed into a printer continuous loop /kən tnjυəs lu p/ noun an endless piece of recording or projection tape continuous signal /kən tnjυəs sn(ə)l/ noun a continuously variable analog signal continuous stationery /kən tnjυəs steʃ(ə)n(ə)ri/ noun printer stationery which takes the form of a single long sheet continuous tone /kəntnjυəs təυn/ noun an image such as a photograph that uses all possible values of grey or colours, contouring /kɒntυərŋ/ noun 1. (in a graphics application) a process that converts a wire-frame drawing into a solidlooking object by adding shadows and texture 2. (in a graphics application) a function that creates realistic-looking ground, e.g. in a virtual-reality system, or a surface contrast /kɒntrɑ st/ noun 1. the difference between black and white or between colours 쑗 The control allows you to adjust brightness and contrast. 2. a control knob on a display that alters the difference between black and white tones or between colours



continuity



continuous data stream



special filter put over a monitor to increase contrast and prevent eye-strain control /kəntrəυl/ noun 1. a section of a computer or device that carries out instructions and processes signals 2. conditional program statements 3. a key on a computer keyboard which sends a control character 4. data or a key that controls something control block /kəntrəυl blɒk/ noun a reserved area of computer memory that contains control data control bus /kəntrəυl bs/ noun a set of connections to a microcomputer that carry the control signals between CPU, memory and input/output devices control change /kəntrəυl tʃend'/ noun (in MIDI) a message sent to a synthesiser to instruct it to change a setting, e.g. to change the volume of a MIDI channel control



control block



control bus



control change



Computing.fm Page 82 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

control character 82 control character /kəntrəυl control menu /kəntrəυl menju /

krktə/ noun a special character that noun (in Microsoft Windows) a menu that provides a control sequence allows you to move, resize or close the cur‘…there are seven print control characters which can rent window, and that is accessed by pressbe placed in a document’ [Personal Computer ing Alt-Space World] control mode /kəntrəυl məυd/ noun control computer /kəntrəυl kəm the state of a device in which control sig pju tə/ noun a dedicated computer used nals can be received to select options or to control a process or piece of equipment functions control cycle /kəntrəυl sak(ə)l/ control panel /kəntrəυl pn(ə)l/ noun the events required to retrieve, denoun 1. a panel with indicators and code and execute an instruction stored in switches that allows an operator to monimemory tor and control the actions of a computer or control data /kəntrəυl detə/ noun peripheral 2. a utility that displays the data that controls the actions of a device user-definable options such as keyboard, control-driven /kəntrəυl drv(ə)n/ country-code and type of mouse adjective referring to computer architeccontrol register /kəntrəυl red'stə/ ture where instructions are executed once noun a storage location for control data a control sequence has been received control ROM /kən trəυl rɒm/ noun control field /kəntrəυl fi ld/ noun a same as control memory storage area for control instructions control group /kəntrəυl ru p/ noun control sequence /kəntrəυl a small group which is used to check a

si kwəns/ noun a series of codes containsample group ing a control character and various arguments, used to carry out a process or control instruction /kəntrəυl n change mode in a device

strkʃən/ noun a program instruction that controls the actions of a device 쑗 The control signals /kəntrəυl sn(ə)lz/ next control instruction will switch to italplural noun electrical signals transmitted ics. to control the actions of a circuit control key /kəntrəυl ki / noun (on control statement /kəntrəυl IBM-PC compatible systems) a special

stetmənt/ noun 1. a program instruction key, usually in the lower left corner of the that directs a CPU to provide controlling keyboard, that provides a secondary funcactions or controls the operation of the tion when pressed with another key 쑗 To CPU 2. a program instruction which dihalt a program, press Ctrl-C – the control rects a program, e.g. to another branch key and letter C – at the same time. Abbr control structure /kəntrəυl Ctrl

strktʃə/ noun a set of instructions that control language /kəntrəυl are run in a particular circumstance. An

lŋwd'/ noun commands that identify IF.THEN statement selects a particular and describe the resources required by a control structure depending on the value of job that a computer has to perform a variable. controlled vocabulary /kən trəυld control systems /kəntrəυl sstəmz/ vəυkbjυləri/ noun a set of terms or plural noun systems used to check that a words used in an indexing language computer system is working correctly controller /kəntrəυlə/ noun a hardcontrol token /kəntrəυl təυkən/ ware or software device that controls a penoun a special sequence of bits transmitripheral such as a printer, or that monitors ted over a LAN to provide control actions and directs the data transmission over a locontrol total /kəntrəυl təυt(ə)l/ noun cal area network the result of summing certain fields in a ‘…a printer’s controller is the brains of the machine. It translates the signals coming from your computer computer file to provide error detection into printing instructions that result in a hard copy of control transfer /kəntrəυl trnsf / your electronic document’ [Publish] noun the redirection of the CPU when a control memory /kəntrəυl jump or call instruction is encountered

mem(ə)ri/ noun memory which decodes control unit /kəntrəυl ju nt/ noun control instructions into microinstructions the section of the CPU which selects and that operate the computer or microcontrolexecutes instructions ler control character

control menu





control mode

control computer







control cycle



control panel



control data



control-driven



control register



control ROM

control field





control sequence

control group





control instruction





control signals



control key

control statement





control structure



control language



controlled vocabulary



control systems





controller



control token



control total



control transfer



control memory



control unit



Computing.fm Page 83 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

83

control word /kəntrəυl w d/ noun a word that defines the actions that are to be followed in a particular process convention /kənvenʃən/ noun a set of well-known standards or rules that have to be followed so as to produce hardware or software compatibility conventional memory /kən

venʃ(ə)n(ə)l mem(ə)ri/ noun (in an IBM-PC compatible system) the random access memory region installed in a PC from 0 up to 640Kb. This area of memory can be directly controlled by MS-DOS. Compare high memory, expanded memory. Also called RAM convergence /kənv d'əns/ noun 1. the combination of two or more different technologies producing a new technology. For example, fax machines are the product of the convergence of telephone, scanning and printing technologies. 2. (in a colour monitor ) the accuracy with which the picture beam strikes the three colour dots that form each colour pixel 왘 쒁 picture beam, control word



convention



conventional memory



convergence



pixel

conversation / kɒnvəseʃ(ə)n/ noun conversation



a form of communication between a computer and its user in which the computer responds immediately to instructions and questions put to it as if was taking part in a dialogue conversational mode / kɒnvə seʃ(ə)n(ə)l məυd/ noun a method of operating that provides immediate responses to a user’s input. 쒁 interactive mode converse /kənv s/ verb to engage in a conversation with a computer conversion /kənv ʃ(ə)n/ noun a change from one system to another conversion equipment /kən v ʃ(ə)n  kwpmənt/ noun a device that will convert data from one format to another, which is suitable for another system, without changing the content conversion program /kənv ʃ(ə)n

prəυrm/ noun 1. a program that converts programs written for one computer into a suitable form for another 2. a program that converts data format, coding, etc. for use in another program conversion tables /kənv ʃ(ə)n

teb(ə)lz/ plural noun a list of source codes or statements and their equivalent in another language or form 쑗 Conversion tables may be created and used in conjunction with the customer’s data to conconversational mode



converse



conversion



conversion equipment





conversion program



conversion tables



copy protect vert it to our system codes. Also called translation tables converter /kənv tə/ noun a device or converter



program that translates data from one form to another 쑗 The converter allowed the old data to be used on the new system. convertibility /kən v təbləti/ noun ability to be changed convertible /kənv təb(ə)l/ adjective that can be converted convertor /kənv tə/ noun another spelling of converter cookie /kυki/ noun a tiny file that is stored on your computer when you connect to a remote Internet site using a browser. The cookie is used by the remote site to store information about your options which can then be read when you next visit the site. cookie file /kυki fal/ noun a file that contains the cookie data supplied by the remote Internet site cooperative processing /kəυ

ɒp(ə)rətv prəυsesŋ/ noun a system in which two or more computers in a distributed network can each execute a part of a program or work on a particular set of data coordinate graph /kəυɔ dnət rɑ f/ noun a means of displaying one point on a graph, using two values referring to axes which are usually at right angles to each other coordinates /kəυɔ dnəts/ plural noun values used to locate a point on a graph or map coordination /kəυ ɔ dneʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of organising complex tasks coprocessor /kəυprəυsesə/ noun an extra, specialised processor, e.g. an array or numerical processor, that can work with a main CPU to increase execution speed convertibility





convertible



convertor



cookie

cookie file

cooperative processing



coordinate graph



coordinates



coordination





coprocessor



‘Inmos is hiring designers to create highly integrated transputers and co-processors for diverse computer and telecoms systems.’ [Computing]

copy /kɒp/ verb to make a second doccopy

ument which is like the first, or to duplicate original data 쑗 He copied all the personnel files at night and took them home. COPY /kɒpi/ noun an operating system command that copies the contents of one file to another file on a storage device 쑗 Make a copy of your data using the COPY command before you edit it. copy protect / kɒpi prətekt/ noun a switch that prevents copies of a disk being made 쐽 verb to move a switch to prevent COPY

copy protect



Computing.fm Page 84 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

copy protection 84 Collin Publishing domain name is copies of a disk being made 쑗 The pro‘pcp.co.uk’ 쒁 domain gram is not copy protected. counter /kaυntə/ noun a register or varcopy protection /kɒpi prə tekʃən/ iable whose contents are increased or denoun the act of preventing copies from becreased by a set amount every time an acing made 쑗 A hard disk may crash because tion occurs of copy protection. counter-rotating ring / kaυntə rəυ CORAL /kɒpi/ noun a computer pro etŋ rŋ/ noun two signal paths transgramming language used in a real-time mitted in opposite directions around a ring system. Full form common real-time apnetwork plications language country file /kntri fal/ noun a file CORBA /kɔ bə/ abbr common object within an operating system that defines the request broker architecture parameters, e.g. character set and keycore /kɔ / noun the central conducting board layout, for different countries section of a cable coupler /kplə/ noun a mechanical decore dump /kɔ dmp/ noun a transfer vice that is used to connect three or more of data from the main memory of a compuconductors ter, usually to an external storage medium Courier /kυriə/ noun a fixed-space or core memory /kɔ mem(ə)ri/ noun a monospace typeface central fast-access memory which stores courseware /kɔ sweə/ noun the softthe programs and data currently in use ware, manuals and video that make up a core program /kɔ prəυrm/ noun a training package or CAL product computer program stored in core memory CPA / si pi e/ noun the cost of displaycoresident /kəυrezd(ə)nt/ adjective ing a banner advertisement once to one referring to two or more programs that are visitor to a website. Full form cost per stored in the main memory at the same action. 쒁 banner time cpi / si pi a/ noun the number of printed characters which fit within the space of core store /kɔ stɔ / noun a non-volaone inch. Full form characters per inch tile magnetic storage method used in old computers CPM abbr critical path method cps / si pi es/ noun the number of charcorona /kərəυnə/ noun an electric disacters printed or processed every second. charge that is used to charge the toner Full form characters per second within a laser printer CPU / si pi ju / noun a group of circorona wire /kərəυnə waə/ noun a cuits that performs the basic functions of a thin wire that charges the powdered toner computer. The CPU is made up of three particles in a laser printer as they pass parts, the control unit, the arithmetic and across it 쑗 If your printouts are smudged, logic unit and the input/output unit. Full you may have to clean the corona wire. form central processing unit coroutine /kəυru ti n/ noun a section CPU bound / si pi ju baυnd/ adjecof a program or procedure that can pass tive referring to the performance of a comdata and control to another coroutine then puter insofar as it is limited by the number halt itself of instructions the CPU can carry out. Efcorrective maintenance /kə rektv fectively, the memory and I/O devices can mentənəns/ noun actions to trace, find transfer data faster than the CPU can proand repair a fault after it has occurred duce it. corrupt /kərpt/ adjective that contains CPU clock / si pi ju klɒk/ noun a errors 쐽 verb to introduce errors into data clock inside a processor device that generor a program 쑗 Power loss during disk acates a regular signal millions of times evecess can corrupt the data. ry second to control operations and data cost analysis /kɒst ə nləss/ noun transfer within the processor an examination in advance of the costs of CPU clock speed / si pi ju klɒk/ a new product noun the frequency of the CPU clock that cost per action / kɒst p kʃən/ full controls the operations within the procesform of CPA sor co.uk a domain name suffix that indicates CPU cycle / si pi ju sak(ə)l/ noun the period of time taken to fetch and exea business based in the UK 쑗 The Peter counter

copy protection



counter-rotating ring

CORAL



country file

CORBA

core

coupler

core dump

Courier

core memory

courseware

core program

CPA

coresident



cpi

core store

CPM

cps

corona



CPU

corona wire



coroutine



CPU bound

corrective maintenance



corrupt

CPU clock



cost analysis



CPU clock speed

cost per action

co.uk

CPU cycle

Computing.fm Page 85 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

85 cute an instruction, usually a simple ADD instruction, used as a measure of computer speed CPU elements / si pi ju elmənts/ plural noun the main sections that make up a CPU, including the ALU, control unit, I/O bus, memory and various registers CPU handshaking / si pi ju hndʃekŋ/ noun the process of interfacing signals between a CPU and a peripheral or I/O device CPU time / si pi ju tam/ noun the total period of time that a CPU is used to actually process instructions (NOTE: In a CPU elements

CPU handshaking

CPU time

file handling program, CPU time might be minimal, since data retrieval from disk would account for a large part of the program run. In a mathematical program, the CPU time could be much higher in proportion to the total run time.) CR abbr card reader crash /krʃ/ noun a failure of a compoCR

crash

nent or a bug in a program during a run, which halts and prevents further use of the system COMMENT: It is sometimes possible to recover data from a crashed hard disk before reformatting, if the crash was caused by a bad sector on the disk rather than contact between the r/w head and disk surface.

crash-protected /krʃ prətektd/ crash-protected



adjective that uses a head protection or data corruption protection system 쑗 If the disk is crash-protected, you will never lose your data. crawler /krɔ lə/ noun a computer program that collects online documents and reference links CRC abbr cyclic redundancy check crippled leapfrog test / krp(ə)ld li pfrɒ test/ noun a standard leapfrog test that uses a single memory location rather than a changing location critical error / krtk(ə)l erə/ noun an error that stops processing or crashes the computer critical fusion frequency / krtk(ə)l fju '(ə)n fri kwənsi/ noun (on a video, computer or film screen) the rate of display of frames of graphics or text that makes them appear flicker-free critical path analysis / krtk(ə)l pɑ θ ə nləss/ noun the definition of tasks or jobs and the time each requires arranged in order to achieve certain goals. Also called PERT – Program Evaluation and Review Techniques. crawler

CRC

crippled leapfrog test

critical error

critical fusion frequency

critical path analysis



cross-reference generator ‘Surprisingly, critical path analysis and project management, frequently the next career step for engineers, did not seem to warrant a mention.’ [Computing]

critical path method / krtk(ə)l pɑ θ meθəd/ noun the use of analysis and the projection of each critical step in a large project to help a management team. Abbr CPM critical resource / krtk(ə)l rzɔ s/ noun a resource that can only be used by one process at a time crop /krɒp/ verb to reduce the size or margins of an image crop mark /krɒp mɑ k/ noun (in DTP software) one of the printed marks that show the edge of a page or image and allow it to be cut accurately cross-assembler /krɒs əsemblə/ noun an assembler that produces machinecode code for one computer while running on another cross-compiler /krɒs kəmpalə/ noun an assembler or compiler that compiles programs for one computer while running on another critical path method

critical resource



crop

crop mark

cross-assembler



cross-compiler



COMMENT: Cross-compilers and assemblers are used to compile programs for micros, but are run on larger computers to make the operation faster.

crosshair /krɒsheə/ noun (in a drawcrosshair

ing or paint program) a cursor shape that looks like a cross cross-linked files / krɒs lŋkt falz/ noun an error in MS-DOS in which two files claim to be using the same cluster on disk crossover /krɒs əυvə/ noun a change from one system to another 쑗 The crossover to computerised file indexing was difficult. crossover circuit /krɒsəυvə s kt/ noun an electronic circuit which splits an audio signal into different frequency ranges and assigns these to different size loudspeakers in a loudspeaker system cross-platform / krɒs pltfɔ m/ adjective available for more than one type of computer or operating system cross-post / krɒs pəυst/ verb to send a single electronic message or article to many different newsgroups at the same time cross-reference generator / krɒs ref(ə)rəns d'enəretə/ noun a section of an assembler or compiler or interpreter that provides a list of program labels, varcross-linked files

crossover



crossover circuit

cross-platform

cross-post

cross-reference generator

Computing.fm Page 86 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

crosstalk 86 iables or constants with their location CSMA-CA / si es em si e/ noun a within the program method of controlling access to a network not covered by OSI standards, but used in crosstalk /krɒstɑ k/ noun interference AppleTalk networks. Full form carrier between two communication cables or sense multiple access-collision channels avoidance CRT / si ɑ ti / noun a device used for CSMA-CD / si es em si di / noun a displaying characters, figures or graphical network communications protocol that information, similar to a TV set. Full form prevents two sources transmitting at the cathode ray tube same time by waiting for a quiet moment, COMMENT: Cathode ray tubes are used in television sets, computer monitors and VDUs. A then attempting to transmit. It is used to CRT consists of a vacuum tube, one end of control data transmission over an Ethernet which is flat and coated with phosphor, the network. Full form carrier sense multiother end containing an electron beam CSMA-CA

crosstalk

CRT

CSMA-CD

source. Characters or graphics are visible when the controllable electron beam strikes the phosphor, causing it to glow.

crunch /krntʃ/ verb to process data or crunch

numbers at high speed

cruncher, crunching noun 쏡 number cruncher, number crunching cryogenic memory / kraəυd'enk mem(ə)ri/ noun a storage medium opercruncher

cryogenic memory

ating at very low temperatures of around 4ºK to use the superconductive properties of a material cryptanalysis / krptənləss/ noun the study and methods of breaking ciphers cryptographic / krptərfk/ adjective referring to cryptography cryptanalysis



cryptographic



cryptographic

algorithm

cryptographic algorithm

/ krptərfk lərð(ə)m/ noun a set

of rules used to encipher and decipher data cryptographic key / krptərfk ki / noun a number or code that is used with a cipher algorithm to personalise the encryption and decryption of data cryptography / krptɒrəfi/ noun the study of encryption and decryption methods and techniques crystal /krstəl/ noun a small slice of quartz crystal which vibrates at a certain frequency, used as a very accurate clock signal for computer or other high precision timing applications crystal shutter printer / krst(ə)l

ʃtə prntə/ noun a page printer that uses a powerful light controlled by a liquid crystal display to produce an image on a photo-sensitive drum CSLIP noun a version of the SLIP protocol that compresses data before it is transmitted, resulting in greater data transfer rate CSM / si es em/ noun an efficient optical character recognition system. Full form combined symbol matching cryptographic key

cryptography



crystal

crystal shutter printer

CSLIP

CSM

ple access-collision detection CSS abbr cascading style sheet CTI / si ti a/ noun a system that allows CSS

CTI

normal audio telephone conversations to be transmitted over a computer data network and controlled by a computer. Full form computer-telephony integration CTM / si ti em/ noun a method of charging an advertiser for the display of a banner advertisement, where the price covers one thousand visitors clicking on the advertisement and jumping to the advertiser’s own website. Full form click CTM

through per thousand

CTR1 /kəntrəυl/ noun the number of CTR



visitors who click on a banner advertisement on a website and jump to the advertiser’s own website. Full form click through rate. 쒁 CTM (NOTE: A click

through rate of just a few percent is common, and most advertisers have to pay per thousand impressions of their banner ad.) CTR2 /kəntrəυl/, CTRL, Ctrl noun the CTR



control key, or a key on a computer terminal that sends a control character to the computer when pressed Ctrl-Alt-Del /kən trəυl ɔ lt dli t/ noun a combination of three keys that, when pressed at once, will cause a PC to carry out a soft reset CTS / si ti es/ noun an RS232C indicating that a line or device is ready for data transmission. Full form clear to send CU abbr control unit cue /kju / noun a prompt or message displayed on a screen to remind the user that an input is expected CUG / si ju d'i / noun entry to a database or bulletin board system that is restricted to certain known and registered users, usually by means of a password. Full form closed user group Ctrl-Alt-Del



CTS

CU

cue

CUG



Computing.fm Page 87 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

87

cull /kl/ verb to remove hidden or distant objects from a three-dimensional scene or storage space and reduce processing time cull

cumulative cumulative trauma disorder

trauma

disorder

/ kju mjυlətv trɔ mə ds ɔ də/ noun same as repetitive strain injury curly brackets /k li brktz/, curly braces plural noun the pair of characters 

curly brackets

{} used in some programming languages to enclose a routine current address / krənt ədres/ noun the address being accessed at this time current address register / krənt ə dres red'stə/ noun a CPU register that stores the address that is currently being accessed. Abbr CAR current directory / krənt da rekt(ə)ri/ noun a directory within the directory tree which is currently being used current drive / krənt drav/ noun a disk drive that is currently being used or has been selected current address



current address register



current directory



current drive

current

instruction

current instruction register

register

/ krənt nstrkʃən red'stə/ noun full form of CIR cursor /k sə/ noun a marker on a dis

cursor

play device which shows where the next character will appear

‘Probably the most exciting technology demonstrated was ScreenCam, which allows users to combine voice, cursor movement and on-screen activities into a movie which can be replayed.’ [Computing] ‘…further quick cursor movements are available for editing by combining one of the arrow keys with the control function’ [Personal Computer World] COMMENT: Cursors can take several forms, including a square of bright light, a bright underline or a flashing light.

cursor control keys /k sə kən

cyan-magenta-yellow-black custom-built /kstəm blt/ adjective custom-built

made specially for one customer custom colours / kstəm kləs/ plural noun a range of colours in a palette that are used by an image or application. 쒁 syscustom colours

tem palette

customer engineering / kstəmə customer engineering

end'nərŋ/ noun maintenance and repair of a customer’s equipment 

customer customer service department

service

department

/ kstəmə s vs d pɑ tmənt/ noun a 

department which deals with customers and their complaints and orders customise /kstəmaz/, customize verb to modify a system to the customer’s requirements 쑗 We used customised computer terminals. (NOTE: customises – cuscustomise

tomising – customised)

custom ROM / kstəm rɒm/ noun a custom ROM

ROM produced, usually in small numbers, by a manufacturer to suit a customer’s requirements cut /kt/ noun 1. the process of removing a piece from a file 2. a piece removed from a file 쐽 verb to remove sections of text from a file to make it shorter (NOTE: cutcut

ting – cut)

cut and paste / kt ən pest/ noun the cut and paste

action of taking a section of text or data from one point and inserting it at another, often used in word-processors and DTP packages for easy page editing cut over / kt əυvə/ verb to organise the transfer of data, functions or users from an old computer system to a new one in such a way that all the transfer operations take place at the same time and there is minimum disruption CUTS abbr Computer Users’ Tape System cut sheet feeder / kt ʃi t fi də/ noun a mechanism that automatically feeds single sheets of paper into a printer CWP abbr communicating word processor cXML / si eks em el/ noun a feature of the XML webpage markup language that provides a standard way of producing pages about products for sale on an online shop (NOTE: The new features allow decut over

CUTS

cursor control keys



trəυl ki z/ plural noun keys on a keyboard that allow the cursor to be moved in different directions cursor home /k sə həυm/ noun the movement of the cursor to the top left hand corner of the screen cursor pad /k sə pd/ noun a group of four arrowed cursor control keys, used to move the cursor up and down or to the right or left cursor resource /k sə r zɔ s/ noun an image that is displayed as a cursor cursor home

cursor pad

cursor resource



(NOTE: Programming languages and authoring tools normally provide a range of different cursor images that a developer can use, for example an egg-timer cursor when waiting or an arrow when pointing.)

cut sheet feeder

CWP

cXML

signers to include information about the product being displayed and how it can be purchased by the viewer.) cyan-magenta-yellow-black / saən mə d'entə jeləυ/ noun full form of CMYK cyan-magenta-yellow-black



Computing.fm Page 88 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

cyber88 cyber- /sabə/ prefix computers and incyberwoozling /sabə wu z(ə)lŋ/ noun the practice of gathering data from formation systems the computer of a visitor to a website withcyber age /sabə ed'/ noun the out his or her knowledge or authorisation present age, considered as a period in cycle /sak(ə)l/ noun one completed opwhich computer technology and electronic eration in a repeated process communications have become more important and more widely used cycle availability / sak(ə)l ə velə cybercafé /sabə kfe/ noun a place blti/ noun a period of time in a cycle that provides a shop with terminals conduring which data can be accessed or nected to the Internet as well as coffee and transmitted pastries cycle count /sak(ə)l kaυnt/ noun the cybercast /sabəkɑ st/ noun a broadnumber of times a cycle has been repeated cast of an event transmitted via the Intercycle index /sak(ə)l ndeks/ noun net, in either sound or vision or in both the number of times a series of instructions cyberlaw /sabəl ɔ/ noun the set of has been or has to be repeated laws that relate to computers, information cycle shift /sak(ə)l ʃft/ verb to shift a systems and networks, considered as a pattern of bits within a word, with the bit body or bits shifted off the end being inserted at cybermediary / sabəmi diəri/ noun the beginning of the word an organisation that makes it easier for cycle stealing /sak(ə)l sti lŋ/ noun customers and businesses to buy and sell a memory access operation by a peripheral online, but that does not own the products that halts a CPU for one or more clock cyor services that are being sold cles while data is being transferred from cybernate /sabənet/ verb to use commemory to the device puters to control manufacturing processes cycle time /sak(ə)l tam/ noun the (NOTE: cybernates – cybernating – cytime between start and stop of an operabernated) tion, especially between addressing a cybernetics / sabənetks/ noun the memory location and receiving the data study of the mechanics of human or eleccyclic /sklk, saklk/ adjective that is tronic machine movements, and the way in repeated regularly which electronic devices can be made to cyclic access / saklk kses/ noun work and imitate human actions access to stored information that can only cybershopping /sabə ʃɒpŋ/ noun occur at a certain point in a cycle shopping for goods and services on the Incyclic check / saklk tʃek/ noun an ternet error detection method that uses or examcyberspace /sabəspes/ noun the ines a bit of data every n bits, one bit exworld in which computers and people inamined then n bits transmitted, then anothteract, normally via the Internet er bit examined and so on cybersquatting /sabə skwɒtŋ/ cyclic code / saklk kəυd/ noun a noun act by which someone registers a coding system in which the binary reprewebsite address, normally a trademark or sentation of decimal numbers changes by brand name, then tries to sell the name to only one bit at a time from one number to the rightful owner (NOTE: Although not yet the next illegal in most countries, court cases alcyclic decimal code / saklk most always find in favour of the compadesm(ə)l kəυd/ noun a cyclic code that ny trying to recover its name. For examrefers to decimal digits ple, if you registered the domain name cyclic redundancy check / sklk r ‘windows.com’ then tried to sell this back dndənsi tʃek/ noun an error detection to Microsoft Corp. you would be guilty of check used in modem communications cybersquatting.) and many file transfer protocols that looks cyberterrorism /sabə terərz(ə)m/ at one bit in every n bits and compares this noun terrorist activities that use the Interwith the original to see if an error has ocnet to damage complex electronic systems curred in the last n bits. Abbr CRC or the data they contain cyclic shift / saklk ʃft/ noun the ro‘There were some instances of war-related hacking tation of bits in a word with the previous over the past few weeks, but nothing that would be last bit inserted in the first bit position considered cyberterrorism.’ [The Guardian] cyber-

cyberwoozling



cyber age

cycle

cycle availability





cybercafé



cycle count

cybercast

cycle index

cyberlaw

cycle shift

cybermediary



cycle stealing

cybernate

cycle time

cybernetics



cyclic

cyclic access

cybershopping



cyclic check

cyberspace

cybersquatting

cyclic code



cyclic decimal code

cyclic redundancy check



cyberterrorism



cyclic shift

Computing.fm Page 89 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

89

cylinder /slndə/ noun 1. a group of

data cypher /safə/ noun another spelling of

cylinder

cypher

tracks on a disk 2. the tracks in a multidisk device that can be accessed without moving the read/write head

cipher

D D symbol the hexadecimal figure equivaD

lent to decimal number 13 DA abbr desk accessory DAC / di e si / noun a circuit that outputs an analog signal that is proportional to the input digital number, and so converts a digital input to an analog form 쑗 Speech is output from the computer via a D/A converter. Full form digital to analog converter. Also called D to A converter, d/a DA

DAC

converter

d/a converter / di tυ e kənv tə/ d/a converter



noun same as DAC daemon /di mən/ noun (in a UNIX system) a utility program that performs its job automatically without the knowledge of the user daisy chain /dezi tʃen/ noun a method of connecting equipment with a single cable passing from one machine or device to the next, rather than separate cables to each device daisy-chain /dezi tʃen/ verb to connect equipment using the daisy chain method daemon

daisy chain

daisy-chain

‘…you can often daisy-chain cards or plug them into expansion boxes’ [Byte]

daisy chain bus / dezi tʃen bs/ daisy chain bus

noun a communications bus that joins one device to the next, each device being able to receive or transmit or modify data as it passes through to the next device in line daisy-chaining /dezi tʃenŋ/ noun the process of connecting equipment using the daisy chain method 쑗 Daisy-chaining saves a lot of cable. daisy chain interrupt / dezi tʃen ntərpt/ noun a line joining all the interdaisy-chaining

daisy chain interrupt

rupt outputs of a number of devices to a CPU daisy chain recursion / dezi tʃen rk '(ə)n/ noun the use of subroutines in a program that call another in the series, so that the first routine calls the second routine, which calls the third routine, and so on DAL abbr data access language (see) DAMA abbr demand assigned multiple access DAO / di e əυ/ noun a programming interface provided with many of Microsoft’s database applications that allow the developer to access Jet or ODBC compatible data sources. Full form data access obdaisy chain recursion



DAL

DAMA

DAO

jects

dark fibre / dɑ k fabə/ noun an optical dark fibre

fibre that is not carrying a signal, often one that has just been installed but has not yet been used DASD / di e es di / noun a storage medium whose memory locations can be directly read or written to. Full form direct DASD

access storage device

DAT / di e ti / noun a compact cassette, DAT

smaller than an audio cassette, that provides a system of recording sound as digital information onto magnetic tape with very high-quality reproduction. Full form digital audio tape (NOTE: It is also used as a high-capacity tape backup system that can store 1.3 Gb of data; sound is recorded at a sample rate of either 32, 44.1 or 48 KHz to provide up to two hours of CD-quality sound.) data /detə/ noun a collection of facts data

made up of numbers, characters and sym-

Computing.fm Page 90 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

data access language 90 bols, stored on a computer in such a way database machine / detəbes mə ʃi n/ noun a hardware and software comthat it can be processed by the computer 왍 data area amount of storage space that bination designed for the rapid processing contains data (rather than instructions) of database information COMMENT: Data is different from information in database management system that it is facts stored in machine-readable / detəbes mnd'mənt sstəm/, daform. When the facts are processed by the tabase manager / detəbes mnd'ə/ computer into a form that can be understood noun full form of DBMS by people, the data becomes information. database mapping /detəbes data access language / detə

mpŋ/ noun a description of the way in kses lŋwd'/ noun a language dewhich the records and fields in a database veloped by the Apple Computer Corporaare related tion and used to query a database, based on SQL. Abbr DAL database schema / detəbes ski mə/ noun a way in which a database data access management / detə is organised and structured kses mnd'mənt/ noun the process of regulating the users who can access database server / detəbes s və/ stored data noun a piece of database management software that runs on a server computer on data access objects / detə kses a network and is used in a client-server

ɒbjekts/ noun full form of DAO system (NOTE: The user works with client data acquisition /detə kw software that formats and displays data

zʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of gathering that is retrieved by the server software.) data about a subject database system /detəbes data adapter unit / detə ədptə

sstəm/ noun a series of programs that al ju nt/ noun a device that interfaces a lows the user to create, modify, manage CPU to one or more communications and use a database and that often includes channels features such as a report writer or graphidata administrator / detə əd cal output of data mnstretə/ noun a control section of a data block /detə blɒk/ noun the set of database management system all the data required for or from a process data aggregate /detə rət/ data break /detə brek/ noun a memnoun a collection of items of data that are ory access operation by a peripheral that related halts a CPU for one or more cycles while data analysis / detə ənləss/ noun data is being transferred from memory to the process of extracting information and the device results from data data buffer /detə bfə/ noun a temdatabank /detəbŋk/ noun 1. a large porary storage location for data received amount of data stored in a structured form by a device that is not yet ready to process 2. a store of personal records in a computer it database /detəbes/ noun an integratdata bus /detə bs/ noun a bus carryed collection of files of data stored in a ing data between a CPU and memory and structured form in a large memory, which peripheral devices can be accessed by one or more users at data capture /detə kptʃə/ noun the different terminals act of obtaining data, either by keyboard‘This information could include hypertext references ing or scanning, or often automatically to information held within a computer database, or spreadsheet formulae.’ [Computing] from a recording device or peripheral 쑗 In database administrator / detəbes July this year it signed a two-year outədmnstretə/ noun full form of DBA sourcing and disaster-recovery deal … for the operation and management of its Birdatabase engine /detəbes end'n/ mingham-based data-capture facility. noun a program that provides an interface [Computing] between a program written to access the functions of a DBMS and the DBMS data carrier /detə kriə/ noun 1. a device or medium capable of storing data database language /detəbes 2. a waveform used as a carrier for data

lŋwd'/ noun any one of a series of signals languages, e.g. data description language, data carrier detect / detə kriə d that makes up a database management systekt/ noun full form of DCD tem database machine



database management system

database mapping

data access language

database schema

data access management

database server

data access objects

data acquisition



database system

data adapter unit



data administrator



data block

data aggregate

data break

data analysis



data buffer

databank

database

data bus

data capture

database administrator



database engine

data carrier

database language

data carrier detect



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91

data cartridge /detə kɑ trd'/ noun data cartridge

a cartridge that contains stored data data cassette /detə kə set/ noun a special high-quality tape for storing data data chaining /detə tʃenŋ/ noun the process of storing one record that holds the address of the next in the list data channel /detə tʃn(ə)l/ noun a communications link able to carry data signals data check /detə tʃek/ noun an error in reading data due to a fault with the magnetic medium data circuit /detə s kt/ noun a circuit which allows bi-directional data communications data cleaning /detə kli nŋ/ noun the process of removing errors from data data collection /detə kə lekʃən/ noun the act of receiving data from various sources, either directly from a data capture device or from a cartridge, and inserting it correctly in order into a database data collection platform / detə kə lekʃən pltfɔ m/ noun a station that transmits collected data to a central point, usually via satellite data communications / detə kə

mju nkeʃ(ə)nz/ noun the transmission and reception of data rather than speech or images data cassette



data chaining

data channel

data check

data circuit

data cleaning

data collection



data collection platform



data communications





data

data communications buffer

communications

buffer

/ detə kə mju n keʃ(ə)nz bfə/ noun 



a buffer on a receiver that allows a slow peripheral to accept data from a fast peripheral, without slowing either down

kə mju nkeʃ(ə)nz 

kwpmənt/ noun equipment, e.g. a modem, that receives or transmits data. Abbr 



DCE

data

data connection



data control



data corruption



data delimiter



data description language



data dictionary/directory



data division



data-driven

data element

data element chain



data communications equipment 

concentrator

data encryption

data communications equipment

/ detə

data flow /detə

kɒns(ə)ntretə/ noun a means of combining intermittent data from various lines and sending it along a single line in one go data connection / detə kənekʃ(ə)n/ noun a link which joins two devices and allows data transmission data control /detə kən trəυl/ noun data management to and from a database or processing system data corruption /detə kə rpʃ(ə)n/ noun the introduction of errors into data through noise or faulty equipment 쑗 Data corruption occurs each time the motor is switched on. data delimiter /detə di lmtə/ noun a special symbol or character that marks the end of a file or data item data description language / detə dskrpʃən lŋwd'/ noun full form of DDL data dictionary/directory / detə

dkʃən(ə)ri darekt(ə)ri/ noun full form of DD/D data division /detə d v'(ə)n/ noun a part of a COBOL program giving full definitions of the data types and structures data-driven /detə drv(ə)n/ adjective referring to computer architecture in which instructions are executed, once the relevant data has been received data element /detə elmənt/ noun same as data item data element chain / detə elmənt

tʃen/ noun a group of data elements treated as a single element data encryption /detə n krpʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of encrypting data using a cipher system data encryption standard / detə n krpʃən stndəd/ noun full form of

data

data concentrator

data encryption standard



DES

communications

data communications network

network

data entry

/ detə kə mju nkeʃ(ə)nz netw k/ noun a number of computers, terminals, 

data entry / detə entri/ noun a method of entering data into a system, usually using a keyboard but also direct from disks after data preparation data error /detə erə/ noun an error due to incorrect or illegal data data field /detə fi ld/ noun a part of a computer instruction that contains the location of the data data file /detə fal/ noun a file containing data, as opposed to a program file 쑗 Programs act upon data files. data flow /detə fləυ/ noun the movement of data through a system



operators and storage units connected together to allow data transmission between devices or files or users data compacting /detə

kɒmpktŋ/ noun the process of reducing the storage space taken by data by coding it in a more efficient way data compression / detə kəm preʃ(ə)n/ noun a means of reducing the size of blocks of data by removing spaces, empty sections and unused material data compacting

data compression



data error

data field

data file

data flow

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data flowchart 92 define the way in which data is transmitted data flowchart / detə fləυtʃɑ t/ or received noun a diagram used to describe a computer or data processing system structure data link layer /detə lŋk leə/ noun the second layer in the ISO/OSI defined data flow diagram /detə fləυ network that sends transmits packets of

daərm/ noun full form of DFD data to the next link and deals with error data format /detə fɔ mt/ noun the correction (NOTE: This layer is normally set of rules defining the way in which data split into two further sub-layers, medium is stored or transmitted access control and logical link control.) data glove /detə lv/ noun an elecdata logging /detə lɒŋ/ noun autotronic glove that fits over a user’s hand and matic data collection contains sensors that transmit the position data management /detə of the user’s hand and fingers to a compu mnd'mənt/ noun maintenance and ter; used in virtual reality systems upkeep of a database datagram /detərm/ noun a packet data manipulation language / detə of information in a packet switching sysmə npjυleʃ(ə)n lŋwd'/ noun a tem that contains its destination address piece of database software that allows the and route user to access, store and change data. Abbr data hierarchy / detə haərɑ ki/ DML noun a data structure organised hierarchidata medium /detə mi diəm/ noun a cally medium which allows data to be stored or data highway / detə hawe/ noun a displayed, e.g. a VDU, magnetic disk or bus carrying the data signals in parallel screen form between the central processing unit data migration / detə mareʃ(ə)n/ and memory or external devices noun the process of moving data between data independence / detə nd a high priority or on-line device to a lowpendəns/ noun a structure of a database priority or off-line device which can be changed without affecting data mining /detə manŋ/ noun the what the user sees task of searching a database in order to data input / detə npυt/ noun data find previously unknown patterns and retransferred into a computer, from an I/O lationships within the data it contains, e.g. port or peripheral searching a retailer’s database to find customers who share an interest in a particular data input bus / detə npυt bs/ activity noun full form of DIB 1 ‘Both companies specialise in decision support, stadata integrity / detə nterti/ noun tistical analysis and data mining.’ [The Guardian] the state of data which has not been cordata name /detə nem/ noun a group rupted by damage or errors of characters used to identify one item of data interchange format / detə data 쑗 Problems occur if an ambiguous ntətʃend' fɔ mt/ noun a de facto data name is chosen. standard method of storing spreadsheet data network /detə netw k/ noun a formula and data in a file. Abbr DIF networking system which transmits data data item /detə atəm/ noun one unit data origination /detə ə of data, e.g. the quantity of items in stock,

rd'neʃ(ə)n/ noun the conversion of a person’s name, age or occupation. Also data from its original form to one which called data element can be read by a computer data jack /detə d'k/ noun a plug that data path /detə pɑ θ/ noun a bus or set allows a modem to be connected directly of connections over which data is transto the telephone system mitted data level /detə lev(ə)l/ noun a posidataplex /detəpleks/ noun multiplextion of a data item within a database strucing of data signals ture data pointer /detə pɔntə/ noun a data link /detə lŋk/ noun a connecregister containing the location of the next tion between two devices to allow the item of data transmission of data dataport /detəpɔ t/ noun a socket for data link control / detə lŋk kən connecting a laptop computer to the Intertrəυl/ noun a protocol and rules used to net data flowchart

data link layer

data flow diagram

data format

data glove

data logging

data management

datagram

data manipulation language





data hierarchy

data medium

data highway

data migration



data independence



data mining

data input

data input bus

data integrity



data name

data interchange format

data network

data item

data origination



data jack

data path

data level

dataplex

data pointer

data link

dataport

data link control



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93

preparation / detə prepə reʃ(ə)n/ noun the conversion of data into a machine-readable form, usually by keyboarding, before data entry data processing / detə prəυsesŋ/ noun the process of selecting and examining data in a computer to produce information in a special form. Abbr dp, DP data processing manager / detə prəυsesŋ mnd'ə/ noun a person who runs a computer department data projector /detə prə d'ektə/ noun a device that uses three large coloured lights, red, green and blue, to project a colour image output from a computer onto a large screen data protection /detə prə tekʃən/ noun the procedure of making sure that data is not copied by an unauthorised user Data Protection Act / detə prə tekʃən kt/ noun a piece of legislation passed in 1984 in the UK that requires any owner of a database that contains personal details to register data rate /detə ret/ noun the maximum rate at which data is processed or transmitted in a synchronous system, usually equal to the system clock rate data record /detə rekɔ d/ noun one record containing data for use with a program data reduction / detə rdkʃən/ noun the production of compact, useful data from raw data data register /detə red'stə/ noun an area within a CPU used to store data temporarily before it is processed data reliability /detə r laəblti/ noun a measure of the number of data words with errors compared to the total number of words data retrieval / detə rtri v(ə)l/ noun the process of searching, selecting and reading data from a stored file data routing /detə ru tŋ/ noun the process of defining the path to be taken by a message in a network data security /detə s kjυərti/ noun protection of data against corruption or unauthorised users dataset /detəset/ noun US same as modem (US) data set ready / detə set redi/ noun full form of DSR data data preparation



data processing

data processing manager

data projector



data protection



Data Protection Act



data rate

data record

data reduction



data register

data reliability



data retrieval



data routing

data security



dataset

data set ready

data transfer rate data sharing /detə ʃeərŋ/ noun a data sharing

facility allowing one file or set of data to be accessed by several users data signalling rate / detə sn(ə)lŋ ret/ noun the total amount of data that is transmitted through a system per second data signals /detə sn(ə)lz/ plural noun electrical or optical pulses or waveforms that represent binary data data sink /detə sŋk/ noun a device in a data terminal which receives data data source /detə sɔ s/ noun a device in a data terminal which sends data data signalling rate

data signals

data sink

data source

data

space

data space transfer protocol

transfer

protocol

/ detə spes trnsf prəυtəkɒl/ noun full form of DSTP data station /detə steʃ(ə)n/ noun a data station

point that contains a data terminal and a data circuit data storage /detə stɔ rd'/ noun a medium able to store data, especially in large quantities data stream /detə stri m/ noun a set of data transmitted serially one bit or character at a time data strobe /detə strəυb/ noun a signal indicating that valid data is on the data bus data structure /detə strktʃə/ noun a number of related items that are treated as one by the computer (NOTE: For examdata storage

data stream

data strobe

data structure

ple, in an address book record, the name, address and telephone number form separate entries that would be processed as one by the computer.) data switching exchange / detə swtʃŋ ks tʃend'/ noun a device used data switching exchange



to direct and switch data between lines data tablet /detə tblət/ noun 쏡 data tablet

graphics tablet

data terminal /detə t mn(ə)l/ data terminal

noun a device that is able to display and transmit or receive data 쑗 A printer is a data terminal for computer output. data terminal equipment /detə

t mn(ə)l  kwpmənt/ noun full form of DTE data terminal ready / detə

t mn(ə)l redi/ noun full form of DTR data transaction /detə trn

zkʃən/ noun one complete operation on data data transfer rate / detə trnsf

ret/ noun the rate at which data is moved from one point to another data terminal equipment



data terminal ready

data transaction



data transfer rate

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data translation 94 data translation /detə trns DBA / di bi e/ noun a person in charge

leʃ(ə)n/ noun the conversion of data of running and maintaining a database sysfrom one system format to another tem. Full form database administrator data transmission /detə trnz DB connector / di bi kənektə/ noun

mʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of sending a D-shape connector normally with two data from one location to another over a rows of pins used to connect devices that data link transfer data 쑗 The most common DB condata type /detə tap/ noun a category nectors are DB-9, DB-25 and DB-50 with of data which can be stored in a register, 9, 25 and 50 connections respectively. Full e.g. a string or number form data bus connector data validation /detə vldeʃ(ə)n/ DBMS / di bi em es/ noun a series of noun the process of checking data for erprograms that allow the user to create and rors and relevance in a situation modify databases easily. Full form database management system. Also called data vetting /detə vetŋ/ noun the database manager process of checking data as it is input, for errors and validity DC abbr direct current data warehouse /detə weəhaυs/ DCA / di si e/ noun a document fornoun a database used for analysing the mat defined by IBM that allows docuoverall strategy of a business rather than its ments to be exchanged between computer routine operations systems. Full form document content data word /detə w d/ noun a piece of architecture data stored as a single word DCC / di si si / noun a magnetic tape in data word length / detə w d leŋθ/ a compact cassette box that is used to store noun the number of bits that make up a computer data or audio signals in a digital word in a computer format. Full form digital compact casDAT drive /dt drav/ noun a mechansette ical drive that records data onto a DAT and DCD / di si di / noun an RS232C sigretrieves data from a tape 쑗 We use a DAT nal from a modem to a computer indicatdrive as the backup device for our neting a carrier is being received 쑗 The call is work. stopped if the software does not receive a date /det/ noun the current day, month DCD signal from the modem. Full form and year stored on your computer 왍 to data carrier detect keep something up to date to keep adding DCE abbr data communications equipinformation to something so that it is alment ways up to date 쑗 We spend a lot of time DCE rate / di si i ret/ plural noun keeping our files up to date. the number of bits of information that a date-time / det tam/ noun the current modem can transmit per second over a teltime and date stored on your computer ephone line, e.g. 36,600 bps (NOTE: This is data translation

DBA



data transmission

DB connector





data type

data validation

DBMS

data vetting

DC

data warehouse

DCA

data word

DCC

data word length

DAT drive

DCD

date

DCE

DCE rate

date-time

(NOTE: Each PC has a tiny battery inside it that allows one area of memory to store the current time and date. If you need to change the time or date in Windows, use the Control Panel feature.) daughter board /dɔ tə bɔ d/ noun an daughter board

add-on board that connects to a system motherboard daylight saving time / delat sevŋ

tam/ noun a scheme that defines changes in time over the course of a year, which in the UK involves moving the clocks forward by one hour at a particular date in spring and backward by one hour at a particular date in the autumn (NOTE: Windows daylight saving time

will automatically detect if the system time and date needs to be adjusted and either effect it or warn you.) dB abbr decibel dB

not the same as the DTE rate which measures how fast a modem can exchange data with another PC and takes into account data compression.) DCOM /di kɒm/ noun an enhanced verDCOM

sion of the COM specification that allows applications to access objects over a network or over the Internet. Full form distributed component object model

DC signalling / di si sn(ə)lŋ/ DC signalling

noun a method of communications using pulses of current over a wire circuit, like a telegraph system DCT abbr discrete cosine transform DD abbr double density DDC / di di si / noun a machine operated automatically by machine. Full form DCT

DD

DDC

direct digital control

Computing.fm Page 95 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

95

DD/D / di di di / noun a piece of soft-

decentralised data processing deallocate /di ləket/ verb to free re-

DD/D

deallocate

ware which gives a list of types and forms of data contained in a database. Full form

sources previously allocated to a job, process or peripheral 쑗 When a reset button is pressed all resources are deallocated.

data dictionary/directory DDE / di di i / noun 1. the keying in of data directly onto disk. Full form direct data entry 2. a method in which two acDDE

tive programs can exchange data, one program asking the operating system to create a link between the two programs. Full form dynamic data exchange DDL / di di el/ noun a part of database system software which describes the structure of the system and data 쑗 Many of DDL’s advantages come from the fact that it is a second generation language. Full form data description language DDP / di di pi / noun the process of deriving information from data which is kept in different places. Full form distributed DDL

DDP

data processing

DDR memory / di di ɑ mem(ə)ri/ DDR memory

noun the set of electronic memory components used for RAM storage in computers and peripherals. Full form double data rate memory dead /ded/ adjective referring to a computer or piece of equipment that does not function deaden /ded(ə)n/ verb to make a sound or colour less sharp 쑗 Acoustic hoods are used to deaden the noise of printers. dead halt /ded hɔ lt/ noun a program instruction from the user or an error that causes the program to stop without allowing recovery dead key /ded ki / plural noun any one of the keys on a keyboard that cause a function rather than a character to occur, e.g. the shift key deadlock /ded lɒk/, deadly embrace /dedli mbres/ noun a situation in which two users want to access the same two resources at the same time and one resource is assigned to each user, leaving neither able to use the other deadstart /dedstɑ t/ verb same as cold boot dead time /ded tam/ noun a period of time between two events in which nothing happens, to ensure that they do not interfere with each other 쑗 Efficient job management minimises dead time. deal /di l/ noun a business agreement or contract 쐽 verb 왍 to deal with something to organise or handle something 쑗 Leave it to the DP manager – he’ll deal with it. dead

deaden

dead halt

dead key

deadlock





deadstart

dead time

deal



(NOTE: deallocates – deallocating – deallocated) debit /debt/ noun a bit transmission debit

rate that is twice the baud rate deblock /di blɒk/ verb to return a stored block of data to its original form of individual records de-bounce /di baυns/ noun the process of preventing a single touch on a key from giving multiple key contact de-bounce circuit /di baυns s kt/ noun an electronic circuit that prevents a key contact from producing more than one signal when pressed debug /di b/ verb to test a program and locate and correct any faults or errors 쑗 They spent weeks debugging the system. deblock



de-bounce

de-bounce circuit

debug



(NOTE: debugging – debugged) ‘Further questions, such as how you debug an application built from multi- sourced software to run on multisourced hardware, must be resolved at this stage.’ [Computing]

DEBUG /di b/ noun an MS-DOS DEBUG



software utility that allows a user to view the contents of binary files and assemble small assembly-language programs debugged program / di bd prəυrm/ noun a piece of software that works correctly and in which all the mistakes have been removed or corrected debugger /di bə/ noun a piece of software that helps a programmer find faults or errors in a program decade /deked/ noun a set of ten items or events decay /dke/ noun the process of a sound signal fading away 쑗 With a short decay, it sounds very sharp. deceleration time /di seləreʃ(ə)n

tam/ noun the time taken for an access arm to come to a stop after it has moved to the correct location over the surface of a hard disk debugged program

debugger



decade

decay



deceleration time





decentralised computer network decentralised computer network

/di sentrə lazd kəm pju tə/, decentralized computer network noun a net





work where the control is shared between several computers decentralised data processing /di

sentrə lazd detə/, decentralized data processing noun data processing and storage carried out at each location rather than in one central location decentralised data processing





Computing.fm Page 96 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

decibel 96 stant or variable. Also called declarative decibel /desbel/ noun a unit for measstatement uring the power of a sound or the strength of a signal. Abbr dB (NOTE: The decibel declarative language /d klrətv scale is logarithmic.) lŋwd'/ noun a programming language, usually in a database application, in deciding factor /d sadŋ fktə/ which you enter what you want to achieve, noun the most important factor which inrather than instructions fluences someone’s decision 쑗 The deciding factor was the superb graphics. declare /dkleə/ verb to define a computer program variable or to set a variable decimal tabbing / desm(ə)l tbŋ/ equal to a number 쑗 He declared at the noun the process of adjusting a column of start of the program that X was equal to numbers so that the decimal points are vernine. (NOTE: declares – declaring – detically aligned clared) decimal tab key / desm(ə)l tb ki / decode /di kəυd/ verb to translate ennoun a key for entering decimal numbers, coded data back to its original form (NOTE: using a word-processor, so that the decidecodes – decoding – decoded) mal points are automatically vertically aligned decoder /di kəυdə/ noun a program or device used to convert data into another decimal-to-binary conversion form / desm(ə)l tə banəri kən v ʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of converting a decimal decode unit /di kəυd ju nt/ noun a number into a binary digit, i.e. base 10 into part of a microprocessor that translates a base 2 complex instruction into a simple form that the ALU part of the processor can undecipher /dsafə/ verb to convert an derstand and process encrypted or encoded message (ciphertext) into the original message (plaintext). decollate / di kəlet/ verb to separate Opposite encipher continuous stationery into single sheets decollator / di kəletə/ noun a madecision box /ds'(ə)n bɒks/ noun a chine used to separate continuous stationgraphical symbol used in a flowchart to inery into single sheets or to split 2-part or 3dicate that a decision is to be made and a part stationery into separate parts branch or path or action carried out according to the result decompilation /di kɒmpleʃ(ə)n/ noun the conversion of a compiled prodecision circuit /ds'(ə)n s kt/ gram in object code into a source language noun a logical circuit that operates on bi쑗 fast incremental compilation and denary inputs, producing an output accordcompilation ing to the function set in hardware decompiler / di kəmpalə/ noun a decision instruction /ds'(ə)n n computer program that translates basic

strkʃən/ noun a conditional program machine code back into high-level source instruction that directs control by providcode ing the location of the next instruction to be executed if a condition is met decompress / di kəmpres/ verb 1. to take electronic data that has been comdecision support system /d pressed and expand it to its normal extent

s'(ə)n səpɔ t sstəm/ noun a suite of 2. to be expanded to its normal extent programs that helps a manager reach deciagain after being compressed 쑗 Such files sions using previous decisions, informadecompress easily. tion and other databases decompression / di kəmpreʃ(ə)n/ decision table /ds'(ə)n teb(ə)l/ noun the process of expanding a comnoun a chart that shows the relationships pressed image or data file so that it can be between certain variables and actions viewed available when various conditions are met decrement /dekrmənt/ verb to subdecision tree /ds'(ə)n tri / noun a tract a set number from a variable 쑗 The graphical representation of a decision taregister contents were decremented until ble showing possible paths and actions if they reached zero. different conditions are met decrypt /di krpt/ verb to convert endeclaration / dekləreʃ(ə)n/ noun a crypted data back into its original form statement within a program that informs decryption /di krpʃ(ə)n/ noun the the compiler or interpreter of the form, converting of encrypted data back into its type and size of a particular element, condecibel

declarative language



deciding factor



declare



decimal tabbing

decimal tab key

decode



decoder



decimal-to-binary conversion



decode unit



decipher



decollate



decision box

decollator





decompilation





decision circuit



decompiler

decision instruction







decompress



decision support system





decompression

decision table





decrement

decision tree



decrypt

declaration





decryption



Computing.fm Page 97 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

97 original form 쑗 Decryption is done using hardware to increase speed. dedicated /dedketd/ adjective referring to a program, procedure or system that is reserved for a particular use 쑗 There’s only one dedicated graphics workstation in this network. dedicated

‘The PBX is changing from a dedicated proprietary hardware product into an open application software development platform.’ [Computing]

channel / dedketd tʃn(ə)l/ noun a communications line reserved for a particular use dedicated computer / dedketd kəmpju tə/ noun a computer that is only used for a single special purpose dedicated line / dedketd lan/ noun a telephone line that provides a computer or network with a permanent connection to the Internet dedicated logic / dedketd lɒd'k/ noun a logical function implemented in hardware design, usually for only one task or circuit 쑗 The person appointed should have a knowledge of micro-based hardware and dedicated logic 쑗 The dedicated logic cuts down the chip count. dedicated print server / dedketd prnt s və/ noun a computer on a network connected to a printer with the sole task of managing print jobs and print queues of users on the network dedicated dedicated channel

dedicated computer



dedicated line

dedicated logic

dedicated print server

dedicated

word-processor

dedicated word-processor

/ dedketd w d prəυsesə/ noun a

computer which has been configured specially for word-processing and which cannot run any other programs de facto standard /de fktəυ stndəd/ noun a design, method or system which is so widely used that it has become a standard but has not been officially recognised by any committee default /dfɔ lt/ noun a predefined course of action or value that is assumed unless the operator alters it default drive /dfɔ lt drav/ noun a disk drive that is accessed first in a multidisk system, to try and load the operating system or a program 쑗 The operating system allows the user to select the default drive. default option /d fɔ lt ɒpʃən/ noun a preset value or option that is to be used if no other value has been specified default palette /d fɔ lt plət/ noun the range of colours used on a particular system if no other is specified (NOTE: A de facto standard

default



default drive



default option



default palette



deflect user or application can often change the default palette to create an individual range of colours.) default printer /d fɔ lt prntə/ noun default printer



a printer that is used unless another is specified, in systems that allow several printers to be defined default rate /d fɔ lt ret/ noun the baud rate in a modem that is used if no other is selected default response /d fɔ lt rspɒns/ noun a value that is used if the user does not enter new data default value /d fɔ lt vlju / noun a value which is automatically used by the computer if no other value has been specified 쑗 Screen width has a default value of 80. default rate



default response





default value



‘The default values of columns cannot be set in the database schema, so different applications can trash the database.’ [Computing]

defective sector /d fektv sektə/ defective sector



noun a fault with a hard disk in which data cannot be correctly read from a particular sector (NOTE: It could be caused by a damaged disk surface or faulty head alignment.) defect skipping /di fekt skpŋ/ noun a means of identifying and labelling defective magnetic tracks during manufacture so that they will not be used, pointing instead to the next good track to be used defensive computing /d fensv kəmpju tŋ/ noun a method of programming that takes into account any problems or errors that might occur deferred addressing /d f d ə dresŋ/ noun indirect addressing, in which the location accessed contains the address of the operand to be processed deferred mode /df d məυd/ noun the process of entering a command as a program line, then executing the program deferred printing /d f d prntŋ/ noun the process of delaying the printing of a document until a later time define /dfan/ verb 1. to assign a value to a variable 쑗 All the variables were defined at initialisation. 2. to assign the characteristics of processes or data to something (NOTE: defines – defining – defined) definition / defnʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. the ability of a screen to display fine detail 2. a value or formula assigned to a variable or label deflect /dflekt/ verb to change the direction of an object or beam defect skipping

defensive computing





deferred addressing



deferred mode



deferred printing



define



definition



deflect





Computing.fm Page 98 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

deflection yokes 98 available for another file by instructing the opdeflection yokes /dflekʃ(ə)n jəυkz/ erating system to ignore the file by inserting a plural noun magnetic coils around a cathspecial code in the file header and deleting ode ray tube used to control the position of the entry from the directory. the picture beam on the screen delete character /d li t krktə/ DEFRAG /di fr/ noun a defragmennoun a special code used to indicate data tation utility supplied with MS-DOS or text to be removed defragmentation / di frmen deletion /dli ʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. the makteʃ(ə)n/ noun the reorganisation of files ing of a cut in a document 쑗 The editors scattered across non-contiguous sectors on asked the author to make several deletions a hard disk in the last chapter. 2. a piece of text reCOMMENT: When a file is saved to disk, it is not moved from a document always saved in adjacent sectors. This will indeletion record /dli ʃ(ə)n rekɔ d/ crease the retrieval time. Defragmentation noun a record containing new data which moves files back into adjacent sectors so that is to be used to update or delete data in a the read head does not have to move far across the disk, and it increases performance. master record defragmentation utility deletion tracking /dli ʃ(ə)n trkŋ/ / di frmenteʃ(ə)n ju tlti/ noun a noun a method of allowing deleted files to software utility that carries out the process be undeleted by monitoring the sectors on of defragmentation on a hard disk disk for a period of time in case the file degauss /di aυs/ verb to remove unwas deleted by mistake wanted magnetic fields and effects from delimit /di lmt/ verb to set up the size magnetic tape, disks or read/write heads 쑗 of data using delimiters The r/w heads have to be degaussed each delimited-field file /di lmtd fi ld week to ensure optimum performance. fal/ noun a data file in which each field degausser /di aυsə/ noun a device is separated by a special character, often a used to remove unwanted magnetic fields tab character or comma, and each record is from a disk, tape or recording head separated by a carriage return or a second degradation / derədeʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. special character the loss of picture or signal quality 2. the delimiter /di lmtə/ noun 1. a characloss of processing capacity because of a ter or symbol used to indicate to a lanmalfunction guage or program the start or end of data or a record or information 2. the boundary dejagging /di d'ŋ/ noun same as between an instruction and its argument anti-aliasing delivery system /d lv(ə)ri sstəm/ DEL /del/ noun an MS-DOS command to noun the combination of hardware and delete a file 쑗 To delete all files with the software required to play a particular mulextension BAK, use the command DEL or timedia title .BAK. Full form delete DEL key /del ki / noun a key on a keydelay line /dle lan/ noun a device board that moves the cursor back one charthat causes a signal to take a certain time in acter space and deletes any character at crossing it that position 쑗 To remove a word from the delay line store /dle lan stɔ / noun screen, press the DEL key repeatedly. an outdated method of storing serial data Delphi /delfi / a commercial online inas sound or pulses in a delay line, the data formation provider that provides subscribbeing constantly read, regenerated and fed ers with access to its own databases and back into the input access to the Internet delay vector /dle vektə/ noun the delta clock /deltə klɒk/ noun a clock time that a message will take to pass from that provides timing pulses to synchronise one packet switching network node to ana system, and will restart a computer or other circuit, with an interrupt signal, that has delete /dli t/ verb 1. to cut out words in had an error or entered an endless loop or a document 2. to remove text, data or a file faulty state from a storage device 쑗 The word-procesdelta frame /deltə frem/ noun a vidsor allows us to delete the whole file by eo frame that contains only the pixel inforpressing this key. Full form of DEL (NOTE: mation that has changed since the last deletes – deleting – deleted) frame of the sequence, used to save space COMMENT: When you delete a file, you are not when storing video on disk actually erasing it but making its space on disk deflection yokes



delete character



DEFRAG

defragmentation

deletion





deletion record



defragmentation utility

deletion tracking







degauss



delimit



delimited-field file



degausser



degradation



delimiter



dejagging



delivery system

DEL



DEL key

delay line



delay line store



Delphi

delay vector



delta clock

delete



delta frame

Computing.fm Page 99 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

99

delta YUV / deltə wa ju vi / noun delta YUV

full form of DYUV

demagnetise, demagnetize verb to remove stray or unwanted magnetic fields from a disk, tape or recording head (NOTE: demagnetise

demagnetises – demagnetising – demagnetised) demagnetiser, demagnetizer noun a demagnetiser

device which demagnetises a disk, tape or recording head 쑗 He used the demagnetiser to degauss the tape heads.

demand assigned multiple access /d mɑ nd ə sand mltp(ə)l demand assigned multiple access





kses/ noun a means of switching in circuits as and when they are required. Abbr DAMA

demand fetching /dmɑ nd fetʃŋ/ demand fetching



noun a virtual page management system in which the pages are selected as required demand paging /dmɑ nd ped'ŋ/ noun system software that retrieves pages in a virtual memory system from backing store when it is required demand processing /dmɑ nd

prəυsesŋ/ noun the processing of data when it appears, rather than waiting demand protocol architecture /d

mɑ nd prəυtəkɒl ɑ ktektʃə/ noun full form of DPA demand reading/writing /d mɑ nd

ri dŋ ratŋ/ noun a direct data transfer between a processor and storage demand staging /dmɑ nd sted'ŋ/ noun the process of moving files or data from a secondary storage device to a fast access device when required by a database program demarcation / di mɑ keʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of showing the difference between two areas democratic network / deməkrtk netw k/ noun a synchronised network in which each station has equal priority demodulation /di mɒdjuleʃ(ə)n/ noun the recovery of the original signal from a received modulated carrier wave demonstration model / demən streʃ(ə)n mɒd(ə)l/ noun a piece of equipment in a shop, used to show customers how the equipment works demand paging



demand processing



demand protocol architecture



demand reading/writing



demand staging



demarcation



democratic network

demodulation





demonstration model



demonstration demonstration software

software

/ demənstreʃ(ə)n sɒftweə/ noun soft-

ware that shows what an application is like to use and what it can do, without implementing all the functions 쑗 The company gave away demonstration software that

derivation graph lets you do everything except save your data. demultiplex /di mltpleks/ verb to split one channel into the original signals that were combined at source demultiplexor /di mltpleksə/ noun a device that separates out the original multiplexed signals from one channel denial-of-service attack /d naəl əv s vs ə tk/ noun an illegal action in which a great deal of data is sent to a computer system from many sources at the same in an attempt to overload the system and put it out of action dense index /dens ndeks/ noun a database index containing an address or entry for every item or entry in the database dense list /dens lst/ noun a list that has no free space for new records density /densti/ noun the amount of data that can be packed into a space demultiplex



demultiplexor



denial-of-service attack





dense index

dense list

density

‘…diode lasers with shorter wavelengths will make doubling of the bit and track densities possible’ [Byte] COMMENT: Scanner software produces various shades of grey by using different densities or arrangements of black and white dots and/or different size dots.

departmental LAN / di pɑ tment(ə)l ln/ noun a small local network used to connect a group of people that are working in the same department or office and allows the users to share files, printers and other resources. 쒁 LAN, peer-to-peer departmental LAN



network

/dpendənt/ adjective which is variable because of a particular factor 쑗 A process which is dependent on the result of another process. deposit /dpɒzt/ noun a printout of the contents of all or a selected area of memory 쐽 verb to write data into a register or storage location deposition / depəzʃ(ə)n/ noun a process by which a surface of a semiconductor is coated with a thin layer of a substance depth cueing /depθ kju ŋ/ noun (in graphics) a method of changing the hue and colour of an object to reflect its depth in a three-dimensional scene deque / di i kju / noun same as dou-

dependent dependent



deposit



deposition



depth cueing

deque

ble ended queue

derivation graph / derveʃ(ə)n rɑ f/ noun a structure within a global database that provides information on the rules and paths used to reach any element or item of data derivation graph



Computing.fm Page 100 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

derive 100 derive /drav/ verb to come from a Desktop icons / desktɒp akɒnz/ source 쑗 The results are derived from the plural noun icons that are displayed on the raw data. (NOTE: derives – deriving – deDesktop rived) desktop media / desktɒp mi diə/ DES / di i es/ noun a standard develplural noun a combination of presentation oped by the US Government for a high-segraphics, desktop publishing and multimecurity block data cipher system. Full form dia (NOTE: The term was originally used data encryption standard. Compare by Apple.) public key encryption desktop presentations / desktɒp descender /dsendə/ noun a part of a

prez(ə)nteʃ(ə)nz/ plural noun presenprinted letter that is below the line tation graphics, text and charts produced de-scramble /di skrmb(ə)l/ verb to and designed on a desktop personal comreassemble an original message or signal puter from its scrambled form desktop publishing / desktɒp de-scrambler /di skrmblə/ noun a pblʃŋ/ noun full form of DTP device which changes a scrambled mes‘…desktop publishing or the ability to produce highquality publications using a minicomputer, essentialsage back to its original, clear form ly boils down to combining words and images on description list /dskrpʃən lst/ pages’ [Byte] noun a list of data items and their atDesktop taskbar / desktɒp tributes tɑ skbɑ / noun a status bar that is nordescriptor /dskrptə/ noun a code mally displayed along the bottom of the used to identify a filename or program screen in Windows 95 name or to pass code to a file desktop unit / desktɒp ju nt/ noun a deselect / di slekt/ verb to cancel the computer or machine that will fit onto a selection of an option or of data on a menu desk or list on a computer screen desktop video / desktɒp vdiəυ/ design parameters /dzan pə noun full form of DTV

rmtəz/ plural noun specifications for despatch /dsptʃ/ noun another the design of a product spelling of dispatch desk accessory /desk ək sesəri/ despool /di spu l/ verb to print out noun an add-in Apple Mac utility that enspooled files hances the system 쑗 We have installed sevdespotic network /d spɒtk eral desk accessories that help us manage netw k/ noun a network synchronised our fonts. Abbr DA and controlled by one single clock desk check /desk tʃek/ noun a dry run destination address / destneʃ(ə)n of a program ədres/ noun the address of the node to desktop /desktɒp/ adjective able to be which data is being transferred or sent placed on a desk 쐽 noun a GUI workspace destination object / destneʃ(ə)n that is a graphical representation of a realɒbd'ekt/ noun the object or icon onto life desktop, with icons for telephone, diawhich you drop an object in a drag and ry, calculator, filing cabinet drop operation COMMENT: A desktop makes it easier for a new user to operate a computer, since he or she destination page / destneʃ(ə)n does not have to type in commands but inped'/ noun a target page within a hyperstead can point at icons on the desktop using link 쑗 When a user clicks on the active oba mouse. ject in a hyperlink, the software displays Desktop background / desktɒp the destination page. bkraυnd/ noun a pattern or image that is displayed by Windows as a backdrop destructive addition /d strktv ə dʃ(ə)n/ noun an addition operation in desktop computer / desktɒp kəm which the result is stored in the location of pju tə/, desktop computer system one of the operands used in the sum, so / desktɒp kəmpju tə sstəm/ noun a overwriting it small microcomputer system that can be placed on a desk destructive cursor /d strktv Desktop file / desktɒp fal/ noun an k sə/ noun a cursor that erases the text Apple Mac system file used to store inforas it moves over it 쑗 Reading the screen becomes difficult without a destructive mation about all the files on a disk or volcursor. ume, e.g. version, date, size and author derive

Desktop icons



desktop media

DES

desktop presentations

descender





de-scramble

desktop publishing

de-scrambler

description list



Desktop taskbar

descriptor



desktop unit

deselect



desktop video

design parameters





despatch



desk accessory



despool



despotic network



desk check

destination address

desktop



destination object

destination page



Desktop background

destructive addition





desktop computer





destructive cursor



Desktop file

Computing.fm Page 101 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

101 DGIS device, usually a data file, e.g. a WAVE file destructive read /dstrktv ri d/ destructive read



noun a read operation in which the stored data is erased as it is retrieved destructive readout /d strktv ri daυt/ noun full form of DRO detail file /di tel fal/ noun a file containing records that are to be used to update a master file detail paper /di tel pepə/ noun a thin transparent paper used for layouts and tracing detected error /d tektd erə/ noun an error noticed during a program run but not corrected deterministic /d t mnstk/ adjective referring to a result that depends on the initial state and inputs of a process Deutsche Industrienorm / dɔtʃə ndυstri nɔ m/ noun full form of DIN development software /d veləpmənt sɒftweə/ noun a suite of programs that helps a programmer write, edit, compile and debug new software development time /dveləpmənt tam/ noun the amount of time required to develop a new product device /dvas/ noun a small useful machine or piece of equipment destructive readout



detail file

detail paper

detected error



deterministic





Deutsche Industrienorm



development software



development time



device



‘Users in remote locations can share ideas on the Liveboard through the use of a wireless pen-input device and network connections.’ [Computing] 

a location within the memory area that is used by a particular device (NOTE: The

CPU can control the device by placing instructions at this address.) device character control /d vas

krktə kəŋtrəυl/ noun a device condevice character control





trol using various characters or special combinations to instruct the device device code /dvas kəυd/ noun a unique identification and selection code for each peripheral device control character /d vas kəntrəυl krktə/ noun a special code sent in a transmission to a device to instruct it to perform a special function device-dependent /d vas d pendənt/ adjective referring to a software program that will only work on a certain type of computer or with a certain type of device device driver /dvas dravə/ noun same as driver device element /dvas elmənt/ noun data required for an MCI compound device code



device control character





device-dependent



device driver



device element



device flag



device handler



device-independent





device independent bitmap



device manager



and later, right-click on the My Computer icon on the Desktop and click on the Device Manager page tab – you can now see and manage all the devices connected to your computer.) device name /dvas nem/ noun an device name



abbreviation that denotes a port or I/O device, e.g. COM for serial port, PRN for printer port or CON for keyboard and monitor device priority /dvas pra ɒrti/ noun the importance of a peripheral device assigned by the user or central computer which dictates the order in which the CPU will serve an interrupt signal from it 쑗 The master console has a higher device priority than the printers and other terminals. device queue /dvas kju / noun a list of requests from users or programs to use a device device status word /d vas stetəs

w d/ noun full form of DSW 쑗 This routine checks the device status word and will not transmit data if the busy bit is set. devise /dvaz/ verb to plan or build a system 쑗 They devised a cheap method to avoid the problem. (NOTE: devises – dedevice priority

device address /dvas ə dres/ noun device address



that is played back through a sound card device flag /dvas fl/ noun one bit in a device status word, used to show the state of a device device handler /d vas hndlə/ noun same as driver device-independent /d vas nd pendənt/ adjective referring to a programming technique that results in a program that is able to run with any peripheral hardware device independent bitmap /d

vas ndpendənt btmp/ noun full form of DIB 2 device manager /dvas mnd'ə/ noun a piece of software, usually part of the operating system, that lets you change the settings or configure a device such as a printer or monitor (NOTE: In Windows 95







device queue



device status word



devise



vising – devised)

DFD / di ef di / noun a diagram used to DFD

describe the movement of data through a system. Full form data flow diagram DGIS / di d'i a es/ noun a standard graphics interface for video adapters, primarily used with the 340x0 range of graphics chips. Full form direct graphics DGIS

interface standard

Computing.fm Page 102 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

DHCP 102 dialect /daəlekt/ noun a slight variant DHCP / di si etʃ pi / noun an TCP/IP of a standard language 쑗 This manufacturprotocol that is used to assign an Internet er’s dialect of BASIC is a little different to address to workstations and servers that the one I’m used to. are nodes in a network. Full form dynamic host configuration protocol (NOTE: A Dialer /daələ/ a Windows 95 utility special server running DHCP software that, if you have a modem connected to manages the process of assigning adyour PC, will dial telephone numbers for dresses. A client computer can then ask you. Also called Phone Dialer this server for the address of another dial-in modem / daəl n məυdem/ node on the network.) noun an auto-answer modem that can be called at any time to access a system Dhrystone benchmark / drastəυn bentʃmɑ k/ noun a benchmarking sysdial modifier /daəl mɒdfaə/ noun tem developed to try and measure and any one of a set of extra commands sent to compare the performance of computers a Hayes-compatible modem that instruct the modem to use a particular system DIA/DCA / di a e di si e/ noun a when dialling a telephone number. 쒁 AT standard method for the transmission and command set (NOTE: For example, the storage of documents, text and video over command ‘ATDT123’ tells the modem to networks. It is part of the IBM SNA range use tone-dialling to dial the number ‘123’) of standards. Full form document interchange architecture/document condialog box /daəlɒ bɒks/ noun an ontent architecture screen message from a program to the user dialogue /daəlɒ/, dialog noun condiagnose /daənəυz/ verb to find the versation between people, or an instance cause and effect of a fault in hardware or of this an error in software (NOTE: diagnoses – diagnosing – diagnosed) dialup noun an online information service that is accessed by dialling into the diagnosis / daənəυss/ noun the central computer. Also called dial-up process of finding of a fault or discovering service the cause of a fault dial-up access / daəl p kses/ diagnostic aid / daənɒstk ed/ noun a connection to the Internet that is noun a hardware or software device that not permanent but requires a modem or helps to find faults ISDN adapter to dial a telephone access diagnostic chip / daənɒstk tʃp/ number to connect to the Internet, as in noun a chip that contains circuits to carry making a normal telephone call out tests on other circuits or chips dial-up connection / daəl p kə diagnostic error message nekʃ(ə)n/ noun a connection that uses a / daənɒstk erə mesd'/ noun an exstandard telephone line or ISDN link to planatory line of text displayed when an connect a computer to an ISP or another error has been found computer diagnostic message / daənɒstk Dial-up Networking / daəl p mesd'/ noun a message that appears to netw kŋ/ noun the part of the Winexplain the type, location and probable dows operating system that supports and cause of a software error or hardware failmanages a dial-up connection to a remote ure computer diagnostic program / daənɒstk dial-up service / daəl p s vs/ prəυrm/ noun a piece of software that noun same as dialup helps find faults in a computer system diaphragm /daəfrm/ noun a thin diagnostic routine / daənɒstk ru flexible sheet that vibrates in response to ti n/ noun a routine in a program that sound waves to create an electrical signal, helps to find faults in a computer system as in a microphone, or in response to elecdiagnostics / daənɒstks/ plural trical signals to create sound waves, as in a noun functions or tests that help a user find speaker faults in hardware or software DIB / di a bi / noun 1. a bus used when diagnostic test / daənɒstk test/ transferring data from one section of a noun a means of locating faults in hardcomputer to another, as between memory ware and software by testing circuits or and CPU. Full form data input bus 2. a file format for a Windows graphics image programs DHCP

dialect

Dialer

dial-in modem

Dhrystone benchmark

dial modifier

DIA/DCA

dialog box

dialogue

diagnose

dialup

diagnosis



dial-up access

diagnostic aid

diagnostic chip

dial-up connection



diagnostic error message

diagnostic message

Dial-up Networking

diagnostic program

dial-up service

diaphragm

diagnostic routine



diagnostics



DIB

diagnostic test

Computing.fm Page 103 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

103 digital logic that consists of a header, colour table and digital cash / dd't(ə)l kʃ/ noun a bitmap data. Full form device independmethod of paying for goods over the Interent bitmap (NOTE: It can be in 1–, 4–, 8– net (NOTE: There are several payment digital cash

or 24-bit colour resolution.)

dibit /dbt/ noun a digit made up of two dibit

binary bits

search /da kɒtəmazŋ s tʃ/, dichotomizing search noun same as binary search dichroic /dakrəυk/ adjective referring to a chemical coating on the surface of a lens that reflects selectively different colours of light dichroic filter /da krəυk fltə/ noun a filter that allows certain wavelengths of light to pass and reflects back those that are not transmitted dichroic head /da krəυk hed/ noun a coloured light source that is based on adjustable dichroic filters, generally used with rostrum cameras and enlargers dictionary /dkʃən(ə)ri/ noun 1. a data management structure that allows files to be referenced and sorted 2. a part of a spelling checker program consisting of a list of correctly spelt words against which the program checks a text (NOTE: The pludichotomising dichotomising search



dichroic



dichroic filter



dichroic head



dictionary

ral is dictionaries.) 

leʃ(ə)n/ noun full form of DPCM DIF file /df fal/ noun a file in a de facto standard that defines the way a spreadsheet, its formula and data are stored in a file diffusion /dfju '(ə)n/ noun a means of transferring doping materials into an integrated circuit substrate digit /dd't/ noun a symbol or character that represents an integer that is smaller than the radix of the number base used 쑗 a phone number with eight digits or an eight-digit phone number digital /dd't(ə)l/ adjective which represents data or physical quantities in numerical form, especially using a binary system in computer related devices DIF file

diffusion



digit

digital

digital audio tape / dd't(ə)l ɔ diəυ

tep/ noun full form of DAT digital camera / dd't(ə)l km(ə)rə/ noun a camera that uses a bank of CCD units to capture an image and store it digitally onto a miniature disk or in RAM in the camera’s body digital audio tape

digital camera

digital cassette



in a standard size cassette with write protect tabs and a standard format leader digital certificate / dd't(ə)l sə tfkət/ noun 쏡 certificate digital channel / dd't(ə)l tʃn(ə)l/ noun a communications path that can only transmit data as digital signals. 쒁 ADC digital certificate



digital channel

(NOTE: Voice, image or video signals have to be converted from analog to digital form before they can be transmitted over a digital channel.) digital circuit / dd't(ə)l s kt/ noun an electronic circuit that operates on digital circuit

digital information providing logical functions or switching digital clock / dd't(ə)l klɒk/ noun a clock THAT shows the time as a series of digits, e.g. 12:22:04 digital clock

digital

digital compact cassette

differential pulse coded modulation / dfərenʃəl pls kəυdd mɒdjυ differential pulse coded modulation

‘Xerox Parc’s LCD breakthrough promises the digital equivalent of paper, by producing thin, low-cost flat displays with a 600dpi resolution.’ [Computing]

systems that use different models including a new bank account for each customer and an electronic purse that carries electronic tokens paid for by a customer.) digital cassette / dd't(ə)l kəset/ noun a high quality magnetic tape housed

compact

cassette

/ dd't(ə)l kɒmpkt kəset/ noun full form of DCC digital computer / dd't(ə)l kəm pju tə/ noun a computer that processes 

digital computer



data represented in discrete digital form

digital data / dd't(ə)l detə/ noun digital data

data represented in numerical, especially binary, form digital display / dd't(ə)l dsple/ noun a video display unit that can only show a fixed number of colours or shades of grey digital divide / dd't(ə)l dvad/ noun the state of inequality that exists between people who have access to modern information technology and those who do not, since the former have many more opportunities open to them than the latter digital display



digital divide



digital

digital encryption standard

encryption

standard

/ dd't(ə)l n krpʃən stndəd/ noun 

the standard for encrypting private key data, which uses 56-bit encryption digital light processing / dd't(ə)l lat prəυsesŋ/ noun full form of DLP digital logic / dd't(ə)l lɒd'k/ noun the process of applying Boolean algebra to hardware circuits digital light processing

digital logic

Computing.fm Page 104 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

digital monitor 104 digital monitor / dd't(ə)l mɒntə/ digital theatre system / dd't(ə)l noun a monitor that can only show a fixed θətə sstəm/ noun full form of DTS number of colours or shades of grey digital to analog converter digital nonlinear editing / dd't(ə)l / dd't(ə)l tə nəlɒ kənv tə/ noun nɒn lniə edtŋ/ noun same as nonlinefull form of DAC ar video editing digital transmission system digital optical recording / dd't(ə)l / dd't(ə)l trnzmʃ(ə)n sstəm/

ɒptk(ə)l rkɔ dŋ/ noun full form of noun communication achieved by convertDOR ing analog signals to a digital form then modulating and transmitting this and finaldigital output / dd't(ə)l aυtpυt/ ly converting the signal back to analog noun computer output in digital form form at the receiver digital plotter / dd't(ə)l plɒtə/ noun a plotter whose pen position is controllable digital TV / dd't(ə)l ti vi / noun a in discrete steps, so that drawings in the television that can receive and decode telcomputer can be output graphically evision images and audio sent as digital data, then displayed on a standard screen digital read-out / dd't(ə)l ri daυt/ noun data displayed in numerical form, digital versatile disc / dd't(ə)l e.g. numbers on an LCD in a calculator

v sətal dsk/ noun full form of DVD digital representation / dd't(ə)l digital video / dd't(ə)l vdiəυ/ noun

reprzenteʃ(ə)n/ noun data or quantia video recorded in digital form (NOTE: ties represented using digits The output from a video camera is converted to digital form using either a digital digital resolution / dd't(ə)l rezə camera or a frame grabber. The digital lu ʃ(ə)n/ noun the smallest number that output is then usually compressed before can be represented with one digit being processed or transmitted or stored digital signal / dd't(ə)l sn(ə)l/ on videotape.) noun an electrical signal that has only a digital video effects / dd't(ə)l number of possible states, as opposed to an vdiəυ  fekts/ plural noun full form of analog signal, which is continuously variDVE able digital signal level one / dd't(ə)l digital video interactive / dd't(ə)l

sn(ə)l lev(ə)l wn/ noun full form of

vdiəυ ntərktv/ noun full form of digital monitor

digital theatre system

digital to analog converter

digital nonlinear editing





digital transmission system

digital optical recording





digital output

digital plotter

digital TV



digital read-out

digital versatile disc

digital representation

digital video



digital resolution



digital signal

digital video effects



digital signal level one

digital video interactive

DS-1

DV-I



digital signal level zero / dd't(ə)l

sn(ə)l lev(ə)l zərəυ/ noun full form of DS-0 digital signalling / dd't(ə)l snəlŋ/ noun control and dialling codes sent down a telephone line in digital form digital signal level zero

digital signalling

digital

digital signal processing

signal

processing

/ dd't(ə)l sn(ə)l prəυsesŋ/ noun full form of DSP digital signature / dd't(ə)l snətʃə/ noun a unique identification digital signature

code sent by a terminal or device in digital form digital speech / dd't(ə)l spi tʃ/ noun 쏡 speech synthesis digital subscriber line / dd't(ə)l səbskrabə lan/ noun full form of DSL digital switching / dd't(ə)l swtʃŋ/ noun the process of operating communications connections and switches only by use of digital signals digital system / dd't(ə)l sstəm/ noun a system that deals with digital signals digital speech

digital subscriber line



digital switching

digital system

digital wallet / dd't(ə)l wɒlt/ noun digital wallet

a feature of web browsers that contains a unique personal digital signature and allows the user to pay for goods at online shops in many different ways, including credit card or digital cash (NOTE: A digital wallet makes it simpler and more secure to buy goods from online shops.) digitise /dd' taz/, digitize verb to digitise



change analog movement or signals into a digital form that can be processed by computers 쑗 We can digitise your signature to allow it to be printed with any laser printer. (NOTE: digitises – digitising – digitised) ‘The contract covers fibre optic cable and Synchronous Digital Hierarchy transmission equipment to be used to digitize the telecommunications network.’ [Computergram]

digitised photograph / dd' tazd digitised photograph



fəυtərɑ f/, digitized photograph noun an image or photograph that has been scanned to produce an analog signal which is then converted to digital form and stored or displayed on a computer digitiser, digitizer noun same as ADC 

digitiser

Computing.fm Page 105 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

105 directed scan ture, store and index printed text in a digitdigitising pad /dd'tazŋ pd/, al form digitising tablet, digitizing pad, digitizing tablet noun a sensitive surface that DIP switch /dp swtʃ/ noun a small translates the position of a pen into numerbank of switches that are used to configure ical form, so that drawings can be entered a device. Full form dual-in-line package into a computer switch digit place /dd't ples/, digit posiDIR / di a ɑ / noun a MS-DOS system tion noun the position of a digit within a command that displays a list of files stored number on a disk. Full form directory direct /darekt/ adjective, adverb DIL / di a el/ noun full form dual-instraight line package. same as DIP direct access / darekt kses/ noun DIM / di a em/ noun software that alstorage and retrieval of data without the lows a user to capture, store and index need to read other data first printed text in a digital form. Full form document image management (NOTE: direct access storage device /da It usually works in conjunction with a

rekt kses stɔ rd' d vas/ noun full scanner and a storage medium such as form of DASD a recordable CD-ROM.) direct addressing / darekt ədresŋ/ noun a method of addressing in which the dimension /damenʃən/ noun a measstorage location address given in the inurement of size 쑗 The dimensions of the struction is the location to be used computer are small enough for it to fit into a case. direct cable connection / darekt keb(ə)l kə neks(ə)n/ noun a utility supdimensioning /damenʃənŋ/ noun plied with Windows 95 that allows you to the definition of the size of something, eslink two computers together using a serial pecially an array or matrix 쑗 Array dimencable plugged into each serial port sioning occurs at this line. direct change-over /darekt diminished radix complement /d tʃend'/ noun the process of switching

mnʃt redks kɒmpleks/ noun a from one computer to another in one go number representation in which each digit of the number is subtracted from one less direct code /darekt kəυd/ noun a bithan the radix. 쒁 one’s complement, nary code which directly operates the cennine’s complement tral processing unit, using only absolute addresses and values (NOTE: This is the fiDIMM / di a em em/ noun a system of nal form of a program after a compiler or arranging RAM memory chips on two assembler pass.) sides of a tiny expansion card that can be direct coding /darekt kɒdŋ/ noun inserted into a slot on the computer’s program instructions written in absolute motherboard to upgrade the main memory code 쑗 DIMM cards are used to expand the memory in high-performance computers. direct connect / darekt kənekt/ adFull form dual in-line memory module jective referring to a modem which plugs straight into the standard square telephone DIN / di a en/ noun a German industry socket standards organisation known particularly for specifications for plugs and sockets. direct connection /da rekt kə Full form Deutsche Industrienorm nekʃən/ noun a fast permanent connection linking a computer or system to a netDingbat /dŋbt/ noun a font that conwork such as the Internet tains stars, bullets, symbols, images and direct current /d rekt krənt/ noun a drawings in place of characters 쑗 To insert constant value electric current that flows in a copyright symbol, use the Dingbat font. one direction. Abbr DC diode /daəυd/ noun an electronic comdirect data entry /da rekt detə ponent that allows an electrical current to entri/ noun full form of DDE 1 pass in one direction and not the other direct digital control /da rekt DIP / di a pi / noun 1. a standard layout

dd't(ə)l kəntrəυl/ noun full form of for integrated circuit packages using two DDC parallel rows of connecting pins along directed scan /darektd skn/ noun each side. Full form dual-in-line package 2. software that allows a user to capa file or array search method in which a digitising pad

DIP switch

digit place

DIR

DIL

direct



direct access

DIM

direct access storage device





direct addressing



dimension



direct cable connection

dimensioning





direct change-over

diminished radix complement





direct code



DIMM

direct coding



direct connect



DIN

direct connection





Dingbat

direct current



diode

direct data entry



DIP

direct digital control





directed scan



Computing.fm Page 106 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

direct image 106 form DIR (NOTE: The plural is directostarting point and a direction of scan is ries.) provided, either up or down from the starting point, an address or record number COMMENT: A directory is best imagined as a folder within a drawer of a filing cabinet: the direct graphics interface standard folder can contain files or other folders. /da rekt rfks ntəfes stndəd/ directory services /darekt(ə)ri noun full form of DGIS

s vsz/ noun a method of listing all the direct image / darekt md'/ noun an users and resources linked to a network in image that is composed directly onto the a simple and easy-to-access way so that a screen rather than being composed off user can locate another user by name rathscreen in memory before it is displayed er than by a complex network address 쑗 direct information access netWith directory services installed, it’s much work for Europe /da rekt easier for our users to find and connect to

nfəmeʃ(ə)n kses netw k fə the shared printers. jυərəp/ noun a package of services ofdirectory synchronisation /da fered over the Euronet network. Abbr DI rekt(ə)ri sŋkrənazeʃ(ə)n/ noun a ANE way of ensuring that the files stored in similar directories on two computers contain direct-insert routine / darekt n the same, up-to-date information s t ru ti n/ noun a routine which can be directly copied into a larger routine or prodirectory website /də rekt(ə)ri gram without the need for a call instrucwebsat/ noun a website that contains a tion list of other websites, usually organised into sections and often with a search feadirect instruction / darekt n ture (NOTE: Yahoo! (www.yahoo.com) is strkʃən/ noun a program command that one of the best-known directories and contains an operand and the code for the lists over half a million websites.) operation to be carried out direct page register /da rekt ped' directive /darektv/ noun a program red'stə/ noun a register that provides ming instruction used to control the lanmemory page access data when a CPU is guage translator or compiler carrying out a direct memory access, to al‘…directives are very useful for selecting parts of low access to any part of memory the code for particular purposes’ [Personal Computer World] direct reference address / darekt directive statement /da rektv

ref(ə)rəns ədres/ noun a virtual address stetmənt/ noun a program instruction that can only be altered by indexing used to control the language translator or DirectSound / darektsaυnd/ a trade compiler name for a standard within Microsoft Windirect memory access /da rekt dows for a programming interface used to mem(ə)ri kses/ noun full form of allow games software to control sound DMA 쑗 direct memory access transfer behardware tween the main memory and the second direct transfer / darekt trnsf / processor noun a bit-for-bit copy of the contents of one register into another register, includdirect memory access channel ing any status bits /da rekt mem(ə)ri kses tʃn(ə)l/ noun a high-speed data transfer link dirty bit /d ti bt/ noun a flag bit set by memory-resident programs to indicate that direct mode /darekt məυd/ noun the they have already been loaded into main process of typing in a command which is memory executed once carriage return has been pressed disable interrupt /ds eb(ə)l ntərpt/ noun a command to the CPU to Director /darektə/ a trade name for ignore any interrupt signals multimedia authoring software developed disarm /dsɑ m/ verb to prevent an inby Macromedia that uses a grid to allow a terrupt having any effect user to control elements over time disarmed state /dsɑ md stet/ noun directory /darekt(ə)ri/ noun 1. a the state of an interrupt that has been disamethod of organising the files stored on a bled and cannot accept a signal disk, into groups of files or further sub-didisassemble / dsəsemb(ə)l/ verb to rectories 쑗 The disk directory shows file name, date and time of creation. 2. full translate machine code instructions back direct image



directory services



direct image

direct information access network for Europe



directory synchronisation





direct-insert routine





directory website



direct instruction



direct page register

directive





direct reference address

directive statement





DirectSound



direct memory access



direct transfer

direct memory access channel



dirty bit

direct mode



disable interrupt



Director



disarm



disarmed state

directory





disassemble



Computing.fm Page 107 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

into

assembly

107 mnemonics

language

(NOTE: disassembles – disassembling – disassembled) disassembler / dsəsemblə/ noun a disassembler



piece of software that translates a machine code program back into an assembly language form disaster dump /dzɑ stə dmp/ noun a program and data dump just before or caused by a fatal error or system crash disc /dsk/ noun a disc refers only to compact disc, magnetic media uses the spelling ‘disk.’ Another spelling of disk disaster dump



disc

(NOTE: used only in the context of the compact disc and videodisc. Magnetic media use the spelling disk.) disconnect / dskənekt/ verb to undisconnect



plug or break a connection between two devices 쑗 Do not forget to disconnect the cable before moving the printer. discrete /dskri t/ adjective referring to values, events, energy or datawhich occur in small individual units 쑗 The data word is made up of discrete bits. discrete cosine transform /d skri t kəυsan trns fɔ m/ noun an algorithm used to encode and compress images. Abbr DCT discrete multi-tone /d skri t mlti

təυn/ noun full form of DMT discrimination instruction /d

skrm neʃ(ə)n nstrkʃən/ noun a conditional program instruction that directs control by providing the location of the next instruction to be executed, if a condition is met discussion group /dskʃ(ə)n ru p/ noun a feature of a website that lets any visitor write and post a message on a particular subject, which is displayed to any other visitors, who can then add their comments in reply to the message disjunction /dsd'ŋkʃ(ə)n/ noun a logical function that produces a true output if any input is true disjunctive search /ds d'nktv s tʃ/ noun a search for data items that match at least one of a number of keys disk /dsk/ noun a flat circular plate coated with a substance that is capable of being magnetised. Data is stored on this by magnetising selective sections to represent binary digits. (NOTE: The alternative spelldiscrete



discrete cosine transform





discrete multi-tone



discrimination instruction







discussion group



disjunction



disjunctive search



disk

ing disc is used only in the context of the compact disc and videodisc.)

disk doctor COMMENT:

The disk surface is divided into tracks that can be accessed individually; magnetic tapes cannot be accessed in this way.

disk access /dsk kses/ noun the set disk access

of operations required to read from or write to a magnetic disk, including device selection, sector and track address, movement of read/write head to the correct location and access the location on disk disk access management / dsk

kses mnd'mənt/ noun the process of regulating the users who can access stored data disk-based /dsk besd/ adjective referring to an operating system held on floppy or hard disk disk cache /dsk kʃ/ noun a high speed section of memory that is used to temporarily store frequently used data that has been read from the disk (NOTE: The disk access management

disk-based

disk cache

computer checks the cache to see if the data is there before it accesses the (much slower) disk and by using special controller software, this system can dramatically improve apparent disk performance.) disk cartridge /dsk kɑ trd'/ noun a disk cartridge

protective case containing a removable hard disk disk compression /dsk kəm preʃ(ə)n/ noun a method of increasing the apparent capacity of a disk to store data by using a special piece of software that compresses the data as it is being saved to disk and then decompresses the data when it is read back disk compression software / dsk kəmpreʃ(ə)n sɒftweə/ noun a resident software that compresses data as it is written to disk and decompresses it as it is read back disk controller /dsk kəntrəυlə/ noun an IC or set of circuits used to translate a request for data by the CPU into control signals for the disk drive, including motor control and access arm movement disk-controller card /dsk kən

trəυlə kɑ d/ noun an add-on card that contains all the electronics and connectors to interface a disk drive to a CPU disk crash /dsk krʃ/ noun a fault caused by the read/write head touching the surface of the disk disk doctor /dsk dɒktə/ noun a utility that can sometimes repair corrupted data stored on a disk disk compression



disk compression software



disk controller



disk-controller card



disk crash

disk doctor

Computing.fm Page 108 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

disk drive 108 disk storage /dsk stɔ rd'/ noun the disk drive /dsk drav/ noun a device process of using disks as a backing store that spins a magnetic disk and controls the position of the read/write head. Also disk tools /dsk tu lz/ plural noun softcalled disk unit ware programs that help monitor the performance of a disk drive, maintain it and disk duplexing /dsk dju pleksŋ/ ensure that it is storing data efficiently noun same as disk mirroring disk track /dsk trk/ noun one of a diskette /dsket/ noun a light, flexible series of thin concentric rings on a magdisk that can store data in a magnetic form, netic disk, which the read/write head acused in most personal computers cesses and along which data is stored in disk file /dsk fal/ noun a number of separate sectors related records or data items stored under disk unit /dsk ju nt/ noun same as one name on disk disk drive disk formatting /dsk fɔ mtŋ/ disorderly close-down /dsɔ dəli noun the initial setting up of a blank disk kləυs/ noun a system crash that did not with track and sector markers and other provide enough warning to carry out an orcontrol information derly close-down disk head /dsk hed/ noun a head dispatch /dsptʃ/, despatch /d which reads or writes on a floppy disk sptʃ/ noun the action of sending matedisk index holes / dsk ndeks rial, information or messages to a location

həυlz/ plural noun holes around the hub dispersion /dsp ʃ(ə)n/ noun a logiof a disk that provide rotational informacal function whose output is false if all intion to a disk controller, or a number of puts are true, and true if any input is false holes providing sector location indicators displacement /dsplesmənt/ noun on a hard-sectored disk an offset used in an indexed address diskless /dskləs/ adjective referring to display /dsple/ noun a device on a workstation which does not have any which information or images can be predisk drives for data storage sented visually disk map /dsk mp/ noun a display of display adapter /dsple ə dptə/ the organisation of data on a disk noun a device which allows information in disk memory /dsk mem(ə)ri/ noun a computer to be displayed on a CRT, inmemory held on disk terfacing with both the computer and CRT disk mirroring /dsk mrərŋ/ noun a display attribute /dsple trbju t/ data protection system in which all or part noun a variable which defines the shape, of a hard disk is duplicated onto another, size or colour of text or graphics displayed separate, disk drive. Also called disk dudisplay character /dsple krktə/ plexing (NOTE: Any changes made to the noun a graphical symbol which appears as a data on the original drive are duplicated a printed or displayed item, e.g. one of the on the mirrored drive.) letters of the alphabet or a number disk operating system / dsk display character generator /d ɒpəretŋ sstəm/ noun full form of sple krktə d'enəretə/ noun ROM DOS that provides the display circuits with a disk pack /dsk pk/ noun a number of pattern of dots which form the character disks on a single hub, each with its own display colour /dsple klə/ noun read/write head the colour of characters in a videotext disdisk partition /dsk pɑ tʃ(ə)n/ noun play system 쏡 partition display controller /dsple kən

trəυlə/ noun a device that accepts characdisk sector /dsk sektə/ noun the ter or graphics codes and instructions, and smallest area on a magnetic disk that can converts them into dot-matrix patterns that be addressed by a computer are displayed on a screen disk sector formatting / dsk sektə display cycle /dsple sak(ə)l/ noun fɔ mtŋ/ noun the process of dividing a the set of operations required to display an disk into a series of addressable sectors image on screen (NOTE: A table of their addresses is also formed, allowing each sector to be acdisplay element /dsple elmənt/ cessed.) noun 1. (in graphics) a basic graphic comdisk drive

disk storage

disk tools

disk duplexing

disk track

diskette



disk file

disk unit

disk formatting

disorderly close-down



disk head

dispatch





disk index holes

dispersion



displacement



diskless

display



disk map

display adapter





disk memory

disk mirroring

display attribute



display character



disk operating system

display character generator



disk pack

display colour



disk partition



display controller



disk sector

disk sector formatting

display cycle



display element





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109 distributed processor tion about the different routes over a wide ponent such as a background, foreground, area network that can be used by a router text or graphics image 2. (in computer to find the shortest and fastest route to send graphics) any component of an image information display format /dsple fɔ mt/ noun the number of characters that can be distort /dstɔ t/ verb to introduce undisplayed on a screen, given as row and wanted differences between a signal input column lengths and output from a device display highlights /dsple halats/ distortion /dstɔ ʃ(ə)n/ noun unwantplural noun emphasis of certain words or ed differences in a signal before and after paragraphs by changing character display it has passed through a piece of equipment colour distribute /dstrbju t/ verb to send display line /dsple lan/ noun a horiout data or information to users in a netzontal printing position for characters in a work or system (NOTE: distributes – disline of text tributing – distributed) display mode /dsple məυd/ noun a distributed adaptive routing /d way of referring to the character set to be

strbjυtd ə dptv ru tŋ/ noun the used, usually graphics or alphanumerics process of directing messages in a packet network switching system by an exchange Display PostScript /d sple of information between nodes pəυstskrpt/ a trade name for an extension of PostScript that allows PostScript distributed component object commands to be interpreted and displayed model /d strbjυtd kəm pəυnənt on screen so that a user can see exactly ɒbd'ekt mɒd(ə)l/ noun full form of what will appear on the printout DCOM display processor /dsple distributed database system /d

prəυsesə/ noun a processor that changes

strbjυtd detəbes sstəm/ noun a data to a format suitable for a display condatabase system in which the data is stored troller on several different computers but can be display register /dsple red'stə/ searched as if it is one single location noun a register that contains character, distributed data processing /d control or graphical data that is to be dis strbjυtd detə prəυsesŋ/ noun full played form of DDP display resolution /d sple rezə distributed file system /d lu ʃ(ə)n/ noun the number of pixels per

strbjυtd fal sstəm/ noun a system unit area that a display can clearly show that uses files stored in more than one lodisplay screen /dsple skri n/ noun cation or backing store but processed at a the physical part of a VDU, terminal or central point monitor, which allows the user to see chardistributed intelligence /d acters or graphics (NOTE: It is usually a

strbjυtd nteld'(ə)ns/ noun a decencathode ray tube, but sometimes LCD or tralised system in which a number of small LED displays are used.) micros or mini-computers carry out a set display scrolling /dsple skrəυlŋ/ of fixed tasks, rather than one large comnoun the movement of a screenful of inputer formation up or down one line or pixel at a distributed network /d strbjυtd time netw k/ noun a network in which each display space /dsple spes/ noun node can operate as a server storing files or memory or the amount of screen available working as a print server to show graphics or text distributed processing /d display unit /dsple ju nt/ noun a

strbjυtd prəυsesŋ/ noun a technique computer terminal or piece of equipment to enable processors or computers to share that is capable of showing data or informatasks amongst themselves most effectivetion, usually by means of CRT ly, in which each processor completes allocated sub-tasks independently and the dissolve /dzɒlv/ noun a special effect results are then recombined that is used in presentation graphics software or multimedia to fade out one image distributed processor /d strbjυtd and fade in the next prəυsesə/ noun a computer system using distance vector protocols / dstəns many small computers at different workvektə prəυtəkɒlz/ plural noun informastations instead of one central computer display format



distort



display highlights

distortion





distribute



display line



display mode

distributed adaptive routing







Display PostScript



distributed component object model



display processor



distributed database system





display register



distributed data processing



display resolution

distributed file system







display screen



distributed intelligence





display scrolling



distributed network



display space



distributed processing



display unit



dissolve



distributed processor



distance vector protocols

Computing.fm Page 110 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

distributed system 110 bus during clock cycles when it performs distributed system /d strbjυtd internal or NOP instructions sstəm/ noun a computer system which uses more than one processor in different DML abbr data manipulation language locations, all connected to a central comDMS abbr data management system puter DMT / di em ti / noun technology that distribution / dstrbju ʃ(ə)n/ noun uses digital signal processors to create the act of sending information out, espesound signals that carry digital video, cially via a network sound, image and data over cable at high distribution network / dstr speed. Full form discrete multi-tone bju ʃ(ə)n netw k/ noun 쏡 LAN, WAN DNS / di en es/ noun a distributed datadither /dðə/ verb to create a curve or base used in an Internet system to map line that looks smoother by adding shaded names to addresses. Full form domain pixels beside the pixels that make up the name system (NOTE: For example, you image can use the name ’www.bloomsbury.com’ to locate the dithered colour / dðəd klə/ noun a Bloomsbury Publishing website rather colour that is made up of a pattern of difthan a complex network address (called ferent coloured pixels the IP address).) divide /dvad/ verb to find out how dock /dɒk/ verb to connect a laptop commany times one number can be contained puter to a special docking station on a desk in another number 쑗 Twenty-one divided to give it the same resources as a normal by three is seven. desktop dividend /dvdend/ noun an operand docking station1 /dɒkŋ steʃ(ə)n/ that is divided by a divisor in a division opnoun a piece of hardware with an opening eration into which a portable computer can be inCOMMENT: The dividend is divided by the divisor to form the quotient and a remainder. serted when it is recharged or used in exdivision /dv'(ə)n/ noun the act of dipanded operations viding numbers docking station2 /dɒkŋ steʃ(ə)n/, docking unit /dɒkŋ ju nt/ noun a divisor /dvazə/ noun an operand used special base unit that allows a laptop comto divide a dividend in a division operation puter to be inserted into it and provide the DL abbr download same resources as a normal desktop, e.g. DLL / di el el/ noun a library of utility mains power, a network adapter, connecprograms that can be called from a main tion to a full-size monitor and extra expanprogram. Full form dynamic link library sion ports DLL file / di el el fal/ noun a file condocument noun /dɒkjυmənt/ a file taining a library of routines that can be containing text created with a word-procused by another program essor 쐽 verb /dɒkjυ ment/ to write a deDLP / di el pi / noun a method of proscription of a process jecting an image using an electronic chip document assembly /dɒkjυmənt ə that contains thousands of tiny mirrors.

sembli/ noun the process of creating a Full form digital light processing new file by combining two or more secDMA / di em e/ noun a direct rapid link tions or complete documents. Also called between a peripheral and a computer’s document merge main memory, which avoids accessing documentation / dɒkjυmenteʃ(ə)n/ routines for each item of data read. Full noun the set of information, notes and diform direct memory access agrams that describe the function, use and ‘A 32-bit DMA controller, 16-bit video I/O ports and operation of a piece of hardware or softI/O filters complete the chip.’ [Computing] ware DMA controller / di em e kən document content architecture

trəυlə/ noun an interface IC that controls / dɒkjυmənt kɒntent ɑ ktektʃə/ high-speed data transfer between a highnoun full form of DCA speed peripheral and main memory, and will usually also halt or cycle steal from document image management the CPU / dɒkjυmənt md' mnd'mənt/ noun full form of DIM DMA cycle stealing / di em e document image processing sak(ə)l sti lŋ/ noun a CPU allowing / dɒkjυmənt md' prəυsesŋ/ noun the DMA controller to send data over the distributed system



DML

DMS

DMT

distribution



distribution network



DNS

dither

dithered colour

divide



dock

dividend

docking station

division



docking station

divisor



DL

DLL

DLL file

document

DLP



document assembly



DMA

documentation



DMA controller



document content architecture

document image management

DMA cycle stealing

document image processing

Computing.fm Page 111 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

111 dongle scape web browsers use different DOM specthe process of scanning paper documents, ifications. performing OCR on the contents and stordomain /dəυmen/ noun an area or ing this on disk so that it can be searched group of nodes in a network 왍 in the pubfor. Abbr DIP lic domain (information or program) document interchange architecwhich belongs to and is available to the ture/document content architecpublic ture / dɒkjυmənt ntətʃend' ɑ k tektʃə

dɒkjυmənt kɒntent domain name /dəυmen nem/ noun

ɑ ktektʃə/ noun full form of DIA/DCA a unique name that identifies the location of an Internet server or computer on the Indocument merge /dɒkjυmənt ternet m d'/ noun same as document assemdomain



document merge

domain name



document merge

bly

document document object model

object

model

/ dɒkjυmənt ɒbd'ekt mɒd(ə)l/ noun full form of DOM document processing / dɒkjυmənt prəυsesŋ/ noun the processing of docudocument processing

ments, e.g. invoices, by a computer document reader /dɒkjυmənt

ri də/ noun a device which converts written or typed information to a form that a computer can understand and process document recovery / dɒkjυmənt r kv(ə)ri/ noun a program which allows a document which has been accidentally deleted to be recovered DoIby /dɒlbi/ a research laboratory that provides ways to improve the quality of recorded sound Dolby AC-3 / dɒlbi e esi θri / an algorithm used to provide sound-sound effects (NOTE: This system has been adoptdocument reader

document recovery



DoIby

Dolby AC-3

ed by computer and entertainment industries as a standard for audio on movies and digital recordings.) Dolby Digital / dɒlbi dd't(ə)l/ a Dolby Digital

trade name for a multichannel audio compression and transmission system that uses 5.1 channels Dolby system /dɒlbi sstəm/ a trade name for a system for reducing background noise for recordings dollar sign /dɒlə san/ noun a printed or written character ($) used in some programming languages to identify a variable as a string type DOM / di əυ em/ noun a scheme that describes how the different parts of a webpage, the text, images and hyperlinks, are represented. Full form document object Dolby system™

dollar sign

DOM

model COMMENT:

Each item is an object and has a set of attributes that defines how it is displayed and managed by a web browser. Dynamic HTML (DHTML) uses DOM to change how a webpage is displayed by a user’s web browser – currently, the Microsoft and Net-

COMMENT: The domain name ’bloomsbury.com’ is registered to the Bloomsbury Publishing website. The domain name is in a convenient text format, but refers to a physical address that locates the computer that stores the website for the domain name. This physical address is called the IP address and is in the format ’194.33.322.22’ – the domain name system (DNS) is used to translate the domain name into its correct IP address. The domain name is made up of two or three parts, separated by a ’dot’. There are some global thematic suffixes such as .com (company) and .net (network) which are not restricted by country. For example, ’bloomsbury.com’ has the company name ’bloomsbury’ followed by the domain type ’com’ (for company). There are also country suffixes such as ’.au’ for Australia, ’.cn’ for China, ’.uk’ for the UK and ’.de’ for Germany, within which each country can have its own private system of domain names. Some of these might look the same as the global thematic suffixes (.net.uk, .org.uk, etc.), but are restricted to the UK, e.g. co.uk, .nhs.uk, .plc.uk and .ltd.uk.

domain name registration /dəυ domain name registration



men nem red'streʃ(ə)n/ noun the registration of a domain name with the relevant local registration office. 쒁 DNS, IP 

address COMMENT: Before you can use a domain name, you must check that it is available and then fill in an application form with your country’s local registration office (your ISP will also be able to help). Domain name management is centred in the USA at the InterNIC organisation; you can also register a domain name directly with the InterNIC using its online order form (www.internic.net). Once the domain name has been approved, it will be assigned a unique IP address that will be used by your ISP to modify the DNS to allow your website to be located by other users.

domain name server /dəυ men nem s və/ noun a computer on the Internet that stores part or all of the domain name system database domain name system /dəυmen nem sstəm/ noun full form of DNS dongle /dɒŋl/ noun a coded circuit or chip that has to be present in a system before a piece of copyright software will run domain name server



domain name system



dongle

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do-nothing instruction 112 dot prompt /dɒt prɒmpt/ noun (in do-nothing instruction / dəυ nθŋ dBASE programming language) a comn strkʃən/ noun a programming inmand prompt displayed as a single dot on struction that does not carry out any action screen other than increasing the program counter to the next instruction address dots per inch / dɒtz p r ntʃ/ plural noun a standard method used to describe dopant /dəυpənt/ noun a chemical subthe resolution capabilities of a page printer stance that is diffused or implanted onto or scanner 쑗 Some laser printers offer the substrate of a chip during manufacture, high resolution printing: 400 dots per to provide it with n- or p-type properties inch. Abbr dpi, d.p.i. dope /dəυp/ verb to introduce a dopant dotted-decimal-notation / dɒtd into a substance (NOTE: dopes – doping – desm(ə)l/ noun a method of writing a doped) domain name, email address or other IP doped /dəυpt/ adjective referring to a network address using a decimal point, or chip which has had a dopant added full stop, to separate the numeric parts of DOR / di əυ ɑ / noun the recording of the address (NOTE: For example signals in binary form as small holes in the ‘www.bloomsbury.com’ is the domain surface of an optical or compact disk name that can be written in dotted-deciwhich can then be read by laser. Full form mal-notation as ‘133.223.33.22’) do-nothing instruction

dot prompt



dots per inch

dopant

dope

dotted-decimal-notation

doped

DOR

digital optical recording DOS /dɒs/ noun a section of the operatDOS

ing system software, that controls the disk and file access. Full form disk operating

system

double buffering / db(ə)l bfərŋ/ double buffering

noun the use of two buffers together so that one can be read while the other is accepting data double-click / db(ə)l klk/ noun two rapid press-release actions on a mouse button; normally to start a program or select an option double data rate memory / db(ə)l

detə ret mem(ə)ri/ noun full form of double-click

DOS prompt /dɒs prɒmpt/ noun an DOS prompt

indicator that shows that DOS is ready to accept a command typed in at the keyboard dot address /dɒt ə dres/ noun the common method of writing Internet addresses in the form of symbols, A.B.C.D., where each letter represents one byte of a four-byte address dot addressable /dɒt ə dresəb(ə)l/ adjective referring to a display adapter that allows software to control each pixel on the display dot command /dɒt kəmɑ nd/ noun a method of writing instructions with a full stop followed by the command, used mainly for embedded commands in wordprocessor systems dot matrix / dɒt metrks/ noun a method of forming characters by use of dots inside a rectangular matrix dot-matrix printer / dɒt metrks

prntə/ noun a printer in which the characters are made up by a series of closely spaced dots (NOTE: The printer produces dot address



dot addressable



dot command



dot matrix

dot-matrix printer

a page line by line. Dot-matrix printers can be used either for printing using a ribbon or for thermal or electrostatic printing.) dot pitch /dɒt ptʃ/ noun the spacing dot pitch

between two adjacent pixels displayed on a monitor 쑗 The smaller the dot pitch, the sharper the image displayed.

double data rate memory

DDR memory

double density / db(ə)l densəti/ double density

noun a system to double the storage capacity of a disk drive by doubling the number of bits which can be put on the disk surface. Abbr DD double density disk / db(ə)l

densti dsk/ noun a disk that can store two bits of data per unit area, compared to a standard disk double ended queue / db(ə)l

endd kju / noun a queue in which new items can be added to either end. Also called deque double density disk

double ended queue

double double frequency scanning

frequency

scanning

/ db(ə)l fri kwənsi sknŋ/ noun (in CD-i) method of doubling the vertical res-

olution of a monitor by scanning at twice the normal rate double-length arithmetic / db(ə)l

leŋθ ərθmətk/ noun the use of two data words to store a number, providing greater precision. Also called doubledouble-length arithmetic



precision arithmetic

precision / db(ə)l pr s'(ə)n/ noun the process of using two data words to store a number, providing greater precision double double precision



Computing.fm Page 113 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

113 drag and click arithmetic downsize /daυnsaz/ verb to move a

double-precision double-precision arithmetic

downsize

/ db(ə)l pr s'(ə)n ərθmətk/ noun same as double-length arithmetic double-precision integer / db(ə)l pr s'(ə)n ntd'ə/ noun a unit of two 



double-precision integer



computer words used to store an integer double-sided disk / db(ə)l sadd dsk/ noun a disk which can store information on both sides double-sided disk drive / db(ə)l

sadd dsk drav/ noun a disk drive which can access data on double-sided disks double-sided disk

double-sided disk drive

double-sided printed circuit board / db(ə)l sadd prntd s kt double-sided printed circuit board

bɔ d/ noun a circuit board with conducting tracks on both sides DoubleSpace / db(ə)lspes/ software program that is part of MS-DOS 6 and is used to provide disk compression double speed / db(ə)l spi d/ noun the high speed at which a CD-ROM disc is spun by a drive, normally 460 rpm double-speed drive / db(ə)l spi d drav/ noun a CD-ROM drive that spins the disc at twice the speed of a normal drive double strike /db(ə)l strak/ noun the process of printing a character twice in order to make it appear bolder doublet /dblət/ noun a word made up of two bits. Also called dyad double word /db(ə)l w d/ noun a unit of two bytes of data handled as one word, often used for address data down /daυn/ adjective, adverb referring to computers or programs that are temporarily not working 쑗 The computer system went down twice during the afternoon. Opposite up download / daυnləυd/ verb 1. to load a program or section of data from a remote computer via a telephone line 쑗 There is no charge for downloading public domain software from the BBS. Opposite upload 2. to load data from a CPU to a small computer. Opposite upload 3. to send printer font data stored on a disk to a printer, where it will be stored in temporary memory or RAM DoubleSpace



double speed

double-speed drive

double strike

doublet

double word

company from a computer system based around a central mainframe computer to a networked environment, usually using PCs as workstations, in which the workstations are intelligent 쑗 Downsizing is more cost effective and gives more processing power to the end-user. (NOTE: downsizes –

downsizing – downsized) downstream /daυnstri m/ noun the downstream

transmission of data on a network away from a central distribution point downtime /daυntam/, down time noun a period of time during which a computer system is not working or usable. Opposite uptime downward compatibility / daυnwəd kəm ptəblti/ noun the ability of a complex computer system to work with a simple computer dp, DP abbr data processing DPA / di pi e/ noun a technique of loading protocol stacks in memory only if they are required for a particular session. Full form demand protocol architecdowntime

downward compatibility



dp

DPA

ture

DPCM / di pi si em/ noun a method of DPCM

encoding an analog signal into a digital form in which the value recorded is equal to the difference between the current and previous samples. Full form differential pulse coded modulation d.p.i. / di pi a/, dpi abbr dots per inch d.p.i.

쑗 a 300 d.p.i. black and white A4 monitor COMMENT: 300 d.p.i. is the normal industry standard for a laser printer.

down

download



‘The cards will also download the latest version of the network drivers from the server.’ [Computing]

downloadable font / daυnləυdəb(ə)l fɒnt/ noun a font or typeface which is stored on a disk and can be downloaded to a printer and stored in temporary memory. Also called resident font downloadable font



DPM abbr data processing manager draft printing /drɑ ft prntŋ/ noun DPM

draft printing

low quality, high speed printing draft quality /drɑ ft kwɒlti/ noun the state of a printed output that is formatted and readable but might not have all the illustrations in place or uses ragged typeface, which are both faster to print drag /dr/ verb to move a mouse while holding the button down, so moving an image or icon on screen 쑗 You can enlarge a frame by clicking inside its border and dragging to the position wanted. (NOTE: draft quality

drag

dragging – dragged) ‘…press the mouse button and drag the mouse: this produces a dotted rectangle on the screen; you can easily enlarge the frame by dragging from any of the eight black rectangles round the border, showing that it is selected’ [Desktop Publishing]

drag and click / dr ən klk/ verb to hold down a mouse button while moving the mouse, so moving the object selected drag and click

Computing.fm Page 114 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

drag and drop 114 or sometimes to a transceiver or T-connecdrag and drop / dr ən drɒp/ verb tor in the main network cable to drag a section of text or icon or object onto another program icon which starts drop dead halt / drɒp ded hɔ lt/ noun this program and inserts the data 쑗 Drag a program instruction from the user or an and drop the document icon onto the worderror that causes the program to stop withprocessor icon and the system will start out allowing recovery the program and load the document. drop-down list box / drɒp daυn lst/ drag image /dr md'/ noun the noun a list of options for an entry that apcursor, icon or outline image that is dispears when you move the cursor to the enplayed when you drag an object across the try field screen drop-down menu / drɒp daυn DRAM /di rm/ abbr dynamic random menju / noun a menu that appears below access memory a menu title when it is selected draw direct / drɔ darekt/ noun the drop in / drɒp n/ noun a small piece of process of drawing an object directly to the dirt on a disk or tape surface, which does screen rather than to an off-screen memory not allow data to be recorded on that secbuffer tion drawing program /drɔ ŋ drop out / drɒp aυt/ noun the failure of

prəυrm/ noun a piece of software that a small piece of tape or disk to be correctly allows the user to draw and design on magnetised for the accurate storage of data screen drum /drm/ noun an early type of magdrawing tool /drɔ ŋ tu l/ noun any netic computer storage one of a range of functions in a paint prodrum plotter /drm plɒtə/ noun a gram that allows the user to draw (NOTE: computer output device that consists of a Normally displayed as icons in a toolbar, movable pen and a piece of paper around a the drawing tools might include a circledrum that can be rotated, creating patterns draw, line-draw and freehand drawing and text when both are moved in various tool.) ways drive /drav/ noun a part of a computer dry contact /dra kɒntkt/ noun a which operates a disk faulty electrical connection, often causing drive array /drav əre/ noun a system an intermittent fault of multiple hard disk drives linked togethdry run /dra rn/ noun an act of runer with an intelligent controller that uses ning a program with test data to check that the drives to store multiple copies of the everything works data on each drive for reliability or parts of DS-0 / di es zərəυ/ noun one single each data on each drive for speed circuit in a high-speed T-1 data transmisdrive bay /drav be/ noun same as bay sion line, capable of transmitting informadrive designator /drav deznetə/ tion in 8-bit frames at a rate of 8,000 noun same as drive letter frames per second, equal to 64 Kbits/second. Full form digital signal level zero drive letter /drav letə/, drive designator /drav deznetə/ noun a letter DS-1 / di es wn/ noun a standard that that denotes the disk drive currently being defines the way data is formatted and used, e.g. C, which is usually the hard disk transmitted over a T-1 line. Full form digin a personal computer ital signal level one driver /dravə/ noun a piece of software DSL / di es el/ noun a system of transthat sits between Windows and a periphermitting data at high speed over standard al and translates the instructions from telephone copper wire. Full form digital Windows into a form that the peripheral subscriber line can understand. Also called device drivCOMMENT: One of the most popular DSL imdrag and drop

drop dead halt

drop-down list box

drag image

drop-down menu

DRAM

draw direct

drop in



drawing program

drop out

drum

drawing tool

drum plotter

drive

dry contact

drive array



dry run

DS-0

drive bay

drive designator

drive letter

DS-1

driver

DSL

plementations is the ADSL (asymmetric digital subscriber line) scheme that provides a permanent, high-speed connection to the Internet over standard telephone lines.

er, device handler

DRO / di ɑ r əυ/ noun a form of storage DRO

medium that loses its data after it has been read. Full form destructive readout drop cable /drɒp keb(ə)l/ noun a section of cable that links an adapter fitted in a workstation to the main network cable, drop cable

DSP / di es pi / noun a special integratDSP

ed circuit used to manipulate digital signals. Full form digital signal process-

ing

Computing.fm Page 115 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

115 dual tone multi-frequency frames. The software can then be used DSR / di es ɑ / noun a signal from a deDSR

vice that it is ready to accept data, occurring after a DTR signal is received. Full form data set ready DSTP / di es ti pi / noun a scheme used to store and retrieve web-based data using the XML page markup system. Full form data space transfer protocol D-SUB connector / di sb kənektə/ noun a video connector commonly used on PC monitors to carry all the video signals in one cable DSW / di es db(ə)l ju / noun a data word transmitted from a device that contains information about its current status. Full form device status word DTE / di ti i / noun a device at which a communications path starts or finishes. Full form data terminal equipment DTE rate / di ti i ret/ noun a measure of how fast a device, especially a modem, can exchange data with another PC taking into account data compression and coding systems (NOTE: The DTE rate is DSTP

D-SUB connector



DSW

DTE

DTE rate

normally much higher than the DCE rate.) DTMF / di ti em ef/ noun a method of DTMF

dialling in a telephone system in which each number on the telephone handset generates two tones. Each row and column of the telephone number grid generates a different tone, so each number will send one tone for the corresponding column and another for the row. Full form dual tone multi-frequency. Compare pulse-dial-

ling (NOTE: If you press number ‘5’ it will send the tone for row two and for column two.) D to A converter / di tυ e kən v tə/ noun full form digital to analog converter. 쏡 DAC DTP / di ti pi / noun the design, layout D to A converter



DTP

and printing of documents using special software, a desktop computer and a printer. Full form desktop publishing DTR / di ti ɑ / noun a signal from a device that indicates that it is ready to send data. Full form data terminal ready DTS / di ti es/ noun a multichannel audio system. Full form digital theatre sysDTR

DTS

tem

DTV / di ti vi / noun a combination of DTV

special software and extra hardware that allows a user to edit video on a PC. Full form desktop video (NOTE: The hardware connects the PC to a video recorder or camera and captures the video

to cut individual frames and rearrange the sequence.) D-type connector / di tap kənektə/ noun a connector that is shaped like an D-type connector



elongated letter D, which prevents the connector from being plugged in upside down 쑗 The serial port on a PC uses a 9-pin Dtype connector. dual /dju əl/ adjective using two or a pair dual attachment /dju əl ə ttʃmənt/, dual attached station / dju əl ə ttʃt steʃ(ə)n/ noun a station that connects to both rings in an FDDI network, normally used for fault tolerance dual bus system / dju əl bs

sstəm/ noun a way of linking different parts of a system which keeps the memory bus separate from the input/output bus dual channel / dju əl tʃn(ə)l/ noun the use of two separate audio recording paths, as found in stereo equipment dual clocking /dju əl klɒkŋ/ noun multiplexed data, in which each set of data is available and valid on a different clock pulse or edge dual column / dju əl kɒləm/ noun a unit of two separate parallel lists of information dual homing / dju əl həυmŋ/ noun (in an FDDI system) a method of arranging cables so that there are two separate routes between servers in case of a fault dual

dual attachment





dual bus system

dual channel

dual clocking

dual column

dual homing

dual

in-line

dual in-line memory module

memory

module

/ dju əl n lan mem(ə)ri mɒdju l/ noun full form of DIMM dual-in-line package / dju əl n lan pkd'/ noun full form of DIL, DIP dual port memory / dju əl pɔ t mem(ə)ri/ noun memory with two sets of dual-in-line package

dual port memory

data and memory lines to allow communications between CPUs dual processor / dju əl prəυsesə/ noun a computer system with two processors for faster program execution dual-scan display / dju əl skn d sple/ noun a colour LCD screen that updates the image on screen in two passes dual systems / dju əl sstəmz/ plural noun two computer systems, working in parallel on the same data, with the same instructions, to ensure high reliability dual tone multi-frequency / dju əl təυn mlti fri kwənsi/ noun full form of DTMF dual processor

dual-scan display



dual systems

dual tone multi-frequency

Computing.fm Page 116 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

dub 116 works by using two identical controllers dub /db/ verb to add sound effects to an and disk drives (NOTE: Data is written to animation, multimedia presentation, film both via a separate controller. If one goes or video (NOTE: dubbing – dubbed) wrong, the second device is switched in duct /dkt/ noun a pipe containing caunder software control with no effect to bles, providing a tidy and protective surthe user. This is a more fault-tolerant sysrounding for a group of cables tem than disk mirroring.) dumb /dm/ adjective referring to a deduplex operation / dju pleks ɒpə vice such as a computer terminal that is reʃ(ə)n/ noun the transmission of data in only able to transmit information to a comtwo directions simultaneously puter or receive information from it, but cannot process data itself duty-rated /dju ti rtd/ adjective referring to the maximum number of operadumb terminal /dm t mn(ə)l/ tions that a device can perform in a set noun a peripheral that can only transmit time to a certain specification and receive data from a computer, but is not capable of processing data. Compare DVD / di vi di / noun a way of storing smart terminal over 17Gb of data on a CD-ROM type disc. Full form digital versatile disc, dummy /dmi/ noun an imitation proddigital videodisc uct used to test the reaction of potential customers to its design DVD-A / di vi di e/ noun an audio DVD dummy instruction /dmi n

strkʃən/ noun same as blank instrucDVD-RAM / di vi di rm/ noun a tion DVD disc drive that allows a user to write, erase and rewrite data onto a DVD disc dummy variable / dmi veəriəb(ə)l/ noun a variable set up to satisfy the syntax DVD-Recordable / di vi di r of a language but replaced when the prokɔ dəb(ə)l/ noun a DVD disc drive that gram is executed allows a user to write data once onto a DVD disc. Abbr DVD-R dump /dmp/ noun 1. data which has been copied from one device to another for DVD-ROM / di vi di rɒm/ noun a storage 2. the transferring of data to a disk DVD disc drive that can read a DVD disc for storage 3. US a printout of the contents and provides data transfer rates equal to a of all or selected data in memory 쐽 verb to standard nine-times CD-ROM move data from one device or storage area DVD+RW / di vi di pls ɑ db(ə)l to another 쑗 The account results were ju / noun a type of rewritable DVD disc dumped to the backup disk. that allows a user to store data on the disc dump and restart / dmp ən ri stɑ t/ (NOTE: The DVD disc offers much greater noun software that will stop a program exstorage capacity than a standard comecution, dump any relevant data or propact disc in a similar-sized disc. This gram status then restart the program standard was developed by Hewlettdump point /dmp pɔnt/ noun a Packard, Philips and Sony and has a capoint in a program where the program and pacity of 3GB per side.) its data are saved onto backing store to DVD-video / di vi di vdiəυ/ noun a minimise the effects of any future faults standard that defines how full-length films duodecimal number system can be compressed and stored on a DVD /dju əυ desm(ə)l nmbə sstəm/ disc and played back on a dedicated player noun a number system with a radix of 12 attached to a television set or viewed on a computer fitted with a DVD drive duplex /dju pleks/ noun the simultaneous transmission of two signals on one line DVE / di vi i / noun special effects carried out by a PC on a video sequence; e.g., duplex circuit /dju pleks s kt/ a fade between two sequences or a disnoun an electronic circuit used to transmit solve. Full form digital video effects data in two directions simultaneously DV-I / di vi a/ noun a system that deduplex computer /dju pleks kəm fines how video and audio signals should

pju tə/ noun a unit of two identical combe compressed and displayed on a compuputer systems used in an on-line applicater. Full form digital video interactive tion, with one used as a backup in case of failure of the other DVI connector / di vi a kə nektə/ duplexing /dju pleksŋ/ noun a technoun a connector on a monitor or graphics nique to increase the fault tolerance of netequipment for video signals (NOTE: DVI-D dub

duct

dumb

duplex operation



duty-rated

dumb terminal

DVD

dummy

DVD-A

dummy instruction



DVD-RAM

dummy variable

DVD-Recordable



dump

DVD-ROM

DVD+RW

dump and restart

dump point

DVD-video

duodecimal number system



duplex

DVE

duplex circuit

DV-I

duplex computer



DVI connector



duplexing

Computing.fm Page 117 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

117 DYUV dynamic dump /da nmk dmp/ noun a dump that is carried out periodically during a program run dynamic host configuration protocol /da nmk həυst kən fjυ cient to use than a normal QWERTY keyreʃ(ə)n prəυtəkɒl/ noun full form of board layout DHCP DX / di eks/ suffix used after an Intel dynamic link library /da nmk processor model number to signify that the lŋk labrəri/ noun full form of DLL processor has a floating-point arithmetic dynamic memory /da nmk unit, a 32-bit data path and a built-in cache mem(ə)ri/ noun same as dynamic stordyad /dad/ noun same as doublet age dyadic Boolean operation /da dynamic multiplexing /da nmk

dk bu liən ɒpəreʃ(ə)n/ noun a logmltpleksŋ/ noun a multiplexing ical operation that produces an output method which allocates time segments to from two inputs signals according to demand dyadic operation /da dk ɒpə dynamic RAM /da nmk rm/ reʃ(ə)n/ noun a binary operation using noun same as dynamic storage two binary operands dynamic random access memory /da nmk rndəm kses mem(ə)ri/ dye-polymer recording / da noun same as dynamic storage pɒlmə r kɔ dŋ/ noun (in optical disks) recording method which creates minute dynamic relocation /da nmk changes in a thin layer of dye embedded in

ri ləυkeʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of the plastic optical disk (NOTE: Dye-polymoving data or coding or assigning absomer recording has one big advantage – lute locations during a program execution that the data stored on the optical disk dynamic relocation program /da using this method can be erased.)

nmk ri ləυkeʃ(ə)n prəυrm/ noun a program that is moved from one dye-sublimation printer /da sbl section of memory to another during its

meʃ(ə)n prntə/ noun a high-quality run-time without affecting it or its data colour printer that produces images by dynamic routing /da nmk ru tŋ/ squirting tiny drops of coloured ink onto paper 쑗 The new dye-sublimation printer noun the process of selecting the shortest can produce colour images at a resolution or most reliable path for data through exof 300dpi. changes at the time of the connection dynamic stop /da nmk stɒp/ noun dynamic /danmk/ adjective refera stop in a process where the system tells ring to data which can change with time the user that some action must be taken bedynamic allocation /da nmk lə fore the processing will continue keʃ(ə)n/ noun a system in which redynamic storage /da nmk sources are allocated during a program stɔ rd'/ noun RAM that requires its run, rather than being determined in adcontents to be updated regularly. Also vance called dynamic memory, dynamic randynamically redefinable character dom access memory set /da nmkli ri d fanəb(ə)l dynamic storage allocation /da krktə set/ noun a computer or video nmk stɔ rd' ləkeʃ(ə)n/ noun the text character set that can be changed process of allocating memory to a program when required when it needs it rather than reserving a dynamic buffer /da nmk bfə/ block before it has run noun a buffer whose size varies with dedynamic subroutine /da nmk mand sbru ti n/ noun a subroutine whose dynamic data exchange /da function must be defined each time it is

nmk detə ks tʃend'/ noun full called form of DDE dynamic update /danmk pdet/ noun a display, e.g. a graph, updated in dynamic data structure /da nmk real time as new data arrives detə strktʃə/ noun a structure of a DYUV / di wa ju vi / noun a digital data management system which can be video encoding technique in which lumichanged or adapted supports digital video signals, DVI-I supports both analog and digital signals.) Dvorak keyboard / dvɔ rk ki bɔ d/ noun a keyboard layout that is more effi-

dynamic dump



Dvorak keyboard

dynamic host configuration protocol







DX

dynamic link library



dynamic memory



dyad

dyadic Boolean operation



dynamic multiplexing





dyadic operation

dynamic RAM







dynamic random access memory

dye-polymer recording





dynamic relocation





dynamic relocation program





dye-sublimation printer



dynamic routing



dynamic stop

dynamic





dynamic allocation





dynamic storage



dynamically redefinable character set





dynamic storage allocation



dynamic buffer



dynamic subroutine



dynamic data exchange





dynamic update



dynamic data structure



DYUV

Computing.fm Page 118 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

E 118 nance of a pixel is calculated by the RGB Y it is possible to calculate the values of U and V as UR – Y; VB – Y.) input signal, Y0.6G + 0.3R + O.1B=. Full form delta YUV (NOTE: From the value of

E E symbol the hexadecimal number equivalent to decimal number 14 E-1 /i wn/ noun a European high-speed telecommunications line that can carry data at 2.048 Mbits/second and is normally divided into hundreds of channels that carry information at a lower transmission rate but are more convenient for customers E

E-1

(NOTE: The US equivalent is T-1.) EAPROM / i e pi rɒm/ noun a verEAPROM

sion of EAROM which can be programmed. Full form electrically altera-

ble programmable read-only memory early token release /  li təυkən r

li s/ noun (in a Token-Ring or FDDI network) system that allows two tokens to be early token release



present on a ring network, useful when traffic is very busy EAROM / i e rɒm/ noun a read-only memory chip whose contents can be programmed by applying a certain voltage to a write pin, and can be erased by light or a reverse voltage. Full form electrically alEAROM

terable read-only memory earth / θ/ noun a connection in a circuit earth

representing zero potential 쑗 All loose wires should be tied to earth. 쐽 verb to connect an electrical device to the earth 쑗 All appliances must be earthed. (NOTE: US English is ground)

earth wire / θ waə/ noun a connectearth wire

ing wire between an electrical device and the earth, representing zero potential EBCDIC / i bi si di a si / noun an 8bit binary character coding system used mainly on IBM computers, in which each number represents a different character or symbol. It is similar to the ASCII system. EBCDIC

Full form extended binary coded decimal interchange code EBNF / i bi en ef/ noun a more flexible EBNF

way of defining the syntax of a language. Full form extended Backus-Naur Form. 쒁 BNF

ebook /i bυk/ noun an electronic version of a book, in which the text and any pictures are stored in a file format that can then be displayed using special software on a PC or laptop screen or on a dedicated portable or hand-held device or PDA. Also called electronic book EBR / i bi ɑ / noun the process of recording the output from a computer directly onto microfilm using an electron beam. Full form electron beam recording e-business /i bznəs/ noun 1. a company that does business on the Internet 2. business activity that is carried out using the Internet echo /ekəυ/ noun the return of a signal back to the source from which it was transmitted (NOTE: The plural is echoes.) 쐽 verb to return a received signal along the same transmission path (NOTE: echoes ebook

EBR

e-business

echo

echoing – echoed)

echo cancellation /ekəυ

knsəleʃ(ə)n/ noun a technique used in high speed modems to remove echo signals from the line echo check /ekəυ tʃek/ noun a procedure in which each character received at a terminal is returned to the transmitter and checked to ensure accurate data transmission ECL / i si el/ noun a high-speed logic circuit design using the emitters of the echo cancellation

echo check

ECL

Computing.fm Page 119 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

119 EDS pany to another, or from one bank to a transistors as output connections to other stages. Full form emitter coupled logic company.) ECMA abbr European Computer Manuedit /edt/ verb to change, correct and facturers Association modify text or programs ECMA symbol / i si em e smbəl/ edit command /edt kə mɑ nd/ plural noun any one of a standard set of symbols noun a sequence of characters or keys that used to draw flowcharts must be pressed to accomplish a function in an editor ECML / i si em el/ abbr electronic commerce modelling language edit decision list / edt ds'(ə)n

lst/ noun a method of editing video in e-commerce /i kɒm s/ noun a the which the operator defines the points process of buying and selling products on where he or she would like the video to be the Internet. Also called electronic comedited and then this list of actions is used merce in an on-line edit suite to carry out the edits ECP / i si pi / noun a system developed automatically. Abbr EDL by Microsoft to improve the performance editing run /edtŋ rn/ noun processand functionality of the parallel printer ing carried out to check that new data port. Full form enhanced communicameets certain requirements before actually tion port analysing the data and its information conEDAC / i di e si / noun a forward error tent correction system for data communicaediting term /edtŋ t m/ plural noun tions. Full form error detection and cora command word or instruction sequence rection used when editing EDC / i di si / abbr electronic data capedit key /edt ki / noun a key which ture starts a function that makes an editor easier edge /ed'/ noun a side of a flat object to use 쑗 There are several special edit keys edge board /ed' bɔ d/ noun a printed – this one will re-format the text. circuit board that has a series of contact editor program /edtə prəυrm/ strips along one edge allowing it to be innoun a piece of software that allows the serted into an edge connector user to select sections of a file and alter, edge card /ed' kɑ d/ noun same as delete or add to them edge board edit window /edt wndəυ/ noun the edge connector /ed' kənektə/ noun area of the screen in which the user can a long connector with a slot containing display and edit text or graphics metal contacts to allow it to make electriEDLIN / i di el a en/ noun an MScal contact with an edge board DOS system utility that allows a user to ‘Connections to the target board are made via IC test make changes to a file on a line-by-line baclips or the edge connector.’ [Electronics Today] sis edge detection /ed' dtekʃ(ə)n/ EDO memory / i di əυ mem(ə)ri/ noun an algorithm and routines used in noun memory technology that provides image recognition to define the edges of an better performance by being able to find object and read data from a memory location in edge notched card / ed' nɒtʃt kɑ d/ one operation. Full form extended data noun a paper card which has punched output memory (NOTE: It can also store holes along an edge to represent data the last piece of data that was saved to edge-triggered /ed' trəd/ adjective memory in a cache ready to be read back referring to a process or circuit which is from memory.) clocked or synchronised by the changing EDP / i di pi / noun data processing uslevel of a clock signal rather than the level ing computers and electronic devices. Full itself form electronic data processing EDI / i di a/ noun a system of sending EDP capability / i di pi kepə orders, paying invoices or transferring blti/ noun the capacity of a word-proccompany information over a network or essor to carry out certain data processing telephone line using an email system. Full functions form electronic data interchange (NOTE: EDI is often used to send instrucEDS / i di es/ noun a disk drive using a tions to pay money direct from one comremovable disk pack as opposed to a fixed ECMA

edit

ECMA symbol

edit command



ECML

edit decision list



e-commerce

ECP

editing run

EDAC

editing term

EDC

edit key

edge

edge board

editor program

edge card

edit window

edge connector



EDLIN

edge detection



EDO memory

edge notched card

edge-triggered

EDP

EDI

EDP capability



EDS

Computing.fm Page 120 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

EDT 120 on the screen to show that a task is being disk. Full form exchangeable disk storage performed but is not yet completed EDT abbr electronic depository transfer EIA abbr Electronics Industry Association EDTV / i di ti vi / noun an enhancement to the NTSC standard for television EIA interface / i a e ntəfes/ transmission that offers higher definition noun a standard defining interface signals, and a wide aspect ratio. Full form extendtransmission rate and power usually used ed-definition television (NOTE: EDTV to connect terminals to modems normally has an aspect ratio of 4:3; if EIDE / i a di i / noun an enhanced IDE greater than this it is called EDTV-wide.) specification that improves the performedu suffix used at the end of an Internet ance and data transfer rates to and from a domain name to indicate that the organisahard disk drive. Full form extended intetion is an educational institution rather grated drive electronics than a commercial company eight-bit /et bt/, 8-bit adjective referedutainment / edjυtenmənt/ noun ring to an outdated small, low cost, low software that is a cross between entertainpower home computer in which the CPU ment or games software and educational can process eight-bit words products eight-bit byte /et bt/, eight-bit octet EEMS / i i em es/ noun a development / et bt ɒktet/ noun a byte made up of of EMS that is a standard method of exeight binary digits panding the main memory fitted into an eight-bit octet / et bt ɒktet/ noun IBM PC. Full form enhanced expanded same as eight-bit byte memory system. 쒁 EMS 8-bit sample / et bt stndəd/ noun EEPROM abbr electrically erasable prosingle sample of an analogue signal which grammable read-only memory is stored as an 8-bit number, meaning that EEROM abbr electrically erasable readit can detect 256 possible levels. 쒁 16-bit only memory sample, 24-bit sample effective address / fektv ədres/ eight-inch disk, 8-inch disk noun a noun the address resulting from the modihigh-capacity floppy disk which is eight fication of an address inches in diameter effective instruction / fektv n eight-inch drive, 8-inch drive noun a strkʃən/ noun the resulting instruction disk drive for a eight-inch disk executed after the modification of an origeighty-column screen, 80-column inal instruction screen noun a screen that can display effective search speed / fektv eighty characters horizontally s tʃ spi d/ noun the rate of finding a eighty-track disk, 80-track disk noun particular section of information from a a disk formatted to contain eighty tracks storage device EIS / i a es/ noun easy-to-use software effective throughput / fektv providing information to a manager or exθru pυt/ noun the average throughput of ecutive about his or her company. Full a processor form executive information system EFT / i ef ti / noun a system in which EISA / i a es e/ noun a group of PC computers are used to transmit money to manufacturers who formed an association and from banks. Full form electronic to promote a 32-bit expansion bus standfunds transfer ard as a rival to the MCA bus standard EFTPOS / i ef ti pi əυ es/ noun a from IBM. Full form Electronics Industerminal at a POS that is linked to a central try Standards Association computer which automatically transfers COMMENT: The EISA expansion bus standard is backwards compatible with the older ISA money from the customer’s account to the standard of expansion cards, but also feashop’s. Full form electronic funds tures 32-bit data path and allows bus masterEDT

EIA

EDTV

EIA interface



EIDE

edu

eight-bit

edutainment



eight-bit byte

EEMS



eight-bit octet



8-bit sample

EEPROM

EEROM

effective address

eight-inch disk





effective instruction

eight-inch drive





eighty-column screen

effective search speed



eighty-track disk

EIS

effective throughput



EFT

EISA

EFTPOS

transfer point-of-sale

‘Alphameric has extended its range specifically for the hospitality market and has developed an eftpos package which allows most credit and debit cards to be processed.’ [Computing]

egg timer /e tamə/ noun a computer egg timer

icon shaped like an hourglass that appears

ing.

operation / aðə ɔ

ɒpəreʃ(ə)n/ noun a logical function that produces a true output if any input is true either-way operation / aðə we

ɒpəreʃ(ə)n/ noun data transmission in either-or either-or operation

either-way operation

Computing.fm Page 121 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

121 electronic data processing a phosphor dot when it is struck by an elecone direction at a time over a bidirectional tron or charged particle channel elapsed time / lpst tam/ noun the electroluminescent / elektrəυ lu m time taken by the user to carry out a task on nes(ə)nt/ adjective capable of emitting a computer light due to electroluminescence 쑗 The screen coating is electroluminescent. elastic banding /lstk bndŋ/ noun a method of defining the limits of an electroluminescent display / image on a computer screen by stretching

lektrəυlu mnesənt dsple/ noun a a boundary around it flat, lightweight display screen made up of elastic buffer / lstk bfə/ noun a two pieces of glass covered with a grid of buffer size that changes according to deconductors, separated by a thin layer of mand gas which luminesces when a point of the grid is selected by two electric signals electrically alterable programmable read-only memory / lektrkli electroluminescing / elektrəυ lu m

ɔ ltərə(ə)l prəυrməb(ə)l ri d nesŋ/ adjective emitting light due to

əυnli mem(ə)ri/ noun full form of electroluminescence EAPROM electromagnetic / lektrəυm electrically alterable read-only netk/ adjective generating a magnetic memory / lektrkli ɔ ltərə(ə)l ri d field or magnetic effect when supplied

əυnli mem(ə)ri/ noun full form of with electrical power EAROM electromagnetic interference / electrically erasable programma lektrəυmnetk ntəfərəns/ noun ble read-only memory / lektrkli  full form of EMI

rezəb(ə)l prəυrməb(ə)l ri d əυnli electron beam /lek trɒn bi m/ noun mem(ə)ri/ noun a ROM storage chip a narrow, focused stream of electrons which can be programmed and erased usmoving at high speed in the same direcing an electrical signal. Abbr EEPROM tion, often in a vacuum 쑗 The electron electrically erasable read-only beam draws the image on the inside of a memory / lektrkli  rezəb(ə)l ri d CRT screen.

əυnli mem(ə)ri/ noun an EAROM electron beam recording / lektrɒn memory chip whose contents can be pro bi m rkɔ dŋ/ noun full form of EBR grammed by applying a certain voltage to electron gun /lek trɒn n/ noun a a write pin, and can be erased by light or a part of a CRT that produces a beam of reverse voltage. Abbr EEROM electrons. Also called gun electrical polarity / lektrk(ə)l pəυ electronic agenda / elektrɒnk ə lrti/ noun the definition of whether an d'endə/ noun software that allows a user electrical signal is positive or negative, into record appointments for each day dicating whether a point is a source or colelectronic blackboard / elektrɒnk lector of electrical current (NOTE: Positive blkbɔ d/ noun a means of transmitting polarity terminals are usually marked handwritten text and diagrams over a telered, negative are black.) phone line electric charge /lektrk tʃɑ d'/ electronic book / elektrɒnk bυk/ noun the presence of a number of atoms noun same as ebook that are charged, because of an excess or electronic commerce / elektrɒnk deficiency of electrons kɒm s/ noun same as e-commerce electric current / lektrk krənt/ noun the mass movement of electric electronic data interchange / elektrɒnk detə ntətʃend'/ noun charge in a conductor full form of EDI electricity / lektrsti/ noun an electric current used to provide light or heat or electronic data processing power 쑗 The electricity was cut off, and / elektrɒnk detə prəυsesŋ/ noun full the computers crashed. form of EDP electrographic printer / electronic data processing capa lektrəυrfk prntə/ noun same as bility / elektrɒnk detə prəυsesŋ electrostatic printer

kepəblti/ noun the ability of a wordelectroluminescence / elektrəυ processor to carry out certain data process lu mnes(ə)ns/ noun light emitted from ing functions elapsed time

electroluminescent







elastic banding



electroluminescent display





elastic buffer



electrically alterable programmable read-only memory

electroluminescing







electromagnetic





electrically alterable read-only memory



electromagnetic interference



electrically erasable programmable read-only memory







electron beam





electrically erasable read-only memory





electron beam recording





electron gun





electrical polarity





electronic agenda



electronic blackboard

electric charge



electronic book

electronic commerce

electric current



electronic data interchange

electricity





electronic data processing

electrographic printer

electronic data processing





electroluminescence





Computing.fm Page 122 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

electronic digital computer 122 electronic digital computer

səυsieʃ(ə)n ntəfes/ noun a standard / elektrɒnk dd't(ə)l kəmpju tə/ defining interface signals, transmission rate and power usually used to connect ternoun a digital computer constructed with minals to modems. Abbr EIA electronic components (NOTE: The basic form uses a CPU, main memory, backing Electronics Industry Standards storage and input/output devices. these Association /elek trɒnks ndəstri are all implemented with electronic comstndədz ə səυsieʃ(ə)n/ noun full ponents and integrated circuits.) form of EISA electronic filing / elektrɒnk falŋ/ electronic smog / elektrɒnk smɒ/ noun a system of storage of documents noun excessive stray electromagnetic which can be easily retrieved fields and static electricity generated by electronic funds transfer large numbers of electronic equipment / elektrɒnk fndz trnsf / noun full (NOTE: This can damage equipment or a form of EFT person’s health.) electronic funds transfer point-ofelectronic stylus / elektrɒnk sale / elektrɒnk fndz trnsf staləs/ noun same as electronic pen

pɔnt əv sel/ noun full form of EFTelectronic traffic / elektrɒnk POS trfk/ noun data transmitted in the form electronic mail / elktrɒnk mel/ of electronic pulses noun same as email electronic wand / elektrɒnk wɒnd/ electronic mailbox / elektrɒnk noun same as electronic pen melbɒks/ noun a system for storing electrophotographic / elektrəυ messages sent by email until the person to

fəυtərfk/ adjective referring to a whom they were sent is ready to read them printing technique used in many laser 쑗 When I log onto the network, I always printers in which a laser beam creates an check my electronic mailbox for new mesimage on a charged drum (NOTE: The sages. drum then attracts particles of fine black electronic pen / elektrɒnk pen/ toner to the charged areas and transfers noun a light pen or wand. Also called the image to paper which is then passed electronic digital computer



Electronics Industry Standards Association





electronic filing

electronic smog

electronic funds transfer

electronic funds transfer point-of-sale

electronic stylus

electronic traffic

electronic mail

electronic wand

electronic mailbox

electrophotographic





electronic pen

electronic stylus

electronic

point-of-sale

electronic point-of-sale

/ elektrɒnk pɔnt əv sel/ noun full form of EPOS electronic publishing / elektrɒnk pblʃŋ/ noun 1. the use of desktop publishing packages and laser printers to produce printed matter 2. the process of using computers to write and display information, as in viewdata electronic pulse / elektrɒnk pls/ noun a short voltage pulse electronics / elektrɒnks/ noun the application of knowledge of electrons and their properties to manufactured products such as computers and telephones 쑗 the electronics industry electronic shopping / elektrɒnk ʃɒpŋ/ noun a system of shopping from the home, using computerised catalogues and paying by credit card, by means of a home computer terminal electronic signature / elektrɒnk sntʃə/ noun a piece of text in code, attached to an email, that confirms the identity of its sender electronic publishing

electronic pulse

electronics



electronic shopping

electronic signature

electronics industry association interface / elektrɒnks ndəstri ə electronics industry association interface



near a heater to melt the toner onto the paper.) electrosensitive paper /

lektrəυsenstv pepə/ noun metalelectrosensitive paper



coated printing paper which can display characters using localised heating with a special dot-matrix print head electrosensitive printing /

lektrəυsenstv prntŋ/ noun printing using electrosensitive paper electrostatic /lektrəυsttk/ adjective referring to devices using the properties of static electrical charge electrostatic printer / lektrəυsttk prntə/ noun a type of printer which forms an image on the paper by charging certain regions to provide character shapes and other images and using ink with an opposite charge which sticks to the paper where required. Also called electroelectrosensitive printing



electrostatic



electrostatic printer



graphic printer

screen /

lektrəυsttk skri n/ noun a metal cage surrounding sensitive equipment and connected to ground to protect it from interference electrostatic storage /

lektrəυsttk stɔ rd'/ noun storage of electrostatic electrostatic screen



electrostatic storage



Computing.fm Page 123 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

123 emulate data in the form of small electrically embedded computer /m bedd kəm pju tə/ noun a dedicated computer concharged regions on a dielectric material trolling a machine electrothermal printer /

lektrəυθ məl prntə/ noun a printer embedded object /m bedd əb d'ekt/ noun a feature of Windows OLE that uses a printing head with a dot matrix that allows a file or object, e.g. an image, of heating elements to form characters on to be included within another document or electrosensitive paper file elegant programming / elənt embedded system /m bedd

prəυrmŋ/ noun the writing of wellstructured programs using the minimum sstəm/ noun same as embedded computer number of instructions element /elmənt/ noun 1. a small part embedding /mbedŋ/ noun (in Windows) the act of dragging an object and of an object which is made up of many dropping it into a document or file so that similar parts 2. one number or cell of a matrix or array is included within the document EMI / i em a/ noun corruption of data elementary / elment(ə)ri/ adjective made of many similar small sections or obdue to nearby electrically generated magjects netic fields. Full form electromagnetic interference elevator /elvetə/ noun a small, square emitter-coupled logic / mtə indicator displayed within a scroll bar that

kp(ə)ld lɒd'k/ noun full form of ECL indicates where you are within a long document or image 쑗 The user can scroll EMM / i em em/ noun a utility that manthrough the image or text by dragging the ages the extra expanded memory fitted in elevator up or down the scroll bar. an IBM PC and makes it available for programs to use. Full form expanded memelimination factor / lmneʃ(ə)n ory manager

fktə/ noun the section of data that is not used during a search emoticon /məυtkɒn/ noun an arelse rule /els ru l/ noun a program lograngement of letters and symbols that represents a particular emotion, e.g. :- for ical rule used with an IF-THEN instruction happiness to provide an alternative if the IF-THEN ‘Smileys, or emoticons, have been around for a long condition is not met time: the simplest ones, such as :-), can indicate in a em /em/ noun a measure equal to the tense-sounding email or text message that you are width of the letter ‘m’ in a particular font not feeling as angry as you may appear.’ [The Guardian] EM / i em/ abbr end of medium emphasis /emfəss/ noun 1. a filter email /i mel/, e-mail noun a system of that helps cut down the background noise sending messages to and receiving mesand so boost a signal 2. a special effects sages from other users on a network. Also function in a paint program that will incalled electronic mail crease the value of a range of colours so email-enabled application / i mel that they appear brighter (NOTE: The plural n eb(ə)ld plkeʃ(ə)n/ noun a softis emphases.) ware application, e.g. a word-processor or empty medium / empti mi diəm/ spreadsheet, that includes a direct link to noun a blank but formatted storage median email application to allow a user to send um that is ready to accept data the current document as an email (NOTE: In Microsoft applications, there is a Send empty slot /empti slɒt/ noun 1. a option under the File menu that allows a packet of data in a packet-switching LAN user to send the document using email.) that is carrying no information 2. an unused expansion edge connector on a mothembedded code /m bedd kəυd/ erboard noun sections or routines written in maEMS / i em es/ noun a standard in an chine code, inserted into a high-level proIBM PC that defines extra memory added gram to speed up or perform a special above the 640 Kb limit of conventional function memory. Full form expanded memory embedded command /m bedd kə system (NOTE: This memory can only be mɑ nd/ noun a printer control command, used by specially written programs.) e.g. one indicating that text should be in emulate /emjυ let/ verb to copy or beitalics, inserted into text and used by a have like something else 쑗 Some laser word-processor when text formatting embedded computer





electrothermal printer



embedded object





elegant programming

embedded system





element

embedding



elementary

EMI



elevator

emitter-coupled logic



EMM

elimination factor





emoticon



else rule

em

EM

emphasis

email

email-enabled application



empty medium

empty slot

embedded code



EMS

embedded command





emulate



Computing.fm Page 124 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

emulation 124 printers are able to emulate the more popencapsulation /nkpsjυleʃ(ə)n/ ular office printers. (NOTE: emulates – noun (in a network) a system of sending a emulating – emulated) frame of data in one format within a frame ‘…some application programs do not have the right of another format drivers for a laser printer, so look out for laser printencipher /nsafə/ verb to convert ers which are able to emulate the more popular office plaintext into a secure coded form by printers’ [Publish] means of a cipher system 쑗 Our competiemulation / emjυleʃ(ə)n/ noun betors cannot understand our files – they haviour by one computer or printer which have all been enciphered. Opposite deciis exactly the same as another and which pher allows the same programs to be run and enclosed object /n kləυzd əbd'ekt/ the same data to be processed noun a graphic object that is closed on all emulation facility / emjuleʃ(ə)n fə sides and so can be filled with a colour or

slti/ noun a feature of hardware or softpattern ware which emulates another system encode /nkəυd/ verb to apply the rules ‘…full communications error checking built into the software ensures reliable file transfers and a terminal of a code to a program or data (NOTE: enencapsulation



encipher



emulation



enclosed object





emulation facility





encode



emulation facility enables a user’s terminal to be used as if it were a terminal to the remote computer’ [Byte]

codes – encoding – encoded) encoder /nkəυdə/ noun a device that encoder



emulator /emjυletə/ noun a piece of emulator

software or hardware that allows a machine to behave like another

can translate data from one format to another encoding /nkəυdŋ/ noun the translation of a message or text according to a coding system encoding format /nkəυdŋ fɔ mt/ noun a method of coding data stored on a magnetic disk to avoid a series of similar bits encrypt /nkrpt/ verb to convert plaintext to a secure coded form, using a cipher system 쑗 The encrypted text can be sent along ordinary telephone lines, and no one will be able to understand it. encryption /nkrpʃən/ noun the conversion of plaintext to a secure coded form by means of a cipher system end /end/ noun a statement or character to indicate the last word of a source file end about carry / end əbaυt kri/ noun (in BCD arithmetic) the most significant digit added into the least significant place. Also called end around carry end about shift / end əbaυt ʃft/ noun data movement to the left or right in a word, in which the bits falling outside the word boundary are discarded and replaced with zeros end around carry / end əraυnd

kri/ noun same as end about carry end key /end ki / noun ( a key on an IBM PC keyboard that moves the cursor to the end of the current line endless loop /endləs lu p/ noun a continuous piece of recording tape or number of computer instructions that are continuously repeated encoding



‘…for an authentic retro coding experience, download an emulator and turn your computer into a virtual BBC Micro.’ [The Guardian]

encoding format

emulsion laser storage / mlʃ(ə)n emulsion laser storage



lezə stɔ rd'/ noun a digital storage technique using a laser to expose lightsensitive material en /en/ noun a unit of measure equal to half the width of an em enable /neb(ə)l/ verb to use an electronic signal to start a process or access a function on a chip or circuit (NOTE: enaen

enable



bles – enabling – enabled) enabled /neb(ə)ld/ adjective referring



encrypt



encryption



enabled



to a function or menu item that is available to the user 쑗 If an option on a menu appears in grey text rather than black, this indicates that these are not enabled and that you cannot use the option. enabling signal /neblŋ sn(ə)l/ noun a signal that starts a process or allows one to take place encapsulated /nkpsjυletd/ adjective referring to something contained within another thing encapsulated PostScript /n

kpsjυletd pəυstskrpt/ noun a PostScript facility providing commands that describe an image or page contained within a file that can be placed within a graphics or DTP program. Abbr EPS encapsulated PostScript file /n

kpsjυletd pəυstskrpt fal/ noun a file that contains encapsulated PostScript instructions. Abbr EPSF enabling signal



encapsulated



encapsulated PostScript



encapsulated PostScript file



end

end about carry



end about shift



end around carry



end key

endless loop

Computing.fm Page 125 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

125 enquiry character ers constitute the end system and the end of address / end əv ədres/ noun end of address



a transmitted code which indicates that address data has been sent. Abbr EOA end of block / end əv blɒk/ noun a code which shows that the last byte of a block of data has been sent through a communications link. Abbr EOB end of data / end əv detə/ noun a code which shows that the end of a stored data file has been reached. Abbr EOD end of document / end əv dɒkjυmənt/ noun same as end of file end of file / end əv fal/ noun a marker after the last record in a file. Also called end of document. Abbr EOF end of job / end əv d'ɒb/ noun a code used in batch processing to show that a job has been finished. Abbr EOJ end of line / end əv lan/ noun a code to indicate the end of a line, usually either a CR or LF character. Abbr EOL end of medium / end əv mi diəm/ noun a code that indicates the end of usable physical medium. Abbr EM end of message / end əv mesd'/ noun a code used to separate the last character of one message from the first of another message. Abbr EOM end of record / end əv rekɔ d/ noun a code used to show the end of a record. Abbr EOR end of run routines / end əv rn ru

ti nz/ plural noun routines carried out before a program run finishes to perform certain system housekeeping functions end of tape / end əv tep/ noun a code used to indicate the end of a magnetic tape end of text / end əv tekst/ noun a code sent after last character of text. Abbr EOT, end of block

end of data

end of document

end of file

end of job

end of line

end of medium

end of message

end of record

end of run routines



end of tape

end of text

ETX

end of transmission / end əv trnz end of transmission

end user

who will use the device, program or product 쑗 The company is creating a computer with a specific end user in mind. Energy Star /enəd'i stɑ / noun a standard and logo on a monitor, computer or other electrical device indicating that the product has been specially designed to save electricity engine /end'n/ noun a part of a software package that carries out a particular function 쑗 A search engine is the part of a multimedia title that lets a user search for text in a multimedia book. enhanced communication port /n

hɑ nst kə mju nkeʃ(ə)n pɔ t/ noun full form of ECP enhanced-definition television /n

hɑ nst defnʃ(ə)n telv'(ə)n/ noun full form of EDTV enhanced dot matrix /n hɑ nst dɒt metrks/ noun a clearer character or graphics printout using smaller dots and more dots per inch than standard dot matrix Energy Star

engine

enhanced communication port







enhanced-definition television





enhanced dot matrix



enhanced expanded memory specification /n hɑ nst k spndd enhanced expanded memory specification



EOT

end product /end prɒdkt/ noun a end product

product made at the end of a production process end system /end sstəm/ noun a server or host computer connected to the Internet end system

end system to intermediate system / end sstəm tə ntəmi diət end system to intermediate system

sstəm/ noun an OSI protocol standard that allows host computers to locate a router. Abbr ES-IS (NOTE: The host comput-



mem(ə)ri spesfkeʃ(ə)n/ noun full form of EEMS enhanced keyboard /n hɑ nst ki bɔ d/ noun an IBM PC keyboard with 101 or 102 keys and a row of 12 function keys arranged along the top of the keyboard, with a separate numeric keypad on the right enhanced parallel port /n hɑ nst prəlel pɔ t/ noun full form of EPP enhanced keyboard



enhanced parallel port



enhanced small device interface enhanced small device interface

/n hɑ nst smɔ l dvas ntəfes/ noun full form of ESDI enhancement /nhɑ nsmənt/ noun an 



mʃ(ə)n/ noun a sequence of characters indicating that all the data from a terminal or peripheral has been transmitted. Abbr



router is the intermediate system.) end user /end ju zə/ noun a person



enhancement



add-on facility which improves the output or performance of equipment enhancer /nhɑ nsə/ noun a device or software which enhances a process or product ENQ abbr enquiry enquiry /nkwari/ noun a request for data or information from a device or database enquiry character /nkwari

krktə/ noun a special control code that is a request for identification or status or data from a device enhancer



ENQ

enquiry



enquiry character



Computing.fm Page 126 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

enter 126 print on an envelope instead of a sheet of enter /entə/ verb to type in information paper on a terminal or keyboard envelope printer /envələυp prntə/ entering /entərŋ/ noun the act of typnoun a special printer used to print the ading in data or writing items in a record dress on an envelope enter key /entə ki / noun a key pressed environment /nvarənmənt/ noun 1. to indicate the end of an input or line of the condition in a computer system of all text the registers and memory locations 2. the enterprise network /entəpraz imaginary space in which a user works

netw k/ noun a network which connects when using a computer. This can be all the workstations or terminals or comchanged to suit the user’s needs – by definputers in a company (NOTE: It can be withing its characteristics such as colour or in one building or link several buildings in wallpaper and by setting up a printer, keydifferent countries.) board and fonts. enterprise software /entəpraz environment space /nvarənmənt

sɒftweə/ noun computer software that is spes/ noun the amount of memory free to designed to integrate and automate all of a be used by a program company’s functions environment variable /n entity /entti/ noun a subject to which varənmənt veəriəb(ə)l/ noun a variathe data stored in a file or database refers ble set by the system or by a user at the (NOTE: The plural is entities.) system command line which can be used entry /entri/ noun a single record or data by any program about one action or object in a database or EOA abbr end of address library (NOTE: The plural is entries.) EOB abbr end of block entry condition /entri kən dʃ(ə)n/ noun a condition that must be satisfied beEOD abbr end of data fore a routine can be entered EOF abbr end of file entry instruction / entri nstrkʃən/ EOJ abbr end of job noun the first instruction executed in a EOL abbr end of line called subroutine EOM abbr end of message entry point /entri pɔnt/ noun the adEOR abbr end of record dress from which a program or subroutine EOT abbr end of text is to be executed EPOS /i pɒs/ noun a system that uses a entry time /entri tam/ noun a point in computer terminal at a point-of-sale site time when a program or job or batch will for electronic funds transfer or stock conbe executed by the operating system trol as well as matters such as product scheduler identification. Full form electronic enumerated type /nju məretd point-of-sale tap/ noun data storage or classification EPP / i pi pi / noun a standard that deusing numbers to represent chosen confines the way data can be transferred at venient labels high speed through a parallel port connecCOMMENT: If ‘man’, ‘horse’, ‘dog’, ‘cat’ are the tor. Full form enhanced parallel port items of data, stored by the machine simply as 0, 1, 2, 3, they can still be referred to in the EPROM / i pi rɒm/ abbr erasable proprogram as man, horse etc. to make it easier grammable read-only memory for the user to recognise them. EPS abbr encapsulated PostScript enumeration / nju məreʃ(ə)n/ noun EPSF abbr encapsulated PostScript file a method of identifying resources or obequality /kwɒlti/ noun a logical funcjects using a unique number tion whose output is true if either of two envelope /envələυp/ noun 1. a transinputs is true, and false if both inputs are mitted packet of data containing error-dethe same (NOTE: The plural is equalities.) tection and control information 2. (in multimedia) the shape of the decay curve of a equipment failure /kwpmənt sound 3. (in email ) the data which con feljə/ noun a hardware fault, rather than tains a mail message with the destination a software fault address information equivalence /kwvələns/ noun a logenvelope feeder /envələυp fi də/ ical operation that is true if all the inputs noun a special add-on to a printer used to are the same enter

envelope printer

entering

enter key

environment



enterprise network

enterprise software

environment space



environment variable

entity



entry

EOA

EOB

entry condition



EOD

EOF

entry instruction

EOJ



EOL

EOM

entry point

EOR

EOT

EPOS

entry time

enumerated type



EPP

EPROM

EPS

enumeration





EPSF

equality



envelope

equipment failure



equivalence



envelope feeder

Computing.fm Page 127 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

127 error handling error ambiguity / erə mbju ti/ noun an error due to an incorrect selection from ambiguous data equivalence function /kwvələns error box /erə bɒks/ noun a dialog box fŋkʃən/ noun 1. an AND function 2. a displayed with a message alerting the user logical function whose output is true if that an error has occurred both inputs are the same 왘 also called error burst /erə b st/ noun a group of equivalence operation several consecutive errors in a transmisequivalence gate /kwvələns et/ sion noun a gate which performs an equivaerror checking code /erə tʃekŋ lence function

kəυd/ noun a code that detects or corrects erasable memory / rezəb(ə)l errors mem(ə)ri/ noun same as erasable storerror code /erə kəυd/ noun a code that age indicates that a particular type of error has occurred erasable programmable read-only memory / rezəb(ə)l error condition /erə kən dʃ(ə)n/

prəυrməb(ə)l ri d əυnli mem(ə)ri/ noun a state that is entered if an attempt is noun a read-only memory chip which can made to operate on data containing errors be programmed by a voltage applied to a error control /erə kən trəυl/ noun the write pin and data applied to its output use of routines which ensure that errors are pins, usually erasable with ultraviolet minimised and any errors that occur are light. Abbr EPROM detected and dealt with rapidly error correcting code /erə kə erasable read-only memory /

rektŋ kəυd/ noun a coding system that

rezəb(ə)l ri d əυnli mem(ə)ri/ noun allows bit errors occurring during transfull form of EROM mission to be rapidly corrected by logical erasable storage / rezəb(ə)l deduction methods rather than retransmisstɔ rd'/ noun 1. a storage medium sion which can be reused 2. temporary storage error correction /erə kə rekʃ(ə)n/ 왘 also called erasable memory noun hardware or software that can detect erase /rez/ verb 1. to set all the digits and correct an error in a transmission in a storage area to zero 2. to remove any error detecting code /erə d tektŋ signal from a magnetic medium (NOTE:

kəυd/ noun a coding system that allows erases – erasing – erased) 쐽 noun same bit errors occurring during transmission to as eraser tool be detected, but is not complex enough to erase character /rez krktə/ correct them noun a character which means ‘do notherror detection /erə d tekʃ(ə)n/ ing’ noun the process of using special harderase head /rez hed/ noun a small ware or software to detect errors in a data magnet that clears a magnetic tape or disk entry or transmission, then usually to ask of recorded signals for retransmission eraser /rezə/ noun a device that erases error detection and correction the contents of something, e.g. a device us/ erə d tekʃən ən kərekʃən/ noun full ing UV light to erase an EPROM form of EDAC error diagnosis /erə daənəυss/ eraser tool /rezə tu l/ noun (in a noun the process of finding the cause of an graphics program) function that allows arerror eas of an image to be erased, or set to the error diagnostics /erə background colour. Also called erase

daənɒstks/ noun information and EROM /i rɒm/ noun full form erasable system messages displayed when an error read-only memory. same as EAROM is detected to help a user debug and correct error /erə/ noun a mistake due to a huit man operator 쑗 He made an error in calerror handler /erə hndlə/ noun a culating the total. 왍 in error, by error by software routine that controls and reports mistake on an error when it occurs ‘…syntax errors, like omitting a bracket, will proerror handling /erə hndlŋ/ noun duce an error message from the compiler’ same as exception handling [Personal Computer World] COMMENT:

Output is 1 if both inputs are 1 or if both are 0; if the two inputs are different, the output is 0.

error ambiguity



equivalence function



error box

error burst

equivalence gate



error checking code

erasable memory



error code

erasable programmable read-only memory

error condition





error control



erasable read-only memory

error correcting code





erasable storage



error correction



erase



error detecting code



erase character



error detection



erase head



eraser

error detection and correction





error diagnosis

eraser tool



error diagnostics

EROM

error

error handler

error handling



Computing.fm Page 128 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

error interrupt 128 such as disk drives. Full form enhanced error interrupt /erə ntərpt/ plural small device interface. 쒁 SCSI noun an interrupt signal sent because of an error in hardware or software ES-IS abbr end system to intermediate error logging /erə lɒŋ/ noun the system process of recording errors that have ocEthernet /i θənet/ noun a standard, curred 쑗 Features of the program include IEEE 802.3, defining the protocol and sigerror logging. nalling method of a local area network error management /erə COMMENT: Ethernet has several implementa mnd'mənt/ noun same as exception tions: 10Base5 (the most common) is a buserror interrupt

ES-IS

error logging

Ethernet

error management

based topology running over coaxial cable; 10BaseT uses unshielded-twisted-pair cable in a star-based topology; Ethernet normally has a data transmission rate of 10Mbps.

handling

error message /erə mesd'/ noun a error message

report displayed to the user saying that an error has occurred error propagation /erə

prɒpəeʃ(ə)n/ noun a situation in which one error causes another error rate /erə ret/ noun 1. the number of errors that occur within a certain time 2. the number of corrupt bits of data in relation to the total transmission length error recovery /erə r kv(ə)ri/ noun software or hardware which can continue to run after an error has occurred error routine /erə ru ti n/ noun a short routine within a main program that handles any errors when they occur error trapping /erə trpŋ/ noun the process of detecting and correcting errors before they cause any problems ESC /skep/ noun same as escape error propagation

error rate

error recovery



error routine



error trapping

ESC



character

escape character /skep krktə/ escape character



noun a character used to represent an escape code. Also called ESC escape code /skep kəυd/ noun a transmitted code sequence which informs the receiver that all following characters represent control actions. Also called ESC escape key /skep ki / noun a key on a keyboard which allows the user to enter escape codes to control the computer’s basic modes or actions. Also called ESC, Esc key escapement /skepmənt/ noun a preset vertical movement of a sheet of paper in a printer escape sequence /skep si kwəns/ noun a method of switching a Hayes-compatible modem into command mode by sending the three characters ‘+++’ allowing a user to enter new commands while still online Esc key /skep ki / noun same as escape key ESDI / i es di a/ noun an interface standard between a CPU and peripherals escape code



escape key



escapement



escape sequence



Esc key



ESDI

EtherTalk /i θətɑ k/ (in Apple Mac EtherTalk

systems) a trade name for a variation of the standard Ethernet network developed to connect Macs together as an alternative to the slower AppleTalk ETX abbr end of text Eudora /ju dɔ rə/ a common commercial software program used to send, receive and manage email messages sent via the Internet evaluation copy / vljueʃ(ə)n

kɒpi/ noun a demonstration version of a software product that allows a user to try the main functions of a software product before buying it even parity / i v(ə)n prti/, even parity check / i v(ə)n prti tʃek/ noun an error checking system in which any series of bits transmitted must have an even number of binary ones event /vent/ noun an action or activity event-driven /vent drv(ə)n/ adjective referring to a computer program or process in which each step of the execution relies on external actions ETX

Eudora



evaluation copy





even parity

event



event-driven



‘Forthcoming language extensions will include object-oriented features, including classes with full inheritance, as well as event-driven programming.’ [Computing]

event focus /vent fəυkəs/ noun an object that is currently receiving messages from an action or event event handler /vent hndlə/ noun a routine that responds to an event or message within an object-oriented programming environment 쑗 If a user clicks the mouse button this generates a message which can be acted upon by the event handler. ewallet /i wɒlət/, e-wallet noun a feature of web browsers that allows a user to store personal details about his or her credit card, bank account or other ways of paying for goods on the Internet event focus



event handler



ewallet



Computing.fm Page 129 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

129 executive instruction piled into a machine code form that a procexcept gate /ksept et/ noun a logiexcept gate



cal function whose output is true if either of two inputs is true, and false if both inputs are the same exception /ksepʃən/ noun something which is different from all others in the same category exception dictionary /ksepʃ(ə)n

dkʃən(ə)ri/ noun a store of words and their special word-break requirements, for word-processing and photocomposition exception handling /ksepʃ(ə)n

hndlŋ/ noun routines and procedures that diagnose and correct errors or minimise the effects of errors, so that a system will run when an error is detected. Also called error handling, error manageexception



exception dictionary



exception handling



ment

excess-3 code / ekses θri kəυd/ excess-3 code

noun a code in which decimal digits are represented by the binary equivalent of three greater than the number 쑗 The excess-3 code representation of 6 is 1001. exchange /kstʃend'/ verb 1. 왍 to exchange one article for another to give one thing in place of something else 2. to swap data between two locations (NOTE: exchanges – exchanging – exchanged) Exchange /kstʃend'/ an application supplied with Windows 95 that provides features that allow you to manage your communications including email and fax exchangeable /kstʃend'əb(ə)l/ adjective which can be exchanged exchangeable disk storage /ks

tʃend'əb(ə)l dsk stɔ rd'/ noun full form of EDS exchange selection /kstʃend' s

lekʃən/ noun a sorting method which repeatedly exchanges various pairs of data items until they are in order exclusion /ksklu '(ə)n/ noun restriction of access to a system exclusive NOR /k sklu sv nɔ / noun full form of EXNOR exclusive OR /k sklu sv ɔ / noun full form of EXOR exe /eksi/ noun an extension to a filename which indicates that the file is a program and can be executed directly by the operating system 쑗 In DOS, to start a program type in its EXE file name. executable file /eks kju təb(ə)l fal/ noun a file that contains a program rather than data executable form /eks kju təb(ə)l fɔ m/ noun a program translated or comexchange



Exchange



exchangeable



exchangeable disk storage



exchange selection



exclusion



exclusive NOR



exclusive OR



exe

executable file



executable form





essor can execute

execute /eks kju t/ verb to run or carexecute



ry out a computer program or process (NOTE: executes – executing – executed) execute cycle /ekskju t sak(ə)l/ noun events required to fetch, decode and execute cycle

carry out an instruction stored in memory. Also called execution cycle execute mode /ekskju t məυd/ noun the process of entering a command in direct mode to start a program run execute phase /ekskju t fez/ noun a section of the execute cycle when the instruction is carried out. Also called execuexecute mode

execute phase

tion phase

execute signal /ekskju t sn(ə)l/ execute signal

noun a signal that steps the CPU through the execute cycle execute statement /ekskju t

stetmənt/ noun a basic operating system command to start a program run execute time /ekskju t tam/ noun same as execution time execution / ekskju ʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of carrying out a computer program or process execution address / ekskju ʃ(ə)n ə

dres/ noun a location in memory at which the first instruction in a program is stored execution cycle / ekskju ʃ(ə)n

sak(ə)l/ noun same as execute cycle execution error / ekskju ʃ(ə)n erə/ noun an error occurring during program execution, due to bad inputs or a faulty program execution phase / ekskju ʃ(ə)n

fez/ noun same as execute phase execution time / ekskju ʃ(ə)n

tam/ noun 1. the time taken to run or carry out a program or series of instructions 2. the time taken for one execution cycle executive /zekjυtv/ adjective normally refers to the operating system of a computer executive control program /

zekjυtv kəntrəυl prəυrm/ noun same as OS executive information system /

zekjυtv nfəmeʃ(ə)n sstəm/ noun full form of EIS executive instruction / zekjυtv nstrkʃən/ noun an instruction used to control and execute programs under the control of an operating system execute statement

execute time

execution



execution address





execution cycle



execution error



execution phase



execution time



executive



executive control program





executive information system





executive instruction





Computing.fm Page 130 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

executive program 130 executive program / zekjυtv expansion /kspnʃən/ noun an inprəυrm/ noun same as supervisory crease in computing power or storage size program expansion board /kspnʃən bɔ d/ exerciser /eksəsazə/ noun a tester for noun a printed circuit board connected to a device a system to increase its functions or performance. Also called expansion card exhaustive search /zɔ stv s tʃ/ noun a search through every record in a expansion box /kspnʃ(ə)n bɒks/ database noun a device that plugs into an expansion bus and provides several more free expanexit /ezt/ verb to stop program execusion slots tion or to leave a program and return con‘…it can be attached to most kinds of printer, and, if trol to the operating system or interpreter that is not enough, an expansion box can be fitted to 쑗 You have to exit to another editing systhe bus connector’ [Personal Computer World] tem to add headlines. expansion bus /kspnʃ(ə)n bs/ EXIT /ekst/ noun an MS-DOS system noun data and address lines leading to a command to stop and leave a child process connector and allowing expansion cards to and return to the parent process control and access the data in main memoexit point /ekst pɔnt/ noun a point in ry a subroutine at which control is returned to expansion card /kspnʃ(ə)n kɑ d/ the main program noun same as expansion board exjunction /εks d'ŋkʃən/ noun a expansion slot /kspnʃ(ə)n slɒt/ logical function whose output is true if einoun a connector inside a computer into ther of two inputs is true, and false if both which an expansion board can be plugged inputs are the same 쑗 Insert the board in the expansion slot. EXNOR / eks nɔ / noun a logical funcexpert system /eksp t sstəm/ tion whose output is true if all inputs are noun 쏡 IKBS the same level, false if any are different. explicit address /k splst ədres/ Full form exclusive nor noun an address provided in two parts, a EXNOR gate / eks nɔ et/ noun an reference point and a displacement or inelectronic implementation of the EXNOR dex value function explicit reference /k splst EXOR / eks ɔ / noun a logical function ref(ə)rəns/ noun (within a program or whose output is true if any input is true, script) a way of identifying a particular oband false if all the inputs are the same. Full ject, e.g. a field or button, by a unique form exclusive or name EXOR gate / eks ɔ et/ noun an Explorer /ksplɔ rə/ a program supelectronic implementation of the EXOR plied with Windows 95 that lets you manfunction age all the files stored on a disk expandable system /k spndəb(ə)l exponentiation / ekspə nenʃi sstəm/ noun a computer system that is eʃ(ə)n/ noun the raising of a base designed to be able to grow in power or number to a certain power memory by hardware or software addiexport /kspɔ t/ verb to save data in a tions different file format from the default expanded memory /k spndd expression /kspreʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. a mem(ə)ri/ noun an extra RAM memory mathematical formula or relationship 2. fitted to a computer that is located at an adthe definition of a value or variable in a dress above 1 Mb program expanded memory board /k extended arithmetic element /k

spndd mem(ə)ri bɔ d/ noun an ex stendd rθmetk elmənt/ noun a pansion board used to add extra memory to section of a CPU that provides hardware an IBM PC (NOTE: The memory follows implementations of various mathematical the EMS standard.) functions expanded memory manager /k extended Backus-Naur-Form, ex spndd mem(ə)ri mnd'ə/ noun tended BNF noun full form of EBNF full form of EMM expanded memory system /k extended binary coded decimal interchange code

spndd mem(ə)ri sstəm/ noun full /k stendd form of EMS

banəri

kəυdd

desm(ə)l executive program

expansion





expansion board



exerciser

exhaustive search



expansion box



exit

expansion bus



EXIT

exit point

expansion card



exjunction



expansion slot



EXNOR

expert system

explicit address





EXNOR gate

explicit reference

EXOR



EXOR gate

Explorer



expandable system



exponentiation





export



expanded memory



expression



expanded memory board



extended arithmetic element



expanded memory manager



extended Backus-Naur-Form

extended

expanded memory system





Computing.fm Page 131 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

131 extract ntətʃend' kəυd/ noun full form of external clock /kst n(ə)l klɒk/ EBCDIC noun a clock or synchronising signal supplied from outside a device extended character set /k stendd external data file /k st n(ə)l detə krktə set/ noun a set of 128 special

fal/ noun a file containing data for a procharacters that includes accents, graphics gram but stored separately from it and symbols external device /k st n(ə)l dvas/ extended data output memory /k noun 1. an item of hardware, e.g. a termi stendd detə aυtpυt mem(ə)ri/ noun nal or printer, which is attached to a main full form of EDO memory computer 2. any device that allows comextended-definition television /k munications between the computer and it stendd defnʃ(ə)n telv'(ə)n/ noun self but which is not directly operated by full form of EDTV the main computer extended graphics array /k external disk drive /k st n(ə)l dsk

stendd rfks ə re/ noun a high res drav/ noun a device not built into the olution graphics standard developed by computer but added to increase its storage IBM that is capable of displaying resolucapabilities tions of up to 1024x768 pixels. Abbr XGA external interrupt /k st n(ə)l extended integrated drive elecntərpt/ plural noun an interrupt signal tronics /k stendd nt retd drav from a peripheral device indicating that at elektrɒnks/ noun full form of EIDE tention is required extended memory /k stendd external label /k st n(ə)l leb(ə)l/ mem(ə)ri/ noun (in an IBM PC) the most noun an identifying piece of paper stuck to popular standard method of adding extra the outside of a device or disk memory above 1 Mb which can be used diexternal memory /k st n(ə)l rectly by many operating systems or promem(ə)ri/ noun memory which is locatgrams ed outside the main computer system confines but which can be accessed by the extended memory manager /k CPU

stendd mem(ə)ri mnd'ə/ noun a software utility that configures extra memexternal modem /k st n(ə)l ory fitted in a PC to conform to the EMS məυdem/ noun a modem which is selfstandard contained with its own power supply unit that connects to a serial port of a computer extended memory specification external register /k st n(ə)l /k stendd mem(ə)ri spesfkeʃ(ə)n/ red'stə/ plural noun any one of a user’s noun full form of XMS registers located in main memory rather extending serial file /k stendŋ than within the CPU səriəl fal/ noun a file which can be external schema /k st n(ə)l added to or which has no maximum size ski mə / noun a user’s view of the strucextensible hypertext markup lanture of data or a program guage /k stensb(ə)l hapətekst external sort /k st n(ə)l sɔ t/ noun mɑ kp lŋwd'/ noun full form of a method of sorting which uses a file XHTML stored in secondary memory, e.g. a disk, as extensible language /k stensb(ə)l its data source and uses the disk as tempolŋwd'/ noun a computer programrary memory during sorting ming language that allows the user to add external storage /k st n(ə)l his or her own data types and commands stɔ rd'/, external store /k st n(ə)l extensible markup language /k stɔ / noun a storage device which is lo stensb(ə)l mɑ kp lŋwd'/ noun cated outside the main computer system full form of XML but which can be accessed by the CPU extension memory /kstenʃən extracode /ekstrəkəυd/ noun a set of

mem(ə)ri/ noun storage which is located short routines within the operating system outside the main computer system but that emulate a hardware function which can be accessed by the CPU extract /kstrkt/ verb to remove reexternal arithmetic /k st n(ə)l ə quired data or information from a database rθmətk/ noun arithmetic performed by 쑗 We can extract the files required for a coprocessor typesetting. external clock



extended character set



external data file



external device

extended data output memory







extended-definition television





extended graphics array



external disk drive





external interrupt



extended integrated drive electronics





extended memory

external label





external memory



extended memory manager



external modem



extended memory specification

external register





extending serial file



external schema



extensible hypertext markup language



external sort



extensible language



external storage





extensible markup language



extension memory

extracode



extract



external arithmetic





Computing.fm Page 132 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

extract instruction 132 extract instruction /ekstrkt n eyeball /abɔ l/ noun a user of the Inter strkʃən/ noun an instruction to select net who visits a particular website or uses and read required data from a database or a particular product (slang) file eye candy /a kndi/ noun the decoraextractor /kstrktə/ noun same as tive elements on a computer screen or a mask web page that are intended to make it atextranet /ekstrənet/ noun an intranet tractive to look at (informal ) that has a connection to the public Internet and allows users to gain access via the Ineye-dropper /a drɒpə/ noun a tool in ternet (NOTE: It is often used to provide a graphics software application that allows access to people in the company who a user to click on a pixel in an image and are working away from the office. Most select the colour of the pixel intranets do not allow access via the pube-zine /i zi n/ noun a website that modlic Internet and include security measels its contents and layout a printed magaures that protect against hackers and unauthorised users.) zine extract instruction

eyeball





eye candy

extractor



extranet

eye-dropper

e-zine

F f symbol femtoF symbol the hexadecimal number equivf

F

alent to decimal number 15

face /fes/ noun same as typeface faceted code /fstd kəυd/ noun a face

faceted code

code which indicates various details of an item by assigning each one a value. Also called significant digit code facility /fəslti/ noun a mechanism or means allowing something to being done, especially easily 쑗 We offer facilities for processing a customer’s own disks. (NOTE: facility



The plural is facilities.)

facsimile character generator /fk facsimile character generator



smli krktə d'enəretə/ noun a means of displaying characters on a computer screen by copying preprogrammed images from memory facsimile copy /fk smli kɒpi/ noun an exact copy of a document facsimile transmission /fksml trnz mʃ(ə)n/ noun full form of fax factor /fktə/ noun any number in a multiplication that is the operand factorial /fktɔ riəl/ noun the product of all the numbers below a number 쑗 exfacsimile copy



facsimile transmission





factor

factorial



ample: 4 factorial (written 4!) = 1x2x3x4 = 24 factorise /fktəraz/, factorize verb to break down a number into two whole numbers which when multiplied will give the original number 쑗 When factorised, 15 gives the factors 1, 15 or 3, 5. (NOTE: facfactorise

torises – factorising – factorised) fade /fed/ verb to become less strong (of radio or electrical signal ) (NOTE: fades – fading – faded) fade in / fed n/ noun 1. an image that fade

fade in

starts with a blank screen that gradually shows the image 2. a sound that starts inaudibly and gradually increases in volume fade out / fed aυt/ noun 1. an image that gradually changes to a blank screen 2. a sound that gradually decreases in volume until it is inaudible fail /fel*/ verb not to do something which should be done 쑗 The company failed to carry out routine maintenance of its equipment. fail safe system /fel sef sstəm/ noun a system which has a predetermined state it will go to if a main program or defade out

fail

fail safe system



Computing.fm Page 133 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

133 FAT vice fails, so avoiding the total catastrophe fan-in /fn n/ noun the maximum that a complete system shutdown would number of inputs that a circuit or chip can produce deal with ‘The DTI is publishing a new code of best practice fanning strip /fnŋ strp/ noun a cawhich covers hardware reliability and fail-safe softble supporting insulated strip ware systems.’ [Computing] fan-out /fn aυt/ noun the maximum fail soft system /fel sɒft sstəm/ number of outputs that a circuit or chip can noun a system that will still be partly opdrive without exceeding its power dissipaerational even after a part of the system has tion limit failed failure logging /feljə lɒŋ/ noun a FAQ /fk, ef e kju / noun a webpage section of an operating system that autoor help file that contains common quesmatically saves the present system states tions and their answers related to a particand relevant data when an error or fault is ular subject detected Faraday cage /frəde ked'/ noun a failure rate /feljə ret/ noun the wire or metal screen, connected to ground, number of occurrences of a particular type that completely encloses sensitive equipof failure within a specified period of time ment to prevent any interference from failure recovery /feljə r kv(ə)ri/ stray electromagnetic radiation noun the process of resuming a process or fast access memory / fɑ st kses program after a failure has occurred and mem(ə)ri/ noun abbr FAM. same as raphas been corrected id access memory fall back / fɔ l bk/ noun a special or fast core /fɑ st kɔ / noun a high speed, temporary set of instructions, procedures low access time working memory for a or data used in the event of a fault or failCPU 쑗 The fast core is used as a scratchure pad for all calculations in this system. fall back recovery / fɔ l bk r fast line /fɑ st lan/ noun a special telkv(ə)ri/ noun the process of resuming a ecommunications line which allows data program after a fault has been fixed, from to be transmitted at 48 K or 96 K baud the point at which fall back routines were rates called fast packet /fɑ st pkt/ noun an fall back routines /fɔ l bk ru ti nz/ asynchronous method of transferring data plural noun routines that are called or proover a network cedures which are executed by a user when fast page RAM / fɑ st ped' rm/ a machine or system has failed noun an older type of memory component false /fɔ ls/ adjective referring to a logithat seeks and reads data from a memory cal term equal to binary 0, the opposite of location in two separate operations. Abbr true FPM RAM (NOTE: This component has false code / fɔ ls kəυd/ noun a code now been replaced by EDO memory.) that contains values not within specified fast peripheral /fɑ st pərf(ə)rəl/ limits noun a peripheral that communicates with false drop / fɔ ls drɒp/ noun a batch of the computer at very high speeds, limited unwanted files retrieved from a database only by the speed of the electronic circuits through the use of incorrect search codes. Also called false retrieval Fast-SCSI /fɑ st skzi/ noun a development that allows data to be transferred at false error /fɔ ls erə/ noun an error a higher rate than with the original SCSI warning given when no error has occurred specification false retrieval / fɔ ls rtri v(ə)l/ noun same as false drop fast time-scale /fɑ st tam/ noun an operation in which the time-scale factor is FAM abbr fast access memory less than one family /fm(ə)li/ noun 1. a range of different designs of a particular typeface 2. a FAT / ef e ti / noun (in a PC operating range of machines from one manufacturer system) a data file stored on disk that conthat are compatible with other products in tains the names of each file stored on the the same line from the same manufacturer disk, together with its starting sector posifanfold /fnfəυld/ noun same as action, date and size. Full form file allocafan-in

fanning strip

fan-out

fail soft system

failure logging

FAQ

Faraday cage

failure rate

failure recovery



fast access memory

fall back

fast core

fall back recovery



fast line

fast packet

fall back routines



fast page RAM

false

false code

fast peripheral



false drop

Fast-SCSI

false error

false retrieval



fast time-scale

FAM

family

FAT

fanfold

cordion fold

tion table

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fatal error 134 fax gateway /fks etwe/ noun a fatal error / fet(ə)l erə/ noun a fault in computer or piece of software that allows a program or device that causes the system users to send information as a fax transto crash mission instead of as a file stored on a disk FatBits /ftbts/ a MacPaint option fax group /fks ru p/ noun a method which allows a user to edit an image one of defining the basic features of a fax mapixel at a time chine or modem: (NOTE: Groups 1 and 2 father file /fɑ ðə fal/ noun a backup of are old and rarely used now. Group 3 is the previous version of a file. 쒁 grandfafatal error

fax gateway

FatBits

fax group

father file

ther file, son file fault /fɔ lt/ noun a situation in which fault

something has gone wrong with software or hardware, causing it to malfunction 쑗 The technical staff are trying to correct a programming fault. 쒁 bug, error fault detection /fɔ lt dtekʃ(ə)n/ noun an automatic process which logically or mathematically determines that a fault exists in a circuit fault diagnosis /fɔ lt daənəυss/ noun a process by which the cause of a fault is located fault location program / fɔ lt ləυ keʃ(ə)n prəυrm/ noun a routine that is part of a diagnostic program that identifies the cause of faulty data or equipment fault management /fɔ lt mnd'mənt/ noun one of the five categories of network management specified by the ISO that will detect, isolate and correct network faults fault time / fɔ lt tam/ noun a period of time during which a computer system is not working or usable due to a fault fault tolerance /fɔ lt tɒlərəns/ noun the ability of a system to continue functioning even when a fault has occurred fault-tolerant /fɔ lt tɒlərənt/ adjective referring to a system or device that is able to continue functioning even when a fault occurs 쑗 They market a highly successful range of fault-tolerant minis. fault trace / fɔ lt tres/ noun a program that checks and records the occurrences of faults in a system faulty sector / fɔ lti sektə/ noun a sector of a magnetic disk that cannot be written to or read from correctly fax /fks/, FAX noun a method of sending and receiving images in digital form over a telephone or radio link (informal ) 쑗 We will send a fax of the design plan. Full form facsimile transmission fax card /fks kɑ d/, fax adapter, fax board noun an adapter card which plugs into an expansion slot and allows a computer to send or receive fax data fault detection



fault diagnosis



fault location program



fault management

fault time

fault tolerance

fault-tolerant

fault trace

faulty sector

fax

fax card

the most common standard used today. Groups 3 and 4 provide higher speed and better resolution of transmission.) fax modem /fks məυ dem/ noun a fax modem



modem that can be used to send and receive faxes to and from a standard fax machine as well as being used as a modem to connect to other computers fax server /fks s və/ noun a computer connected to a network and fitted with a fax card that is shared by all users on the network fd, FD abbr 1. full duplex 2. floppy disk FDC / ef di si / noun a combination of hardware and software devices that control and manage the read/write operations of a disk drive from a computer. Full form fax server

fd

FDC

floppy disk controller FDD abbr floppy disk drive FDDI / ef di di a/ noun an ANSI FDD

FDDI

standard for high-speed networks which use fibre optic cable in a dual ring topology, transmitting data at 100 Mbps. Full form fibre distributed data interface FDDI II / ef di di a tu / noun an enhanced ANSI standard for high-speed networks that uses fibre optic cable and transmits data at 100 Mbps but can also allocate part of the bandwidth to a 64 Kbits/second analog channel for audio or video data. Full form fibre distributed data interFDDI II

face II

FDISK /ef dsk/ noun an MS-DOS sysFDISK

tem utility that configures the partitions on a hard disk FDM / ef di em/ noun a system used to assign a number of different signals to different frequencies to allow many signals to be sent along one channel 쑗 Using FDM we can transmit 100 telephone calls along one main cable. Full form frequency diFDM

vision multiplexing fdx, FDX abbr full duplex feasibility / fi zəblti/ noun the likelifdx

feasibility



hood that something will or can be done 쑗 He has been asked to report on the feasibility of a project. feasibility study / fi zəblti stdi/ noun an examination and report into the feasibility study



Computing.fm Page 135 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

135 fibre optic cable usefulness and cost of a new product that fetch /fetʃ/ noun a command that reis being considered for purchase trieves the next instruction from memory FED abbr field emission display fetch cycle /fetʃ sak(ə)l/ noun the seFEDS / ef i di es/ noun a magnetic ries of events that retrieve the next instrucdisk storage system that contains some retion to be executed from memory by placmovable disks such as floppy disks and ing the program counter contents on the some fixed or hard disk drives. Full form address bus fixed and exchangeable disk storage fetch-execute cycle / fetʃ ekskju t feed /fi d/ noun a device which puts

sak(ə)l/ noun the series of events resomething such as paper into and through quired to retrieve, decode and carry out an a machine such as a printer or photocopier instruction stored in memory feedback /fi dbk/ noun information fetch instruction /fetʃ nstrkʃən/ from one source which can be used to noun a computer instruction to select and modify something or provide a construcread the next instruction or data to be proctive criticism of something 쑗 We are getessed ting customer feedback on the new system. fetch phase /fetʃ fez/ noun a section feedback control /fi dbk kən of the fetch-execute cycle that retrieves

trəυl/ noun information about the effects and decodes the instructions from memory of a controlling signal on a machine or defetch-protect / fetʃ prətekt/ verb to vice, returned to the controlling computer restrict access to a section of memory feeder /fi də/ noun 1. a channel that carfetch signal /fetʃ sn(ə)l/ noun a sigries signals from one point to another 2. a nal that steps the CPU through the fetch mechanism that automatically inserts the cycle paper into a printer FF abbr 1. flip-flop 2. form feed feed hole /fi d həυl/ noun a any one of fibre /fabə/ noun a very thin glass or the punched sprocket holes along the edge plastic strand that can carry data in the of continuous paper form of light signals (NOTE: The US spellfemale connector / fi mel kənektə/ ing is fiber.) noun a connector with female sockets fibre channel /fabə tʃn(ə)l/ noun female socket / fi mel sɒkt/ noun a an ANSI standard that defines a highhole into which a pin or plug can be insertspeed serial interface that can transfer data ed to make an electrical connection at up to 1.06 Gbps and is often used as a femto- /femtəυ/ prefix equal to ten expobackbone technology to link servers or nent minus fifteen (10-15). Abbr f high-speed devices (NOTE: The technolofemtosecond /femtəυ sekənd/ noun gy is normally used over optic fibre, but a thousandth of a picosecond will work over twisted-pair cable or coax FEP / ef i pi / noun a processor placed cable.) between an input source and the central fibre connector /fabə kə nektə/ computer, whose function is to preprocess noun a connector that can be used to conreceived data to relieve the workload of the nect two fibre optic cables together main computer. Full form front end procfetch

FED

fetch cycle

FEDS

fetch-execute cycle

feed

feedback

fetch instruction



fetch phase

feedback control



fetch-protect



feeder

fetch signal

FF

feed hole

fibre

female connector



fibre channel

female socket

femto-

femtosecond



FEP

fibre connector



fibre distributed data interface fibre distributed data interface

essor

ferric oxide / ferk ɒksad/, ferrite ferric oxide

/ferat/ noun iron oxide used as a tape or

disk coating that can be magnetised to store data or signals

ferromagnetic

material

ferromagnetic material

/ ferəυmnetk mətəriəl/ noun any 

ferrite material that can be magnetised FET / ef i ti / noun an electronic device that can act as a variable current flow control. Full form field effect transistor FET

(NOTE: An external signal varies the resistance of the device and current flow by changing the width of a conducting channel by means of a field. It has three terminals: source, gate and drain.)

/ fabə d strbjυtd detə ntəfes/ noun full form of FDDI 

fibre distributed data interface II fibre distributed data interface II

/ fabə d strbjυtd detə ntəfes tu / noun full form of FDDI II fibre Ethernet / fabə i θənet/ noun a high-speed network that uses optical fibre to link one node to another in a point-topoint topology fibre optic cable /fabə ɒptk/, fibre optic connection noun a bundle of fine strands of glass or plastic protected by a surrounding material, used for transmission of light signals that carry data at very high speeds 

fibre Ethernet

fibre optic cable

Computing.fm Page 136 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

fibre optics 136 pany or research laboratory, in a real situfibre optics / fabə ɒptks/ plural ation noun the use of thin strands of glass or plastic that can transmit light signals at the FIF / ef a ef/ noun a file format used to speed of light (NOTE: The light or laser store graphics images which have been signal is pulsed or modulated to reprehighly compressed using fractals. Full sent data being transmitted.) form fractal image format fibre over Ethernet / fabə əυvə FIFO /fafəυ/ noun a storage read/write

i θənet/ noun an enhanced version of the method in which the first item stored is the 802.3 Ethernet network protocol standard first read. Full form first in first out that allows data to be transferred at 10 FIFO memory / fafəυ mem(ə)ri/ Mbits/second (10 BaseFX) or 100 noun memory using a FIFO access Mbits/second (100Base FX) scheme fibre ribbon / fabə rbən/ noun a fabFIFO queue /fafəυ kju / noun temporic-based ribbon used in printers rary queue storage in which the first item field /fi ld/ noun 1. an area of force and written to the queue is the first to be read energy distribution, caused by magnetic or fifth generation computer / ffθ electric energy sources 2. a section con d'enəreʃ(ə)n kəmpju tə/ noun a comtaining particular data items in a record 쑗 puter belonging to the next stage of comThe employee record has a field for age. 3. puter system design using fast VLSI cir왍 in the field outside an office or factory cuits and powerful programming languagfield effect transistor / fi ld  fekt es to allow human interaction trnzstə/ noun full form of FET figures shift /fəs ʃft/ noun 1. a field emission display / fi ld  transmitted code which indicates to the remʃ(ə)n d sple/ noun a method of proceiver that all following characters should ducing thin, flat displays for laptop combe read as uppercase 2. a mechanical puters in which a miniature colour CRT is switch which allows a keyboard to prolocated at each pixel point. Abbr FED duce special characters and symbols locatfield engineer /fi l*d end'nə/ noun ed on the same keys as the numbers an engineer who does not work at one sinfile /fal/ noun a section of data on a comgle company, but travels between customputer, e.g. payroll, address list or customer ers carrying out maintenance on their comaccounts, in the form of individual records puters which may contain data, characters, digits fielding /fi ldŋ/ noun the arrangement or graphics 쐽 verb to put documents in orof field allocations inside a record and file der so that they can be found easily 쑗 The field label /fi ld leb(ə)l/ noun a series correspondence is filed under ‘comof characters used to identify a field or its plaints’. (NOTE: files – filing – filed) location. Also called field name ‘The first problem was solved by configuring a Windows swap file, which I hadn’t done before because field length /fi ld leŋθ/ noun the my 4Mb 486 had never been overloaded.’ [Computnumber of characters that a field can coning] tain ‘…the lost file, while inaccessible without a file-refield marker /fi ld mɑ kə/ noun a code covery utility, remains on disk until new information writes over it’ [Publish] used to indicate the end of one field and the start of the next. Also called field sepfile activity ratio / fal ktvti arator

reʃiəυ/ noun the ratio of the number of different records accessed within a file field name /fi ld nem/ noun same as compared to the total number in store field label field programmable device / fi ld file allocation table / fal lə

prəυrməb(ə)l dvas/ noun same as keʃ(ə)n teb(ə)l/ noun full form of FAT PLA file attribute /fal trbju t/ plural field programming /fi l*d prəυ noun a set of data stored with each file

rmŋ/ noun the writing of data into a which controls particular functions or asPROM pects of the file such as read-only, archived or system file field separator /fi ld sepəretə/ noun same as field marker file cleanup /fal kli np/ noun the field-tested /fi ld testd/ adjective reprocess of tidying and removing out-offerring to a product tested outside a comdate or unnecessary data from a file fibre optics

FIF

fibre over Ethernet

FIFO

FIFO memory

fibre ribbon

FIFO queue

field

fifth generation computer



field effect transistor





figures shift

field emission display





field engineer



file

fielding

field label

field length

field marker

file activity ratio



field name

field programmable device

file allocation table





file attribute

field programming



field separator

file cleanup

field-tested

Computing.fm Page 137 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

137 file property file index /fal ndeks/ noun a sorted file collating /fal kə letŋ/ noun the file collating

file index



process of putting the contents of a file into order file conversion /fal kən v ʃ(ə)n/ noun the changing of the format or structure of a file system, usually when using a new program or file handling routine file copy /fal kɒpi/ noun a copy of a document which is filed in an office for reference file creation /fal kri eʃ(ə)n/ noun the writing of file header information onto a disk and the writing of an entry into the directory file defragmentation /fal

di frmenteʃ(ə)n/ noun 쏡 defragfile conversion



file copy

file creation



file defragmentation

mentation

file deletion /fal d li ʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of erasing a file from storage file descriptor /fal d skrptə/ noun a code or series of characters used to identify a file file directory /fal da rekt(ə)ri/ noun a list of names and information about files in a backing storage device file element /fal elmənt/ noun a complete file contained within a RIFF compound file file extent /fal k stent/ noun the actual area or number of tracks required to store a file file format /fal fɔ mt/ noun a way in which data is stored in a file file fragmentation /fal

frmənteʃ(ə)n/ noun a storage of a file in noncontiguous sectors on a disk file gap /fal p/ noun a section of blank tape or disk that indicates the end of a file file handle /fal hnd(ə)l/ noun a number by which an open file is identified within a program 쑗 The new data is written to the file identified by file handle 1. file handling routine /fal hndlŋ ru ti n/ noun a short computer program that manages the reading/writing and organisation of stored files file header /fal hedə/ noun a section of information about the file stored at the beginning of the file 쑗 The file header in the database file shows the total number of records and lists the index fields. file identification /fal a

dentfkeʃ(ə)n/ noun a unique label or name used to identify and locate a file stored on backing store file deletion



file descriptor



file directory



file element

file extent



file format

file fragmentation

file gap

file handle

file handling routine



file header

file identification



table of the main entries in a file, with their address, allowing the rapid location of entries file interrogation /fal n terə eʃ(ə)n/ noun questions asked to select various records or data items from a file file label /fal leb(ə)l/ noun a character or set of characters used to identify a file file layout /fal leaυt/ noun a set of rules defining internal file structure. Also called file organisation file length /fal leŋθ/ noun the number of characters or bytes in a stored file file locking /fal lɒkŋ/ noun a software mechanism that prevents data in a file from being updated by two different users at the same time file maintenance /fal mentənəns/ noun the process of updating a file by changing, adding or deleting entries file management /fal

mnd'mənt/, file management system /fal mnd'mənt sstəm/ noun a section of a DOS that allocates disk space to files, keeping track of the sections and their sector addresses file manager /fal mnd'ə/ noun a section of a disk operating system that allocates disk space to files, keeping track of the file sections if it has to be split and their sector addresses file merger /fal m d'ə/ noun 1. the process of combining two data files while retaining an overall structure 2. one file created from two or more files written one after the other and with no order preserved filename /falnem/ noun a unique identification code allocated to a program file interrogation



file label

file layout

file length

file locking

file maintenance

file management

file manager

file merger

filename

‘…when the filename is entered at the prompt, the operating system looks in the file and executes any instructions stored there’ [PC User]

filename extension /falnem k filename extension



stenʃ(ə)n/ noun an additional three-character name that is used together with a filename, indicating the type or use of the file file organisation /fal

ɔ ənazeʃ(ə)n/ noun 쏡 file layout file processing /fal prəυsesŋ/ noun the applying of a set of rules or search limits to a file, in order to update or find information file property /fal prɒpəti/ plural noun (in Windows) any one of the attributes that are assigned to a particular file organisation

file processing

file property

Computing.fm Page 138 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

file protection 138 memory to another or to another storage file, including its name, the date that it was device or between computers created and its owner, which are all stored in the file’s properties page (NOTE: To view file transfer access and managethese properties, highlight the file with a ment / fal trnsf kses ən single click from within Windows Explormnd'mənt/ noun full form of FTAM er and click on the right-hand mouse butfile transfer protocol / fal trnsf ton – now choose the Properties menu

prəυtəkɒl/ noun full form of FTP option to view the file’s properties page.) file transfer utility / fal trnsf ju file protection / fal prətekʃən/ noun

tlti/ noun a software utility that links a software or physical device used to pretwo computers together, usually via a vent any accidental deletion or modificaphysical serial cable, and allows files to be tion of a file or its records transferred between the computers file protect tab / fal prətekt tb/ file type /fal tap/ noun a method of noun a plastic tab on a disk which prevents classifying what a file contains 쑗 Files accidental erasure of a file with the extension exe are file types that file purge /fal p d'/ noun the process contain program code. of erasing the contents of a file file update /fal pdet/ noun 1. the file queue /fal kju / noun a number of recent changes or transactions to a file 2. a files temporarily stored in order before benew version of software which is sent to ing processed 쑗 Output devices such as lausers of an existing version ser printers are connected on-line with an file validation /fal vldeʃ(ə)n/ automatic file queue. noun the process of checking that a file is file-recovery utility / fal rkv(ə)ri correct ju tlti/ noun a piece of software which filing system /falŋ sstəm/ noun 1. allows files that have been accidentally dea way of putting documents in order for leted or damaged to be read again 쑗 A lost reference 2. a piece of software which orfile cannot be found without a file-recovganises files ery utility. file security /fal s kjυərti/ noun fill /fl/ verb 1. to put characters into gaps hardware or software organisation of a in a field so that there are no spaces left 2. computer system to protect users’ files to draw an enclosed area in one colour or from unauthorised access shading file server /fal s və/ noun a compufill character /fl krktə/ noun a ter connected to a network which runs a character added to a string of characters to network operating system software to make up a required length manage user accounts, file sharing and film optical scanning device for printer sharing input into computers / flm file set /fal set/ noun a number of relat ɒptk(ə)l sknŋ d vas fə npυt ed files treated as one unit

ntə kəmpju təz/ noun full form of file sharing /fal ʃeərŋ/ noun a facilFOSDIC ity allowing one file to be used by two or film recorder /flm rkɔ də/ noun a more users or programs in a network, often device that produces a 35 mm slide from a using file locking computer image (NOTE: A film recorder file size /fal saz/ noun the number of can produce slides at very high resolubytes a file occupies on disk tion, normally around 3,000 lines, by refile sort /fal sɔ t/ verb to put the congenerating the image on an internal tents of a file into order screen.) file storage /fal stɔ rd'/ noun a filter /fltə/ noun 1. an electronic circuit physical means of preserving data in a file, that allows certain frequencies to pass e.g. a disk drive while stopping others 2. a pattern of binary file store /fal stɔ / noun the set of files digits used to select various bits from a bithat are available in main memory at any nary word. A one in the filter retains that time bit in the source word. 쐽 verb 1. to remove file structure /fal strktʃə/ noun a unwanted elements from a signal or file 2. way in which a data file is organised to select various bits from a word 쑗 Filter file transfer /fal trnsf / noun the the top three bits of the video attribute process of moving a file from one area of word. 3. to select various records from a file transfer access and management

file transfer protocol

file transfer utility



file protection



file protect tab



file type

file purge

file update

file queue

file validation

file-recovery utility





filing system

fill

file security



file server

fill character

film optical scanning device for input into computers

file set





file sharing

film recorder



file size

file sort

file storage

filter

file store

file structure

file transfer

Computing.fm Page 139 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

139 fixed head disk of free memory in which to store a virtual database file 쑗 We filtered the data to sepage lect those customers based in New York. first generation / f st d'enə final product / fan(ə)l prɒdkt/ noun reʃ(ə)n/ noun the earliest type of techsame as end product nology find /fand/ noun a command to locate a first generation computer / f st piece of information

d'enəreʃ(ə)n kə-pju tə/ noun an Find /fand/ a utility program supplied original computer made with valve-based with Windows 95 that will search through electronic technology, started around 1951 any disk for a particular file, folder or first generation image / f st computer 쑗 To use the Find function, se d'enəreʃ(ə)n md'/ noun a master lect the Start/Find menu option. copy of an original image, text or docufind and replace / fand ən rples/ ment noun a feature on a word-processor that alfirst in first out / f st n f st aυt/ lows certain words or sections of text to be noun full form of FIFO located and replaced with others first-level address / f st lev(ə)l ə Finder /fandə/ a trade name for a dres/ noun a computer storage address graphical user interface to an Apple Mac that directly, without any modification, acallowing a user to view files and folders cesses a location or device and start applications using a mouse fit /ft/ verb to plot or calculate a curve fine-tune / fan tju n/ verb to adjust by that most closely approximates a number small amounts the features or parameters of points or data (NOTE: fitting – fitted) of hardware or software to improve perfixed and exchangeable disk storformance 쑗 Fine-tuning improved the age / fkst ən ks tʃend'əb(ə)l dsk speed by ten per cent.

stɔ rd'/ noun full form of FEDS finger /fŋə/ noun a software program fixed cycle operation / fkst on the Internet that will retrieve informa sak(ə)l ɒprəreʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. a proction about a user based on his or her email ess in which each operation is allocated a address fixed time limit 2. a series of actions withfinite-precision numbers / fanat in a process that are synchronised to a pr s'(ə)n nmbəz/ noun the use of a clock fixed number of bits to represent numbers fixed data /fkst detə/ noun data writfirewall /faəwɔ l/ noun a hardware or ten to a file or screen for information or software security system between a server identification purposes and which cannot or intranet and the public Internet that albe altered by the user lows information to pass out to the Internet fixed disk / fkst dsk/ noun a magnetbut checks any incoming data before passic disk which cannot be removed from the ing it on to the private server 쑗 We have indisk drive stalled a firewall in our intranet to prevent fixed disk storage / fkst dsk hackers accessing company data via the stɔ rd'/ noun a hard disk or magnetic Internet link. disk which cannot be removed from the Firewire /faəwaə/ a trade name for a disk drive high-speed serial interface developed by fixed field / fkst fi ld/ noun an area in the Apple Computer Corporation and used a stored record that can only contain a certo link devices such as a digital camera tain amount of data with the computer. 쒁 USB fixed-field file / fkst fi ld fal/ noun a firmware /f mweə/ noun a computer data file in which each field consists of a program or data that is permanently stored predefined and fixed number of characters in a hardware memory chip, e.g. a ROM or and in which spaces are used to pad out EPROM. Compare hardware, software each field to the correct length firmware monitor /f mweə fixed-frequency monitor / fkst

mɒntə/ noun a monitor program that is

fri kwənsi mɒntə/ noun a monitor that resident in a ROM device, used to load in can only accept one frequency and type of the operating system when a machine is video signal switched on fixed head disk / fkst hed dsk/, fixed head disk drive / fkst hed dsk first fit /f st ft/ noun a routine or algorithm that selects the first, largest section

drav/ noun a separate immovable first generation

final product



find

first generation computer

Find



first generation image

find and replace



first in first out

first-level address

Finder



fit

fine-tune

fixed and exchangeable disk storage



finger

fixed cycle operation



finite-precision numbers



fixed data

firewall

fixed disk

fixed disk storage

Firewire

fixed field

fixed-field file

firmware

firmware monitor

fixed-frequency monitor

fixed head disk

first fit

Computing.fm Page 140 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

fixed-length field 140 read/write head over each disk track that flame /flem/ verb send a rude or angry makes access time very short Internet message to a user (NOTE: flames – flaming – flamed) fixed-length field / fkst leŋθ fi ld/ noun a field whose size cannot be changed flash /flʃ/ verb to switch a light on and off fixed-length record / fkst leŋθ rekɔ d/ noun a record whose size cannot flash A/D / flʃ e di / noun a parallel be changed high speed A/D converter fixed-length word / fkst leŋθ w d/ flashing character /flʃŋ krktə/ noun a preset number of bits that make up noun a character intensity that is switched a computer word on and off as an indicator fixed-point arithmetic / fkst pɔnt ə flash memory /flʃ mem(ə)ri/ noun rθmətk/ noun arithmetic rules and nonvolatile memory similar to an EEPmethods using fixed-point notation ROM device but operating with blocks of data rather than single bytes (NOTE: Flash fixed-point notation / fkst pɔnt memory is most often used as an alternəυteʃ(ə)n/ noun a number representanative to a disk drive.) tion that retains the position of the digits and decimal points in the computer, so flash ROM /flʃ rɒm/ noun an eleclimiting the maximum manageable numtronic memory component that contains bers data that can normally only be read, but that does allow new data to be stored in the fixed program computer / fkst memory using a special electrical signal

prəυrm kə-pju tə/ noun a hardwired computer program that cannot be alflat address space / flt ədres tered and is run automatically

spes/ noun an area of memory in which each location has a unique address fixed routing / fkst raυtŋ/ noun communications direction routing that flatbed /flt bed/ adjective referring to does not consider traffic or efficient paths a printing or scanning machine that holds the paper or image on a flat surface while fixed word length / fkst w d leŋθ/ processing 쑗 Scanners are either flatbed noun a computer word size in bits that models or platen type, paper-fed models. cannot be changed flatbed plotter / fltbed plɒtə/ noun flag /fl/ noun 1. a way of showing the a movable pen that draws diagrams under end of field or of indicating something the control of a computer onto a flat piece special in a database 쑗 If the result is zero, of paper the zero flag is set. 2. a method of reporting the status of a register after a matheflatbed scanner / fltbed sknə/ matical or logical operation 쐽 verb to atnoun a device with a flat sheet of glass on tract the attention of a program while it is which artwork is placed and a scan head running to provide a result, report an acthat moves below the glass and converts tion or indicate something special (NOTE: the image into a graphics file flagging – flagged) flat file /flt fal/ noun a two-dimenflag bit /fl bt/ noun a single bit of a sional file of data items word used as a flag for certain operations flat file database / flt fal flag code /fl kəυd/ noun a code sedetəbes/ noun a database program that quence which informs the receiver that folcan only access data stored in one file at a lowing characters represent control actime, not allowing relational data tions flat pack /flt pk/ noun an integrated flag event /fl vent/ noun a process circuit package whose leads extend horior condition that sets a flag zontally, allowing the device to be mounted directly onto a PCB without the need flagging /flŋ/ noun the process of for holes putting an indicator against an item so that it can be found later flat panel / flt pn(ə)l/ noun a very thin computer screen with a flat viewing flag register /fl red'stə/ noun a surface (NOTE: Flat panels use liquidregister that contains the status and flag crystal display technology and are combits of a CPU monly found in portable personal comflag sequence /fl si kwəns/ noun puters.) a sequence of codes sent on a packet flat rate /flt ret/ noun a set pricing switching network as identification of the rate that covers all the uses of a facility start and finish of a frame of data flame

fixed-length field

flash

fixed-length record

flash A/D

fixed-length word

flashing character

fixed-point arithmetic

flash memory



fixed-point notation



flash ROM

fixed program computer



flat address space



fixed routing

flatbed



fixed word length

flatbed plotter

flag

flatbed scanner

flat file

flag bit

flat file database

flag code

flat pack

flag event



flagging

flat panel

flag register

flag sequence

flat rate

Computing.fm Page 141 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

141 floppy disk sector tation in which a fractional number is repflat screen /flt skri n/ noun a display flat screen

monitor that has been manufactured with a flat, square-edged front to the monitor flexible array / fleksəb(ə)l əre/ noun an array whose size and limits can be altered flexible array



flexible

machining

flexible machining system

system

/ fleksb(ə)l mə ʃi nŋ sstəm/ noun full form of FMS 1 

flexible

manufacturing

flexible manufacturing system

system

/ fleksb(ə)l mnjυ fktʃərŋ sstəm/ noun full form of FMS 2 flicker /flkə/ noun a computer graphic 

flicker

image whose brightness varies rapidly at a visible rate because of a low image refresh rate or signal corruption flicker-free /flkə fri / adjective referring to a display that does not flicker flicker-free

‘A CRT (cathode ray tube) monitor paints the screen from top to bottom, and is usually considered ‘flicker free’ if it refreshes the image 75 times a second, or more’ [The Guardian]

flight simulator /flat smjυletə/ flight simulator

noun a computer program which allows a user to pilot a plane, showing a realistic control panel and moving scenes, used either as a training programme or a computer game flip-flop /flp flɒp/ noun an electronic circuit or chip whose output can be one of two states determined by one or two inputs, and which can be used to store one bit of digital data. Abbr FF flippy /flpi/ noun a disk that is doublesided but for use in a single-sided drive, so that it has to be turned over to read the other side (NOTE: The plural is flippies.) float /fləυt/ noun the addition of the origin address to all indexed or relative addresses to check the amount of memory a program will require float factor /fləυt fktə/ noun a location in memory at which the first instruction of a program is stored floating /fləυtŋ/ adjective referring to a character which is separate from the character it should be attached to floating address / fləυtŋ ədres/ noun a location specified in relation to a reference address floating point arithmetic / fləυtŋ pɔnt ərθmətk/ noun arithmetical operations on floating point numbers 쑗 The fixed number 56.47 in floating-point arithmetic would be 0.5647 and a power of 2. floating point notation / fləυtŋ pɔnt nəυteʃ(ə)n/ noun a numerical noflip-flop

flippy

float

float factor

floating

floating address



floating point arithmetic



floating point notation



resented with a point after the first digit and a power, so that any number can be stored in a standard form floating point number / fləυtŋ pɔnt nmbə/ noun a number represented using floating point notation floating point operation / fləυtŋ pɔnt ɒpəreʃ(ə)n/ noun a mathematical operation carried out on a floating point number. Abbr FLOP floating point processor / fləυtŋ pɔnt prəυsesə/ noun same as floating floating point number

floating point operation



floating point processor

point unit

floating point routine / fləυtŋ pɔnt floating point routine

ru ti n/ plural noun a set of routines that allow floating-point numbers to be handled and processed floating point unit / fləυtŋ pɔnt ju nt/ noun a specialised CPU that can process floating point numbers very rapidly 쑗 The floating point unit speeds up the processing of the graphics software. Abbr FPU. Also called floating point proces

floating point unit

sor

floating symbolic address / fləυtŋ floating symbolic address

sm bɒlk ədres/ noun a symbol or label that identifies a particular instruction or word, regardless of its location floating window / fləυtŋ wndəυ/ noun a window that can be moved anywhere on screen float relocate /fləυt ri ləυket/ noun the process of converting floating addresses to absolute addresses FLOP /flɒp/ abbr floating point operation floppy disk / flɒpi dsk/, floppy /flɒpi/ noun a secondary storage device in the form of a flat, circular flexible disk onto which data can be stored in a magnetic form. Abbr FD (NOTE: The plural of 



floating window

float relocate



FLOP

floppy disk

floppy is floppies.) COMMENT: Floppy disks are available in various sizes: the commonest are 3.5 inch, 5.25 inch and 8 inch. The size refers to the diameter of the disk inside the sleeve.

floppy disk controller / flɒpi dsk kən trəυlə/ noun full form of FDC floppy disk drive / flɒpi dsk drav/ noun a disk drive for floppy disks. Abbr FDD. Also called floppy disk unit floppy disk sector / flɒpi dsk

sektə/ noun the smallest area on a magnetic disk that can be individually addressed by a computer floppy disk controller



floppy disk drive

floppy disk sector

Computing.fm Page 142 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

floppy disk unit 142 floppy disk unit / flɒpi dsk ju nt/ flying head /flaŋ hed/ noun a hard noun same as floppy disk drive disk read/write head that is wing-shaped to fly just above the surface of the spinning FLOPs per second / flɒps p disk sekənd/ noun a measure of computing power as the number of floating point opflying mouse / flaŋ maυs/ noun a erations that a computer can execute every computer mouse that can be lifted and second used as a pointer flowchart /fləυtʃɑ t/ noun a chart FM / ef em/ verb a method of changing which shows the arrangement of the steps the frequency of one signal according to in a process or program 쐽 verb to describe another. Full form frequency modulaa process, its control and routes graphicaltion ly. Also called flow diagram COMMENT: FM is often used as a method of flowchart stencil /fləυtʃɑ t representing data through changes in the frequency of a signal (the carrier), and as a

stens(ə)l/ noun a plastic sheet with temmethod of carrying data over fibre-optic or telplate symbols cut out, to allow flowcharts ephone cables (e.g., many modem standards to be quickly and clearly drawn. Also use FM to transmit data). called flowchart template FMS / ef em es/ noun 1. CNC or control flowchart symbol /fləυtʃɑ t of a machine by a computer. Full form

smb(ə)l/ plural noun any one of the speflexible machining system 2. the use of cial symbols used to represent devices, deCNC machines, robots and other automatcisions and operations in a flowchart ed devices in manufacturing. Full form flowchart template /fləυtʃɑ t flexible manufacturing system

templet/ noun same as flowchart stenFM synthesiser / ef em snθə sazə/ cil noun a device or other means for creating flow control /fləυ kəntrəυl/ noun sounds by combining base signals of difmanagement of the flow of data into ferent frequencies (NOTE: Sound cards queues and buffers, to prevent heavy trafusing an FM synthesiser create sounds fic of a piano, drum or guitar by combining flow diagram /fləυ daərm/ noun different frequencies at different levels to same as flowchart recreate the complex sound of a musical flow direction /fləυ darekʃən/ noun instrument.) the order in which events occur in a flowfocus /fəυkəs/ noun a particular winchart dow or field that is currently ready to acflowline /fləυlan/ noun a line connectcept a user’s command 쑗 In Windows, the ing flowchart symbols, showing the direcobject that currently has the user’s focus tion of flow within a flowchart has a dotted line around it. 쐽 verb to adflow text / fləυ tekst/ verb to insert text just a monitor so that the image that is disinto a page format in a DTP system (NOTE: played on the screen is sharp and clear The text fills all the space around picfocus window /fəυkəs wndəυ/ tures, and between set margins.) noun a window in a GUI that is currently flush /flʃ/ verb to clear or erase all the active and accepting user input or is being contents of a queue, buffer, file or section controlled by a program and accepting of memory 쐽 adjective level or in line commands from the program with something fogging /fɒŋ/ noun a graphic effect flush buffers /flʃ bfəz/ noun erasthat is used to simulate atmospheric fog or ure of any data remaining in a buffer, ready haze, used to make a three-dimensional for a new job or after a job has been abortscene more realistic. Also called haze ed folder /fəυldə/ noun a group of files flutter /fltə/ noun the occurrence of stored together under a name. 쒁 directory fluctuations of tape speed due to mechanifolding /fəυldŋ/ noun a hashing methcal or circuit problems, causing signal disod for generating an address by splitting tortion 쑗 Wow and flutter and common the key into parts and adding them togethfaults on cheap tape recorders. er flyback /flabk/ noun an electron picfont /fɒnt/ noun a set of characters all of ture beam return from the end of a scan to the same style, size and typeface. Also the beginning of the next. Also called line flyback called fount floppy disk unit

flying head

FLOPs per second

flying mouse

flowchart

FM

flowchart stencil

FMS

flowchart symbol

flowchart template

FM synthesiser



flow control



flow diagram

flow direction



focus

flowline

flow text

focus window

flush

fogging

flush buffers

folder

flutter

folding

flyback

font

Computing.fm Page 143 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

143 format forced page break / fɔ st ped'

brek/ noun an embedded code which indicates a new page start foreground /fɔ raυnd/ noun 1. the front part of an illustration, as opposed to the background 2. a high-priority task done by a computer font card /fɒnt kɑ d/ noun a ROM de‘This brighter – but still anti-glare – type of screen is vice that fits into a socket on a printer and especially useful for people using colourful graphic adds another resident font applications, where both the background and foreground are visually important.’ [Computing] font change /fɒnt tʃend'/ noun a foreground colour / fɔ raυnd klə/ function on a computer to change the style noun the colour of characters and text disof characters used on a display screen played on a screen Font/DA Mover / fɒnt di e mu və/ foregrounding /fɔ raυndŋ/ noun noun (in an Apple Mac system) a former the execution of high-priority jobs or prosystem utility that allowed a user to add grams in a multitasking operating system fonts and DA files to the system environforeground mode /fɔ raυnd məυd/ ment plural noun in a computer system in which font disk /fɒnt dsk/ noun a magnetic two modes for program execution are posdisk that contains the data to drive a charsible, the mode that is for interactive user acter generator to make up the various programs. Compare background mode fonts on a computer display foreground processing memory Fonts Folder /fɒnts fəυldə/ noun a / fɔ raυnd prəυsesŋ mem(ə)ri/ noun Windows location for all the fonts that are a region of a multitasking operating syscurrently installed on your PC tem in which high-priority jobs or profoobar /fu bɑ / noun a term used by grams are executed programmers to refer to whatever is being foreground program / fɔ raυnd discussed 쑗 If a programmer is explaining prəυrm/ noun a high-priority program how a graphic program works, he might in a multitasking system, whose results are refer to an example graphic file that stores usually visible to the user the image as ‘foobar.gif’ – it does not realforest /fɒrst/ noun a number of interly exist but is just an example. connected data structure trees foot /fυt/ noun the bottom part of somefork /fɔ k/ noun (in an Apple Mac) a thing 쑗 He signed his name at the foot of folder that contains system files and inforthe letter. mation about a file or application footer /fυtə/, footing /fυtŋ/ noun a form /fɔ m/ noun 1. a preprinted documessage at the bottom of all the pages in a ment with blank spaces where information printed document, e.g. the page number can be entered 2. a graphical display that footnote /fυt nəυt/ noun a note at the looks like an existing printed form and is bottom of a page, referring to the text used to enter data into a database 3. a page above it, usually using a superior number of computer stationery as a reference formal methods /fɔ m(ə)l meθədz/ footprint /fυt prnt/ noun 1. the area plural noun methods developed from covered by a transmitting device such as a mathematics and logic that are used when satellite or antenna 2. the area that a comgiving the specifications of computer sysputer takes up on a desk tems or evaluating them ‘…signals from satellites in orbit 36,000km above format /fɔ mt/ noun 1. a specific the earth don’t care very much whether you are close method of arranging text or data 2. the preto an exchange or not….as long as you have a dish cise syntax of instructions and arguments within their footprint.’ [The Guardian] 쐽 verb to arrange text as it will appear in forbidden character /fəbd(ə)n printed form on paper 쑗 Style sheets are krktə/, forbidden combination noun used to format documents. a bit combination in a computer word that ‘As an increasing amount of information within is not allowed according to the rules debusinesses is generated in wordprocessed format, fined by the programmer or system detext retrieval tools are becoming a highly attractive signer pragmatic solution.’ [Computing] ‘Word Assistant is designed to help wordprocessing users produce better- looking documents. It has style templates and forms providing 25 TrueType fonts, 100 clip-art images and two font utility programs.’ [Computing] ‘…laser printers store fonts in several ways: as resident, cartridge and downloadable fonts’ [Desktop Publishing Today]

forced page break

foreground

font card

font change

foreground colour

Font/DA Mover

foregrounding

foreground mode

font disk

foreground processing memory

Fonts Folder

foobar

foreground program

forest

foot

fork

footer

form

footnote



formal methods

footprint



format

forbidden character



Computing.fm Page 144 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

format mode 144 format mode /fɔ mt məυd/ noun the for-next loop / fɔ nekst lu p/ noun a use of protected display fields on a screen loop or routine that is repeated until a conto show a blank form or page which cannot dition no longer occurs be altered, but into which a user can enter FORTH /fɔ θ/ noun a programming laninformation guage mainly used in control applications formatted dump / fɔ mtd dmp/ FORTRAN /fɔ trn/ noun a programnoun a batch of text or data printed in a ming language developed in the first place certain format for scientific use. Full form formula translator formatter /fɔ mtə/ noun a piece of hardware or software that arranges text or forum /fɔ rəm/ noun an Internet discusdata according to certain rules sion group for people who share a special interest in something form factor /fɔ m fktə/ noun the size and shape of a device, especially a compuforward /fɔ wəd/ verb 1. to send an ter’s motherboard or other printed circuit email message that you have received on board (NOTE: For example, the motherto another user 쑗 I did not know the anboard tends to be the size of the first IBM swer to the question, so I have forwarded desktop PC computer (full form factor) or your message to my colleague. 2. (of a smaller.) bridge in a network) to copy a packet of data from one segment to another form feed /fɔ m fi d/ verb to the process of advancing the paper in a printer to forward error correction / fɔ wəd the top of the next page or sheet. Abbr FF erə kə rekʃ(ə)n/ noun an error detection (NOTE: If you are using a laser or inkjet and correction method that is applied to reprinter this has the effect of ejecting the ceived data to correct errors rather than recurrent piece of paper.) questing another transmission form flash / fɔ m flʃ/ noun a text forward mode /fɔ wəd məυd/ noun heading held in store and printed out at the positive displacement to an origin same time as the text forward pointer / fɔ wəd pɔntə/ form handling equipment / fɔ m noun a pointer that contains the address of hndlŋ  kwpmənt/ noun peripherals, the next item in a linked list e.g. a decollator,which deal with output for your information /fə jɔ  nfə from a printer meʃ(ə)n/ noun full form of FYI form letter /fɔ m letə/ noun a standard FOSDIC / ef əυ es di a si / noun a letter into which personal details of each storage device for computer data using miaddressee are inserted crofilm. Full form film optical scanning form mode /fɔ m məυd/ noun a disdevice for input into computers play method on a data entry terminal in four-address instruction / fɔ ə which the form is displayed on the screen

dres nstrkʃən/ noun a program inand the operator enters relevant details struction which contains four addresses form overlay /fɔ m əυvəle/ noun a within its address field, usually the locaheading or other matter held in store and tion of the two operands, the result and the printed out at the same time as the text location of the next instruction form stop / fɔ m stɒp/ noun a sensor fourcc / fɔ si si /, four-character on a printer which indicates when the pacode / fɔ krktə kəυd/ noun a methper has run out od of identifying the type of data within a RIFF file form type /fɔ m tap/ noun a fourcharacter code that identifies the type of 4GL abbr fourth-generation language data chunk within a RIFF file four-plus-one address /fɔ pls formula /fɔ mjυlə/ noun a set of math wn/ noun an instruction that contains ematical rules applied to solve a problem the locations of four registers and the loca(NOTE: The plural is formulae.) tion of the next instruction formula portability / fɔ mjυlə pɔ tə fourth generation computer / fɔ θ blti/ noun a feature in a spreadsheet

d'enəreʃ(ə)n kəmpju tə/ noun a comprogram to find a value in a single cell puter using technology using LSI circuits, from data in others, with the possibility of developed around 1970 and still in current using the same formula in other cells use formula translator /fɔ mjələ trns fourth generation language / fɔ θ

letə/ noun full form of FORTRAN

d'enəreʃ(ə)n lŋwd'/ noun a comformat mode

for-next loop

FORTH

formatted dump

FORTRAN

formatter

forum

form factor

forward

form feed

forward error correction



form flash

forward mode

forward pointer

form handling equipment



for your information



form letter

FOSDIC

form mode

four-address instruction





form overlay



form stop

fourcc

form type

4GL

four-plus-one address

formula

formula portability

fourth generation computer





formula translator

fourth generation language



Computing.fm Page 145 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

145 frame index will re-assemble these units into the corputer language that is user-friendly and rect order. has been designed with the nonexpert in mind. Abbr 4GL fragmentation / frmənteʃ(ə)n/ fps noun the number of individual frames noun 1. (in main memory) memory alloof a video sequence that can be displayed cation to a number of files, which has reeach second to give the impression of sulted in many small, free sections or fragmovement. Full form frames per secments that are too small to be of any use, ond. 쒁 MPEG but waste a lot of space 2. (on a disk drive) a situation with files stored scattered COMMENT: To give the impression of smooth, continuous video (also called full-motion vidacross non-contiguous sectors on a hard eo), a computer needs to display at least 25 disk separate frames each second. If the frames fragmentation



fps

COMMENT: When a file is saved to disk, it is not always saved in adjacent sectors. This will increase the retrieval time. Defragmentation moves files back into adjacent sectors so that the read head does not have to move far across the disk, so it increases performance.

are small, there is less data to update; however if the frame is large – e.g. a large window display – then the computer has to update the hundreds of thousands of pixels that make up each image 25 times per second. To do this needs a fast graphics adapter or special video display hardware FQDN

domain name that can be used to identify a server as well as the host;, e.g. bloomsbury.com. Full form fully quali-

fied domain name fractal /frkt(ə)l/ noun a geometric fractal

shape that repeats itself within itself and always appears the same, however much you magnify the image fractal compression / frkt(ə)l kəm preʃ(ə)n/ noun a technique used to compress images fractal image format / frkt(ə)l md' fɔ mt/ noun full form of FIF fraction /frkʃən/ noun 1. a part of a whole unit, expressed as one figure above another, e.g. 1/4, 1/2, or a figure after a decimal point. e.g. 25. 2. a mantissa of a floating point number. Also called fracfractal compression



fractal image format

fraction

tional part

fractional part /frkʃənəl pɑ t/ noun fractional part

same as fraction 2

fractional services / frkʃənəl s vsz/ plural noun parts of a bandwidth allocated to different signals or customers 쑗 The commercial carrier will sell you fractional services that provide 64Kbps data transmission. fractional T-1 /frkʃənəl ti / noun a method of dividing the capacity of a 1.544 Mbits/second T-1 communications line into smaller 64 Kbits/second channels that are more convenient and cheaper for a customer to use fragment /frmənt/ noun a piece of information that has had to be split up into several smaller units of information before being sent over the Internet. The receiver fractional services

fractional T-1

fragment

frame /frem/ noun 1. a space on magnetic tape for one character code 2. a packet of transmitted data including control and route information 3. (in animation, film or video) one single image within a sequence of different images that together show movement or animation. Each frame is normally slightly different from the previous one to give the impression of movement. 4. (in an HTML webpage) a set of commands that allow the main window of a browser to be split into separate sections, each of which can be scrolled independently. This allows lots of information to be presented clearly. 쒁 HTML 5. (in communications) a standard unit of information that contains a header with the destination address and sender’s address followed by the information and a trailer that contains error detection information frame-based animation % /frem besd nmeʃ(ə)n/ noun a series of screens displayed in quick succession, each one slightly different, that gives the impression of movement frame buffer /frem bfə/ noun a section of memory used to store an image before it is displayed on screen frame error /frem erə/ noun an error due to a faulty bit within a frame on magnetic tape frame grabber /frem rbə/ noun a high speed digital sampling circuit that stores a TV picture in memory so that it can then be processed by a computer. Also called grabber frame

FPU abbr floating point unit FQDN / ef kju di en/ noun a complete FPU

frame-based animation



frame buffer

frame error

frame grabber

‘…the frame grabber is distinguished by its ability to acquire a TV image in a single frame interval’ [Electronics & Wireless World]

frame index /frem ndeks/ noun a frame index

counter used by the Microsoft Movie Play-

Computing.fm Page 146 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

frame rate 146 er software that identifies the current freeze frame /fri z frem/ verb a video frame of the video sequence stopped so that only one frame is displayed frame rate /frem ret/ noun the speed frequency /fri kwənsi/ noun a number at which frames in a video sequence are of cycles or periods of a regular waveform displayed; measured in frames displayed that are repeated per second (NOTE: The per second (NOTE: PAL is 25fps, NTSC is freeze frame

frame rate

frequency

30 fps and film is 24 fps.) frame relay /frem rle/ noun a comframe relay



munications protocol, similar to but more efficient to X.25, that operates at OSI level 2. COMMENT:

The system is used in wide area networks and is a subset of the HDLC (high level data-link control) called LAP-D (link access procedure-D) that allows data to be sent in packets over a shared high-speed channel such as a T-1 line.

frames per second / fremz pə sekənd/ noun full form of fps frame window /frem wndəυ/ noun the set of controls, including the minimise and maximise buttons, scroll bar and window title, and border that surround a window area framework /fremw k/ noun the basic structure of a database, process or program 쑗 The program framework was designed first. free /fri / adjective available for use or not currently being used; 쐽 verb to erase, remove or back up programs or files to provide space in memory freedom of information / fri dəm əv nfəmeʃ(ə)n/ noun the opportunity and ability to examine computer records, either(referring to government activities or about individuals) free form database / fri fɔ m detəbes/ noun a database that can store any type of data and does not have a fixed record structure free running mode / fri rnŋ

məυd/ noun an interactive computer mode that allows more than one user to have simultaneous use of a program free WAIS / fri db(ə)l ju e a es/ noun a non-commercial version of the WAIS search index server freeware /fri weə/ noun software that is in the public domain and can be used by anyone without having to pay free wheeling /fri wi lŋ/ noun a transmission protocol in which the computer transmitting receives no status signals from the receiver freeze /fri z/ verb same as hang. 쏡 frames per second

frame window

framework

free

freedom of information



free form database

free running mode

free WAIS

freeware

free wheeling

freeze

crash

plural is frequencies.)

frequency division multiplexing frequency division multiplexing

/ fri kwənsi d v'(ə)n mlt pleksŋ/ noun full form of FDM 쑗 Using FDM we 



can transmit 100 telephone calls along one main cable. frequency modulation / fri kwənsi mɒdjuleʃ(ə)n/ noun full form of FM frequency modulation



frequently frequently asked questions

asked

questions

/ fri kwənt(ə)li ɑ skd kwestʃənz/ plural noun common questions and their an-

swers relating to a particular subject that are contained in a document. Abbr FAQ friendly front end / frendli frnt end/ noun the design of the display of a program that is easy to use and understand FROM /ef rɒm/ abbr fusible read only memory front end / frnt end/ adjective the visible part of an application that is seen by a user and is used to view and work with information 쑗 The program is very easy to use thanks to the uncomplicated front-end. front-end processor / frnt end prəυsesə/ noun full form of FEP front panel /frnt pn(ə)l/ noun main computer system control switches and status indicators FTAM / ef ti e em/ noun an OSI standard method of transferring files between different computer systems. Full form file friendly front end

FROM

front end

front-end processor

front panel

FTAM

transfer, file access and management FTP / ef ti pi / noun an TCP/IP standFTP

ard for transferring files between computers; it is a file sharing protocol that operates at layers 5, 6 and 7 of an OSI model network. Full form file transfer protocol ftp mail / ef ti pi mel/ noun 쏡 bitFTP full adder / fυl də/ noun a binary addition circuit which can produce the sum of two inputs, and can also accept a carry input, producing a carry output if necessary full duplex / fυl dju pleks/ noun data transmission down a channel in two directions simultaneously. Abbr fd, FD, fdx full handshaking / fυl hndʃekŋ/ noun signals transmitted between two communicating devices indicating states and events such as ready to transmit, ready to receive, received and transmitted ftp mail

full adder

full duplex

full handshaking

Computing.fm Page 147 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

147 FYI specification which defines the results full-motion video adapter / fυl full-motion video adapter

məυʃ(ə)n vdiəυ ə dptə/ noun a computer fitted with a digitising card that is fast enough to capture and display moving video images, at a rate of 25 or 30 frames per second full path / fυl pɑ θ/ noun a description of the position of a directory, in relation to the root directory, in which a file is stored full scene anti-aliasing / fυl si n

nti eliəsŋ/ noun a method of antialiasing a complete frame of a video or animation rather than just one object, which requires powerful graphics hardware. Abbr FSAA full-screen /fυl skri n/ adjective referring to a program display that uses all the available screen, and is not displayed within a window full-size display / fυl saz dsple/ noun a large screen VDU which can display a whole page of text full subtractor / fυl səbtrktə/ noun a binary subtractor circuit that can produce the difference of two inputs and can also accept a carry input, producing a carry output if necessary full-text search / fυl tekst s tʃ/ noun a search for something carried out through all the text in a file or database rather than limited to an area or block fully formed character / fυli fɔ md krktə/ plural noun a character produced by a printer in a single action fully-populated / fυli pɒpjυ letd/ adjective 1. referring to a computer with all the options or memory fitted 2. referring to a printed circuit board that has components in all free sockets fully qualified domain name / fυli

kwɒlfad dəυmen nem/ noun full form of FQDN function /fŋkʃən/ noun 1. a mathematical formula in which a result is dependent upon several other numbers 2. a sequence of computer program instructions in a main program that perform a certain task 3. a special feature available on a computer or word-processor 쑗 The wordprocessor had a spelling-checker function but no built-in text-editing function. functional diagram / fŋkʃ(ə)nəl daərm/ noun a drawing of the internal workings and processes of a machine or piece of software 

full path

full scene anti-aliasing

full-screen

full-size display



which a program is expected to produce

functional unit / fŋkʃən(ə)l ju nt/ functional unit

noun a piece of hardware or software that works as it should function call /fŋkʃən kɔ l/ noun a program instruction that moves execution to a predefined function or named sequence of instructions function code /fŋkʃən kəυd/ noun a printing code that controls an action rather than representing a character function digit /fŋkʃən dd't/ noun a code used to instruct a computer as to which function or branch in a program to follow function key /fŋkʃən ki / noun one of several special keys placed along the top of a PC keyboard that have different uses according to different applications function call

function code

function digit

function key

COMMENT: Function keys often form a separate group of keys on the keyboard, and have specific functions attached to them. They may be labelled F1, F2 and so on. Most applications use the F1 key to display help information and Alt-F4 to quit an application

full subtractor



full-text search

fully formed character

fully-populated



fully qualified domain name



function

functional diagram

functional

specification

functional specification

/ fŋkʃ(ə)nəl spesfkeʃ(ə)n/ noun a 

function library /fŋkʃən labrəri/ function library

noun the collection of functions that can be used by a program function overloading /fŋkʃ(ə)n

əυvələυdŋ/ noun a programming system in which several different functions can have the same name, but are differentiated because they operate on different data types function table /fŋkʃən teb(ə)l/ noun a list that gives the relationship between two sets of instructions or data fusible link / fju zb(ə)l lŋk/ noun a small link in a PLA that can be blown to program the device permanently function overloading

function table

fusible link

fusible fusible read only memory

read

only

memory

/ fju zb(ə)l ri d əυnli mem(ə)ri/ noun

PROM that is made up of a matrix of fusible links which are selectively blown to program it. Abbr FROM fuzzy logic, fuzzy theory noun a type of logic applied to computer programming, which tries to replicate the reasoning methods of the human brain FYI / ef wa a/ noun a document file that contains general background information related to the Internet or the TCP/IP protocols. Full form for your information. 쒁 RFC (NOTE: Specific technical infuzzy logic

FYI

formation is normally contained in RFC documents.)

Computing.fm Page 148 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

G ganged switch / ŋd swtʃ/ noun a

G abbr gigaG

ganged switch

In computing G refers to 230, equal to 1,073,741,824.

COMMENT:

G.711 / d'i sev(ə)n lev(ə)n/ noun a standard used in multimedia and telephony to define an audio signal with a 3.4 KHz bandwidth transferred over a 64 Kbits/second data channel gain /en/ noun 1. an increase or enlargement 2. an amount by which a signal amplitude is changed as it passes through a circuit, usually given as a ratio of output to input amplitude. Opposite attenuation gallium arsenide / liəm ɑ s(ə)nad/ noun a semiconductor compound, a material used for chip construction, that allows faster operation than silicon chips game cartridge /em kɑ trd'/ noun a ROM device that contains the program code for a computer game, and which is plugged into a game console game console /em kɒnsəυl/ noun a dedicated computer that is used primarily to play games, designed to connect to a television set rather than a monitor and usually controlled using a gamepad rather than a keyboard and mouse. Also called G.711



gain

gallium arsenide

game cartridge

game console

games console gamepad /empd/ noun a device gamepad

held in the hand to control a computer game game port /em pɔ t/ noun a connection that allows a joystick to be plugged into a computer gaming gear /emŋ ə/ noun accessories for a computer that are designed to increase the enjoyment of playing a computer game, e.g. a joystick for action games or a steering wheel and foot pedals for a driving game ganged /ŋd/ adjective referring to mechanically linked devices that are operated by a single action game port

gaming gear

ganged

series of switches that operate on different parts of a circuit but which are all switched by a single action 쑗 A ganged switch is used to select which data bus a printer will respond to. gap /p/ noun 1. a space between recorded data 2. a space between a read head and the magnetic medium gap character /p krktə/ noun an extra character added to a group of characters for parity or another purpose, but not as data or an instruction gap digit /p dd't/ noun an extra digit added to a group of data for parity or another purpose, but not as data or an instruction gap loss / p lɒs/ noun a signal attenuation due to incorrect alignment of the read/write head with the storage medium garbage /ɑ bd'/ noun 1. a radio interference from adjacent channels 2. data or information that is no longer required because it is out of date or contains errors garbage collection /ɑ bd' kə

lekʃən/ noun the reorganisation and removal of unwanted or out-of-date files and records garbage in garbage out / ɑ bd' n

ɑ bd' aυt/ noun full form of GIGO gap

gap character

gap digit

gap loss

garbage

garbage collection



garbage in garbage out

gas discharge display, gas plasma gas discharge display

display noun a flat, lightweight display

screen that is made of two flat pieces of glass covered with a grid of conductors, separated by a thin layer of a gas which luminesces when one point of the grid is selected by two electric signals. Also called plasma display COMMENT: Mainly used in modern portable computer displays, but the definition is not as good as in cathode ray tube displays.

gate /et/ noun 1. a logical electronic gate

switch whose output depends on the states of the inputs and the type of logical function implemented 2. a connection pin of a FET device

Computing.fm Page 149 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

149 generic applied to many different sorts of applicagate array /et əre/ noun a number of gate array



interconnected logic gates built into an integrated circuit to perform a complex function gate circuit /et s kt/ noun an electronic component that implements a logical function gated / et di / noun software that redirects network traffic, usually Internet traffic, according to a set of rules, and can also be used to limit access to a site or to route traffic to another site. Full form gate daemon. 쒁 routed gate delay /et dle/ noun the time taken for a gate to produce an output after it has received inputs gateway /etwe/ noun 1. a device that links two dissimilar networks 쑗 We use a gateway to link the LAN to WAN. 2. a software protocol translation device that allows users working in one network to access another 3. a piece of software that allows email messages to be sent via a different route or to another network gateway interface /etwe

ntəfes/ noun 쏡 CGI gateway page /etwe ped'/ noun the first webpage that a visitor to a website sees and the one that contains the key words and phrases that enable a search engine to find it gather /ðə/ verb to receive data from various sources, either directly from a data capture device or from a cartridge, and sort and insert it in correct order into a database gather write /ðə rat/ verb to write a group of separate records as one block of data Gb abbr gigabyte GDI abbr graphics device interface gender changer /d'endə tʃend'ə/ noun a device for changing a female connection to a male or vice versa (informal ) General MIDI / d'en(ə)rəl mdi/ noun a set of standards for a synthesiser that set out the first 128 different instrument sounds in a synthesiser and the number that refers to it. For example, 40 is always a violin. gate circuit

gated

gate delay



gateway

gateway interface

gateway page

gather

gather write

Gb

GDI

gender changer

General MIDI

general general packet radio service

packet

radio

service

/ d'en(ə)rəl pkt rediəυ s vs/ noun full form of GPRS general protection fault / d'en(ə)rəl prətekʃən fɔ lt/ noun full form of GPF general protection fault



general general purpose computer

purpose

computer

/ d'en(ə)rəl p pəs kəm pju tə/ noun a 

computer whose processing power may be

tions, depending on its hardware or software instructions

general purpose interface adapter general purpose interface adapter

/ d'en(ə)rəl p pəs ntəfes ə dptə/ noun an adapter usually used to interface a 

processing unit to a IEEE-488 bus. Abbr GPIA

general purpose interface bus general purpose interface bus

/ d'en(ə)rəl p pəs ntəfes bs/ noun full form of GPIB

general general purpose program

purpose

program

/ d'en(ə)rəl p pəs prəυrm/ noun a

program or device able to perform many different jobs or applications generate /d'enə ret/ verb to use software or a device to produce codes or a program automatically 쑗 to generate an image from digitally recorded data generated address / d'enəretd ə dres/ noun a location used by a program that has been produced by instructions within the program generated error / d'enəretd erə/ noun an error occurring due to inaccuracies in data used, e.g. a sum total error due to a series of numbers which are rounded up generation / d'enəreʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. the process of producing data or software or programs using a computer 쑗 The computer is used in the generation of graphic images. 2. the state or age of the technology used in the design of a system 3. the distance between a file and the original version, used when making backups 쑗 The father file is a first generation backup. generation loss / d'enəreʃ(ə)n lɒs/ noun degradation of signal quality with each successive recording of a video or audio signal generator /d'enə retə/ noun a program that generates new programs according to rules or specifications set out by the user generator lock /d'enə retə lɒk/ noun a device that synchronises the timing signals of two video signals from different sources so that they can be successfully combined or mixed. Also called genlock generate



generated address



generated error

generation



generation loss



generator



generator lock



(NOTE: It is often used to synchronise the output of a computer’s display adapter with an external video source when using the computer to create overlays or titling.) generic /d'ənerk/ adjective that is generic



compatible with a whole family of hard-

Computing.fm Page 150 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

genlock 150 ware or software devices from one manugigabyte /əbat/ noun 109 bytes. facturer Abbr Gb genlock /d'enlɒk/ noun same as gengigaflop /əflɒp/ noun one thousand erator lock million floating-point operations per second geometry /d'iɒmətri/ noun the first of the two stages used to create and display a gigahertz /əh ts/ noun a frequenthree-dimensional object. The second is cy of one thousand million cycles per secrendering. ond. Abbr GHz geometry processing /d'i ɒmətri GIGO /aəυ/ noun the principle that

prəυsesŋ/ noun a process required to the accuracy and quality of information calculate the x, y and z coordinates of a that is output depends on the quality of the three-dimensional object that is to be disinput. Full form garbage in garbage out played on screen 쑗 Geometry processing COMMENT: GIGO is sometimes taken to mean is usually carried out by the CPU or by a ‘garbage in gospel out’: i.e. that whatever wrong information is put into a computer, peospecialised graphics processor. ple will always believe that the output results geotargeting / d'i əυtɑ tŋ/ noun a are true. method of analysing what a visitor to your gigs /iz/ noun meaning one thousand website is viewing or doing and deducing million; in computing G refers to 230 equal his or her location, then displaying custom to 1,073,741,824. Abbr G content or advertisements accordingly 쑗 If GINO / d'i a en əυ/ noun a graphical a website visitor searches for the weather control routine written in FORTRAN. Full in Seattle, the intelligent geotargeting softform graphical input output ware displays banner advertisements from GKS / d'i ke es/ noun a standard for taxi companies in Seattle. software command and functions describget /et/ noun an instruction to obtain a ing graphical input/output to provide the record from a file or database same functions, etc. on any type of hardGET method /et meθəd/ noun (in ware. Full form graphics kernel system HTML for CGI access) a method of transglare /leə/ noun very bright light reflecferring information between a webpage, tions, especially on a VDU screen 쑗 The which uses the HTML form GET comglare from the screen makes my eyes hurt. mand, and a server-based application glare filter /leə fltə/ noun a coated ghost /əυst/ noun 1. a menu item disglass or plastic sheet placed in front of a played in grey and not currently available screen to cut out bright light reflections 2. an effect on a television image in which glitch /ltʃ/ noun anything which causa weaker copy of the picture is displayed es the sudden unexpected failure of a comto one side of the main image, caused by puter or equipment (informal ) signal reflections ‘The programmer was upgrading a verification sysghost cursor /əυst k sə/ noun a tem at Visa’s UK data centre when his work trigsecond cursor which can be used in some gered a software glitch causing hundreds of valid programs cards to be rejected for several hours.’ [Computing] GHz abbr gigahertz global /ləυb(ə)l/ adjective covering everything GIF /f/ a trade name for a graphics file ‘In an attempt to bring order to an electronic Tower format of a file containing a bit-mapped of Babel, pharmaceutical giant Rhone-Poulenc has image. Full form graphics interface forgigabyte

genlock

gigaflop

geometry



gigahertz

geometry processing

GIGO



geotargeting



gigs

GINO

GKS

get

GET method

glare

glare filter

ghost

glitch

ghost cursor

GHz

global

GIF

mat

GIF file / d'i a ef fal/ noun graphics GIF file

file format of a file containing a bitmapped image giga- /ə/ prefix one thousand million. Abbr G giga-

In computing giga refers to 230, which is equal to 1,073,741,824.

COMMENT:

gigabit /əbt/ noun a unit of capacigigabit

ty of a computer local area network, equal to one megabyte of computer information or 1,073,741,824 bits

assembled an X.400-based global messaging network and a patchwork directory system that will be used until a single email system is deployed worldwide.’ [Computing]

global backup / ləυb(ə)l bkp/ global backup

noun 1. a backup of all data stored on all nodes or workstations connected to a network 2. a backup of all files on a hard disk or file server global exchange / ləυb(ə)l ks tʃend'/ noun a replace function which replaces one piece of text, e.g. a word, with another throughout a whole text global exchange



Computing.fm Page 151 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

151 grandfather cycle Gouraud shading /u rəυ ʃedŋ/ noun shading within a three-dimensional nɒld'/ noun all the knowledge about one scene created by a mathematical equation problem or task that is applied to each side of each object global memory / ləυb(ə)l mem(ə)ri/ and produces a gradual change in colour to noun memory available to all Windows give the impression of light and shade applications Government Open Systems Interglobal search and replace connect Profile / v(ə)nmənt / ləυb(ə)l s tʃ ən rples/ noun a

əυpən sstəm ntəkənekt prəυfal/ word-processor search and replace funcnoun full form of GOSIP tion covering a complete file or document GPF / d'i pi ef/ noun an error condiglobal system for mobile commution that occurs in Microsoft Windows and nications / ləυb(ə)l sstəm fə causes an application to crash, usually

məυbal kə mju nkeʃ(ə)nz/ noun full caused by insufficient memory, by using form of GSM an incompatible peripheral or device drivglobal variable / ləυb(ə)l er or by an error in a software program. veəriəb(ə)l/ noun a variable or number Full form general protection fault that can be accessed by any routine or GPIB / d'i pi a bi / noun a standard structure in a program for an interface bus between a computer glyph /lf/ noun the symbol, or the set and laboratory equipment. Full form genof symbols, that forms a single character in eral purpose interface bus a font gpr / d'i pi ɑ / noun a data register in a GND / d'i en di / abbr ground computer processing unit that can store goal /əυl/ noun the final state reached items of a data for many different mathewhen a task has been finished or has promatical or logical operations. Full form duced satisfactory results general purpose register. Also called go down / əυ daυn/ verb to break general register down or stop working GPRS / d'i pi ɑ es/ noun a standard gold contact / əυld kɒntkt/ noun system for wireless radio and mobile telean electrical contact, usually for low-level phone communications that is due to resignals, that is coated with gold to reduce place the existing GSM system. Full form the electrical resistance general packet radio service (NOTE: gold disc / əυld dsk/ noun the origiGPRS supports high-speed data transfer nal disc from which other copies of a CDrates of up to 150 Kbps compared to the ROM are made GSM limit of 9.6 Kbps.) Google /u (ə)l/ a trade name for a grabber /rbə/ noun same as frame popular search engine grabber Gopher /əυfə/ noun an Internet sysgraceful degradation / resf(ə)l tem that allows a user to find information

derədeʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of aland files stored on the Internet using a selowing some parts of a system to continue ries of commands to function after a part has broken down GOSIP /ɒsp/ noun a set of standards gradient /rediənt/ noun (in a graphic defined by the US Government to ensure image) a smooth change of colour from that computers and communications sysone colour to another or from black to tems can interact. Full form Government white Open Systems Interconnect Profile grammar /rmə/ noun a set of rules gospel /ɒspəl/ noun 쏡 GIGO for the correct use of a language GOSUB /əυsb/ noun a programming grammar checker /rmə tʃekə/ command which executes a routine then noun a software utility used to check a returns to the following instruction document or letter to make sure it is gramGOTO /əυtu / noun a programming matically correct command which instructs a jump to anothgrammatical error /rə mtk(ə)l er point or routine in the program 쑗 GOTO erə/ noun an incorrect use of a computer 105 instructs a jump to line 105. programming language syntax COMMENT: GOTO statements are frowned grandfather cycle /rnfɑ ðə upon by software experts since their use dis sak(ə)l/ noun a period in which the courages set, structured programming techgrandfather file is retrieved and updated to niques.

global

knowledge

global knowledge

/ ləυb(ə)l

Gouraud shading

global memory

Government Open Systems Interconnect Profile

global search and replace



GPF

global system for mobile communications





global variable

GPIB

glyph

gpr

GND

goal

go down

GPRS

gold contact

gold disc

Google

grabber

Gopher

graceful degradation



GOSIP

gradient

grammar

gospel

GOSUB

grammar checker

GOTO

grammatical error



grandfather cycle

Computing.fm Page 152 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

grandfather file 152 screen instead of a character, used extenproduce a new father file, the old father file sively in videotext systems to display simbecoming the new grandfather file ple pictures grandfather file /rnfɑ ðə fal/ noun the third most recent version of a graphics coprocessor /rfks backed up file, after father and son files kəυ prəυsesə/ noun same as graphics processor granularity / rnjυlrti/ noun the graphics file /rfks fal/ noun a bisize of memory segments in a virtual nary file which contains data describing an memory system image 쑗 There are many standards for graphic /rfk/ adjective referring to graphics files including TIFF, IMG and representation of information in the form EPS. of pictures or plots instead of by text graphics file format /rfks fal graphical input output / rfkl

fɔ mt/ noun a method in which data de npυt aυtpυt/ noun full form of GINO scribing an image is stored graphical user interface / rfkl graphics interface format / rfks ju zə ntəfes/ noun full form of GUI ntəfes fɔ mt/ noun full form of GIF graphic data /rfk detə/ noun graphics kernel system / rfks stored data that represents graphical infork n(ə)l sstəm/ noun full form of GKS mation when displayed on a screen graphics library /rfks labr(ə)ri/ graphic display /rfk d ple/ noun a number of routines stored in a linoun a computer screen able to present brary file that can be added to any user graphical information program to simplify the task of writing graphic display resolution /rfk graphics programs d sple rezəlu ʃ(ə)n/ noun the number graphics light pen / rfks lat of pixels that a computer is able to display

pen/ noun a high-accuracy light pen used on the screen for drawing onto a graphics display screen graphic language /rfk graphics mode /rfks məυd/ noun

lŋwd'/ noun a computer programa videotext terminal whose displayed ming language with inbuilt commands that characters are taken from a range of graphare useful when displaying graphics ics characters instead of text graphic object / rfk ɒbd'ekt/ graphics overlay card / rfks noun a small graphic image imported from əυvəle kɑ d/ noun an expansion card another drawing application and placed on for a PC or Apple Mac that combines gena page (NOTE: in most DTP, paint or drawerated text or images with an external viding packages, the object can be moved, eo source sized and positioned independently from the other elements on the page.) graphics pad /rfks pd/ noun same as graphics tablet graphics /rfks/ noun pictures or graphics primitive / rfks lines which can be drawn on paper or on a prmtv/ noun a basic shape such as an screen to represent information 쑗 graphics output such as bar charts, pie charts, line arc, line or filled square that is used to credrawings, etc. ate other shapes or objects graphics accelerator /rfks ək graphics printer /rfks prntə/

seləretə/ noun a card that fits inside a noun a printer capable of printing bitcomputer and uses a dedicated processor mapped images chip to speed up the action of drawing graphics processor /rfks lines and images on the screen

prəυsesə/ noun a secondary processor graphics adapter /rfks ə dptə/ used to speed up the display of graphics 쑗 noun an electronic device, usually on an This graphics adapter has a graphics coexpansion card, in a computer that conprocessor fitted and is much faster. Also verts software commands into electrical called graphics coprocessor (NOTE: It calculates the position of pixels that form signals that display graphics on a connecta line or shape and display graphic lines ed monitor 쑗 The new graphics adapter is capable of displaying higher resolution or shapes.) graphics. graphics software /rfks graphics character /rfks

sɒftweə/ noun prewritten routines which

krktə/ noun a preprogrammed shape perform standard graphics commands that can be displayed on a non-graphical such as line drawing and plotting that can grandfather file

graphics coprocessor



granularity



graphics file

graphic

graphics file format

graphical input output

graphical user interface

graphics interface format

graphic data

graphics kernel system

graphics library

graphic display



graphic display resolution



graphics light pen

graphic language

graphics mode

graphic object

graphics overlay card

graphics pad

graphics

graphics primitive

graphics accelerator

graphics printer



graphics processor

graphics adapter



graphics software

graphics character

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153 GUI of icons, of files or programs displayed tobe called from within a program to simpligether in a window 쑗 All the icons in this fy program writing group are to do with painting. 4. (in a netgraphics tablet /rfks tblət/ work) a collection of users conveniently noun a flat device which allows a user to identified by one name 쑗 The group ACinput graphical information into a compuCOUNTS contains all the users who work ter by drawing on its surface 쑗 It is much in the accounts department. 쐽 verb to easier to draw accurately with a graphics bring several things together tablet than with a mouse. Also called Group 3 / ru p θri / noun 쏡 fax group graphics pad group icon /ru p akɒn/ noun (in a graphics terminal /rfks GUI) an icon that represents a window

t mn(ə)l/ noun a special terminal with which contains a collection of icons of a high-resolution graphic display and files or programs graphics tablet or other input device group mark /ru p mɑ k/, group graphics VDU / rfks vi di ju / marker noun a code used to identify the noun a special VDU which can display start and end of a group of related records high-resolution or colour graphics as well or items of data as text group poll /ru p pəυl/ noun a poll of graph plotter /rɑ f plɒtə/ noun a number of devices at once same as x-y plotter groupware /ru pweə/ noun software Gray code /re kəυd/ noun a coding specially written to be used by a group of system in which the binary representation people connected to a network and help of decimal numbers changes by only one them carry out a particular task (NOTE: It bit at a time from one number to the next graphics tablet

Group 3

graphics terminal

group icon

graphics VDU

group mark

graph plotter

group poll

Gray code

groupware

COMMENT: It is used in communications systems to provide error detection facilities.

gray scale /re skel/ noun US another spelling of grey scale greeked /ri kd/ adjective (in a DTP program) referring to a font with a point size too small to display accurately, shown as a line rather than individual characters Green Book /ri n bυk/ noun a formal specification for CD-i standard published by Philips gremlin /remln/ noun an unexplained fault in a system (informal ) grey scale /re skel/ noun the shades which are produced from displaying what should be colour information on a monochrome monitor (NOTE: The US spelling is gray scale

greeked

Green Book

provides useful functions such as a diary or email that can be accessed by all users.) GSM / d'i es em/ noun a popular sysGSM

tem used for wireless cellular telephone communications throughout Europe, Asia and parts of North America. Full form global system for mobile communications. 쒁 GPRS COMMENT: The GSM system allows eight calls to share the same radio frequency and carries the digital data that represents voice signals transmitted by each user’s telephone. The main drawback of GSM is that it does not offer very fast data transfer rates which has become more important as users want to access the Internet and read email via a mobile telephone connection. GSM provides data transfer at up to 9.6Kbps, but it is due to be replaced by the GPRS system that can support high-speed data transfer at up to 150Kbps.

gremlin

grey scale

gray scale.) grid /rd/ noun a system of numbered grid

squares used to help when drawing grid snap /rd snp/ noun (in a graphics program) patterns or lines drawn on screen limited to the points of a grid 쑗 If you want to draw accurate lines, you’ll find it easier with grid snap turned on. ground /raυnd/ noun an electrical circuit connection to earth or to a point with a zero voltage level. Abbr GND (NOTE: grid snap

ground

ground is more common in US English; the British English is earth) group /ru p/ noun 1. a set of computer records containing related information 2. a group

six-character word used in telegraphic communications 3. (in a GUI) a collection

guard band /ɑ d bnd/ noun a section of magnetic tape between two channels recorded on the same tape guard bit /ɑ d bt/ noun one bit within a stored word that indicates to the computer whether it can be altered or if it is protected GUI /u i/ noun an interface between an operating system or program and the user that uses graphics or icons to represent functions or files and allow the software to be controlled more easily. Full form graphical user interface. Compare guard band

guard bit

GUI

command line interface COMMENT: GUIs normally use a combination of windows, icons and a mouse to control the

Computing.fm Page 154 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

guide bar operating system. In many GUIs, such as Microsoft Windows and the Apple Mac System, you can control all the functions of the operating system just using the mouse. Icons represent programs and files; instead of entering the file name, you select it by moving a pointer with a mouse.

154 gulp /lp/ noun a group of words, usually two bytes. 쒁 byte, nybble gun /n/ noun same as electron gun gulp

gun

COMMENT: Black and white monitors have a single beam gun, while colour monitors contain three, one for each primary colour (red, green and blue) used.

guide bar /ad bɑ / noun a special line guide bar

in a bar code that shows either the start or the finish of the code 쑗 The standard guide bars are two thin lines that are a little longer than the coding lines.

gutter /tə/ noun (in a DTP system) a gutter

blank space or inner margin between two facing pages

H H abbr hex H.323, H.324 noun standards that define H

H.323

how a video conferencing call is set up and managed over a communications link hack /hk/ verb 1. to experiment and explore computer software and hardware 2. to break into a computer system for criminal purposes hacker /hkə/ noun a person who hacks hack

hacker

‘The two were also charged with offences under the Computer Misuse Act and found guilty of the very actions upon which every hacker is intent.’ [Computing]

hairline rule /heə lan ru l/ noun (in a hairline rule



DTP system) a very thin line half adder /hɑ f də/ noun a binary addition circuit which can produce the sum of two inputs and a carry output if necessary, but will not accept a carry input half card / hɑ f kɑ d/ noun an expansion card that is half full length half duplex /hɑ f dju pleks/ noun full form of HD half-duplex modem / hɑ f dju pleks məυdem/ noun a modem which works in one mode at a time, either transmitting or receiving 쑗 Some modems can operate in half-duplex mode if required. half-height drive / hɑ f hat drav/ noun a disk drive whose front is half the height of a standard drive. Half-height half adder

half card

half duplex

half-duplex modem

half-height drive

drives, usually 5.25 inches, are now the norm on PCs. half-intensity /hɑ f ntensti/ adjective referring to a character or graphics display at half the usual display brightness halftone / hɑ ftəυn/ noun a photograph or image that originally had continuous tones, displayed or printed by a computer using groups of dots to represent the tones half word / hɑ f w d/ noun a sequence of bits occupying half a standard computer word, but which can be accessed as a single unit hall effect /hɔ l fekt/ noun a description of the effect of a magnetic field on electron flow hall effect switch / hɔ l  fekt swtʃ/ noun a solid state electronic switch operated by a magnetic field halt /hɔ lt/ noun a computer instruction to stop a CPU carrying out any further instructions until restarted, or until the program is restarted, usually by external means, e.g. a reset button halt condition /hɔ lt kəndʃ(ə)n/ noun the operating state reached when a CPU comes across a fault or faulty instruction or halt instruction in the program that is being run halt instruction /hɔ lt nstrkʃən/ noun a program instruction that causes a half-intensity



halftone



half word

hall effect



hall effect switch



halt

halt condition



halt instruction



Computing.fm Page 155 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

155 hard failure does not control the operation, which is CPU to halt, suspending operations, usualautomatic ly until it is reset hands on / hndz ɒn/ adjective referHamming code /hmŋ kəυd/ noun a ring to a working system in which the opcoding system that uses check bits and erator controls the operations by keying checksums to detect and correct errors in instructions on the keyboard 쑗 The sales transmitted data, mainly used in teletext representatives have received hands-on systems experience of the new computer. Hamming distance /hmŋ handwriting recognition

dstəns/ noun the number of digits that /hndratŋ rekənʃ(ə)n/ noun softare different in two equal length words ware that is capable of recognising handhand-held computer / hnd held written text and converting it into ASCII kəmpju tə/, hand-held programmable characters 쑗 The new PDA has excellent / hnd held prəυrməb(ə)l/ noun a handwriting recognition. very small computer which can be held in hang /hŋ/ verb to enter an endless loop the hand, useful for basic information inand not respond to further instruction put, when a terminal is not available (NOTE: hung) hand-held scanner / hnd held hangover /hŋəυvə/ noun a sudden sknə/ noun a device that is held in your tone change on a document that is transhand and contains a row of photo-electric mitted over a fax machine as a gradual cells which, when moved over an image, change, caused by equipment faults convert it into data which can be manipuhangup /hŋp/ noun a sudden stop of lated by a computer a working program, often caused by the H & J / etʃ ənd d'e/ noun the process CPU executing an illegal instruction or enof justifying lines to a set width, splitting tering an endless loop the long words correctly at the end of each hard /hɑ d/ adjective referring to parts of line. Full form hyphenation and justifia computer system that cannot be procation grammed or altered handle /hnd(ə)l/ noun 1. (in programhard card / hɑ d kɑ d/ noun a board ming) number used to identify an active containing a hard disk drive and the refile within the program that is accessing quired interfacing electronics, which can the file 2. (in a GUI) a small square disbe slotted into a system’s expansion conplayed that can be dragged to change the nector shape of a window or graphical object 쑗 hard copy /hɑ d kɒpi/ noun a printed To stretch the box in the DTP program, sedocument or copy of information conlect it once to display the handles then tained in a computer or system, in a form drag one handle to change its shape. that is readable. Also called soft copy handler /hndlə/ noun a part of an ophard copy interface / hɑ d kɒpi erating system software or a special soft ntəfes/ noun a serial or parallel interware routine which controls a device or face used to transmit data between a comfunction 쑗 The scanner handler routines puter and a printer are supplied on disk. 쒁 driver hard disk /hɑ d dsk/ noun a rigid handshake /hn(d) ʃek/, handmagnetic disk that is able to store many shaking noun a set of standardised sigtimes more data than a floppy disk, and nals between two devices to make sure that usually cannot be removed from the disk the system is working correctly, the equipdrive ment is compatible and data transfer is hard disk drive / hɑ d dsk drav/ correct (NOTE: Signals would include noun a unit used to store and retrieve data ready to receive, ready to transmit and from a spinning hard disk on the comdata OK.) mands of a computer. Abbr HDD. Also called hard drive handshake I/O control / hn(d)ʃek a əυ kən trəυl/ noun the use of handhard drive /hɑ d drav/ noun same as shake signals meaning ready-to-send and hard disk drive ready-to-receive, that allow a computer to hard error /hɑ d erə/ noun an error communicate with a slower peripheral which is permanent in a system hands off / hndz ɒf/ noun referring hard failure /hɑ d feljə/ noun a fault to a working system in which the operator in hardware that must be mended before a hands on

Hamming code

Hamming distance

handwriting recognition

hand-held computer



hang

hand-held scanner

hangover

hangup

H & J

hard

handle

hard card

hard copy

handler

hard copy interface

hard disk

handshake



hard disk drive

handshake I/O control

hard drive



hard error

hands off

hard failure

Computing.fm Page 156 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

hard reset 156 ware to function normally over a period of device will function correctly 쑗 The hard time failure was due to a burnt-out chip. hardware reset / hɑ dweə ri set/ hard reset /hɑ d ri set/ noun a switch noun a switch that generates an electrical that generates an electrical signal to reset signal to reset the CPU and all devices, the CPU and all devices, equivalent to equivalent to turning a computer off and turning a computer off and back on again back on again hard return /hɑ d rt n/ noun a code hardware security / hɑ dweə s in a word-processing document that indikjυərti/ noun the use of hardware such cates the end of a paragraph or its characas keys or cards to make a system secure teristics hardwired connection / hɑ dwaəd hardware /hɑ d weə/ noun the physikənekʃ(ə)n/ noun a permanent phone cal units, components, integrated circuits, line connection, rather than a plug and disks and mechanisms that make up a socket computer or its peripherals hardwired logic / hɑ dwaəd lɒd'k/ ‘Seuqent’s Platform division will focus on hardware noun a logical function or software proand software manufacture, procurement and marketing, with the Enterprise division concentrating on gram built using electronic hardware, usservices and client-server implementation.’ [Coming electronic devices such as logic computing] ponents, rather than written in software hardware compatibility / hɑ dweə hardwired program / hɑ dwaəd kəm ptəblti/ noun architecture of prəυrm/ noun a computer program two different computers that allows one to built into the hardware, and unable to be run the programs of the other without changed changing any device drivers or memory loharmonics /hɑ mɒnks/ noun the intecations, or the ability of one to use the addger multiple of a given sound frequency on boards of the other hartley /hɑ tli/ noun a unit of informahardware configuration / hɑ dweə tion equal to 3.32 bits, or the probability of kən fjəreʃ(ə)n/ noun a way in which one state out of ten equally probable states the hardware of a computer system is conhash /hʃ/ noun same as hashmark 쐽 nected together verb to produce a unique number derived hardware dependent / hɑ dweə d from the entry itself, for each entry in a dapendənt/ adjective which will only work tabase with a particular model or brand of hardhash code / hʃ kəυd/ noun a coding ware 쑗 The communications software is system derived from the ASCII codes, in hardware dependent and will only work which the code numbers for the first three with Hayes-compatible modems. letters are added up, giving a new number hardware failure /hɑ dweə feljə/ used as a hash code noun a fault with a hardware device or hash-code system /hʃ kəυd hardware that has stopped working proper sstəm/ noun a coding system using hash ly codes hardware graphics cursor hash index /hʃ ndeks/ noun a list of / hɑ dweə rfks k sə/ noun an elecentries according to their hashed numbers tronic component that is used to calculate hashing function /hʃŋ fŋkʃən/ the position on screen of a pointer, accordnoun an algorithm used to produce a hash ing to the movement of a mouse, and discode for an entry and ensure that it is difplay the pointer ferent from every other entry hardware interrupt /hɑ dweə hashmark /hʃmɑ k/, hash mark

ntərpt/ noun an interrupt signal gener/hʃ mɑ k/ noun a printed sign ( # ) used ated by a piece of hardware rather than by as a hard copy marker or as an indicator. software Also called hash COMMENT: The US term is pound sign. In US hardware platform /hɑ dweə usage # means number; #32 = number 32

pltfɔ m/ noun the standard of a partic(e.g. apartment number in a postal address, ular computer such as IBM PC or Apple paragraph number in a text). Mac hash table /hʃ teb(ə)l/ noun a list of hardware reliability / hɑ dweə r laə all entries in a file with their hashed key blti/ noun the ability of a piece of hardaddress hardware reset

hard reset



hard return



hardware security



hardwired connection

hardware





hardwired logic

hardware compatibility

hardwired program





harmonics



hartley

hardware configuration





hash

hardware dependent



hash code

hardware failure

hash-code system

hardware graphics cursor

hash index

hashing function

hardware interrupt

hashmark

hardware platform

hash table

hardware reliability





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157 hash total /hʃ təυt(ə)l/ noun a total head hash total

head demagnetiser

of a number of hashed entries, used for error detection hash value /hʃ vlju / noun a number arrived at after a key is hashed Hayes AT command set / hez e ti kəmɑ nd set/ noun a set of commands to control a modem prefixed with the letters AT Hayes-compatible / hez kəm ptb(ə)l/ adjective referring to a modem that is compatible with the Hayes AT command set Hayes Corporation /hez

kɔ pəreʃ(ə)n/ a modem manufacturer that developed standard control language for modems hazard /hzəd/ noun a fault in hardware due to incorrect signal timing hash value

Hayes AT command set



Hayes-compatible



Hayes Corporation

hazard

hazard-free hazard-free implementation

implementation

/ hzəd fri mplmenteʃ(ə)n/ noun a 

logical function design that has taken into account any hazards that could occur, and solved them haze /hez/ noun same as fogging HCI abbr host controller interface HD / etʃ di / noun data transmission in one direction only, over a bidirectional channel. Full form half duplex HDD abbr hard disk drive HDLC abbr high-level data link control HDTV abbr high definition television HDX abbr half duplex head /hed/ noun 1. data that indicates the start address of a list of items stored in memory 2. a top edge of a book or of a page 3. the start of a reel of recording tape 4. the top part of a device, network or body 쐽 verb to be the first item of data in a list 쑗 The queue was headed by my file. head alignment /hed əlanmənt/ noun 1. the correct position of a tape or disk head in relation to the magnetic surface, to give the best performance and correct track location 2. the location of the read head in the same position as the write head was, in relation to the magnetic medium head cleaning disk /hed kli nŋ dsk/ noun a special disk which is used to clean the disk read/write heads head crash /hed krʃ/ noun a component failure in a disk drive, in which the head is allowed to hit the surface of the spinning disk, causing disk surface damage and data corruption haze

HCI

HD

HDD

HDLC

HDTV

HDX

head

head alignment



head cleaning disk

head crash

heat-sensitive paper demagnetiser /hed di



mnətazə/ noun a device used to remove any stray magnetic effects that might have built up on the tape head head end /hed end/ noun interconnection equipment between an antenna and a cable television network header /hedə/ noun 1. (in a local area network) a packet of data that is sent before a transmission to provide information on destination and routing 2. information at the beginning of a list of data relating to the rest of the data 3. a section of words at the top of a page of a document, giving e.g. the title, author’s name or page number. Also called heading. 쒁 footer header block /hedə blɒk/ noun a block of data at the beginning of a file containing data about file characteristics header card /hedə kɑ d/ noun a punched card containing information about the rest of the cards in the set header label /hedə leb(ə)l/ noun a section of data at the beginning of a magnetic tape, that contains identification, format and control information head gap /hed p/ noun same as air head end

header

header block

header card

header label

head gap

gap

heading /hedŋ/ noun 1. the title or heading

name of a document or file 2. a header or section of words at the top of each page of a document. Also called headline headlife /hedlaf/ noun the length of time that a video or tape head can work before being serviced or replaced headline /hedlan/ noun same as headheadlife

headline

ing

head of form / hed əv fɔ m/ noun the head of form

first line on a form or sheet of paper that can be printed on head park /hed pɑ k/ noun the process of moving the read/write head in a hard disk drive to a safe position, not over the disk, so that if the unit is knocked or jarred the head will not damage the disk surface head positioning /hed pəzʃ(ə)nŋ/ noun the process of moving the read/write head to the correct track on a disk head wheel /hed wi l/ noun a wheel that keeps video tape in contact with the head heap /hi p/ noun 1. a temporary data storage area that allows random access. Compare stack 2. a binary tree heat-sensitive paper / hi t senstv pepə/ noun 쏡 electrostatic printer head park

head positioning



head wheel

heap

heat-sensitive paper

Computing.fm Page 158 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

heat-sink 158 Hewlett Packard / hewlət pkɑ d/ heat-sink /hi t sŋk/ noun a metal demanufacturer of computers, test equipvice used to conduct heat away from an ment and printers. Abbr HP electronic component to prevent damage Hewlett Packard Graphics Lanhelical scan / helk(ə)l skn/ noun a guage / hewlət pkɑ d rfks method of storing data on magnetic tape in

lŋwd'/ a standard set of commands which the write head stores data in diagoused to describe graphics. Abbr HPGL nal strips rather than parallel with the tape edge so using the tape area more efficientHewlett Packard Interface Bus ly and allowing more data to be recorded. / hewlət pkɑ d ntəfes bs/ a standIt is used most often in video tape recordard method of interfacing peripheral deers. vices or test equipment and computers. Abbr HPIB help /help/ noun a function in a program Hewlett Packard LaserJet / hewlət or system that provides useful information

pkɑ d lezəd'et/ a trade name for a laabout the program in use 쑗 Hit the HELP ser printer manufactured by Hewlett Packkey if you want information about what to ard that uses its PCL language to describe do next. a page. Also called LaserJet COMMENT: Most software applications for IBM PCs have standardised the use of the F1 Hewlett Packard Printer Control function key to display help text explaining Language / hewlət pkɑ d prntə how something can be done. kəntrəυl lŋwd'/ a standard set of help desk /help desk/ noun a service commands developed by Hewlett Packard that provides technical help and support to allow a software application to control a for people using a computer package or laser printer’s functions. Abbr HP-PCL network hex /heksə desm(ə)l nəυteʃ(ə)n/, helper application /helpə hexadecimal notation noun a number

plkeʃ(ə)n/ noun software which system using base 16 and the digits 0–9 works with a web browser to increase the and A-F. Abbr H functionality of the browser 쑗 To view hex dump /heks dmp/ noun the disAdobe Acrobat pages in your web browser play of a section of memory in hexadeciyou will need to get the Adobe helper apmal form plication. hex keypad /heks ki pd/ noun a help key /help ki / noun a key that diskeypad with 16 keys, 0–9 and A-F, for all plays help information, on an Apple Mac a the hexadecimal digits special key, on an IBM PC the F1 function HFS / etʃ ef es/ noun (in an Apple Mac key system) a method used to store and organhelp screen /help skri n/ noun a disise files on a disk. Full form hierarchical play of information about a program or filing system function hidden files /hd(ə)n falz/ plural hertz /h ts/ noun an SI unit of frequennoun important system files which are not cy, defined as the number of cycles per displayed in a directory listing and cannot second of time. Abbr Hz normally be read by a user 쑗 It allows usCOMMENT: Hertz rate is the frequency at which ers to backup or restore hidden files indemains electricity is supplied to the consumer. pendently. The hertz rate in the USA and Canada is 60; in Europe it is 50. hidden line algorithm / hd(ə)n lan heterogeneous multiplexing lərð(ə)m/ noun a mathematical for/ hetərəυd'i niəs mlt pleksŋ/ noun mula that removes hidden lines from a a communications multiplexing system two-dimensional computer image of a 3-D that can deal with channels with different object transmission rates and protocols hidden line removal / hd(ə)n lan r heterogeneous network

mu vəl/ noun the erasure of lines which / hetərəυd'i niəs netw k/ noun a should not be visible when looking at a computer network joining computers of two-dimensional image of a three-dimenmany different types and makes sional object heuristic /hjυərstk/ adjective which hidden lines /hd(ə)n lanz/ plural noun lines which make up a three-dimenlearns from past experiences 쑗 A heuristic program learns from its previous actions sional object, but are obscured when disand decisions. played as a two-dimensional image heat-sink

Hewlett Packard

helical scan

Hewlett Packard Graphics Language

Hewlett Packard Interface Bus

help

Hewlett Packard LaserJet

Hewlett Packard Printer Control Language

help desk



hex



helper application



hex dump

hex keypad

help key



HFS

help screen

hidden files

hertz

hidden line algorithm

heterogeneous multiplexing



hidden line removal



heterogeneous network

heuristic

hidden lines



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159 1920x1080 hierarchical /haərɑ kk(ə)l/ adjective hierarchical



referring to a way of organising data or objects or structures with the most important or highest priority item at the top, then working down a tree structure

hierarchical communications system / haərɑ kk(ə)l kə mju n hierarchical communications system



hierarchical computer network hierarchical computer network

/ haərɑ kk(ə)l kəmpju tə netw k/ noun a method of allocating control and 

processing functions in a network to the computers which are most suited to the task

hierarchical

database

/ haərɑ kk(ə)l detəbes/ noun a data-

base in which records can be related to each other in a defined structure

hierarchical

directory

hierarchical directory

/ haərɑ kk(ə)l darekt(ə)ri/ noun a di

rectory listing of files on a disk, showing the main directory and its files, branches and any sub-directories

hierarchical

filing

hierarchical filing system

system

/ haərɑ kk(ə)l falŋ sstəm/ noun full form of HFS hierarchical routing / haərɑ kk(ə)l ru tŋ/ noun a method of directing nethierarchical routing

work traffic over a complex network by breaking down the structure of the network into separate levels, each level being responsible for directing traffic within its area 쑗 The Internet has a three-level hierarchical routing system in which the backbones can direct traffic from one Mid-level to another, the mid-levels can direct traffic from one server site to another and each server site can direct traffic internally.

hierarchical vector quantisation hierarchical vector quantisation

/ haərɑ kk(ə)l

vektə

kwɒntazeʃ(ə)n/ noun full form of HVQ

hierarchy /haərɑ ki/ noun a way in hierarchy

which objects or data or structures are organised, usually with the most important or highest priority or most general item at the top, then working down a tree structure high definition television / ha

defnʃ(ə)n tel v'(ə)n/ noun a broadcast television standard that displays images at a different aspect ratio and with much better definition than existing television sets. Abbr HDTV (NOTE: There are six high definition television



standards: all display 16:9 aspect ratio images, three support a resolution of

three

support

1280x720.)

high density storage / ha dens high density storage

stɔ rd'ti/ noun a very large number of bits stored per area of storage medium high-end /ha end/ adjective referring to expensive or high-performance devices high fidelity /ha fdeləti/ noun very good quality sound, usually stereo sound recorded in 16 bits at a sample rate of 44.1 KHz high-level data link control /ha

lev(ə)l detə lŋk kən trəυl/ noun an ISO standard that provides a link-layer protocol and defines how data is formatted before being transmitted over a synchronous network. Abbr HLDLC high-end



keʃ(ə)nz sstəm/ noun a network in which each branch has a number of separate minor branches dividing from it

hierarchical database

high order pixels,

high fidelity



high-level data link control



high-level data link control station high-level data link control station

/ ha lev(ə)l detə lŋk kəntrəυl

steʃ(ə)n/ noun equipment and programs which correctly receive and transmit standard HLDLC data frames high-level language /ha lev(ə)l/, 

high-level language

high-level programming language noun a computer programming language

which is easy to learn and allows the user to write programs using words and commands that are easy to understand and look like English words. Abbr HLL (NOTE: The program is then translated into machine code, with one HLL instruction often representing more than one machine code instruction.) highlight /halat/ noun a character or highlight

set of symbols treated so as to stand out from the rest of the text, often by using bold type 쐽 verb to make part of the text stand out from the rest 쑗 The headings are highlighted in bold. highlight bar /ha lat bɑ / noun (in a display) a line that can be moved up and down by a user that indicates which option is selected from a menu or list of options 쑗 Move the highlight bar down to the third menu option and press Return. high memory /ha mem(ə)ri/ noun (in an IBM PC) a memory area between 640 Kb and 1 Mb high memory area / ha mem(ə)ri

eəriə/ noun (in an IBM PC) the first 64 Kb of extended memory above 1 Mb that can be used by MS-DOS programs. Abbr highlight bar



high memory

high memory area

HMA

high order /ha ɔ də/ noun a digit with high order

the greatest weighting within a number

Computing.fm Page 160 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

high performance filing system 160 press a key 쑗 To save the text, hit ESCAPE high performance filing system S. (NOTE: hitting – hit) / ha pə fɔ məns falŋ sstəm/ noun full form of HPFS hit point /ht pɔnt/ noun an important action or piece of information displayed in high priority program / ha pra a presentation

ɒrti prəυrm/ noun a program that is important or urgent and is processed beHLDLC abbr high-level data link control fore others HLL abbr high-level language high-resolution /ha rezəlu ʃ(ə)n/, HLS abbr hue, lightness, saturation high-res noun the ability to display or deHMA abbr high memory area tect a very large number of pixels per unit HMI abbr human-machine interface area. Also called hi-res HOF abbr head of form high resolution graphics / ha hold /həυld/ noun synchronisation tim rezəlu ʃ(ə)n rfks/ noun full form of ing pulse for a television time base signal HRG 쐽 verb to retain or keep a value or commuHigh Sierra / ha sierə/ noun an early nications line or section of memory (NOTE: CD-ROM standard that then became the held) ISO 9660 standard (NOTE: It was named COMMENT: The hold feature keeps the picture high performance filing system



hit point

high priority program



HLDLC

HLL

high-resolution

HLS



HMA

HMI

HOF

high resolution graphics

hold

High Sierra



after an area near Lake Tahoe, USA.) high-spec /ha spek/ plural noun hav-

steady and central on the screen. Some televisions have horizontal and vertical hold controls to allow the picture to be moved and set up according to various conditions.

high-spec

ing a high specification 쑗 High-spec cabling needs to be very carefully handled. high specification /ha spesf keʃ(ə)n/ noun a high degree of accuracy or a large number of features high-speed /ha spi d/ adjective which operates faster than normal data transmission or processing high-speed carry / ha spi d kri/ noun a single operation in which a carry into an adder results in a carry out high-speed serial interface /ha spi d səriəl ntəfes/ noun full form of high specification



high-speed

high-speed carry

high-speed serial interface

HSSI

high-speed skip / ha spi d skp/ high-speed skip

noun a rapid movement of paper in a printer, ignoring the normal line advance high-tech /ha tek/ adjective technologically advanced highway /hawe/ noun same as bus hill climbing /hl klamŋ/ noun a method of achieving a goal in an IKBS hi-res /ha rez/ noun same as high-resolution histogram /hstərm/ noun a graph on which values are represented as vertical or horizontal bars history /hst(ə)ri/ noun a feature of some applications that keeps a log of the actions a user has carried out, the places within a hypertext document visited or the sites on the Internet explored hit /ht/ noun a successful match or search of a database 쑗 There was a hit after just a few seconds. 왍 hit on the line a short period of noise on a communications line, causing data corruption 쐽 verb to high-tech

highway

hill climbing

hi-res

histogram

history

hit

holding loop /həυldŋ lu p/ noun a section of program that loops until it is broken by some action, most often used when waiting for a response from the keyboard or a device holding time /həυldŋ tam/ noun the time spent by a communications circuit on call holdup /hɒldp/ noun 1. a time period over which power will be supplied by a UPS 2. a pause in a program or device due to a malfunction hologram /hɒlə rm/ noun an imaginary three-dimensional image produced by the interference pattern when a part of a coherent light source, e.g. a laser, is reflected from an object and mixed with the main beam holographic image / hɒlərfk md'/ noun a hologram of a three-dimensional object holographic storage / hɒlərfk stɔ rd'/ noun storage of data as a holographic image which is then read by a bank of photocells and a laser (NOTE: This holding loop

holding time

holdup

hologram



holographic image

holographic storage

is a storage medium with massive storage potential.) home /həυm/ noun a starting point or the home

initial point

home banking /həυm bŋkŋ/ noun home banking

a method of examining and carrying out bank transactions in the user’s home via a terminal and modem home computer /həυm kəmpju tə/ noun a microcomputer designed for home use, whose applications might include home computer



Computing.fm Page 161 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

161 hot fix page by dragging the indicator bar on the teaching, games, personal finance and word-processing scrollbar.) horizontal scrolling / hɒrzɒnt(ə)l home key /həυm ki / noun a key on an skrəυlŋ/ noun the process of moving IBM PC keyboard that moves the cursor to across a page, horizontally the beginning of a line of text horizontal wraparound home page /həυm ped'/ noun the / hɒrzɒnt(ə)l rpə raυnd/ noun the opening page of a website 쑗 The home movement of a cursor on a computer dispage is formatted using HTML and stored play from the end of one line to the beginin a file called index.html. ning of the next home record /həυm rekɔ d/ noun the host /həυst/ noun, adjective to provide first or initial data record in a file storage space on a server computer where homogeneous computer network a user can store files or data, often used to / həυməυd'i niəs kəmpju tə store the files required for a website 쑗 We

netw k/ noun a network made up of chose this company to host our website besimilar machines that are compatible or cause it has reliable server computers and from the same manufacturer high-speed connection to the Internet. homogeneous multiplexing ‘…you select fonts manually or through commands / həυməυd'i niəs mlt pleksŋ/ noun sent from the host computer along with the text’ a switching multiplexer system in which [Byte] all the channels contain data using the host adapter /həυst ədptə/ noun an same protocol and transmission rate adapter which connects to a host computer hood /hυd/ noun a cover which protects 쑗 The cable to connect the scanner to the something host adapter is included. host address /həυst ə dres/ noun hook /hυk/ noun a point in a program at same as Internet address which a programmer can insert test code or debugging code host computer /həυst kəmpju tə/ noun 1. the main controlling computer in hop /hɒp/ noun the path taken by a packa multi-user or distributed system 2. a et of data as it moves from one server or computer used to write and debug softrouter to another ware for another computer, often using a hop count /hɒp kaυnt/ noun the cross compiler 3. a computer in a network number of hops required to send informathat provides special services or programtion from one computer to another over the ming languages to all users Internet ‘…you select fonts manually or through commands hopper /hɒpə/ noun a device which sent from the host computer along with the text’ holds punched cards and feeds them into [Byte] the reader hosting service provider /həυstŋ horizontal axis / hɒrzɒnt(ə)l kss/

s vs prə vadə/ noun same as host noun a reference line used for horizontal service coordinates on a graph host name /həυst nem/ noun a name horizontal blanking period given to a website on the Internet / hɒrzɒnt(ə)l blŋkŋ pəriəd/ noun host number /həυst nmbə/ noun the time taken for the picture beam in a same as Internet address monitor to return to the start of the next host service /həυst s vs/ noun a line from the end of the previous line company that provides connections to the horizontal check / hɒrzɒnt(ə)l Internet and storage space on its computtʃek/ noun an error detection method for ers which can store the files for a user’s transmitted data website 쑗 We rent storage space on this host service provider’s server for our comhorizontal scan frequency pany website. 쒁 ISP. Also called hosting / hɒrzɒnt(ə)l skn fri kwənsi/ noun service provider the number of lines on a video display that are refreshed each second hot chassis /hɒt ʃsi/ noun a metal framework or case around a computer that horizontal scrollbar / hɒrzɒnt(ə)l is connected to a voltage supply rather skrəυlbɑ / noun (in a GUI) a bar along than being earthed the bottom of a window that indicates that hot fix / hɒt fks/ noun the process of the page is wider than the window (NOTE: A user can move horizontally across the detecting and repairing a fault, usually a home key

horizontal scrolling

home page

horizontal wraparound



home record

host

homogeneous computer network



homogeneous multiplexing



host adapter



hood

hook

host address



host computer



hop

hop count

hopper

hosting service provider

horizontal axis



host name

horizontal blanking period

host number

host service

horizontal check

horizontal scan frequency

hot chassis

horizontal scrollbar

hot fix

Computing.fm Page 162 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

hot key 162 corrupt sector on a hard disk, without afHP abbr Hewlett Packard fecting normal operations HPFS / etʃ pi ef es/ noun (in an OS/2 operating system) a method of storing file hot key /hɒt ki / noun a special key or information that is faster and more flexible key combination which starts a process or than MS-DOS FAT. Full form high peractivates a program formance filing system hot link / hɒt lŋk/ noun a command HPGL abbr Hewlett Packard Graphics within a hypertext program that links a Language hotspot or hotword on one page with a second destination page which is displayed if HPIB abbr Hewlett Packard Interface Bus the user selects the hotspot HP-PCL abbr Hewlett Packard Printer hot plugging /hɒt plŋ/ noun a feaControl Language ture of a computer that allows a device or HRG / etʃ ɑ d'i / noun the ability to peripheral to be plugged in or connected display a large number of pixels per unit while the computer is working 쑗 This area. Full form high resolution graphserver support hot plugging so I can plug ics in this network card and the operating sysHSB abbr hue, saturation and brightness tem software will automatically detect and HSI abbr hue, saturation and intensity alter its configuration. Also called hot HSSI / etʃ es es a/ noun a serial link swapping that can transfer data at data rates up to 52 hotspot /hɒtspɒt/ noun a special area Mbits/second, used in some wide area neton an image or display that does somework systems. Full form high-speed sething when the cursor is moved onto it 쑗 rial interface. 쒁 USB The image of the trumpet is a hotspot and HSV abbr hue, saturation and value will play a sound when you move the HTML / etʃ ti em el/ noun a series of pointer over it. special codes that define the typeface and hot standby /hɒt stndba/ noun a style that should be used when displaying piece of hardware that is kept operational the text and also allow hypertext links to at all times and is used as backup in case of other parts of the document or to other system failure. Compare cold standby, documents 쑗 HTML is used to create docwarm standby uments for the World Wide Web. Full form hot swapping /hɒt swɒpŋ/ noun hypertext markup language same as hot plugging HTTP / etʃ ti ti pi / noun a series of hotword /hɒtw d/ noun a word within commands used by a browser to ask an Indisplayed text that does something when ternet web server for information about a the cursor is moved onto it or it is selected webpage. Full form hypertext transfer hot zone /hɒt zəυn/ noun a text area to protocol the left of the right margin in a word-procHTTPd / etʃ ti ti pi di / noun a servessed document where, if a word does not er software that carries sends webpage fit completely into the line, a hyphen is aufiles to a client in response to a request tomatically inserted from a user’s web browser 쑗 When you housekeeping /haυs ki pŋ/ noun type a website address into your web tasks that have to be regularly carried out browser, this sends a request to the HTTPd to maintain a computer system, e.g. checkserver software that replies with the ing backups and deleting unwanted files HTML code of a formatted webpage. Full form hypertext transfer protocol daehousekeeping routine /haυski pŋ mon ru ti n/ noun a set of instructions executed once, at the start of a new program, to hub /hb/ noun 1. the central part of a carry out system actions such as clear disk, usually with a hole and ring which memory, configure function keys or the disk drive grips to spin the disk 2. (in a change screen display mode star-topology network) the central ring or wiring cabinet where all circuits meet and housing /haυzŋ/ noun a solid case 쑗 form an electrical path for signals The computer housing was damaged when it fell on the floor. hue /hju / noun the colour of an image or pixel howler /haυlə/ noun a buzzer which inhue, saturation and intensity / hju dicates to a telephone exchange operator

stʃəreʃ(ə)n ənd ntensti/ noun a that a user’s telephone handset is not on method of defining a colour through its the receiver HP

HPFS

hot key

hot link

HPGL

HPIB

HP-PCL

hot plugging

HRG

HSB

HSI

HSSI

hotspot

HSV

HTML

hot standby

hot swapping

HTTP

hotword

hot zone

HTTPd

housekeeping



housekeeping routine



hub

housing

hue

howler

hue, saturation and intensity



Computing.fm Page 163 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

163 Hz dia title that moves the user to another three properties. Abbr HSI. Also called page when clicked hue, saturation and brightness, hue saturation and level (NOTE: Hue is colhypermedia /hapəmi diə/ noun a hyour defined by its the wavelength; saturapertext system that is capable of displaytion refers to the purity of the colour ing images and sound (where at zero saturation the colour apHyperTalk /hapətɔ k/ a trade name for pears white and full saturation is pure a programming language used to control a colour); and intensity, brightness and levHyperCard database el refer to the amount of white.) HyperTerminal /hapə t mn(ə)l/ hue, saturation and value / hju noun a communications program that is

stʃəreʃ(ə)n ənd vlju / noun same included with Windows 95 and allows a as hue, saturation and intensity. abbr user to call a remote computer via a moHSV dem and transfer files Huffman code /hfmən kəυd/ noun a hypertext /hapətekst/ noun 1. a muldata compression code in which frequent timedia system of organising information characters occupy less bit space than less in which certain words in a document link frequent ones to other documents and display the text when the word is selected 쑗 In this hyperhuman-computer interface noun text page, click once on the word ‘compuabbr HMI ter’ and it will tell you what a computer is. hung 쏡 hang 2. a way of linking one word or image on hunting /hntŋ/ noun the process of an Internet page to another page in which searching out a data record in a file clicking on certain words or images moves HVQ / etʃ vi kju / noun a video comthe user directly to the relevant new page pression standard which allows colour vidhypertext markup language eo images to be transmitted in a bandwidth / hapətekst mɑ kp lŋwd'/ noun of 112 Kbps. Full form hierarchical vecfull form of HTML hypermedia

HyperTalk

HyperTerminal



hue, saturation and value

Huffman code

hypertext

human-computer interface

hung

hunting

HVQ

hypertext markup language

tor quantisation

the connection of a number of different electronic components such as integrated circuits, transistors, resistors and capacitors in a small package, which since the components are not contained in their own protective packages, requires far less space than the individual discrete components hybrid computer / habrd kəm pju tə/ noun a combination of analog and digital circuits in a computer system to achieve a particular goal hybrid interface / habrd ntəfes/ noun a one-off interface between a computer and a piece of analog equipment hybrid system / habrd sstəm/ noun a combination of analog and digital computers and equipment to provide an optimal system for a particular task HyperCard /hapəkɑ d/ a trade name for a database system controlled by HyperTalk programming language, used to produce hypertext documents hyperlink /hapəlŋk/ noun a word or image or button in a webpage or multimehybrid computer



hybrid interface

hybrid system

HyperCard

hyperlink

hypertext hypertext transfer protocol

hybrid circuit / habrd s kt/ noun hybrid circuit

transfer

protocol

/ hapətekst trnsf prəυtəkɒl/ noun full form of HTTP

hypertext transfer protocol daemon / hapətekst trnsf prəυtəkɒl hypertext transfer protocol daemon

di mən/ noun full form of HTTPd hyphenated /hafənetd/ adjective written with a hyphen 쑗 The word ‘highlevel’ is usually hyphenated. hyphenate justify / hafənet d'stfa/ verb to break long words correctly where they split at the ends of lines. Some programs will also automatically justify, so as to give a straight right margin. hyphenated

hyphenate justify

(NOTE: hyphenates – hyphenating – hyphenated) hyphenation / hafəneʃ(ə)n/ noun hyphenation



the splitting of a word at the end of a line, when the word is too long to fit

hyphenation hyphenation and justification

and

justification

/hafə naʃ(ə)n ən d'stfkeʃ(ə)n/ noun full form of H & J 쑗 An American 



hyphenation and justification program will not work with British English spellings. Hz abbr hertz Hz

Computing.fm Page 164 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

I I3 / a θri / noun a signal generated by the I3

pits representing the smallest data word, 3 bits long, from a CD-ROM, defined in Red Book as between 0.3 and 0.7 mV I11 / a lev(ə)n/ noun a signal generated by the pits representing the largest data word, 11 bits long, from a CD-ROM, defined in Red Book as greater than 0.6 mV I75O / a sev(ə)n fa əυ/ noun a video processor chip developed by Intel and used to compress and decompress digital video sequences IAB / a e bi / noun an independent committee that is responsible for the design, engineering and management of the Internet. Full form Internet Activities I11



I75O

IAB

Board IAM / a e em/ noun memory storage IAM

that has an access time between that of main memory and a disk based system. Full form intermediate access memory IANA abbr Internet Assigned Numbers Authority IAR / a e ɑ / abbr instruction address register IAS / a e es/ noun a high-speed main memory area in a computer system. Full form immediate access store I-beam /a bi m/ noun a cursor shaped like the letter ‘I’ used in a GUI to edit text or indicate text operations IBG abbr interblock gap IBM / a bi em/ the largest computer company in the world, which developed the first PC based on the Intel processor. Full form International Business MaIANA

IAR

IAS

I-beam

IBG

IBM

chines

IBM AT / a bi em e ti / a trade name IBM AT

for a personal computer based on the Intel 80286 16-bit processor and featured an ISA expansion bus IBM AT keyboard / a bi em e ti ki bɔ d/ a keyboard layout that features 12 function keys in a row along the top of IBM AT keyboard

the keyboard, with a separate numeric keypad IBM-compatible / a bi em kəm ptb(ə)l/ adjective referring to a personal computer that has hardware and software compatible with the IBM PC regardless of which Intel processor it uses (NOTE: IBM-compatible



IBM-compatible computers feature an ISA, EISA or MCA expansion bus.) IBM PC / a bi em pi si / a trade name IBM PC

for a personal computer based on the Intel 8088 8-bit processor IBM PC keyboard / a bi em pi si ki bɔ d/ a keyboard layout that features 10 function keys arranged to the left of the main keys, with no separate numeric keypad IBM PS/2, IBM Personal System/2 a trade name for a range of personal computers based on the Intel 8086, 80286 and 80386 processors that feature an MCA expansion bus IBM XT / a bi em eks ti / a trade name for a personal computer based on the IBM PC but with an internal hard disk drive and featuring an ISA expansion bus IC abbr integrated circuit icand /knd/ noun same as multipliIBM PC keyboard

IBM PS/2

IBM XT

IC

icand

cand

ICMP / a ci em pi / noun an extension ICMP

to the Internet Protocol that provides error detection and control messages 쑗 The Internet command ‘ping’ uses ICMP to test if a named node is working correctly. Full form Internet control message protocol. 쒁 IP, PING icon /akɒn/, ikon noun a graphic symbol or small picture displayed on screen, used in an interactive computer system to provide an easy way of identifying a function 쑗 The icon for the graphics program is a small picture of a palette. icon

‘Despite (or because of?) the swap file, loading was slow and the hourglass icon of the mouse pointer frequently returned to the arrow symbol well before loading was complete.’ [Computing]

Computing.fm Page 165 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

165 ier identity number / a  dentti

nmbə / icon resource /akɒn r zɔ s/ noun a noun a unique number, used usually with file that contains the bitmap image of an a password to identify a user when logging icon, used by a programmer when writing into a system 쑗 Don’t forget to log in your an application identity number. ICQ a software program developed by Miidentity operation /a dentti ɒpə rabilis that supports instant messaging and reʃ(ə)n/ noun a logical function whose allows two or more users to send messages output is true only if all the operands are of to each other via the Internet that are inthe same value stantly displayed on the other person’s screen (NOTE: pronounced ‘I-seek-you’) identity palette /adentti plət/ noun a 256-colour palette in which the ID abbr identification first and last 10 colours are the system colID code / adi kəυd/ noun a password ours or word that identifies a user so that he or idle /ad(ə)l/ adjective referring to a mashe can access a system 쑗 After you wake chine, telephone line or device which is up the system, you have to input your ID not being used, but is ready and waiting to code then your password. be used IDE / a di i / noun a popular standard idle character / ad(ə)l krktə/ noun for a hard disk drive controller unit that ala symbol or code that means ‘do nothing’ lows data transfer rates up to 4.1MBps and can support two hard disk drives on each idle time /ad(ə)l tam/ noun a period controller; enhanced versions of the IDE of time when a device is switched on but standard provide more flexibility and not doing anything speed (also known as AT Attachment – IDP abbr integrated data processing ATA – interface) 쑗 IDE drives are fitted to IE abbr Internet Explorer most home PCs. Full form integrated IEC connector / a i si kə nektə/ drive electronics, intelligent device noun a standard for a three-pin connector electronics. 쒁 ATA, SCSI used on sockets that carry mains electricity identification /a dentfkeʃ(ə)n/ to the computer 쑗 All PCs have a male noun a procedure used to establish the IEC connector and use a mains lead with identity and nature of a computer or user. a female IEC connector. Abbr ID IEE abbr Institution of Electrical Engiidentification character /a dentf neers (UK) keʃ(ə)n krktə/ noun a single characIEEE abbr Institute of Electrical and ter sent to a host computer to establish the Electronic Engineers (US) identity and location of a remote computer IEEE-488 noun an interfacing standard or terminal as laid down by the IEEE, in which only identification division /a dentf data and handshaking signals are used, keʃ(ə)n d v'(ə)n/ noun a section of a mainly used in laboratories to connect COBOL program source code in which the computers to measuring equipment identifiers and formats for data and variaIEEE-802.2 noun a standard defining bles to be used within the program are dedata links used with 802.3, 802.4 and clared 802.5 identifier /adentfaə/ noun a set of IEEE-802.3 noun a standard defining an characters used to distinguish between difEthernet network system, with CSMA/CD ferent blocks of data or files. Abbr ID access using a bus-topology identifier word /adentfaə w d/ IEEE-802.4 noun a standard defining noun a word that is used as a block or file Token Bus identifier IEEE-802.5 noun a standard defining the identity burst /adentti b st/ noun a IBM Token-Ring network system, with pattern of bits before the first block of data access using a token passed around a ring on a magnetic tape that identifies the tape network format used IEEE bus noun an interface that conidentity gate /adentti et/, identity forms to IEEE standards element /adentti elmənt/ noun a IEN abbr Internet experiment note logical gate that provides a single output ier 쏡 multiplier that is true if the inputs are both the same icon resource

identity number





ICQ

identity operation





identity palette



ID

ID code



idle

IDE

idle character

idle time

IDP

IE

IEC connector



identification





IEE

identification character





IEEE

IEEE-488

identification division







IEEE-802.2

identifier



IEEE-802.3

identifier word



IEEE-802.4

IEEE-802.5

identity burst



IEEE bus

identity gate





IEN

ier

Computing.fm Page 166 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

IETF 166 that does not follow the computer system’s IETF / a i ti ef/ noun a committee that protocol or language syntax is part of the IAB and determines Internet standards. Full form Internet EngineerIlluminant D65 / lu mnənt di sksti ing Task Force. 쒁 IAB fav/ noun a colour temperature of IFF / a ef ef/ noun 1. a standard for 6,500ºK compressed files stored on a CD-i. Full IM abbr instant messaging form international file format 2. a standIMA / a em e/ noun a professional orard that defines how palette data is stored ganisation that covers subjects including in an Amiga and some graphics programs. authoring languages, formats and intellecFull form interchange file format tual property. Full form Interactive MultiIF statement /f stetmənt/ noun a media Association computer programming statement meaniMac / a mk/ a personal computer deing do an action IF a condition is true, and veloped by Apple Computer Corporation usually followed by THEN image /md'/ noun 1. an exact dupliIF-THEN-ELSE /f ðen/ noun a highcate of an area of memory 2. a copy of an level programming language statement, original picture or design meaning IF something cannot be done, image area /md' eəriə/ noun a reTHEN do this or ELSE do that gion of microfilm or display screen on IGMP / a d'i em pi / noun a standard which characters or designs can be disthat helps manage how data is transferred played during an IP Multicast operation in which image buffer /md' bfə/ noun an one server computer sends each packet of area of memory that is used to build up an data to several destinations at the same image before it is transferred to screen Internet group managetime. Full form image compression /md' kəm ment protocol (NOTE: This is useful

preʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of compresswhen broadcasting a lot of data to severing the data that forms an image al different recipients. The IGMP standimage degradation /md' ard is defined in RFC1112.)

derədeʃ(ə)n/ noun the loss of picture ignore character /nɔ krktə/ contrast and quality due to signal distornoun a null or fill character tion or bad copying of a video signal IGP / a d'i pi / noun a protocol that image editing /md' edtŋ/ noun distributes information to gateways, i.e. the process of altering or adjusting an imrouters, within a particular network. Full age using a paint package or special image form interior gateway protocol editing program IH abbr interrupt handler image editor /md' edtə/ noun a IIL abbr integrated injection logic piece of software that allows a user to edit, IIS a piece of web server software develchange or create a bitmap image oped by Microsoft. Full form Internet inimage enhancement /md' n formation server

hɑ nsmənt/ noun the process of adjustIKBS / a ke bi em/ noun software that ing parts of an image using special image applies the knowledge, advice and rules processing software to change the brightdefined by an expert in a particular field to ness or sharpness of an image a user’s data to help solve a problem. Full imagemap /md'mp/ noun a graphform intelligent knowledge-based sysic image that has areas of the image detem. Also called expert system fined as hyperlink hotspots that link to anikon /akɒn/ noun another spelling of other webpage icon image processing /md' illegal /li (ə)l/ adjective which is

prəυsesŋ/ noun the analysis of informaagainst the law tion contained in an image, usually by illegal character / li (ə)l krktə/ electronic means or using a computer noun an invalid combination of bits in a which provides the analysis or recognition computer word, according to preset rules of objects in the image illegal instruction / li (ə)l n image processing software /md' strkʃən/ noun an instruction code not

prəυsesŋ sɒftweə/ noun software that within the repertoire of a language allows a user to adjust contrast, colour or illegal operation / li (ə)l ɒpə brightness levels or apply special effects to reʃ(ə)n/ noun an instruction or process a bitmap image IETF

Illuminant D65

IFF

IM

IMA

IF statement

iMac

image

IF-THEN-ELSE

image area

IGMP

image buffer

image compression



image degradation

ignore character



IGP

image editing

IH

image editor

IIL

IIS

image enhancement



IKBS

imagemap

ikon

image processing

illegal



illegal character



illegal instruction

image processing software





illegal operation





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167

image processor /md' prəυsesə/ image processor

noun an electronic or computer system used for image processing, and to extract information from the image ‘The Max FX also acts as a server to a growing number of printers, including a Varityper 5300 with emerald raster image processor and a Canon CLC 500 colour photocopier.’ [Computing]

image retention /md' r tenʃən/ image retention



noun the time taken for a TV image to disappear after it has been displayed, caused by long persistence phosphor image scanner /md' sknə/ noun an input device which converts documents or drawings or photographs into a digitised, machine-readable form image sensor /md' sensə/ noun a photoelectric device which produces a signal related to the amount of light falling on it image setter /md' setə/ noun a typesetting device which can process a PostScript page and produce a high-resolution output image stability /md' stə blti/ noun the ability of a display screen to provide a flicker-free picture image storage space / md' stɔ rd' spes/ noun a region of memory in which a digitised image is stored image table /md' teb(ə)l/ noun each of two bit-mapped tables used to control input and output devices or processes imaging /md'ŋ/ noun a technique for creating pictures on a screen, in medicine used to provide pictures of sections of the body, using scanners attached to computers imaging system / md'ŋ sstəm/ noun equipment and software used to capture, digitise and compress video or still images IMAP /amp/ noun a standard that defines how email messages can be accessed and read over a network. Full form Internet message access protocol. 쒁 POP 3, SMTP image scanner

image sensor

image setter

image stability



image storage space

image table

imaging

imaging system

IMAP

COMMENT: This standard (currently at version four) provides an alternative to the common POP 3 standard. The IMAP standard stores a user’s messages on a shared server (e.g. at your ISP) and allows a user to connect from any computer and read, send or manage messages. In contrast, the POP 3 protocol downloads all messages from a shared server onto the user’s computer. This makes it very difficult for a user to access messages from a different computer, e.g. if you are travelling. Regardless of whether IMAP or POP 3 is used

import to read messages, the SMTP protocol is normally used to send messages.

immediate access store / mi diət immediate access store



kses stɔ / noun full form of IAS immediate address / mi diət ə dres/ noun same as zero-level address immediate addressing / mi diət ə dresŋ/ noun the accessing of data immediately because it is held in the address field of an instruction immediate instruction / mi diət n strkʃən/ noun a computer instruction in which the operand is included within the instruction, rather than an address of the operand location immediate mode /mi diət məυd/ noun a mode in which a computer executes an instruction as soon as it is entered immediate operand /mi diət

ɒpərnd/ noun an operand n an immediate addressing operation, which is fetched at the same time as the instruction immediate processing / mi diət prəυsesŋ/ noun the processing of data when it appears, rather than waiting for a synchronising clock pulse or time. Also called in-line processing impedance /mpi d(ə)ns/ noun a measurement of the effect an electrical circuit or cable has on signal current magnitude and phase when a steady voltage is applied. 쒁 ohm immediate address





immediate addressing





immediate instruction





immediate mode



immediate operand



immediate processing



impedance



COMMENT: Network cables need to have the correct impedance for the type of network card installed. 10BaseT unshielded twistedpair cable normally has an impedance between 100 and105 ohms, while 10Base2 coaxial cable has an impedance of 50 ohms.

implication / mplkeʃ(ə)n/ noun a logical operation that uses an IF-THEN structure such that if A is true and if B is true the AND function of A and B will be true implicit reference /m plst ref(ə)rəns/ noun (in a multimedia programming language) a reference to an object that does not give its exact page location but assumes that the object is on the current page or is currently visible implied addressing /m plad ə dresŋ/ noun an assembler instruction that operates on only one register, which is preset at manufacture. The user does not have to specify an address. 쑗 Implied addressing for the accumulator is used in the instruction LDA,16. import /mpɔ t/ verb 1. to bring something in from outside a system 쑗 You can implication



implicit reference



implied addressing



import





Computing.fm Page 168 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

impulse 168 import images from the CAD package into increment /ŋkrmənt/ noun 1. the adthe DTP program. 2. to convert a file dition of a set number, usually one, to a stored in one format to the default format register, often for counting purposes 쑗 An used by a program 쑗 Select import if you increment is added to the counter each want to open a TIFF graphics file. time a pulse is detected. 2. the value of the ‘At the moment, Acrobat supports only the sending number added to a register 쑗 Increase the and viewing of documents. There are legal implicaincrement to three. 쐽 verb 1. to add sometions associated with allowing users to edit docuthing or to increase a number 쑗 The counments in the style of the original application, without ter is incremented each time an instruction having the tool itself on their desks, and there is no import facility back into applications.’ [Computing] is executed. 2. to move forward to the next impulse /mpls/ noun a voltage pulse location which lasts a very short time incremental backup / ŋkrment(ə)l impulsive noise /mplsv nɔz/ bkp/ noun a backup procedure that noun interference on a signal caused by only backs up the files that have changed short periods of noise since the last backup IMS abbr information management sysincremental computer tem / ŋkrment(ə)l kəmpju tə/ noun a computer that stores variables as the difinactive window /n ktv wndəυ/ ference between their actual value and an noun (in a GUI) a window still displayed, absolute initial value but not currently being used in-band signalling / n bnd incremental data / ŋkrment(ə)l detə/ noun data which represents the sn(ə)lŋ/ noun data transmission in difference of a value from an original valwhich the signal carrying the data is within ue the bandwidth of the cable or transmission media incremental plotter /ŋkrment(ə)l InBox /nbɒks/ noun a feature of the plɒtə/ noun a graphical output device that Windows messaging system that can gathcan only move in small steps, with input er together a user’s electronic messages indata representing the difference between cluding mail sent over the network, fax present position and the position required, messages and mail sent over the Internet so drawing lines and curves as a series of short straight lines inbuilt /nblt/ adjective referring to a feature or device included in a system 쑗 indent noun /ndent/ a space or series This software has inbuilt error correction. of spaces from the left margin, when starting a line of text 쐽 verb /ndent/ to start inches-per-second / ntʃz p a line of text with a space in from the left sekənd/ noun full form of ips margin 쑗 The first line of the paragraph is in-circuit emulator / n s kt indented two spaces. emjυletə/ noun a circuit that emulates a indentation / ndenteʃ(ə)n/ noun the device or integrated circuit and is inserted process of leaving a space at the beginning into a new or faulty circuit to test if it is of a line of text working correctly 쑗 This in-circuit emulator is used to test the floppy disk controller Indeo /ndiəυ/ a trade name for video by emulating a disk drive. software technology developed by Intel inclusion /nklu '(ə)n/ noun a logical that allows a computer to store and play operation that uses an IF-THEN structure, back compressed video sequences using such that if A is true and if B is true the software compression techniques AND function of A and B will be true indeterminate system inclusive OR /nklu sv ɔ / noun 쏡 OR / ndt mnət sstəm/ noun a system whose logical, output state cannot be preincoming message / nkmŋ dicted mesd'/ noun a message received in a computer index /ndeks/ noun 1. a list of items in a computer memory, usually arranged alincoming traffic / nkmŋ trfk/ phabetically 2. the address to be used that noun the amount of data or number of is the result of an offset value added to a messages received start location. 쏡 indexed addressing incompatible / nkəmptb(ə)l/ adjective which cannot work together 쑗 They index build /ndeks bld/ noun the cretried to link the two systems, but found they ation of an ordered list from the results of were incompatible. a database or file search increment

impulse

incremental backup

impulsive noise



IMS

incremental computer



inactive window



incremental data

in-band signalling

incremental plotter

InBox

inbuilt

indent

inches-per-second



in-circuit emulator

indentation



Indeo

inclusion



indeterminate system

inclusive OR



incoming message

index

incoming traffic

incompatible



index build

Computing.fm Page 169 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

169 inequality operator indexed address / ndeksd ədres/ indicator /nd ketə/ noun something indexed address

indicator





noun the address of the location to be accessed, which is found in an index register indexed addressing / ndeksd ə dresŋ/ noun an addressing mode, in which the storage location to be accessed is made up of a start address and an offset value, which is then added to it to give the address to be used indexed file /ndeksd fal/ noun a sequential file with an index of all the entries and their addresses indexed instruction / ndeksd n strkʃən/ noun an instruction that contains an origin and location of an offset that are added together to provide the address to be accessed indexed addressing



indexed file

indexed instruction



indexed sequential access method / ndeks s kwensəl kses meθəd/ indexed sequential access method



noun a data retrieval method using a list containing the address of each stored record, where the list is searched, then the record is retrieved from the address in the list. Abbr ISAM

indexed

sequential

indexed sequential storage

storage

/ ndeksd s kwenʃ(ə)l stɔ rd'/ noun a 

method of storing records in a consecutive order, but in such a way that they can be accessed rapidly index.html / ndeks dɒt etʃ ti em el/ noun a filename that is used to store the text and HTML formatting commands for the home page on a website indexing /ndeksŋ/ noun 1. the use of indexed addressing in software or a computer 2. the process of building and sorting a list of records index key /ndeks ki / noun one field which is used to index a record index letter /ndeks letə/ noun a letter which identifies an item in an index index number /ndeks nmbə/ noun a number which identifies an item in an index index page /ndeks ped'/ noun 1. a page of a multimedia book that lists all the other pages within the book and allows a user to locate other pages or areas of interest 2. the initial opening webpage of a site on the Internet or on a company’s intranet index register /ndeks red'stə/ noun a computer address register that is added to a reference address to provide the location to be accessed. Abbr IR index value word / ndeks vlju w d/ noun an offset value added to an address to produce a usable address index.html

indexing

index key

index letter

index number

index page

index register

index value word

which shows the state of a process, usually a light or buzzer indicator chart /nd ketə tʃɑ t/ noun a graphical representation of the location and use of indicator flags within a program indicator flag /nd ketə fl/ noun a register or single bit that indicates the state of the processor and its registers, e.g. a carry or overflow indicator light /nd ketə lat/ noun a light used to warn or to indicate the condition of equipment indirect address / ndarekt ədres/ noun same as relative address indirect addressing / ndarekt ə dresŋ/ noun a way of addressing data, in which the first instruction refers to an address which contains a second address induce /ndju s/ verb 1. to generate an electrical current in a coil of wire by electromagnetic effects 2. to prove something mathematically (NOTE: induces – inducindicator chart



indicator flag



indicator light



indirect address



indirect addressing



induce



ing – induced)

induced failure /n dju sd feljə/ induced failure



noun the failure of a device due to external effects induced interference /n dju sd

ntəfərəns/ noun an electrical noise on a signal due to induced signals from nearby electromagnetic sources inductance /ndktəns/ noun a measurement of the amount of energy a device can store in its magnetic field induction /ndkʃən/ noun 1. the generation of an electrical current by electromagnetic effects from a nearby source 2. the process of mathematically proving a formula or fact inductive coordination /n dktv kəυ ɔ dneʃ(ə)n/ noun agreement between electrical power suppliers and communication providers on methods of reducing induced interference inductor /ndktə/ noun an electrical component consisting of a coil of wire used to introduce inductance effects into a circuit by storing energy in its magnetic field induced interference





inductance



induction



inductive coordination







inductor



Industry Standard Architecture Industry Standard Architecture

/ ndəstri stndəd ɑ k tektʃə/ noun full form of ISA inequality operator / nkwɒlti

ɒpəretə/ noun a symbol used to indicate 

inequality operator



that two variables or quantities are not equal 쑗 The C programming language

Computing.fm Page 170 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

inequivalence 170 uses the symbol ‘!=’ as its inequality operinformation / nfəmeʃ(ə)n/ noun data ator. that has been processed or arranged to provide facts which have a meaning inequivalence / nkwvələns/ noun information bearer channel a logical function whose output is true if / nfəmeʃ(ə)n beərə tʃn(ə)l/ noun a the inputs are not the same, otherwise the communications channel that is able to output is false carry control and message data, usually at infect /nfekt/ verb to contaminate a a higher rate than a data only channel computer system with a virus that is capainformation content / nfəmeʃ(ə)n ble of damaging its programs or data

kɒntent/ noun a measurement of the infected computer /n fektd kəm amount of information conveyed by the pju tə/ noun a computer that carries a vitransmission of a symbol or character, ofrus program ten measured in shannons inference /nf(ə)rəns/ noun 1. a deducinformation flow control / nfə tion of results from data according to cermeʃ(ə)n fləυ kən trəυl/ noun the regutain rules 2. a method of deducing a result lation of access to particular information about confidential information concerning information input / nfəmeʃ(ə)n an individual by using various data related

npυt/ noun information received from to groups of people an input device inference control /nf(ə)rəns kən information line / nfəmeʃ(ə)n lan/

trəυl/ noun the process of determining noun a line running across the screen which information may be released withwhich gives the user information about the out disclosing personal information about program being executed or the file being a single individual edited inference engine /nf(ə)rəns information management system end'n/, inference machine noun a set / nfəmeʃ(ə)n mnd'mənt sstəm/ of rules used in an IKBS to deduce goals or noun a computer program that allows inresults from data formation to be easily stored, retrieved, inferior figure /n fəriə fə/ noun searched and updated. Abbr IMS any one of the smaller numbers or characinformation network / nfəmeʃ(ə)n ters that are printed slightly below normal

netw k/ noun a number of databases characters, used in mathematical and linked together, usually using telephone chemical formulae. 쒁 subscript, superlines and modems, allowing a large script (NOTE: used with figures and letamount of data to be accessed by a wider ters: CO2) number of users INF file / a en ef fal/ noun a configuinformation output / nfəmeʃ(ə)n ration file supplied by a hardware manuaυtpυt/ noun a display of information on facturer to allow Windows to correctly inan output device stall the device information processing infinite loop /nfnət lu p/ noun a loop / nfəmeʃ(ə)n prəυsesŋ/ noun same as which has no exit other than by ending the data processing running of the program by switching off information processor the machine or resetting / nfəmeʃ(ə)n prəυsesə/ noun a mainfinity /nfnti/ noun 1. a space or chine that processes a received signal, acquantity that never ends 2. the distance of cording to a program, using stored inforan object from a viewer where beams of mation, and provides an output (NOTE: light from the object would be seen to be This is an example of a computer that is parallel, i.e. very far away not dealing with mathematical functions.) infix notation /n fks nəυteʃ(ə)n/ information provider / nfəmeʃ(ə)n noun a method of computer programming prə vadə/ noun a company or user who syntax in which operators are embedded provides an information source for use in a inside operands, e.g. C – D or X + Y. Comvideotext system, e.g. a company providpare postfix notation, prefix notation ing weather information or stock market reports. Abbr ip informatics / nfɔ mtks/ noun the information rate / nfəmeʃ(ə)n ret/ science and study of ways and means of noun the amount of information content information processing and transmission information



inequivalence



information bearer channel

infect



information content



infected computer





inference

information flow control





information input



inference control



information line



inference engine

information management system

inferior figure



information network



INF file

information output

information processing

infinite loop

information processor

infinity



infix notation

information provider









informatics



information rate



Computing.fm Page 171 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

171 initialise per character multiplied by the number of infra-red link / nfrə red lŋk/ noun a characters transmitted per second system that allows two computers or a computer and a printer to exchange inforinformation retrieval / nfəmeʃ(ə)n mation using an infrared light beam to carrtri v(ə)l/ noun the process of locating ry the data quantities of data stored in a database and infrastructure /nfrə strktʃə/ noun producing useful information from the dabasic structure or basic services ta. Abbr IR inherent addressing /n hərənt ə information retrieval centre dresŋ/ noun an instruction that contains / nfəmeʃ(ə)n rtri v(ə)l sentə/ noun a all the data required for the address to be research system providing specific inforaccessed with no further operation mation from a database for a user inherit /nhert/ verb (in object-orientinformation storage / nfəmeʃ(ə)n ed programming) to acquire the characterstɔ rd'/ noun the process of storing data istics of another class or data type in a form which allows it to be processed inheritance /nhert(ə)ns/ noun (in at a later date object-oriented programming) the passinformation storage and retrieval ing of the characteristics of one class or / nfəmeʃ(ə)n stɔ rd' ən rtri v(ə)l/ data type to another, called its descendant noun techniques involved in storing inforinherited error /n hertd erə/ noun mation and retrieving data from a store. an error that is the result of a fault in a preAbbr ISR vious process or action information structure / nfə inhibit /nhbt/ verb to stop a process meʃ(ə)n strktʃə/ noun same as data taking place or to prevent an integrated cirstructure cuit or gate from operating,, by means of a information system / nfəmeʃ(ə)n signal or command

sstəm/ noun a computer system which inhibiting input /n hbtŋ npυt/ provides information according to a user’s noun an input of a gate which blocks the requests output signal information technology INI file / a en a fal/ noun a configura/ nfəmeʃ(ə)n teknɒləd'i/ noun the tion file used in Windows 3.x and earlier technology involved in acquiring, storing, that tells Windows how to load and run an processing, and distributing information application. (NOTE: The INI file could conby electronic means, including radio, TV, tain the working directory, user name and telephone and computers. Abbr IT user settings.) information theory / nfəmeʃ(ə)n initial address / nʃ(ə)l ədres/ noun

θəri/ noun the body of formulae and the address at which the first location of a mathematics concerned with data transprogram is stored mission equipment and signals initial condition / nʃ(ə)l kən information transfer channel dʃ(ə)n/ noun a condition that must be / nfəmeʃ(ə)n trnsf tʃn(ə)l/ satisfied before a routine can be entered noun a connection between a data transinitial error / nʃ(ə)l erə/ noun an ermitter and a receiver ror in data that is the difference between infrared / nfrəred/ noun the section of the value of the data at the start of processthe electromagnetic radiation spectrum exing and its present actual value tending from visible red to microwaves initial instructions / nʃ(ə)l n strkʃənz/ plural noun routines that act infrared controller / nfrəred kən as an initial program loader trəυlə/ noun a remote control unit used to control a device from a distance initialisation, initialization noun the process of initialising values or parameters Infrared Data Association 쑗 Initialisation is often carried out with/ nfrəred detə ə səυsieʃ(ə)n/ noun a out the user knowing. standard method used to transfer informainitialisation string / nʃ(ə)la tion via an infrared light beam, often used zeʃ(ə)n strŋ/, initialization string to transfer information from a laptop or noun a series of AT commands sent to a PDA to a printer or desktop computer. modem to configure it before it is used Abbr IrDA (NOTE: To use this feature, your computer or printer needs to have initialise /nʃə laz/, initialize verb to an IrDA port.) set values or parameters or control lines to infra-red link

information retrieval



infrastructure



inherent addressing

information retrieval centre







inherit

information storage



inheritance



information storage and retrieval



inherited error



information structure



inhibit



information system



inhibiting input



information technology

INI file



information theory

initial address







initial condition





information transfer channel

initial error



infrared



initial instructions





infrared controller



initialisation

Infrared Data Association



initialisation string



initialise







Computing.fm Page 172 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

initial program header 172 their initial values, to allow a program or process to be restarted (NOTE: initialises – initialising – initialised)

initial program header / nʃ(ə)l prəυrm hedə/ noun a small machinecode program usually stored in a read-only memory device that directs the CPU to load a larger program or operating system from store into main memory (NOTE: An initial program header



example is a boot up routine that loads the operating system when a computer is switched on.) initial program loader / nʃ(ə)l prəυrm ləυdə/ noun a short routine initial program loader



that loads the first section of a program, after which it continues the loading process itself. Abbr IPL initial value / nʃ(ə)l vlju / noun the starting point, usually zero, set when initialising variables at the beginning of a program ink /ŋk/ verb to draw lines on paper by the use of a plotter device ink cartridge /ŋk kɑ trd'/ noun a plastic module that contains ink, for use in a bubble-jet or ink-jet printer ink effect /ŋk  fekt/ noun features of Windows Movie Player utility that defines how cast members are drawn; e.g., transparent ink effect displays the cast member with the background showing through ink-jet printer /nk d'et prntə/ noun a printer that produces characters by sending a stream of tiny drops of electrically charged ink onto the paper initial value



ink

ink cartridge

ink effect



ink-jet printer

‘…ink-jet printers work by squirting a fine stream of ink onto the paper’ [Personal Computer World]

inlay card /nle kɑ d/ noun an identification card inside the box of a CD, DVD or similar recording in-line /n lan/ adjective referring to connection pins on a chip arranged in one or two rows 쐽 noun referring to a graphical image that is part of a webpage in-line program / n lan peəυrm/ noun a program that contains no loops inner loop /nə lu p/ noun a loop contained inside another loop. 쒁 nested loop input /npυt/ verb to transfer data or information from outside a computer to its main memory 쑗 The data was input via a modem. 쐽 noun 1. the action of inputting information 2. data or information that is transferred into a computer 3. electrical signals which are applied to relevant circuits to perform the operation 왘 abbr (all senses) i/p, I/P inlay card



in-line

in-line program

inner loop

input

‘In fact, the non-Qwerty format of the Maltron keyboard did cause a few gasps when it was first shown to the staff, but within a month all the Maltron users had regained normal input speeds.’ [Computing]

input area /npυt eəriə/ noun a secinput area

tion of main memory that holds data transferred from backing store until it is processed or distributed to other sections input block /npυt blɒk/ noun a block of data transferred to an input area input-bound /npυt baυnd/ adjective referring to a program or device that is not running as fast as it could, because it is limited by the input rate from a slower peripheral. Also called input-limited input buffer register / npυt bfə

red'stə/ noun a temporary store for data from an input device before it is transferred to a main or backing store input device /npυt d vas/ noun a device, e.g. a keyboard or bar code reader, that converts actions or information into a form that a computer can understand, and transfers the data to the processor input lead /npυt li d/ noun a lead which connects an input device to a computer input-limited / npυt lmtd/ adjective same as input-bound input mode /npυt məυd/ noun a mode in which a computer is receiving data input/output / npυt aυtpυt/ noun 1. full form of I/O 2. all the data received or transmitted by a computer. 쒁 input input/output buffer / npυt aυtpυt

bfə/ noun a temporary storage area for data waiting to be output or input input/output bus / npυt aυtpυt bs/ noun a bus that provides links that allow data and control signals to be transferred between a CPU and memory or peripheral devices. Also called I/O bus input/output channel / npυt aυtpυt tʃn(ə)l/ noun a link between a processor and peripheral allowing data transfer input/output controller / npυt aυtpυt kən trəυlə/ noun an intelligent device that monitors, directs and controls data flow between a CPU and I/O devices input block

input-bound

input buffer register

input device



input lead

input-limited

input mode

input/output

input/output buffer

input/output bus

input/output channel

input/output controller



input/output input/output control program

control

program

/ npυt aυtpυt kən trəυl/ noun a super

visory program or section of the operating system that monitors and controls I/O operations and data flow

Computing.fm Page 173 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

173 insertion point input/output device / npυt aυtpυt input/output unit / npυt aυtpυt input/output device

input/output unit

d vas/ noun a peripheral, e.g. such as a terminal in a workstation, that can be used both for inputting and outputting data to a processor input/output executive / npυt aυtpυt  zekjυtv/ noun a master program that controls all the I/O activities of a computer input/output instruction / npυt aυtpυt n strkʃən/ noun a computer programming instruction that allows data to be input or output from a processor input/output interface / npυt aυtpυt ntə fes/ noun a circuit, consisting usually of an input/output channel, a parallel input/output port and a DMA interface, that allows controlled data input and output from a CPU input/output interrupt / npυt aυtpυt ntə rpt/ noun an interrupt signal that comes from a peripheral device or that indicates that an input or output operation is required input/output library / npυt aυtpυt

labrəri/ noun a set of routines, e.g. printer drivers or port control routines, that can be used by the programmer to help simplify input/output tasks input/output port / npυt aυtpυt

pɔ t/ noun a circuit or connector that provides an input/output channel to another device 쑗 The joystick can be connected to the input/output port. input/output processor / npυt aυtpυt prəυsesə/ noun a processor that carries out input/output transfers for a CPU, including DMA and error correction facilities. Abbr IOP input/output referencing / npυt aυtpυt ref(ə)rənsŋ/ noun the use of labels to refer to specific input/output devices, the actual address of the device being inserted at run time input/output register / npυt aυtpυt

red'stə/ noun a temporary storage for data received from memory before being transferred to an I/O device or for data from an I/O device waiting to be stored in main memory or to be processed input/output request / npυt aυtpυt r kwest/ noun a request signal from the CPU for data input or output. Abbr IORQ input/output status word / npυt

aυtpυt stetəs w d/ noun a word whose bits describe the state of peripheral devices, e.g. busy or free

ju nt/ noun same as input/output de-



input/output executive



input/output instruction



input/output interface



input/output interrupt



input/output library

input/output port

input/output processor

input/output referencing

input/output register

input/output request



input/output status word

vice

input port /npυt pɔ t/ noun a circuit input port

or connector that allows a computer to receive data from other external devices input register /npυt red'stə/ noun a temporary store for data received at slow speeds from an I/O device, the data is then transferred at high speed to the main memory input routine /npυt ru ti n/ noun a set of instructions which control an I/O device and direct data received from it to the correct storage location input section /npυt sekʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. an input routine 2. an input area input statement /npυt stetmənt/ noun a computer programming command which waits for data entry from a port or keyboard input storage /npυt stɔ rd'/ noun 쏡 input register

input routine



input section

input statement

input storage

input area

input work queue / npυt w k input work queue

kju / noun a list of commands to be carried out either in the order in which they were entered or in order of priority inquiry /nkwaəri/ noun another spelling of enquiry inquiry character /nkwaəri

krktə/ noun a code transmitted by a computer to a remote terminal, asking for a response. Abbr ENQ inquiry/response /n kwaəri r spɒns/ noun an interactive computer mode, in which a user’s commands and inquiries are responded to very quickly inquiry station /nkwari steʃ(ə)n/ noun a terminal that is used to access and interrogate files stored on a remote computer insert /ns t/ verb to add new text inside a word or sentence inserted subroutine / ns td sbru ti n/ noun a series of instructions that are copied directly into the main program at a point where a call instruction appears or at a point where a user requires insertion loss /ns ʃ(ə)n lɒs/ noun a weakening of a signal caused by adding a device into an existing channel or circuit insertion point /ns ʃ(ə)n pɔnt/ noun the point in a document, indicated by the position of the cursor, where new text typed by the user will be entered inquiry



inquiry character



inquiry/response



inquiry station



insert



inserted subroutine

insertion loss



insertion point





Computing.fm Page 174 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

insert key 174 es. Any message that he or she types in is insert key /ns t ki / noun a key that then sent instantly to the other user. switches a word-processor or editor program from overwrite mode to insert mode. instruction /nstrkʃən/ noun a word Also called Ins key used in a programming language that is insert mode /ns t məυd/ noun an inunderstood by the computer as a command teractive computer mode used for editing to carry out a particular action 쑗 The inand correcting documents (NOTE: This is a struction PRINT is used in this BASIC distandard feature on most word-processalect as an operand to display the following packages. The cursor is placed at the ing data. (NOTE: In a high-level language insert key



instruction



insert mode

required point in the document and any characters typed will be added, with the existing text moving on as necessary.) Ins key /ns ki / noun same as insert key install /nstɔ l/ verb to put a machine

the instructions are translated by the compiler or interpreter to a form that is understood by the central processing unit.)

installable device driver

instruction address

Ins key

install



into an office or factory 쑗 The system is easy to install and simple to use. installable device driver /n

stɔ ləb(ə)l dvas dravə/ noun a device driver that is loaded into memory and remains resident, replacing a similar function built into the operating system installation / nstəleʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. a computer and equipment used for one type of work and processing 쑗 The engineers are still testing the new installation. 2. the process of setting up a new computer system 쑗 The installation of the equipment took only a few hours. installation manual / nstəleʃ(ə)n

mnjυəl/ noun a booklet showing how a system should be installed install program /nstɔ l prəυrm/ noun a piece of software that transfers program code from the distribution disks onto a computer’s hard disk and configures the program instance /nstəns/ noun (in object-oriented programming) an object or duplicate object that has been created





installation



installation manual



install program

instance

instantaneous instantaneous access

access

/ nstənteniəs kses/ noun an ex-

tremely short access time to a random access device instant jump /nstənt d'mp/ noun (in a videodisc player ) a hardware feature that allows the player to skip a number of frames, up to 200, in the time it takes to refresh the screen instant messaging / nstənt mesd'ŋ/ noun a feature that lets a user type in and exchange messages with one or more other people connected via the Internet. Each of the users in the group runs special software that tells them when a friend or colleague has connected to the Internet and is available to receive messaginstant jump

instant messaging

‘A Taos kernel, typically 15Kb in size, resides at each processing node to ‘translate’, non-native instructions – on the fly when needed. This kernel contains the only code which has to be written in the processor’s native instruction set.’ [Computing]

instruction address /nstrkʃən ə 



dres/ noun the location of an instruction instruction address register /n

strkʃən ədres red'stə/ noun same as sequence control register. abbr IAR instruction area /nstrkʃən eəriə/ noun a section of memory that is used to store instructions instruction cache /nstrkʃən kʃ/ noun an area of high-speed memory which stores the next few instructions to be executed by a processor instruction character /nstrkʃən

krktə/ noun a special character that provides a control sequence rather than an alphanumeric character instruction codes /nstrkʃən kəυdz/ plural noun a set of symbols or codes that a CPU can directly understand and execute instruction counter /nstrkʃən

kaυntə/ noun same as sequence coninstruction address register





instruction area



instruction cache



instruction character



instruction codes



instruction counter



trol register

instruction cycle /nstrkʃən

sak(ə)l/ noun the series of events, taking place in a set order and at specified intervals, that occurs when the processor fetches an instruction from where it is stored in the memory and executes it instruction cycle time /n strkʃən sak(ə)l tam/ noun the amount of time taken for one instruction cycle instruction decoder /nstrkʃən di

kəυdə/ noun hardware that converts a machine-code code instruction in binary form into actions instruction execution time /n

strkʃən ekskju ʃ(ə)n tam/ noun the time taken to carry out an instruction instruction cycle



instruction cycle time



instruction decoder





instruction execution time





Computing.fm Page 175 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

175 integrated software integral /ntrəl, nteəl/ adjective

fɔ mt/ noun a set of rules defining the referring to an add-on device or special way the operands, data and addresses are feature that is already built into a system 쑗 arranged in an instruction The integral disk drives and modem reduced desk space. instruction manual /nstrkʃən

mnjuəl/ noun a document describing integrated /nt retd/ adjective rehow to use a system or software ferring to a system containing many peripherals grouped together to provide a instruction modification /n neat, complete system

strkʃən mɒdfkeʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of changing part of an instruction, integrated circuit / ntretd either the data or the operator, so that it s kt/ noun a circuit made up of compocarries out a different function the next nents all of which are formed on one small time that the instruction is executed piece of semiconductor by means of etching and chemical processes. Abbr IC instruction pipelining /nstrkʃən (NOTE: Integrated circuits can be classi paplanŋ/ noun the act of beginning to fied as follows: Small Scale Integration process a second instruction while still (SSI): 1 to 10 components per IC; Mediprocessing the present one, which increasum Scale Integration (MSI): 10 to 100 es the program’s speed of execution components per IC; Large Scale Integrainstruction pointer /nstrkʃən tion (LSI): 100 to 5000 components per

pɔntə/ noun a register in a central IC; Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI): processing unit that contains the location 5,000 to 50,000 components per IC; Ulof the next instruction to be processed tra Large Scale Integration (ULSI): over instruction processor /nstrkʃən 100,000 components per IC.)

prəυsesə/ noun a section of the central integrated database / ntretd processing unit that decodes instructions detəbes/ noun a database that is able to and performs the arithmetic and logical provide information for varied requirefunctions necessary for carrying them out ments without any redundant data instruction register /nstrkʃən integrated data processing

red'stə/ noun a register in a central / ntretd detə prəυsesŋ/ noun an processing unit that stores an instruction organisational method for the entry and reduring decoding and execution operations. trieval of data that is designed to provide Abbr IR maximum efficiency. Abbr IDP instruction repertoire /nstrkʃən integrated device electronics / nt

repətwɑ /, instruction set /set/ noun

retd d vas elektrɒnks/, integratthe total number of instructions that a ed drive electronics noun full form of processor can recognise and execute IDE instruction storage /nstrkʃən integrated emulator / ntretd

stɔ rd'/ noun a section of memory used emjυletə/ noun an emulator program to store instructions run within a multitasking operating system instruction time /nstrkʃən tam/ integrated injection logic noun the amount of time taken for a cen/ ntretd nd'ekʃən lɒd'k/ noun a tral processing unit to carry out a complete type of circuit design able to produce very instruction small, low-power components. Abbr IIL instruction word /nstrkʃən w d/ integrated modem / ntretd noun a fixed set of characters used to initiməυdem/ noun a modem that is an interate an instruction 쑗 The manufacturers of nal part of the system this CPU have decided that JMP will be integrated office / ntretd ɒfs/ the instruction word to call the jump funcnoun an office environment in which all tion. operations are carried out using a central instrument /nstrυmənt/ noun an computer electronic device that can produce a sound integrated services digital netin response to a MIDI note or to a keywork / ntretd s vsz dd't(ə)l board press netw k/ noun 쏡 ISDN integer /ntd'ə/ noun a mathematical integrated software / ntretd term to describe a whole number (NOTE: An integer may be positive or negative or sɒftweə/ noun software such as an operzero.) ating system or word-processor that is

instruction instruction format

format

/nstrkʃən

integral





instruction manual



integrated



instruction modification





integrated circuit

instruction pipelining



instruction pointer



instruction processor



integrated database

instruction register



integrated data processing

instruction repertoire



integrated device electronics







instruction storage



integrated emulator

instruction time



integrated injection logic



instruction word



integrated modem

integrated office

instrument

integrated services digital network

integer

integrated software

Computing.fm Page 176 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

integration 176 from being hyphenated or separated at the stored in the computer system and has wrong point been tailored to the requirements of the system intelligent terminal /n teld'(ə)nt t mn(ə)l/ noun same as smart termiintegration / ntreʃ(ə)n/ noun the nal process of bringing several operations together 쑗 small scale integration (SSI) intelligent tutoring system /n

teld'(ə)nt tju tərŋ sstəm/ noun a integrity /nterti/ noun the reliability computer-aided learning system that proof data which is being processed or stored vides responsive and interactive teaching on disk 왍 the data in this file has integrifacilities for users ty the data has not been corrupted 왍 integrity of a file the fact that a file that has intelligent wiring hub /n teld'(ə)nt been stored on disk is not corrupted or diswaərŋ hb/ noun a wiring hub that can torted in any way be controlled from a workstation to direct which circuits should be connected to each Intel /ntel/ the company that developed other the first commercially available microprocessor, the 4004, and also developed Intel MMX / ntel em em eks/ a trade the range of processors that is used in IBM name for a range of processors that include PCs and compatible computers components that improve their performance when dealing with multimedia and Intel 8086 a trade name for a microproccommunications essor that uses a 16-bit data bus and can Intel Pentium / ntel pentiəm/ a trade address up to 1Mb of RAM name for a range of advanced microprocIntel 8088 a trade name for a microprocessors that use a 32-bit data bus essor that uses a 16-bit data bus internally, Intel Pentium Pro / ntel pentiəm but uses an 8-bit data bus externally; used prəυ/ a trade name for a 32-bit processor in the first IBM PC computers developed by Intel to replace the Pentium Intel 80286 a trade name for a microin high-performance PCs and provide feaprocessor that uses a 16-bit data bus and tures to improve performance. It is suited can address up to 16Mb of RAM to multiuser and multitasking environIntel 80386 a trade name for a microments. processor that uses a 32-bit data bus and intensity /ntensti/ noun a measure of can address up to 4Gb of RAM the strength of a signal or the brightness of Intel 80486 a trade name for a microa light source processor that uses a 32-bit data bus and interactive / ntərktv/ adjective recan address up to 64Gb of RAM ferring to a system or piece of software Intel Indeo / ntel ndiəυ/ a trade name that allows communication between the for software technology developed by Inuser and the computer in conversational tel that allows a computer to store and play mode back compressed video sequences using ‘Oracle today details its interactive information susoftware compression techniques perhighway aims, endorsed by 17 industry partners. The lynchpin to the announcement will be software intelligence /nteld'əns/ noun the based on the Oracle Media Server, a multimedia daability of a device to carry out processing tabase designed to run on massively parallel computor run a program ers.’ [Computing] intelligent /nteld'ənt/ adjective reinteractive debugging system ferring to a machine, program or device / ntərktv di bŋ sstəm/ noun a that is capable of limited reasoning facilisoftware development tool that allows the ties, giving it human-like responses user to run a program under test, set breakintelligent device /n teld'(ə)nt d points, examine source and object code, vas/ noun a peripheral device that conexamine registers and memory contents tains a central processing unit allowing it and trace the instruction execution to process data interactive graphics / ntərktv intelligent knowledge-based sysrfks/ plural noun a display system tem /n teld'(ə)nt nɒld' besd that is able to react to different inputs from sstəm/ noun full form of IKBS the user intelligent spacer /n teld'(ə)nt interactive keyboard / ntərktv spesə/ noun a facility on a wordki bɔ d/ noun a keyboard controlled by a processing system used to prevent words program that is designed to help the user intelligent terminal



integration



intelligent tutoring system



integrity



intelligent wiring hub



Intel

Intel MMX

Intel 8086

Intel Pentium

Intel 8088

Intel Pentium Pro

Intel 80286

Intel 80386

intensity



Intel 80486

interactive



Intel Indeo

intelligence



intelligent

interactive debugging system





intelligent device





interactive graphics

intelligent knowledge-based system



intelligent spacer

interactive keyboard



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177 interframe coding one block of data and the start of the next by lighting up particular keys on the keyin backing store. Abbr IBG. Also called board to prompt the user to make a particinterrecord gap ular kind of input interactive media / ntərktv interchange file format mi diə/ plural noun media that provide / ntətʃend' fal fɔ mt/ noun full two-way communications between users form of IFF and their machines or systems and enable intercharacter spacing /ntə users to control their systems and obtain

krəktə spesŋ/ noun a word-procesresponses from them in real time sor feature that provides variable spacing interactive mode / ntərktv between words to create a justified line

məυd/ noun a computer mode that allows interconnection / ntəkənekʃən/ the user to enter commands or programs or noun a section of connecting material bedata and receive immediate responses tween two devices interactive multimedia / ntərktv interface /ntəfes/ noun 1. the point at

mltimi diə/ noun a multimedia system which one computer system ends and anin which users can issue commands to other begins 2. a circuit, device or port that which the program responds, or control allows two or more incompatible units to actions and control the way the program be linked together in a standard communiworks 쑗 This interactive multimedia title cation system, allowing data to be transallows a user to make music with a syntheferred between them 3. a section of a prosiser program. gram which allows transmission of data to Interactive Multimedia Associaanother program 쐽 verb 1. to modify a detion / ntərktv mltimi diə ə vice by adding a circuit or connector to al səυsieʃ(ə)n/ noun full form of IMA low it to conform to a standard communiinteractive processing / ntərktv cations system 2. to connect two or more prəυsesŋ/ noun same as interactive incompatible devices together with a cirmode cuit, in order to allow them to communicate interactive routine / ntərktv ru ‘The original release of ODBC only included a drivti n/ noun a computer program able to acer for Microsoft’s own SQL Server database. Microcept data from an operator, process it and soft has subsequently published the ODBC applicaprovide a real-time reaction to it tion program interface enabling third-party vendors to create drivers for other databases and tools.’ interactive system / ntərktv [Computing] sstəm/ noun a system which provides an interface card /ntəfes kɑ d/ noun immediate response to the user’s coman add-on board that allows a computer to mands or programs or data interface to certain equipment or conform interactive terminal / ntərktv to a certain standard t mn(ə)l/ noun a terminal in an interacinterface message processor tive system which sends and receives in/ ntəfes mesd' prəυsesə/ noun a formation computer in a packet switching network interactive TV / ntərktv ti vi / that deals with the flow of data, acting as noun a channel that allows two-way coman interface processor munication between the viewer and the interface processor /ntəfes broadcasting station. This feature often al prəυsesə/ noun a computer that controls lows the user to choose which programme data transfer between a processor and a to watch or to respond directly to questions terminal or network displayed on-screen. interface routines /ntəfes ru interactive video / ntərktv

ti nz/ plural noun software that allows vdiəυ/ noun full form of IV programs or data for one system to run on interactive videotext / ntərktv another vdiəυtekst/ noun viewdata service that interfacing /ntəfesŋ/ noun hardallows the operator to select pages, display ware or software used to interface two them, ask questions, or use a service such computers, programs or devices as teleshopping interference / ntəfərəns/ noun noise interblock /ntəblɒk/ adjective occuron a radio signal ring or located between blocks interblock gap /ntəblɒk p/ noun a interframe coding / ntəfrem blank magnetic tape between the end of kəυdŋ/ noun a system for compressing interactive media

interchange file format

intercharacter spacing



interactive mode



interconnection



interactive multimedia

interface



Interactive Multimedia Association





interactive processing

interactive routine



interactive system

interface card

interactive terminal

interface message processor

interactive TV

interface processor

interactive video

interface routines



interactive videotext

interfacing

interblock

interference



interblock gap

interframe coding

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interior gateway protocol 178 video images, in which only the differencinterlock / ntəlɒk/ noun a security dees between each frame are recorded vice that is part of the logon prompt and requires a password 쐽 verb to prevent a deinterior gateway protocol /n təriə vice from performing another task until

etwe prəυtəυkɒl/ noun full form of the present one has been completed IGP interlude /ntə lu d/ noun a small iniinterior label /n təriə leb(ə)l/ noun tial routine at the start of a program that identification data that is stored within a carries out housekeeping tasks storage medium, as opposed to an exterior or physical label stuck to the case intermediate access memory interlace / ntəles/ verb to build up an / ntəmi diət kses mem(ə)ri/ noun full form of IAM image on a television screen using two passes to create two picture fields. One intermediate code / ntəmi diət displays all the odd-numbered lines, the kəυd/ noun a code used by a computer or other all the even-numbered lines. The aim assembler during the translation of a highis to reduce the flicker effects on the telelevel code to machine code vision picture. intermediate file / ntəmi diət fal/ interlaced scanning / ntəlesd noun a file containing partially processed sknŋ/ noun a technique for producing data that will be used at a later date to coman image on a television or computer plete a task screen that is clear and correctly aligned in intermediate storage / ntəmi diət the vertical plane. It involves scanning first stɔ rd'/ noun a temporary area of memall the odd numbered and then all the even ory for items which are currently being numbered lines in the screen image. processed interlaced video / ntəlesd vdiəυ/ intermediate system / ntəmi diət noun a video signal made up of two sepasstəm/ noun (on the Internet) a router or rate fields. This is the normal display other device that links a network or user to mode for home video. the Internet. Abbr IS interleave / ntərli v/ noun a method intermediate system to intermediof storing data on alternate tracks on a hard ate system / ntəmi diət sstəm tə disk drive to slow down data transfer rates

ntəmi diət sstəm/ noun full form of to match a slower processor 쑗 Fast comIS-IS puters run the hard disk with no interleave intermittent error / ntəmt(ə)nt erə/ factor, since they can cope with the fast noun an error which apparently occurs flow of data to and from the hard disk. randomly in a computer or communicainterleaved / ntərli vd/ adjective retions system due to a program fault or ferring to sections of two programs exenoise (NOTE: These errors are very difficuted alternately to give the impression cult to trace and correct due to their apthat they are running simultaneously parent random appearance.) interleaved memory / ntərli vd internal arithmetic /n t n(ə)l ə mem(ə)ri/ noun memory containing two rθmətk/ noun arithmetical operations separate banks of data used together in seperformed by the ALU quence internal character code /n t n(ə)l interleave factor / ntər li v fktə/ krktə kəυd/ noun a representation of noun the ratio of sectors skipped between characters in a particular operating system access operations on a hard disk (NOTE: In internal command /n t n(ə)l kə a hard disk with an interleave of 3, the mɑ nd/ noun a command that is part of first sector is read, then three sectors are the operating system, rather than of a sepskipped and the next sector is read. This arate utility program 쑗 In MS-DOS, the inis used to allow hard disks with slow acternal command DIR is used frequently. cess time to store more data on the disk.) internal format /n t n(ə)l fɔ mt/ interleaving / ntərli vŋ/ noun 1. the noun a format in which data and instructechnique of dealing with slices or sections tions are represented within a CPU or of processes alternately, so that they apbacking store pear to be executed simultaneously 2. the internal hard disk /n t n(ə)l hɑ d process of dividing data storage into sec dsk/ noun a hard disk drive mounted intions so that each can be accessed sepaside the main case of a computer rately interlock



interior gateway protocol





interlude

interior label





intermediate access memory

interlace



intermediate code

intermediate file

interlaced scanning

intermediate storage

interlaced video

intermediate system

interleave



intermediate system to intermediate system

intermittent error

interleaved



interleaved memory

internal arithmetic





internal character code

interleave factor





internal command



internal format

interleaving





internal hard disk





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179 Internet Explorer data transfer, together with electronic mail internal language /n t n(ə)l functions for millions of users around the lŋwd'/ noun a language used in a world. 쒁 HTTP, POP 3, SMTP, World computer system that is not under the diWide Web rect control of the operator Internet Activities Board / ntənet internally stored program /n ktvtiz bɔ d/ noun full form of IAB

t n(ə)li stɔ d prəυrm/ noun a computer program code that is stored in a Internet address /ntənet ə dres/ ROM device in a computer system and noun a unique number that identifies the does not have to be loaded from backing precise location of a particular node on the store Internet The address is a 32-bit number usually written in dotted decimal format, internal memory /n t n(ə)l mem(ə)ri/ noun storage space that is i.e. in the form ‘123.33.22.32’, and it is available within the main computer and is used by the TCP/IP protocol. A domain name system is used to convert a domain under its direct control. Also called intername, e.g. ‘bloomsbury.com’, into a full nal store Internet address. Also called IP address internal modem /n t n(ə)l məυ dem/ noun a modem on an expansion Internet architecture board card that fits into an expansion connector / ntənet ɑ ktektʃə bɔ d/ noun a and transfers information to the processor group that monitors and manages the dethrough the bus, rather than connecting to velopment of the Internet. Abbr IAB a serial port (NOTE: Its members include the IETF and the IRTF.) internal sort /nt n(ə)l sɔ t/ noun a sorting program using only the main memInternet Assigned Numbers Auory of a system thority / ntənet ə sand nmbəz ɔ

θɒrti/ noun a group that assigns unique internal store /n t n(ə)l stɔ / noun identifying numbers to the different protosame as internal memory cols and network products used on the InInternational Business Machines ternet. Abbr IANA / ntənʃ(ə)nəl bznəs mə ʃi nz/ full Internet banking / ntənet bŋkŋ/ form of IBM noun a system that allows customers to international file format check their bank accounts, pay bills and / ntənʃ(ə)nəl fal fɔ mt/ noun full transfer money by means of the Internet form of IFF ‘…most banks now offer reasonable telephone and International MIDI Association Internet banking facilities.’ [The Guardian] / ntənʃ(ə)nəl mdi ə səυsieʃ(ə)n/ Internet café /ntənet kfe/ noun noun a professional organisation that covsame as cybercafé ers subjects including authoring languagInternet control message protocol es, formats, and intellectual property. Abbr / ntənet kən trəυl mesd' prəυtəkɒl/ IMA noun full form of ICMP International Standards OrganizaInternet-draft /ntənet drɑ ft/ adjection / ntənʃ(ə)nəl stndədz tive referring to draft documents produced

ɔ ənazeʃ(ə)n/ noun an organisation by the IETF that often lead to RFCs. Abbr which creates and regulates standards for I-D many types of computer and networking Internet engineering steering products. Abbr ISO group / ntənet end'nərŋ stərŋ International Standards Organizaru p/ noun a group that reviews Internet tion Open System Interconnecstandards and manages the IETF. Abbr tion / ntənʃ(ə)nəl

stndədz IESG

ɔ ənazeʃ(ə)n

əυpən

sstəm Internet engineering task force

ntəkənekʃ(ə)n/ noun a standardised / ntənet end'nərŋ tɑ sk fɔ s/ noun ISO network design that is constructed in full form of IETF layered form, with each layer having a specific task. The design allows different Internet Explorer / ntənet k systems to communicate if they conform splɔ rə/ noun a web browser developed to the standard. Abbr ISO/OSI by Microsoft which allows a user to view Internet /ntənet/ noun an international formatted HTML information such as wide area network that provides file and webpages on the Internet. Abbr IE internal language



Internet Activities Board

internally stored program





Internet address



internal memory



internal modem





Internet architecture board

internal sort



Internet Assigned Numbers Authority





internal store



International Business Machines



Internet banking

international file format

International MIDI Association



Internet café

Internet control message protocol



International Standards Organization

Internet-draft

Internet engineering steering group

International Standards Organization Open System Interconnection

Internet engineering task force



Internet Explorer



Internet

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Internet Information Server 180 particularly appealing if you have lowInternet group management protocol / ntənet ru p mnd'mənt cost dial-up access to the Internet, since it allows you to make long distance calls

prəυtəkɒl/ noun full form of IGMP for the low-price you pay for your Internet Internet Information Server connection.) / ntənet nfəmeʃ(ə)n s və/ noun Internetwork / ntənetw k/ noun a full form of IIS number of networks connected together Internet merchant account using bridges or routers to allow users on / ntənet m tʃənt ə kaυnt/ noun a one network to access any resource on any business bank account that allows the busiother of the connected networks ness to accept credit card payments via the Internetwork Packet Exchange Internet. Many businesses have a merchant / ntənetw k pkt ks tʃend'/ a account, allowing them to accept credit trade name for a network protocol develcard payments by telephone or mail, but oped by Novell that is used to transfer still need a separate IMA to accept paypackets of information over a network. ments via the net. Abbr IMA Abbr IPX Internet message access protocol interoperability / ntəɒpərə blti/ / ntənet mesd' kses prəυtəkɒl/ noun the ability of two devices or computnoun full form of IMAP ers to exchange information Internet number /ntənet nmbə/ interpolation /n t pəleʃ(ə)n/ noun noun 쏡 Internet address the calculation of intermediate values beInternet protocol / ntənet tween two points prəυtəkɒl/ noun full form of IP interpret /nt prt/ verb to translate Internet protocol address / ntənet what is said in one language into another

prəυtəkɒl ədres/ noun full form of IP interpretative code /n t rprtətv address. 쏡 Internet address kəυd/ noun a code used with an interpreInternet relay chat / ntənet ri le tative program tʃt/ noun a system that allows many usinterpretative program /n ers to participate in a chat session in which

t rprtətv prəυrm/ noun software each user can send messages and sees the that translates high level interpretative text of any other user. Abbr IRC code into machine code instructions at Internet research task force run-time / ntənet r s tʃ tɑ sk fɔ s/ noun full interpreted language /n t prtd form of IRTF lŋwd'/ noun a programming lanInternet server application proguage that is executed by an interpreter gram interface / ntənet s və interpreter /nt prtə/ noun a piece of

plkeʃ(ə)n prəυrm ntəfes/ software used to translate a user’s highnoun full form of ISAPI level program into machine code at the Internet service provider / ntənet time of execution. Compare compiler s vs prə vadə/ noun full form of ISP (NOTE: A compiler translates the high-levInternet Society /ntənet sə saəti/ el language into machine code and then noun an organisation that has the task of executes it, whereas an interpreter maintaining and enhancing the Internet. It makes a translation in real time.) is made up of committees, such as the Ininterrecord gap / ntərekɔ d p/ ternet Advisory Board and the Internet Ennoun same as interblock gap gineering Task Force, and is not linked to interrogate /nterəet/ verb to send a any government or company, so that it prorequest for information to a computer devides an independent view of the future of vice or program the Internet. interrupt / ntərpt/ noun 1. the stopInternet telephony / ntənet tə ping of a transmission as a result of an aclefəni/ noun a system that allows users to tion at the receiving end of a system 2. a make telephone calls using the Internet to signal which diverts a central processing carry the voice signals. To make a call, usunit from one task to another that has highers need a computer with a sound card fiter priority, allowing the CPU to return to ted and a microphone and loudspeaker the first task later plugged in, and special software manages interrupt disable /ntərpt ds the connection and transfers the voice data

eb(ə)l/ noun the process of disabling an over the Internet. (NOTE: This system is Internet Information Server

Internet Information Server



Internetwork



Internet merchant account



Internetwork Packet Exchange



Internet message access protocol

interoperability



Internet number

interpolation





Internet protocol

interpret

Internet protocol address





interpretative code



Internet relay chat

interpretative program



Internet research task force



interpreted language



Internet server application program interface

interpreter



Internet service provider



Internet Society



interrecord gap

interrogate



interrupt

Internet telephony





interrupt disable



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181 invisible interrupt by resetting a bit in the interrupt intimate /ntmət/ adjective referring mask to zero to software that operates and interacts closely with hardware in a system interrupt-driven /ntərpt drv(ə)n/ adjective referring to a program that intra /ntrə/, intra frame /ntrə frem/ works in response to an interrupt noun a reference frame used to synchronise video data that has been compressed interrupt enable /ntərpt n eb(ə)l/ using the MPEG system noun the process of arming an interrupt by setting a bit in the interrupt mask intraframe coding / ntrəfrem kəυdŋ/ noun a method of compression interrupt handler /ntərpt hndlə/ that works on one video frame at a time, noun a piece of software that accepts interthis is less efficient than interframe coding rupt signals and acts on them, e.g. by running a special routine or sending data to a intranet /ntrənet/ noun a private netperipheral. Abbr IH work of computers within a company that provides similar functions to the Internet , interrupt level /ntərpt lev(ə)l/ e.g. electronic mail, newsgroups and acnoun the priority assigned to the interrupt cess to the WWW, without the associated from a peripheral security risks of making the information interrupt line /ntərpt lan/ noun a public or linking the company to a public connection to a central processing unit network. 쒁 firewall, Internet, LAN, web from outside the system that allows exterserver nal devices to use the CPU’s interrupt faintruder /ntru də/ noun a person who cility 쑗 This printer port design uses an is not authorised to use a computer or coninterrupt line to let the CPU know it is nect to a network. 쒁 firewall, hacker ready to receive data. inverse / nv s/ noun a state of a signal interrupt mask /ntərpt mɑ sk/ or device that is the logical opposite of announ a term in computer programming other 쑗 The inverse of true is false. that selects which interrupt lines are to be activated inverse video / nv s vdiəυ/ noun a television effect created by swapping the interrupt priorities /ntərpt pra background and foreground text display

ɒrtiz/ plural noun the order in which varcolours ious interrupts are accepted by a central processing unit inversion /nv ʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of changing over the numbers in a biinterrupt request /ntərpt r nary word, one to zero and zero to one 쑗

kwest/ noun a signal from a device that The inversion of a binary digit takes place indicates to the CPU that it requires attenin one’s complement. tion. Abbr IRQ invert / nv t/ verb to change all binary interrupt servicing /ntərpt ones to zeros and zeros to ones

s vsŋ/ noun the process of carrying out some action when an interrupt is deinverted backbone /n v td tected, e.g. running a routine bkbəυn/ noun a network architecture in which the hub is the centre of the network interrupt signal /ntərpt sn(ə)l/ and all sub networks connect to the hub noun a voltage pulse from a peripheral (NOTE: In a traditional backbone network sent to the CPU requesting attention the sub networks connect to the cable interrupt stacking /ntərpt that is the main backbone.)

stkŋ/ noun the process of storing interinverted commas /n v td kɒməz/ rupts in a queue and processing them acplural noun a printing sign (") that is usucording to interrupt priorities ally used to indicate a quotation intersection /ntə sekʃən/ noun a loginverted file /n v td fal/ noun a file ical function whose output is only true if with an index entry for every data item both its inputs are true interval /ntəv(ə)l/ noun a short pause inverter /nv tə/ noun 1. a logical gate that provides inversion facilities 2. a cirbetween two actions 쑗 There was an intercuit used to provide alternating current val between pressing the key and the startsupply from a DC battery source ing of the printout. interword spacing /ntə w d invisible /nvzb(ə)l/ adjective visible spesŋ/ noun variable spacing between on a DTP page or graphics layout during words in a text, used to justify lines the design phase, but not printed intimate

interrupt-driven

intra

interrupt enable



intraframe coding

interrupt handler

intranet

interrupt level

interrupt line

intruder



inverse

interrupt mask



inverse video

interrupt priorities



inversion



interrupt request



invert

interrupt servicing



inverted backbone



interrupt signal

interrupt stacking

inverted commas



intersection



inverted file



inverter

interval



interword spacing

invisible





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invitation 182 I/O redirection / a əυ ri da invitation / nvteʃ(ə)n/ noun action rekʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of transferby a processor to contact another device ring data to an I/O port rather than to its and allow it to send a message normal destination 쑗 Using I/O redirecinvitation to send / nvteʃ(ə)n tə tion, we send all the data from the keysend/ noun a special character transmitboard to the printer port instead of the ted to indicate to a device that the host monitor. computer is willing to receive messages. IORQ abbr input/output request Abbr ITS ip abbr information provider invoke /nvəυk/ verb to start or to run a program, often a memory-resident utility IP / a pi / noun one part of the TCP/IP ‘…when an error is detected, the editor may be instandard that defines how data is transvoked and positioned at the statement in error’ ferred over a network. Full form Internet invitation

I/O redirection





invitation to send

IORQ

ip

invoke



IP

[Personal Computer World]

I/O / a əυ/ noun the process of receiving I/O

or transmitting data between a computer and its peripherals, and other points outside the system. Full form input/output I/O address / a əυ ə dres/ noun the memory location that is used by an I/O port to transfer data with the CPU I/O bound / a əυ baυnd/ adjective referring to a processor that is doing very little processing since its time is taken up reading or writing data from a I/O port I/O buffer / a əυ bfə/ noun a temporary storage area for data waiting to be input or output I/O bus / a əυ bs/ noun a link that allows data and control signals to be transferred between a CPU and memory or peripheral devices I/O channel / a əυ tʃn(ə)l/ noun a link between a processor and peripheral, allowing data transfer I/O device / a əυ d vas/ noun a peripheral such as a terminal in a workstation that can be used for both inputting and outputting data to a processor I/O file / a əυ fal/ noun a file whose contents have been or will be transferred from storage to a peripheral I/O instruction / a əυ nstrkʃ(ə)n/ noun a computer programming instruction that allows data to be input or output from a processor I/O mapping / a əυ mpŋ/ noun a method of assigning a special address to each I/O port in a microcomputer rather than a memory location ion deposition /aən depəzʃ(ə)n/ noun printing technology that uses a printhead that deposits ions to create a charged image which attracts the toner IOP abbr input/output processor I/O port / a əυ pɔ t/ noun a circuit or connector that provides an input/output channel to another device I/O address



I/O bound

I/O buffer

I/O bus

I/O channel

I/O device



I/O file

I/O instruction

I/O mapping

ion deposition

IOP

I/O port

protocol

i/p, I/P abbr input IP address /a pi ə dres/ noun Interi/p

IP address



net protocol address IP Datagram / a pi detərm/ noun a packet of data transferred across a TCP/IP network IPL abbr initial program loader IP multicast / a pi mltikɑ st/ noun a transmission in which one set of data is sent out to several recipients simultaneously IPng / a pi en d'i / noun an upgrade of the Internet Protocol that allows more computers to connect to the Internet and supports more data traffic. Full form InterIP Datagram

IPL

IP multicast

IPng

net Protocol next generation ips / a pi es/ noun a way of showing ips

the speed of tape past the read/write heads. Full form inches per second IPSE abbr integrated project support environment Ipsec, IP Security noun a set of security protocols that allows information to be transferred securely over the Internet and is used to set up and support secure virtual private networks. The system works with packets of data at the IP layer and supports two types of public-key data encryption. The first, called Transport mode, encrypts the data within a packet, but does not touch the header information, which contains the destination address, subject and source of a packet. The second mode, Tunnel mode, provides a greater level of security by encrypting all of the packet, including the header information. IP spoofing / a pi spu fŋ/ noun a method of gaining unauthorised access to a computer or network by pretending to be an authorised computer or device (NOTE: IPSE

Ipsec

IP spoofing

Each device on the network has its own unique IP address, and many security systems block or allow access to networks depending on the IP address of

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183 italic tion. ISDN connections usually provide two 64K bps channels, which can work independently or be combined to achieve transfer speeds of 128K bps. Full form in-

the computer that is requesting access. A hacker finds an IP address that is allowed, then modifies the header information in the data packets from his or her own computer to include this IP address. Newer routers and firewalls use a range of techniques to spot this scheme and block the data.) ip terminal / a pi t mn(ə)l/ noun a ip terminal

special visual display unit that allows users to create and edit videotext pages before sending them to the main videotext page database IPX abbr Internetwork Packet Exchange IR abbr 1. information retrieval 2. index register 3. instruction register IRC abbr Internet relay chat IrDA / a ɑ di e/ noun a standard method used to transfer information via an infrared light beam, often from a laptop or PDA to a printer or desktop computer. Full form infrared data association IRQ / a ɑ kju / noun interrupt request. Full form interrupt request irregular polygon / rejυlə pɒlən/ noun an enclosed graphic object that has a number of sides of unequal length IRSG / a ɑ es d'i / noun a group that manages the Internet research task force and is part of the Internet Society (see) Full form Internet research steering IPX

IR

IRC

IrDA

IRQ

irregular polygon



IRSG

group

IRTF / a ɑ ti ef/ noun a committee that IRTF

is part of the IAB and researches new Internet standards before referring them to the IETF for approval. Full form Internet

research task force ISA / a es e/ noun a standard used for ISA

the 16-bit expansion bus in an IBM PC or compatible. Full form Industry Standard Architecture. Compare EISA, MCA ISAM abbr indexed sequential access method ISAPI / a es e a pi / noun (on a Windows NT server ) a set of commands and procedures that allow web server software to access other applications on the same server running Windows NT. Full form InISAM

ISAPI

ternet server application program interface ISDN / a es di en/ noun a method of ISDN

digital data transmission. It utilises the existing telephone network, but omits the digital/analog conversion required by conventional telephonic equipment; the customer therefore has a fully digital connec-

tegrated services digital network

IS-IS /z z/ noun an OSI protocol that alIS-IS

lows data to be transferred between routers. Full form intermediate system to intermediate system ISO abbr International Standards OrganiISO

zation

ISO 9660 noun a standard method of storing files on a CD-ROM, used in many formats including PhotoCD isochronous network /a sɒkrən(ə)s netw k/ noun a network in which all the components on the network run from a common clock so that their timing is uniform isochronous transmission /a

sɒkrən(ə)s trnzmʃ(ə)n/ noun the transfer of asynchronous data over a synchronous link isolate /asə let/ verb to separate something from a system isolated location / asəletd ləυ keʃ(ə)n/ noun a storage location that cannot be directly accessed by a user’s program, so that it is protected against accidental erasure isolation transformer / asə leʃ(ə)n trnsfɔ mə/ noun a transformer used to isolate equipment from direct connection with the mains electricity supply, in case of voltage spikes isolator /asəletə/ noun a device or material which isolates isometric view / asəυmetrk vju / noun (in graphics) a drawing that shows all three dimensions of an object in equal proportion 쑗 An isometric view does not show any perspective. ISO/OSI model / a es əυ əυ es a

mɒd(ə)l/ noun a layered architecture that defines how computers and networks should interact ISP / a es pi / noun a company that provides one of the permanent links that make up the Internet and sells connections to private users and companies to allow them to access the Internet. Full form Internet ISO 9660

isochronous network



isochronous transmission





isolate



isolated location



isolation transformer





isolator

isometric view



ISO/OSI model

ISP

service provider

ISR abbr information storage and retrievISR

al

IT abbr information technology italic /tlk/ noun type of character IT

italic



font in which the characters slope to the

Computing.fm Page 184 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

item size 184 right 쑗 The headline is printed in italic iterative routine / tərətv ru ti n/ noun same as iterate and underlined. ITS abbr invitation to send item size /atəm saz/ noun the number of characters or digits in an item of IV / a vi / noun a system that uses a comdata puter linked to a video disk player to provide processing power and real images or iterate /təret/ noun a loop or series of moving pictures. Full form interactive instructions in a program which repeat video (NOTE: This system is often used in over and over again until the program is teaching. A student is asked questions, completed. Also called iterative routine and if he or she answers correctly, the iteration / təreʃ(ə)n/ noun the repeatsystem responds by providing a filmed ed application of a program to solve a sequence from the videodisk.) problem iterative process / tərətv prəυses/ noun a process that is continuously repeated until a condition is met iterative routine



ITS

item size

IV

iterate

iteration



iterative process

J jabber /d'bə/ noun a continuous random signal transmitted by a faulty adapter card or node on a network jack /d'k/, jack plug noun a plug which consists of a single pin jaggies /d'i z/ plural noun jagged edges which appear along diagonal or curved lines displayed on a computer screen, caused by the size of each pixel. 쒁 jabber

jack

jaggies

aliasing, anti-aliasing Java /d'ɑ və/ a trade name for a proJava

gramming language and program definition developed by Sun Microsystems. Java is used to create small applications designed to enhance the functionality of a webpage. It is similar to object-oriented languages such as C++ and can run on any compatible platform. Compare JavaScript

Java Beans /d'ɑ və bi nz/ a trade Java Beans

name for a software system, developed by Sun Microsystems, that provides objects within the Java programming language, and is similar to COM and CORBA and can work with both these standards

Java

Java Database Connectivity

Database

Connectivity

/ d'ɑ və detəbes kɒnektvti/ a 

trade name for a set of standard functions that allow a programmer to access a database from within a Java application. Abbr JDBC

JavaScript /d'ɑ vəskrpt/ a trade JavaScript

name for set of programming commands that can be included within a normal webpage written using HTML commands. When the web browser loads the webpage, it runs the JavaScript commands, normally used to create special effects to a webpage. Compare HTML, Perl, VBScript JCL / d'a si el/ noun a set of commands that identify, and describe resources required by, a job that a computer has to process. Full form job control language JDBC abbr Java Database Connectivity jet /d'et/ 쏡 ink-jet printer jitter /d'tə/ noun 1. the rapid small upand-down movement of characters or pixels on a screen displaying image bits in a facsimile transmission 쑗 Looking at this screen jitter is giving me a headache. 2. a fault in a transmission line that causes some of the data bits being transmitted to be corrupted JCL

JDBC

jet

jitter

Computing.fm Page 185 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

185 Julian date job stream /d'ɒb stri m/ noun same JK-flip-flop / d'e ke flp flɒp/ noun JK-flip-flop

job stream

a flip-flop device with two inputs, J and K, and two complementary outputs that are dependent on the inputs job /d'ɒb/ noun a task or a number of tasks to be processed as a single unit 쑗 The next job to be processed is to sort all the records. job control file /d'ɒb kən trəυl fal/ noun a file which contains instructions in a JCL job control language / d'ɒb kən trəυl lŋwd'/ noun full form of JCL job control program /d'ɒb kən

trəυl prəυrm/ noun a short program of job control instructions loaded before a particular application is run, setting up the system as required by the application job file /d'ɒb fal/ noun a file containing jobs waiting to be processed, or the names of jobs waiting to be processed job mix /d'ɒb mks/ noun the jobs being executed at any one time in a system job number /d'ɒb nmbə/ noun a number which is given to a job in a queue, waiting to be processed job orientated language / d'ɒb

ɔ riəntetd lŋwd'/ noun a computer programming language that provides specialised instructions relating to job control tasks and processing job orientated terminal / d'ɒb

ɔ riəntetd t mn(ə)l/ noun a computer terminal designed for and used for a particular task job priority /d'ɒb praɒrti/ noun the importance of a particular job compared to others job processing /d'ɒb prəsesŋ/ noun the process of reading in job control instructions from an input source and executing them job queue /d'ɒb kju / noun a number of tasks arranged in an order waiting to be processed in a multitasking or batch system job scheduling /d'ɒb ʃedju lŋ/ noun the process of arranging the order in which jobs are to be processed job statement control /d'ɒb

stetmənt kən trəυl/ noun the use of instructions and statements to control the actions of the operating system of a computer job step /d'ɒb step/ noun one unit of processing involved in a task

as job queue

job

job control file



job control language



job control program



job file

job mix

job number

job orientated language

job orientated terminal

job priority



job processing



job queue

job scheduling

job statement control



job step

jog/shuttle, jog/shuttle control noun jog/shuttle

a manual control on a video player or camera that allows a user to edit a sequence (NOTE: Jog moves the tape one frame a time, shuttle moves the tape more rapidly.) join /d'ɔn/ verb to combine two or more join

pieces of information to produce a single unit of information 왍 join files an instruction to produce a new file consisting of one file added to the end of another 쐽 noun a logical function that produces a true output if any input is true joint denial /d'ɔnt dnaəl/ noun a logical function whose output is false if any input is true joint denial



Joint Group

Joint Photographic Experts Group

Photographic

Experts

/ d'ɔnt fəυtə rfks eksp ts ru p/ noun full form of JPEG journal /d' n(ə)l/ noun 1. a record of 

journal

all communications to and from a terminal

2. a list of any changes or updates to a file 쑗 The modified records were added to the

master file and noted in the journal.

journal file /d' n(ə)l fal/ noun a journal file

stored record of every communication between a user and the central computer, used to help retrieve files after a system crash or fault joystick /d'ɔ stk/ noun a device that allows a user to move a cursor around the screen by moving an upright rod connected to an I/O port on the computer joystick port /d'ɔ stk pɔ t/ noun a socket and interfacing circuit into which a joystick can be plugged JPEG /d'e pe/ noun a standard that defines a way of storing graphic images in a compressed format in a file on disk. Full form Joint Photographic Experts joystick



joystick port



JPEG

Group

JPEG++ / d'a pe pls pls/ noun an JPEG++

extension to JPEG that allows parts of an image to be compressed in different ways JScript /d'askrpt/ a trade name for a version of JavaScript developed by Microsoft jukebox /d'u k bɒks/ noun a CDROM drive that can hold several CD-ROM discs and select the correct disc when required Julian date /d'u liən det/ noun a date expressed as the number of days since 1 January of the current year, so that, e.g., 1 February would appear as 032 JScript

jukebox



Julian date

Computing.fm Page 186 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

jumbo chip 186 jumbo chip /d'mbəυ tʃp/ noun an junction box /d'ŋkʃən bɒks/ noun a integrated circuit made using the whole of small box where a number of wires can be a semiconductor wafer. 쒁 wafer scale ininterconnected tegration junction transistor / d'ŋkʃən trn jump /d'mp/ noun a programming zstə/ noun same as bipolar transistor command to end one set of instructions junk /d'ŋk/ noun information or hardand direct the processor to another section ware which is useless or out of date or nonof the program 쐽 verb to direct a CPU to functional 쐽 verb to make a file or piece of another section of a program hardware redundant 왍 to junk a file to jumper /d'mpə/ noun a temporary erase or delete from storage a file that is no wire connection on a circuit board longer used jumper-selectable / d'mpə s lektəb(ə)l/ adjective referring to a circuit justification / d'stfkeʃ(ə)n/ noun or device whose options can be selected by the process of moving data bits or characpositioning various wire connections 쑗 ters to the left or right so that the lines have The printer’s typeface was jumper-selectastraight margins ble. justify /d'st fa/ verb 1. to change the jump on zero / d'mp ɒn zərəυ/ spacing between words or characters in a noun a conditional jump executed if a flag document so that the left and right margins or register is zero will be straight 2. to shift the contents of a jump operation /d'mp ɒpə computer register by a set amount reʃ(ə)n/ noun an operation in which the justify inhibit /d'stfa n hbt/ CPU is sent from the instruction it is curnoun an instruction to prevent a word rently executing to another point in the processor justifying a document program justify margin / d'stfa mɑ d'n/ junction /d'ŋkʃən/ noun a connection between wires or cables noun 쏡 left justify, right justify jumbo chip

junction box

junction transistor



jump

junk

jumper

jumper-selectable



justification



justify



jump on zero

jump operation



justify inhibit



justify margin

junction

K K symbol kilo K6 a trade name for a 64-bit processor deK

K6

veloped by AMD Corporation as a rival to the Intel Pentium series of processors K56flex a trade name for a communications standard developed by Hayes, Pace and other manufacturers for a range of high-speed modems that can transfer data at 56,000 bits per second. 쒁 V series, X2 Kaleida Labs a company formed as a joint venture between Apple and IBM to produce cross-platform multimedia authoring tools Karnaugh map /kɑ nəυ mp/ noun a graphical representation of states and conK56flex

Kaleida Labs

Karnaugh map

ditions in a logic circuit 쑗 The prototype was checked for hazards with a Karnaugh map. KB, Kb abbr kilobyte Kbit /ke bt/ abbr kilobit Kbps / ke bi pi es/ noun a measure of the amount of data that a device can transfer each second 쑗 A fast modem can transfer data at a rate of 33.6Kbps, whereas an ISDN adapter can transfer data at a rate of 64Kbps. Full form kilo bits per secKB

Kbit

Kbps

ond

Kbyte /ke bat/ abbr kilobyte Kbyte

Computing.fm Page 187 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

187 keypad the keys on a keyboard to indicate their Kermit /k mt/ noun a file transfer profunction tocol usually used when downloading data keyboard send/receive / ki bɔ d with a modem send rsi v/ noun full form of KSR kern /k n/ verb to adjust the space bekeyboard to disk entry / ki bɔ d tə tween pairs of letters so that they are printdsk entri/ noun a system where infored closer together mation entered on a keyboard is stored dikernel /k n(ə)l/ noun the essential inrectly onto disk without any processing struction routines required as a basis for key click /ki klk/ noun a sound proany operations in a computer system duced by a computer to allow the operator (NOTE: Kernel routines are usually hidden to know that the key he pressed has been from the user. They are used by the opregistered erating system for tasks such as loading key combination /ki a program or displaying text on a screen.) / noun a combination of

kɒmbneʃ(ə)n key /ki / noun 1. a button on a keyboard two or more keys that carry out a function that operates a switch 쑗 There are 64 keys when pressed at the same time on the keyboard. 2. an important object or key database /ki detəbes/ noun a group of characters in a computer system, database that holds all the keys used by a used to represent an instruction or set of certificate authority data 3. a special combination of numbers keyed sequential access method or characters that are used with a cipher to / ki d s kwenʃəl kses meθəd/ noun encrypt or decrypt a message 쑗 Type this full form of KSAM key into the machine, it will decode the last key escrow / ki eskrəυ/ noun a sysmessage. 4. an identification code or word tem in which one person coverts computer used for a stored record or data item 쑗 We data into a secret code but the key that enselected all the records with the word ables this data to be decoded again is held ‘disk’ in their keys. 쐽 verb 왍 to key in to by another person enter text or commands via a keyboard 쑗 key feature / ki fi tʃə/ noun the most They keyed in the latest data. important feature 쑗 The key features of keyboard /ki bɔ d/ noun a number of this system are: 20Mb of formatted storage keys fixed together in some order, used to with an access time of 60ms. enter information into a computer 쐽 verb key field / ki fi ld/ noun a field which to enter information by using a keyboard 쑗 identifies entries in a record It was cheaper to have the manuscript keykey frame / ki frem/ noun 1. a single boarded by another company. picture in an animation that describes the ‘…the main QWERTY typing area is in the centre of main actions in the sequence 2. (in a hythe keyboard with the 10 function keys on the left’ [Personal Computer World] pertext document) a page that gives the user a choice of destination 3. (in full mokeyboard contact bounce / ki bɔ d tion video) a frame that is recorded in full

kɒntkt baυns/ noun multiple signals rather than being compressed or differenfrom a key pressed just once, due to a tially recorded faulty switch and key bounce key matrix / ki metrks/ noun the keyboard encoder /ki bɔ d n way in which the keys of a keyboard are

kəυdə/ noun the way in which each key arranged as an array of connections generates a unique word when pressed key number /ki nmbə/ noun a nukeyboarder /ki bɔ də/ noun a person meric code used to identify which key has who enters data via a keyboard been pressed keyboarding /ki bɔ dŋ/ noun the ackey overlay / ki əυvəle/ noun a paper tion of entering data using a keyboard 쑗 placed over the keys on a keyboard deThe cost of keyboarding is calculated in scribing their functions for a particular apkeystrokes per hour. plication 쑗 Without the key overlay, I keyboard layout /ki bɔ d leaυt/ would never remember which function key noun the way in which the various funcdoes what. tion and character keys are arranged on a keypad /ki pd/ noun a group of spekeyboard cial keys used for certain applications 쑗 keyboard overlay /ki bɔ d əυvəle/ You can use the numeric keypad to enter noun a strip of paper that is placed above the figures. Kermit

keyboard send/receive

kern



keyboard to disk entry

kernel

key click

key combination

key

key database

keyed sequential access method



key escrow

key feature

keyboard

key field

key frame

keyboard contact bounce

key matrix

keyboard encoder



key number

keyboarder

keyboarding

key overlay

keyboard layout

keypad



keyboard overlay

Computing.fm Page 188 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

key punch

188 vices meaning 1,024 bytes of data. Abbr

‘…it uses a six button keypad to select the devices and functions’ [Byte]

key punch /ki pntʃ/ noun a machine used for punching data into punched cards by means of a keyboard key rollover / ki rəυləυvə/ noun the use of a buffer between the keyboard and computer to provide rapid key stroke storage for fast typists who hit several keys in rapid succession key shortcut / ki ʃɔ tkt/ noun same as key combination keystone distortion / ki stəυn d stɔ ʃ(ə)n/ noun image distortion in which the vertical lines slant out towards the horizontal edges of the monitor. Also called trapezoidal distortion key strip /ki strp/ noun a piece of paper above certain keys used to remind the operator of their special functions keystroke /ki strəυk/ noun the action of pressing a key 쑗 He keyboards at a rate of 3500 keystrokes per hour. keystroke count /ki strəυk kaυnt/ noun a count of each keystroke made, often used to calculate keyboarding costs keystroke verification / ki strəυk

verfkeʃ(ə)n/ noun a check made on each key pressed to make sure it is valid for a particular application key terminal / ki t mn(ə)l/ noun the most important terminal in a computer system or the one with the highest priority key-to-disk / ki tə dsk/ noun a system where data is keyed in and stored directly on disk without any processing keyword /ki w d/ noun a command word used in a programming language to provide a function 쑗 The BASIC keyword PRINT will display text on the screen. KHz abbr kilohertz kill /kl/ verb to erase a file or stop a program during execution 왍 kill file a command to erase a stored file completely kilo /kləυ/ prefix 1. one thousand 2. (used only in computer and electronics applications) 1,024 units, equal to 210 kilobaud /kləbɔ d/ noun 1,000 bits per second kilobit /kləbt/ noun 1,024 bits of data. Abbr Kbit kilo bits per second / ki ləυ bts p sekənd/ noun a measure of the amount of data that a device can transfer each second. Abbr Kbps kilobyte /kləυ bat/ noun a unit of measurement for high-capacity storage dekey punch

key rollover

key shortcut

keystone distortion



key strip

keystroke

keystroke count

keystroke verification



key terminal

key-to-disk

keyword

KHz

kill

kilo

kilobaud

kilobit

kilo bits per second

kilobyte



KB, Kbyte

kilohertz /kləh ts/ noun a frequency kilohertz

of one thousand cycles per second. Abbr

KHz

kilo instructions per second / kləυ n strkʃənz p sekənd/ noun full form of KIPS Kilostream /kləstri m/ a trade name for a leased line connection supplied by British Telecom that provides data transfer rates of 64Kbit per second kiloword /kləw d/ noun a unit of measurement of 1,024 computer words kiosk /ki ɒsk/ noun a small booth with a screen, a means of user input and a computer, used to provide information for the general public KIPS / ke a pi es/ noun one thousand computer instructions processed every second, used as a measure of computer power. Full form kilo instructions per kilo instructions per second



Kilostream

kiloword

kiosk

KIPS

second

Klamath /klmθ/ a trade name for the Klamath

low-cost version of the Intel Pentium Pro processor kludge, kluge noun (informal ) 1. a temporary correction made to a badly written or constructed piece of software or to a keyboarding error 2. hardware which should be used for demonstration purposes only kluged /klu d'd/ adjective temporarily repaired knob /nɒb/ noun a round button (such as on a monitor), which can be turned to control some process 쑗 Turn the on/off knob. knowledge base /nɒld' bes/ noun the computerised data in an expert system that can be used to solve a particular type of problem knowledge-based system / nɒld' best sstəm/ noun a computer system that applies the stored reactions, instructions and knowledge of experts in a particular field to a problem knowledge engineering /nɒld'

end'nərŋ/ noun the process of designing and writing expert computer systems knowledge industry /nɒld'

ndəstri/ noun businesses that specialise in data processing or the development and use of information technology Kodak PhotoCD / kəυdk fəυtəυ si

di / 쏡 PhotoCD kludge

kluged

knob

knowledge base

knowledge-based system

knowledge engineering

knowledge industry

Kodak PhotoCD

Computing.fm Page 189 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

189 LAN KSAM / ke es e em/ noun a file strucand title as indexed entries. Full form keyKSAM

ture that allows data to be accessed using key fields or key field content. Full form

keyed sequential access method KSR / ke es ɑ / noun a terminal which KSR

has a keyboard and monitor, and is linked to a CPU. Full form keyboard send/receive. Compare ASR KW abbr 1. kilowatt 2. kiloword KWAC /kwk/ noun a library indexing system that uses keywords from the text KW

KWAC

word and context KWIC /kwk/ noun a library indexing KWIC

system that uses keywords from the title or text of a book or document as an indexed entry followed by the text it relates to. Full form keyword in context KWOC /kwɒk/ noun a library indexing system that indexes books or document titles under any relevant keywords. Full form keyword out of context KWOC

L L1 cache / el wn kʃ/ noun a small L1 cache

area of high-speed static RAM fitted to a processor chip that stores frequently used data to improve processing speed 쑗 The Intel Pentium processor contains 16Kb of L1 cache. Full form level one cache. 쒁 cache

L2 cache / el tu kʃ/ noun a highspeed cache memory that is fitted to the computer’s motherboard and supplies data to the processor faster than the main memory to improve performance. Full form level two cache. 쒁 pipeline L2TP / el tu ti pi / noun a network protocol, an extension to the PPP protocol, that allows the data from small Virtual Private Networks to be transferred over a network such as the public Internet. Full form layer two tunneling protocol. 쒁 tunnelL2 cache

L2TP

ling, PPP, protocol (NOTE: L2TP operates enclosing the network packets from the Virtual Private Network within a special packet that can then travel over the Internet, a process called tunneling.) label /leb(ə)l/ noun 1. a word or other label

symbol used in a computer program to identify a routine or statement 쑗 BASIC uses many program labels such as line numbers. 2. a character or set of characters used to identify a variable or piece of data

or a file 쐽 verb to print an address on a label label field /leb(ə)l fi ld/ noun an item of data in a record that contains a label labelling /leb(ə)lŋ/ noun 1. the process of putting a label on something 쑗 The word-processor has a special utility allowing simple and rapid labelling. 2. the process of printing labels label printer /leb(ə)l prntə/ noun a special printer used to print addresses onto continuous labels label record /leb(ə)l rekɔ d/ noun a record containing identification for a stored file lag /l/ noun the time taken for an image to be no longer visible after it has been displayed on a CRT screen (NOTE: Lag is label field

labelling

label printer

label record

lag

caused by long persistence phosphor.) lambda calculus / lmdə klkjυləs/ noun a theory of mathematical functions lambda calculus

and the way they combine, used as the basis for some high-level computer programming languages LAN, lan noun a network where the various terminals and equipment are all within a short distance of one another, e.g. in the same building, and can be interconnected by cables. Full form local area network LAN

‘The opportunities to delete and destroy data are far greater on our LAN than in the days when we had a mainframe. PC people are culturally different from

Computing.fm Page 190 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

landing zone

190 language support environment / lŋwd' səpɔ t n vaərənmənt/ noun the hardware and software tools suplanding zone /lndŋ zəυn/ noun an plied to help the programmer write proarea of a hard disk which does not carry grams in a particular language data. The head can come into contact with language translation /lŋwd' the disk in this area without damaging the trns leʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of using disk or data. 쒁 park a computer to translate text from one lanlandline /ln(d) lan/ noun a commuguage to another nications link that uses cable to physically language translator /lŋwd' and electrically link two devices trns letə/ noun a program that converts landscape /lndskep/ noun the oricode written in one language into equivaentation of a page or piece of paper where lent instructions in another language the longest edge is horizontal. Compare LAN Manager /ln mnd'ə/ a trade portrait name for a network operating system delanguage /lŋwd'/ noun a system of veloped for the PC by Microsoft words or symbols which allows communiLAN segment /ln semənt/ noun 1. cation with computers, especially one that a part of a network separated from the rest allows computer instructions to be entered by a bridge 2. (in a bus network) an elecas words which are easy to understand, trically continuous piece of cable and then translates them into machine code LAN server /ln s və/ noun a compuCOMMENT: There are three main types of comter which runs a network operating system puter languages: machine code, assembler and controls the basic network operations. and high-level language. The more high-level All the workstations in a LAN are connectthe language is, the easier it is to program and ed to the central network server and users understand, but the slower it is to execute. The following are the commonest high-level log onto the network server. languages: ADA, ALGOL, APL, BASIC, C, LAN Server /ln s və/ a trade name C++, COBOL, COMAL, CORAL, FORTH, for a network operating system for the PC FORTRAN, LISP, LOGO, PASCAL, PL/1, POP-2, PROLOG and Visual Basic. Assemdeveloped by IBM bly language uses mnemonics to represent lap /lp/ noun an overlap of printed colmachine code instructions. Machine code is ours, which prevents any gaps showing the lowest level of programming language and consists of basic binary patterns that instruct LAP / el e pi / noun a CCITT standard the processor to perform various tasks. protocol used to start and maintain links language assembler /lŋwd' ə over an X.25 network. Full form link ac semblə/ noun a program used to translate cess protocol and assemble a source code program into a LAP-B /lp bi / noun a CCITT standard machine-executable binary form setup routine to establish a link between a language compiler /lŋwd' kəm DCE and DTE, e.g. between a computer

palə/ noun a piece of software that conand a modem verts an encoded source program into anLAP-M /lp em/ noun a variation of other, machine code, form, and then exeLAP-B protocol used in V.42 error-corcutes it recting modems. language interpreter /lŋwd' n laptop /lptɒp/, laptop computer

t prtə/ noun any program that takes noun a computer that is light enough to each consecutive line of a source program carry, but not so small as to fit in a pocket, and translates it into another, machine and that usually consists of a screen, keycode, language at run-time board and disk drive. 쒁 desktop, handlanguage processor / lŋwd' held computer, PDA

prəυsesə/ noun a language translator ‘Michael Business Systems has provided research from one language to machine code (NOTE: company BMRB with 240 Toshiba laptop computers mainframe people. You really don’t think about security problems when you can physically lock your system up in a closet.’ [Computing]

language support environment





landing zone

language translation



landline



language translator

landscape



LAN Manager

language

LAN segment

LAN server

LAN Server

lap

LAP

language assembler



LAP-B

language compiler



LAP-M

language interpreter



laptop

language processor

There are three types of language processor: assemblers, compilers and interpreters.) language rules /lŋwd' ru lz/ plural noun the syntax and format for instruclanguage rules

tions and data items used in a particular language

in a deal valued at £300,000. The deal includes a three-year maintenance contract.’ [Computing]

large model /lɑ d' mɒd(ə)l/ noun (in large model

an Intel processor ) a memory model in which both code and data can exceed 64Kb in size, but combined size should be less than 1Mb

Computing.fm Page 191 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

191 leading computer to another over a local area netlarge-scale /lɑ d' skel/ adjective large-scale

working with large amounts of data. Compare small-scale large-scale computer / lɑ d' skel kəmpju tə/ noun a high-powered computer system that can access high-capacity memory and backing storage devices as well as multiple users large-scale integration / lɑ d' skel

ntreʃ(ə)n/ noun full form of LSI laser /lezə/ noun a device that produces coherent light of a single wavelength in a narrow beam, by exciting a material so that it emits photons of light. Full form light large-scale computer



large-scale integration



laser

amplification by stimulated emission of radiation laser disc /lezə dsk/ noun same as compact disc laser emulsion storage / lezə 

mlʃ(ə)n stɔ rd'/ noun a digital storlaser disc

laser emulsion storage



age technique using a laser to expose lightsensitive material LaserJet /lezəd'et/ same as Hewlett LaserJet

Packard LaserJet laser printer /lezə prntə/ noun a laser printer

high-resolution computer printer that uses a laser source to print high-quality dot matrix character patterns on paper LaserWriter /lezəratə/ a trade name for a laser printer manufactured by Apple that uses the PostScript page description language last in first out / lɑ st n f st aυt/ adjective full form of LIFO 쑗 This computer stack uses a last in first out data retrieval method. latch /ltʃ/ verb to set an output state 쑗 The output latched high until we reset the computer. latency /let(ə)nsi/ noun a time delay between the moment when an instruction is given to a computer and the execution of the instruction or return of a result, e.g. the delay between a request for data and the data being transferred from memory launch /lɔ ntʃ/ noun the process of putting a new product on the market 쑗 The launch of the new PC has been put back six months. 쐽 verb 1. to put a new product on the market 쑗 The new PC was launched at the Computer Show. 2. to start or run a program 쑗 You launch the word-processor by double-clicking on this icon. layer /leə/ noun ISO/OSI standards defining the stages a message has to pass through when being transmitted from one LaserWriter

last in first out

latch

latency

launch

layer

work

layered /leəd/ adjective that consists of layered

layers 쑗 The kernel has a layered structure according to user priority. layer two tunneling protocol / leə tu tnəlŋ prəυtəkɒl/ noun full form of L2TP layout /leaυt/ noun 1. rules governing the data input and output from a computer. 쒁 landscape, portrait 2. a way of using a sheet of paper LCD / el si di / noun a type of display that uses liquid crystals that turn black when a voltage is applied. LCDs are found in many watches, calculators and other small digital devices. Full form liquid layer two tunneling protocol

layout

LCD

crystal display

LCD screen / el si di skri n/ noun a LCD screen

screen that uses LCD technology to create a thin display and is normally found in laptop computers and flat-screen monitors. Full form liquid crystal display screen LCD shutter printer / el si di ʃtə/ noun a page printer that uses an LCD panel in front of a bright light to describe images onto the photosensitive drum. The LCD panel stops the light passing through, except at pixels that describe the image. LCP / el si pi / noun rules defining the transmission of data over a channel. Full form link control procedure LDAP /el dp/ noun a new standard that provides directory services over the Internet; derived from the X.500 standard. LDAP is beginning to be included in many Internet applications and provides a way of organising, locating and using resources on the Internet that are listed within its database. Full form lightweight directory LCD shutter printer

LCP

LDAP

access protocol lead /li d/ noun an electrical conducting lead

wire

leader /li də/ noun a section of magnetleader

ic tape that contains no signal, used at the beginning of the reel for identification and to aid the tape machine to pick up the tape leader record /li də rekɔ d/ noun the initial record containing information, e.g. titles and format, about following records in a file lead in /li d n/ noun (on a CD-ROM) a section before the data starts, normally used to store the table of contents leading /li dŋ/ noun space between lines of printed or displayed text leader record

lead in

leading

Computing.fm Page 192 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

leading edge 192 leading edge /li dŋ ed'/ noun the left-click /left klk/ verb to press and refirst edge of a punched card that enters the lease the left-hand button on a computer card reader mouse leading zero / li dŋ zərəυ/ noun the left-handed mouse / eft hndd zero digit used to pad out the beginning of maυs/ noun a mouse that has been configured so that the usual functions of the a stored number two buttons are reversed leaf /li f/ noun the final node in a tree left justification /left d'stf structure keʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. the process of shifting leap-frog test /li p frɒ test/ noun a a binary number to the left-hand end of the memory location test, in which a program word containing it 2. the act of making the skips from one location to another random left-hand margin of the text even location, writing data then reading and left justify /left d'st fa/ verb to comparing for faults, until all locations make the left-hand margin of the text even have been tested left shift / left ʃft/ noun a leftward learning curve /l nŋ k v/ noun a arithmetic shift by one bit of data in a word graphical description of how someone can (NOTE: A binary number is doubled for acquire knowledge about a product over each left shift.) time leg /le/ noun one possible path through lease /li s/ noun a written contract for a routine letting or renting a piece of equipment for a period against payment of a fee 쐽 verb 1. legacy /leəsi/ noun an older technoloto allow equipment to be used for a period gy or a previous version of software or by another person or organisation in return hardware that is still supported in new defor a fee 2. to use equipment for a time and velopments to allow existing applications pay a fee to its owner 쑗 The company leasand hardware to continue to be used es all its computers. legal /li (ə)l/ adjective a statement or leased line /li sd lan/ noun commuinstruction that is acceptable within lannications channel, such as a telephone line, guage syntax rules which is rented for the exclusive use of the length /leŋθ/ noun the number of data subscriber items in a variable or list least cost design / li st kɒst dzan/ length of filename / leŋθ əv noun the best money-saving use of space falnem/ noun the number of characters or components 쑗 The budget is only allowed for identification of a file £1000, we need the least cost design for letter bomb /letə bɒm/ noun an e-mail the new circuit. message with a destructive code attached least recently used algorithm / li st to it

ri s(ə)ntli ju zd lə rð(ə)m/ noun an level /lev(ə)l/ noun the quantity of bits algorithm which finds the page of memory that make up a digital transmitted signal that was last accessed before any other, Level A /lev(ə)l e/ noun an ADPCM and erases it to make room for another audio quality level with a 20KHz bandpage. Abbr LRU width, 38.7KHz sample rate and 8-bit least significant bit / li st s samples

nfkənt bt/ noun full form of LSB Level B /lev(ə)l bi / noun an ADPCM least significant digit / li st s audio quality level with a 17KHz band nfkənt dd't/ noun full form of LSD width, 38.7KHz sample rate and 8-bit LED / el i di / noun a semiconductor disamples ode that emits light when a current is apLevel C /lev(ə)l si / noun an ADPCM plied. Full form light emitting diode audio quality level with an 8.5KHz band(NOTE: LED displays are used to display width, 18.9KHz sample rate and 4-bit small amounts of information, as in pocksamples et calculators, watches, and indicators.) lexical analysis / leksk(ə)l ə COMMENT: LED displays are used to display nləss/ noun a stage in program translasmall amounts of information, as in pocket tion when the compiling or translating calculators, watches, indicators, etc. software replaces program keywords with LED printer / el i di prntə/ noun a machine code instructions page printer, similar to a laser printer, that LF abbr line feed uses an LED light source instead of a laser leading edge

left-click

leading zero

left-handed mouse

leaf

left justification



leap-frog test

left justify



learning curve

left shift

lease

leg

legacy

legal

leased line

length

least cost design

length of filename



letter bomb

least recently used algorithm

level



Level A

least significant bit



Level B

least significant digit



LED

Level C

lexical analysis



LED printer

LF

Computing.fm Page 193 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

193 line LIFO data retrieval method. Full form library /labrəri/ noun a collection of library

files, documents, books or records, that can be consulted or borrowed by the public, usually kept in a public place library function /labrəri fŋkʃən/ noun a ready-made software routine that a user can insert into a program of his or her own in order to provide a particular function with no effort library program /labrəri

prəυrm/ noun 1. a number of specially written or relevant software routines that a user can insert into his or her own program, saving time and effort 쑗 The square root function is already in the library program. 2. a program containing a group of functions that a computer needs to refer to often, but that are not stored in main memory library routine /labrəri ru ti n/ noun a prewritten routine that can be inserted into a main program and called up when required library subroutine / labrəri sbru ti n/ noun a tried and tested subroutine, stored in a library, that can be inserted into a user’s program when required library track /labrəri trk/ noun one track on a magnetic disk or tape used to store information about the contents (such as titles, format and index data) licence /las(ə)ns/ noun a statement of permission that is given by one manufacturer to another and allows the second manufacturer to make copies of the first one’s products in return for payment of a fee 쑗 The software is manufactured in this country under licence. licence agreement /las(ə)ns ə

ri mənt/ noun a legal document that accompanies any commercial software product and defines how you can use the software and, most importantly, how many people can use the software. Unless you buy a network version of a software product, the licence allows one person to use it. Copying the software is illegal. If you want several people to use the software or if you want to use it on a network, then you need to buy a multi-user licence. lifetime /laftam/ noun the period of time during which a device is useful or not outdated 쑗 This new computer has a fouryear lifetime. LIFO /lafəυ/ adjective used to describe a queue system that reads the last item stored, first 쑗 This computer stack uses a library function

library program

library routine



library subroutine

library track

licence

licence agreement



lifetime

LIFO

last in first out. 쒁 FIFO lifter /lftə/ noun a mechanical device lifter

that lifts magnetic tape away from the heads when rewinding the tape light /lat/ noun energy in the form of electromagnetic effects in the frequency range 400 – 750 nm, which allows a person to see 쑗 The VDU should not be placed under a bright light. light-emitting diode / lat  mtŋ daəυd/ noun full form of LED lighting formula /latŋ fɔ mjələ/ noun a mathematical formula that describes the effect of a light source on an object or scene. The formula is used to calculate the position of the highlights and shadows as the position of the light source is moved around the scene. 쒁 shading light pen /lat pen/ noun a computer accessory in the shape of a pen that contains a light-sensitive device that can detect pixels on a video screen (NOTE: Light light

light-emitting diode



lighting formula

light pen

pens are often used with suitable software to draw graphics on a screen or position a cursor.) lightweight /latwet/ adjective not lightweight

heavy 쑗 A lightweight computer which can easily fit into a suitcase.

lightweight directory access protocol / latwet darekt(ə)ri kses lightweight directory access protocol



prəυtəkɒl/ noun full form of LDAP LILO /laləυ/ adjective used to describe a data storage method in which the data stored last is retrieved last. Full form last LILO

in last out

limited distance modem / lmtd

dstəns məυdem/ noun a data transmission device with a very short range that sends pure digital data rather than data sent on a modulated carrier limiter /lmtə/ noun a device that removes the part of an input signal that is greater than or less than a predefined limit; used with audio and video signals to prevent overloading an amplifier limiting resolution / lmtŋ rezə lu ʃ(ə)n/ noun the maximum number of lines that make up an image on a CRT screen limits /lmts/ noun predefined maximum ranges for numbers in a computer line /lan/ noun 1. a physical connection for data transmission, e.g. a cable between parts of a system or a telephone wire 2. single long thin mark drawn by a pen or printed on a surface 쑗 the printer has diflimited distance modem

limiter

limiting resolution



limits

line

Computing.fm Page 194 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

line adapter 194 new frames but without changing the order ficulty in reproducing very fine lines 3. one of the frames trace by the electron picture beam on a television screen 4. row of characters (printline break noun the point at which coned on a page or displayed on a computer tinuous text is split into separate lines screen or printer) 쑗 each page has 52 lines line busy tone / lan bzi təυn/ noun of text 5. series of characters received as a a signal generated to indicate that a consingle input by a computer 6. one row of nection or telephone line is already in use commands or arguments in a computer line communications /lan kə program

mju nkeʃ(ə)ns/ plural noun signal ‘…straight lines are drawn by clicking the points on transmission using a cable link or telethe screen where you would like the line to start and graph wire finish’ [Personal Computer World] line conditioning /lan kəndʃ(ə)nŋ/ line adapter /lan ədptə/ noun an noun techniques used to keep the quality electronic circuit that matches the correct of data transmissions or signals on a line to signal voltage and impedance for a partica certain standard ular line line control /lan kəntrəυl/ noun the line analyser /lan nəlazə/ noun a use of special codes to control a communipiece of test equipment that displays the cations channel characteristics of a line or the signals carline doubling /lan db(ə)lŋ/ noun 쏡 ried on the line line break

line busy tone

line communications





line conditioning

line adapter





line control

line analyser



line doubling

linear frame buffer / lniə frem linear frame buffer

bfə/ noun a video memory arranged so that by moving from one address to the next in the buffer you move from one pixel to the one below it on the display linearity / lnirti/ noun the shape of the frequency response curve of a device such as a microphone or A/D converter. If the curve is straight, the device is very accurate, if it is not, the device is introducing frequency distortion. linear list /lniə lst/ noun a list that has no free space for new records within its structure linear program / lniə prəυrm/ noun a computer program that contains no loops or branches linear programming / lniə prəυrmŋ/ noun a method of mathematically breaking down a problem so that it can be solved by computer linear search / lniə s tʃ/ noun a search method which compares each item in a list with the search key, starting with the first item and going through the others in order towards the end, until the correct entry is found linear video / lniə vdiəυ/ noun 1. a continuous playback of a video sequence from videotape 2. normal video that is played back in a continuous sequence rather than a single frame at a time as in interactive video linear video editing / lniə vdiəυ edtŋ/ noun a video sequence, on videotape, that is edited by inserting or deleting linearity



linear list

linear program

linear programming

linear search

linear video

linear video editing

scan conversion line drawing /lan drɔ ŋ/ noun an illine drawing

lustration in which objects are drawn using thin lines, without shading or surface texture line driver /lan dravə/ noun a highpower circuit and amplifier used to send signals over a long distance line without too much loss of signal line editor /lan edtə/ noun a piece of software in which only one line of a source program can be edited at a time line ending /lan endŋ/ noun a character that shows that a line has ended, inserted by pressing the carriage return key line feed /lan fi d/ noun a control on a printer or computer terminal that moves the cursor down by one line. Abbr LF line flyback /lan flabk/ noun same as flyback line frequency /lan fri kwənsi/ noun (in a CRT) the number of times that the picture beam scans a horizontal row of pixels in a monitor line gremlin /lan remln/ noun an unexplained fault when data is lost during transmission line in /lan n/ noun an input connection to audio equipment such as an amplifier that accepts a low voltage audio signal line input / lan npυt/ noun a command to receive all characters including punctuation entered up to a carriage return code line length /lan leŋθ/ noun the number of characters which can be displayed horizontally on one line of a display (NOTE: line driver

line editor

line ending

line feed

line flyback

line frequency

line gremlin

line in

line input

line length

Computing.fm Page 195 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

195 Linux join or interface two pieces of software or hardware 쑗 The two computers are linked. 왍 link files a command to merge together a list of separate files tude of a signal transmitted over a cable link access protocol / lŋk kses line noise /lan nɔz/ noun unwanted

prəυtəkɒl/ noun full form of LAP interference on a telephone or communilinkage /lŋkd'/ noun the act of linking cations line that causes errors in a data two things transmission linkage editing /lŋkd' edtŋ/ line number /lan nmbə/ noun a noun the process of combining separate number that refers to a line of program programs together, and standardising the code in a computer program (NOTE: The calls or references within them programming language will sort out the linkage software /lŋkd' sɒftweə/ program into order according to line noun a special software which links secnumber.) tions of program code with any library line out /lan aυt/ noun output connecroutines or other code 쑗 Graphics and text tor from audio equipment that provides a are joined without linkage software. low-voltage pre-amplified audio signal; link control procedure / lŋk kən e.g., an amplifier will have a line out contrəυl prə si d'ə/ noun full form of LCP nector that can be used to connect to an aclink control protocol / lŋk kəntrəυl tive loudspeaker or other audio equipment,

prəυtəkɒl/ noun a protocol used to create but cannot be connected to passive louda link between two computers to allow inspeakers formation to be transferred. LCP provides ‘…while pixel editing is handy for line art, most desktop scanners have trouble producing the shades similar functions to the PPP protocol but of grey or half-tones found in black and white phoincludes better security and authenticatography’ [Publish] tion. Abbr LCP. 쒁 PPP line printer /lan prntə/ noun a delinked list / lŋkd lst/ noun a list of vice for printing draft quality information data where each entry carries the address at high speeds, typical output is 200 to of the next consecutive entry 3000 lines per minute (NOTE: Line printers linked object /lŋkd ɒbd'ekt/ noun print a whole line at a time, running from one piece of data that is referred to in anright to left and left to right, and are usuother file or application ally dot matrix printers with not very high linked subroutine / lŋkd sbru quality print. Compare page printers, ti n/ noun same as closed routine which print a whole page at a time.) linking /lŋkŋ/ noun the merging of a line spacing /lan spesŋ/ noun the number of small programs to enable them distance between two rows of characters to run as one unit line speed /lan spi d/ noun the rate at linking information /lŋkŋ which data is sent along a line

nfəmeʃ(ə)n/ noun (in Windows) a fealines per minute / lanz p mnət/ ture that allows you to insert data from one noun the number of lines printed by a line application into another application using printer per minute. Abbr LPM its OLE function line style /lan stal/ noun the appearlinking loader /lŋkŋ ləυdə/ noun a ance of a line displayed on screen or printshort software routine that merges sections ed of programs to allow them to be run as one line width /lan, wdθ/ noun same as link trials /lŋk traəlz/ plural noun page width tests on computer programs to see if each Lingo /lŋəυ/ a trade name for a scriptmodule works in conjunction with the othing language used to control the actions in ers the Macromedia Director authoring softLinux /lnəks/ a trade name for a version ware of the UNIX operating system originally link /lŋk/ noun 1. a communications developed by Linus Torvalds, who then path or channel between two components distributed it free of charge over the Interor devices 쑗 To transmit faster, you can net. Enthusiasts and other developers have use the direct link with the mainframe. 2. a extended and enhanced the software, norsoftware routine that allows data transfer mally also publishing their software free between incompatible programs 쐽 verb to of charge. Linux is one of the most popular CRT displays often use an 80-character line length.) line level /lan lev(ə)l/ noun the ampliline level

link access protocol

line noise

linkage

linkage editing

line number

linkage software

line out

link control procedure





link control protocol



line printer

linked list

linked object

linked subroutine



linking

line spacing

line speed

linking information

lines per minute

line style

linking loader

line width

link trials

Lingo

Linux

link

Computing.fm Page 196 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

LIPS 196 operating systems for developers and peolithium-Ion battery / lθiəm aən ple running web-based applications. Un bt(ə)ri/ noun a type of rechargeable like many other operating systems, such as battery that provides high output power in Microsoft Windows, the Linux software a compact and lightweight unit. This type runs on a range of different types of comof battery is often used in mobile teleputer hardware including the PC and Macphones, PDAs and lightweight laptop intosh. computers. Live3D / lav θri di / noun same as LIPS /lps/ noun a standard for the measVRML (see) urement of processing power of an inference engine. Full form logical inferencliveware /lavweə/ noun the operators es per second and users of a computer system, as opposed to the hardware and software liquid crystal display / lkwd

krst(ə)l dsple/ noun full form of LCD LLC / el el si / noun an IEEE 802.2 standard defining the protocol for dataliquid crystal display shutter link-level transmissions. Full form of logprinter / lkwd krstəl d sple ʃtə ical link control

prntə/ noun 쏡 LCD shutter printer LLL abbr low-level language LISP /lsp/ noun a high-level language load /ləυd/ verb 1. to transfer a file or used mainly in processing lists of instrucprogram from disk to main memory 2. to tions or data and in artificial intelligence put something such as a disk into a compuwork. Full form list processing ter, so that it can be run list /lst/ noun a series of ordered items of ‘…this windowing system is particularly handy data 쐽 verb to print or display certain when you want to load or save a file or change direcitems of information 왍 to list a program tories’ [Byte] to display a program line by line in correct load and go / ləυd ən əυ/ noun same order as load and run list box /lst bɒks/ noun a number of load and run / ləυd ən rn/ noun a items or options displayed in a list computer program that is loaded into main LIST chunk /lst tʃŋk/ noun (in a memory and then starts to execute itself RIFF file) a four-character code LIST that automatically contains a series of subchunks loader /ləυdə/ noun a program which listing /lstŋ/ noun a display or printed loads another file or program into compucopy of the lines in a program in order 왍 a ter memory program listing a printed copy of the lines load high /ləυd ha/ verb (using MSof a program DOS on a PC) to transfer a program into listing paper /lstŋ pepə/ noun conhigh or expanded memory tinuous stationery used in computer printloading /ləυdŋ/ noun the action of ers transferring a file or program from disk to list processing /lst prəυsesŋ/ noun memory 쑗 Loading can be a long process. 1. the processing of a series of items of daload point /ləυd pɔnt/ noun the start ta, i.e. such tasks as adding, deleting, sortof a recording section in a reel of magnetic ing or updating entries 2. full form of LISP tape listserv /lst s v/, listserver load sharing /ləυd ʃeərŋ/ noun the /lsts və/ noun a server on the Internet use of more than one computer in a netthat sends a newsletter or articles to a list work to even out the work load on each of registered users processor listserver /lsts və/ noun same as local /ləυk(ə)l/ adjective 1. referring to listserv a device that is physically attached and literal /lt(ə)rəl/ noun 1. a computer inclose to the controlling computer 2. referstruction that contains the actual number ring to a variable or argument that is only or address to be used, rather than a label or used in a certain section of a computer proits location 2. a printing error when one gram or structure 3. referring to a system character is replaced by another or when with limited access 왍 on local (of a two characters are transposed terminal ) not working with a CPU, but being used as a stand-alone terminal literal operand /lt(ə)rəl ɒpərnd/ noun the actual number or address to be local area network / ləυk(ə)l eəriə used rather than a label or its location netw k/ noun full form of LAN lithium-Ion battery

LIPS

Live3D

liveware

liquid crystal display

LLC



liquid crystal display shutter printer



LLL

LISP

load

list

load and go

list box

load and run

LIST chunk

loader

listing

load high

listing paper

loading

list processing

load point

listserv

load sharing



listserver

local

literal

literal operand

local area network

Computing.fm Page 197 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

197 logic in memory where a data word can be local area network server / ləυk(ə)l local area network server

eəriə netw k s və/ noun a computer which runs a network operating system and controls the basic network operations. All the workstations in a LAN are connected to the central network server and users log onto it. local bridge /ləυk(ə)l brd'/ noun a bridge that links two local networks 쑗 We use a local bridge to link the two LANs in the office. local bus / ləυk(ə)l bs/ noun a direct link or bus between a device and the processor; with no logic circuits or buffers or decoders in between 쑗 The fastest expansion cards fit into this local bus connector. local declaration / ləυk(ə)l deklə reʃ(ə)n/ noun the assignment of a variable that is only valid in a section of a computer program or structure local drive /ləυk(ə)l drav/ noun a disk drive that is physically attached to a computer, as opposed to a resource that is accessed across a network local format storage / ləυk(ə)l

fɔ mt stɔ rd'/ noun a format stored as an empty form or repeated page in a terminal rather than being repeatedly transmitted local memory / ləυk(ə)l mem(ə)ri/ noun a high speed RAM that is used instead of a hardware device to store bit streams or patterns local mode /ləυk(ə)l məυd/ noun the operating state of a computer terminal that does not receive messages local printer / ləυk(ə)l prntə/ noun a printer physically attached to a computer rather than a shared resource available on a network LocalTalk /ləυkəltɔ k/ a trade name for a network standard developed by Apple that defines the physical layer, i.e. the cabling system and connectors, used in Apple’s AppleTalk network. The network transfers data at 230Kbits/second over unshielded twisted-pair cable. local variable / ləυk(ə)l veəriəb(ə)l/ noun a variable which can only be accessed by certain routines in a certain section of a computer program locate /ləυket/ verb 1. to place or to set 쑗 The computer is located in the main office building. 2. to find 쑗 Have you managed to locate the programming fault? location /ləυkeʃ(ə)n/ noun a number or absolute address that specifies the point local bridge

local bus

local declaration



found and accessed lock /lɒk/ verb to prevent access to a system or file 왍 locking a file the action of preventing any further writing to a file 왍 to lock onto to synchronise an internal clock with a received signal lockdown /lɒkdəυn/ noun a procedure that prevents users of a computer network or intruders from the Internet from gaining access to files that are essential to the proper functioning of a computer system lockout /lɒkaυt/ noun the process of preventing a user sending messages over a network by continuously transmitting data lock up / lɒk p/ noun a faulty operating state of computer that cannot be recovered from without switching off the power lock

lockdown

lockout

lock up

(NOTE: A lock up can be caused by an infinite program loop or a deadly embrace.)

local drive

local format storage

local memory

local mode

local printer

LocalTalk

local variable

locate



location



COMMENT: This can be caused by an infinite program loop or a deadly embrace.

log /lɒ/ noun a record of computer processing operations 쐽 verb 1. to record a series of actions 왍 to log calls to note all details of telephone calls made 2. to make a connection and start using a remote device such as a network server 왍 to log in or log on to enter various identification data, e.g. a password, usually by means of a terminal, to the central computer before accessing a program or data 왍 to log off or log out to enter a symbol or instruction at the end of a computing session to close all files and break the channel between the user’s terminal and the main computer log file /lɒ fal/ noun (see also) 1. a file that contains a record of actions 2. (on a web server ) a file that contains details of the visitors to a website, recorded automatically with the visitor’s DNS address, the time and the name of the webpage that he or she viewed logger /lɒə/ noun a device which keeps a record of a series of actions logging /lɒŋ/ noun an input of data into a system logging in /lɒŋ n/ noun the process of opening operations with a system logging off /lɒŋ ɒf/ noun the process of ending operations with a system logging on /lɒŋ ɒn/ noun same as log

log file

logger

logging

logging in

logging off

logging on

logging in

logging out /lɒŋ aυt/ noun same as logging out

logging off logic /lɒd'k/ noun 1. a mathematical logic

treatment of formal logic operations such

Computing.fm Page 198 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

logical 198 as AND, OR, etc., and their transformation logical record / lɒd'k(ə)l rekɔ d/ noun a unit of information ready for into various circuits. 쒁 Boolean algebra 2. a system for deducing results from binaprocessing that is not necessarily the same ry data 3. the components of a computer or as the original data item in storage, which digital system might contain control data logical /lɒd'k(ə)l/ adjective that uses logical ring /lɒd'k(ə)l rŋ/ noun (in a Token-Ring or FDDI network) the path a logic in its operation 쑗 Logical reasoning can be simulated by an artificial intellitoken follows through the layers of each gence machine. node (NOTE: In FDDI the physical topology does not effect the logical ring.) logical channel / lɒd'k(ə)l tʃn(ə)l/ noun an electronic circuit between a terlogical shift /lɒd'k(ə)l ʃft/ noun a minal and a network node in a packet data movement to the left or right in a switching system word, in which the bits falling outside the word boundary are discarded, and the free logical chart /lɒd'k(ə)l tʃɑ t/ noun a positions are filled with zeros graphical representation of logic elements, logical unit / lɒd'k(ə)l ju nt/ noun steps, decisions and interconnections in a full form of LU system logical comparison / lɒd'k(ə)l kəm logic board /lɒd'k bɔ d/ noun same prs(ə)n/ noun a function to see if two as logic card logic signals are the same logic bomb /lɒd'k bɒm/ noun a seclogical decision / lɒd'k(ə)l d tion of code that performs various unpleass'(ə)n/ noun one of two paths chosen as ant functions such as fraud or system crash a result of one of two possible answers to when a number of conditions are true 쑗 The system programmer installed a logic a question bomb when they made him redundant. logical drive /lɒd'k(ə)l drav/ noun a logic card /lɒd'k kɑ d/ noun a printed letter assigned to a disk drive or storage circuit board containing binary logic gates area on a disk drive that can be used as if it rather than analog components were a local drive 쑗 The logical drive F: actually stores data on part of the server’s logic circuit /lɒd'k s kt/ noun an disk drive. electronic circuit made up of various logilogical error / lɒd'k(ə)l erə/ noun a cal gates, such as AND, OR and EXOR fault in a program design causing incorrect logic element /lɒd'k elmənt/ noun branching or operations a gate or combination of logic gates logical expression / lɒd'k(ə)l k logic flowchart /lɒd'k fləυtʃɑ t/ spreʃ(ə)n/ noun a function made up from noun a graphical representation of logic a series of logical operators such as AND elements, steps and decisions and their inand OR terconnections logical flowchart /lɒd'k(ə)l logic gate /lɒd'k et/ noun an elec fləυtʃɑ t/ noun a diagram showing tronic circuit that applies a logical operator where the logical decisions occur in a to an input signal and produces an output structure and their effects on program exelogic level /lɒd'k lev(ə)l/ noun the cution voltage used to represent a particular logic logical high /lɒd'k(ə)l ha/ adjective state. This is often five volts for a one and equal to logic TRUE state or 1 zero volts for a zero. logical inferences per second logic map /lɒd'k mp/ noun a graph/ lɒd'k(ə)l nf(ə)rənsz p sekənd/ ical representation of states and conditions noun full form of LIPS in a logic circuit logical link control / lɒd'k(ə)l lŋk logic operation /lɒd'k ɒpəreʃ(ə)n/ kən trəυl/ noun full form of LLC noun a computer operation or procedure in logical low /lɒd'k(ə)l ləυ/ adjective which a decision is made equal to logic false state or 0 logic-seeking /lɒd'k si kŋ/ adjective referring to a printer that can print the logical operator / lɒd'k(ə)l ɒpə retə/ noun same as relational operator required information with the minimum head movement, detecting ends of lines, logical palette / lɒd'k(ə)l plət/ justification commands, etc. noun (in Windows) a graphics object that logic state /lɒd'k stet/ noun one out includes the colour palette information it of two possible levels in a digital circuit, requires logical record

logical

logical ring

logical channel

logical shift

logical chart

logical unit

logical comparison

logic board



logic bomb

logical decision



logical drive

logic card

logic circuit

logical error

logic element

logical expression

logic flowchart



logical flowchart

logic gate

logic level

logical high

logical inferences per second

logic map

logical link control

logic operation



logical low

logic-seeking

logical operator



logical palette

logic state

Computing.fm Page 199 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

199 lossy compression are executed in order to speed up operathe levels being 1 and 0 or TRUE and tions FALSE logic state analyser /lɒd'k stet look-up /lυk p/ noun a computer pro nəlazə/ noun a piece of test equipment cedure in which a term or value is matched that displays the logic states of a number against a table of stored information of components or circuits look-up table /lυk p teb(ə)l/ noun logic symbol /lɒd'k smbəl/ noun a full form of LUT 쑗 Lookup tables are pregraphical symbol used to represent a type programmed then used in processing so of logic function in a diagram saving calculations for each result required. log in script /lɒ n skrpt/ noun a se‘…a lookup table changes a pixel’s value based on ries of instructions that are automatically the values in a table’ [Byte] run when you log into a network. For exloop /lu p/ noun a procedure or series of ample, if you log into your office network instructions in a computer program that in the morning by typing your name and are performed again and again until a test password, the login script might remind shows that a specific condition has been you of important information or just dismet or until the program is completed play ‘good morning’. loopback /lu pbk/ noun a diagnostic logo /ləυəυ/ noun a special printed set test that returns the transmitted signal to of characters or symbols used to identify a the sending device after it has passed company or product through another device or across a link LOGO /ləυəυ/ noun a high-level proloopback test /lu pbk test/ noun a gramming language used mainly for edutest mode for a modem in which any inforcational purposes, with graphical commation sent to the modem from a local mands that are easy to use computer is immediately sent back to logoff /lɒɒf/ verb same as logging off prove that the connection between the logon /lɒɒn/ verb same as logging in computer and modem is working log on server /lɒ ɒn s və/ noun a loop body /lu p bɒdi/ noun the main computer that checks user identification section of instructions within a loop. The and password data against a user database loop body carries out the loop’s primary to authorise connection to a network or function rather than being used to enter, server leave or set up the loop. long filename /lɒŋ fal nem/ noun a loop check /lu p tʃek/ noun a check feature of Windows 95 that lets a user give that data has been correctly transmitted files names up to 254 characters in length down a line by returning the data to the long haul network / lɒŋ hɔ l transmitter netw k/ noun a communications netloop counter /lu p kaυntə/ noun a work between distant computers that usuregister that contains the number of times ally uses the public telephone system a loop has been repeated long integer /lɒŋ ntd'ə/ noun (in looping program /lu pŋ prəυrm/ programming languages) an integer repnoun a computer program that runs conresented by several bytes of data tinuously longitudinal redundancy check loop program /lu p prəυrm/ noun / lɒŋtju dn(ə)l rdndənsi tʃek/ a sequence of instructions that are repeated noun a check on received blocks of data to until a condition is met detect any errors lo-res /ləυ ri s/ noun same as low resolongitudinal time code lution / lɒŋtju dn(ə)l tam kəυd/ noun full form of LTC lossless compression / lɒsləs kəm preʃ(ə)nn/ noun image compression long persistence phosphor /lɒŋ pə techniques that can reduce the number of

sstəns fɒsfə/ noun a television screen bits used for each pixel in an image, withcoating that retains the displayed image out losing any information or quality. 쒁 for a period of time longer than the refresh Huffman code rate, so reducing flicker effects look-ahead /lυk ə hed/ noun an action lossy compression / lɒsi kəm

preʃ(ə)n/ noun image compression techperformed by some CPUs that fetch inniques that can reduce the number of bits structions and examine them before they logic state analyser

look-up

look-up table

logic symbol

log in script

loop

loopback

logo

LOGO

loopback test

logoff



logon



log on server



loop body

long filename



loop check

long haul network

loop counter

long integer

looping program

longitudinal redundancy check

loop program



lo-res

longitudinal time code

lossless compression



long persistence phosphor



lossy compression

look-ahead







Computing.fm Page 200 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

lost cluster 200 used for each pixel in an image, but in dolow-resolution graphics, low-res graphics plural noun the ability to dising so lose information. 쒁 JPEG play character-sized graphic blocks or prelost cluster /lɒst klstə/ noun a set shapes on a screen rather than to create number of sectors on a disk whose identigraphics using individual pixels. Compare fication bits have been corrupted. The ophigh-resolution erating system has marked this area of disk low-speed communications / ləυ as being used by a file, but the data it conspi d kə mju nkeʃ(ə)nz/ plural noun tains can no longer be identified with a data transmission at less than 2400 bits per particular file. second Lotus /ləυtəs/ a software company best LPM abbr lines per minute known for its spreadsheet program, 1–2–3 loudspeaker / laυdspi kə/ noun an LPT1 / el pi ti wn / noun (in a PC) electromagnetic device that converts electhe name given to the first, main parallel trical signals into audible noise printer port in the system low-end / ləυ end/ adjective referring LRU abbr least recently used algorithm to hardware or software that is not very LSB / el es bi / noun a binary digit occupowerful or sophisticated and is designed pying the right hand position of a word and for beginners carrying the least power of two in the lower case / ləυə kes/ noun small word, usually equal to two raised to zero = characters, e.g. a, b and c, as opposed to 1. Full form least significant bit upper case, A, B, C LSD / el es di / noun the digit which oclow frequency effects channel /ləυ cupies the right hand position in a number

fri kwənsi fekts tʃn(ə)l/ noun a and so carries least power, being equal to separate audio channel in a multichannel the number radix raised to zero = 1. Full system that provides very low frequency form least significant digit bass sounds. 쒁 Dolby Digital. Also called LSI / el es a/ noun a configuration with LFE channel between 500 and 10,000 circuits on a sinlow-level format / ləυ lev(ə)l gle IC. Full form large scale integration

fɔ mt/ noun a process that defines the LTC / el ti si / noun a method of recordphysical pattern and arrangement of tracks ing a time code signal on a linear audio and sectors on a disk track along a video tape. The disadvantage low-level language / ləυ lev(ə)l of this method is that the code is not readlŋwd'/ noun a programming lanable at slow speeds or when the tape has guage, particular to one system or compustopped. Full form longitudinal time code ter, in which each instruction has a single equivalent machine code instruction, so LU / el ju / noun a set of protocols develthat programming in it is a long and comoped by IBM to allow communication plex task. Abbr LLL over an SNA network. LU1, LU2 and LU3 low memory / ləυ mem(ə)ri/ noun (in provide control of the session, LU4 supa PC) available memory locations up to ports communication between the devices 640Kb. Compare high memory and LU6.2 is a peer-to-peer protocol. Full form logical unit low-order digit / ləυ ɔ də dd't/ noun a digit in the position within a luggable /ləb(ə)l/ noun a personal number that represents the lowest weightcomputer that is just about portable and ing of the number base 쑗 The number usually will not run off batteries. A lugga234156 has a low-order digit of 6. ble is much heavier and less compact than a laptop or true transportable machine. low-power standby / ləυ paυə luma /lu mə/ noun the black and white

stndba/ noun an energy-saving feature of laptop computers and many monitors parts of an image or video signal, repreconnected to a desktop sented by the symbol Y. 쒁 S-Video, Y/C low-priority work / ləυ pra ɒrti luminance /lu mn(ə)ns/ noun the part w k/ noun work that is not particularly of a video signal or image that defines the important brightness at each point. 쒁 YUV encoding low resolution / ləυ rezəlu ʃ(ə)n/ lurk /l k/ verb to join an online confernoun the ability of a display system to ence, discussion group or chat room and control a number of pixels at a time rather listen to the messages without contributing than individual pixels anything yourself. Most discussion forums low-resolution graphics

lost cluster

low-speed communications



Lotus

LPM

loudspeaker

LPT1



low-end

LRU

LSB

lower case

LSD

low frequency effects channel



LSI

low-level format

LTC

low-level language

LU

low memory

low-order digit

luggable

low-power standby

luma

low-priority work

luminance



low resolution

lurk





Computing.fm Page 201 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

201 machine-independent language calculate each result whenever needed. do not mind people lurking, since it helps Full form look-up table to build confidence in new users and lets ‘…an image processing system can have three LUTs them check the content before joining in, that map the image memory to the display device’ however some chat rooms do not approve [Byte] of lurking and immediately identify anyLV-ROM / el vi rɒm/ noun a 12-inch dione joining to discourage people who do ameter optical disc, developed by Philips, not contribute to the forum. that can store both analog video and digital LUT / el ju ti / noun a collection of data stored results that can be accessed very rapidly by a program without the need to LV-ROM

LUT

M M abbr megamA / em e/ noun an electrical current M

mA

measure equal to one thousandth of an ampere. Full form milliampere Mac /mk/ noun same as Macintosh MAC / em e si / noun a special code transmitted at the same time as a message as proof of its authenticity. Full form message authentication code 쐽 abbr media access control MacBinary /mkbanəri/ a trade name for a file storage and transfer system that allows Macintosh files, together with their icons and long file names, to be stored on other computer systems machine /məʃi n/ noun 1. a number of separate moving parts or components, acting together to carry out a process 2. a computer, system or processor made up of various components connected together to provide a function or perform a task machine address /məʃi n ə dres/ noun same as absolute address machine check /məʃi n tʃek/ noun a fault caused by equipment failure machine code /məʃi n kəυd/ noun a programming language that consists of commands in binary code that can be directly understood by the central processing unit without the need for translation. Also called computer code Mac

MAC

MacBinary



machine



machine address



machine check



machine code





machine code format /məʃi n kəυd

fɔ mt/ noun a format for machine code instructions, usually made up of 1,2 or 3 bytes for operand, data and address machine code instruction /məʃi n kəυd n strkʃən/ noun an instruction that directly controls the CPU and is recognised without the need for translation machine cycle /məʃi n sak(ə)l/ noun the minimum period of time taken by the CPU for the execution of an instruction machine-dependent /mə ʃi n d pendənt/ adjective not standardised, or unable to be used on hardware or software from a different manufacturer without modifications machine equation /məʃi n 

kwe'(ə)n/ noun a formula which an analog computer has been programmed to solve machine error /məʃi n erə/ noun an error caused by a hardware malfunction machine-independent /mə ʃi n nd pendənt/ adjective referring to computer software that can be run on any computer system machine code format



machine code instruction





machine cycle



machine-dependent





machine equation





machine error



machine-independent



machine-independent machine-independent language



language

/mə ʃi n ndpendənt lŋwd'/ noun 

a programming language that can be translated and executed on any computer that has a suitable compiler

Computing.fm Page 202 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

machine instruction 202 sors, the 68000, and offers similar computmachine instruction /məʃi n n ing power to a PC. The Macintosh is best

strkʃən/ noun an instruction which can known for its graphical user interface be recognised by a machine and is part of which allows a user to control the compuits limited set of commands ter using icons and a mouse. 쑗 Macintosh machine intelligence /məʃi n n computers are not compatible with an IBM

teld'(ə)ns/ noun the design of computer PC unless you use special emulation softprograms and devices that attempt to imiware. Also called Mac tate human intelligence and decision-making functions, providing basic reasoning macro /mkrəυ/ noun a program rouand other human characteristics tine or block of instructions identified by a single word or label machine-intimate /mə ʃi n ntmət/ adjective referring to software that opermacro- /mkrəυ/ prefix very large or ates and interacts closely with the hardapplying to the whole system ware in a system macro block /mkrəυ blɒk/ noun a machine language /məʃi n grid of 16x16 pixels used to analyse and

lŋwd'/ noun 1. same as machine compress video data in the MPEG comcode 2. the way in which machine code is pression system written macro call /mkrəυ kɔ l/ noun the use machine language compile /mə of a label in an assembly language pro ʃi n lŋwd' kəmpal/ noun the gram to indicate to an assembler that the process of generating a machine code promacro routine is to be inserted at that point gram from a HLL program by translating macro code /mkrəυ kəυd/ noun one and assembling each HLL instruction word that is used to represent a number of machine language programming instructions, simplifying program writing /mə ʃi n lŋwd' prəυrmŋ/ noun macro command /mkrəυ kə the slowest and most complex method of

mɑ nd/ noun same as macro code programming a CPU, but the fastest in exmacro definition /mkrəυ ecution, achieved by entering directly into

defənʃ(ə)n/ noun a description, in a proRAM or ROM the binary representation gram or to the operating system, of the for the machine code instructions to be structure, function and instructions that carried out (NOTE: The alternative methmake up a macro operation ods are to use an assembler with assemmacroelement /mkrəυ elmənt/ bly language programs or a compiler with noun a number of data items treated as one HLL programs.) element machine readable /mə ʃi n macro expansion /mkrəυ k ri dəb(ə)l/ adjective referring to com spnʃ(ə)n/ noun a process in which a mands or data stored on a medium that can macro call is replaced with the instructions be directly input into the computer in the macro machine-readable code /mə ʃi n macro flowchart /mkrəυ

ri dəb(ə)l kəυd/ noun a set of signs or

fləυtʃɑ t/ noun a graphical representaletters, e.g. a bar code or post code, that tion of the logical steps, stages and actions can be read by computers within a routine machine run /məʃi n rn/ noun the macroinstruction /mkrəυ action of processing instructions in a pro nstrkʃən/ noun one programming ingram by a computer struction that refers to a number of instrucmachine translation /mə ʃi n trns tions within a routine or macro leʃ(ə)n/ noun a computer system that is macro language /mkrəυ used to translate text and commands from

lŋwd'/ noun a programming lanone language and syntax to another guage that allows the programmer to demachine word /məʃi n w d/ noun a fine and use macro instructions number of bits of data operated on simul‘Microsoft has released a developer’s kit for its taneously by a CPU in one machine cycle, Word 6.0 for Windows wordprocessing package. often 8, 16 or 32 bits The 900-page kit explains how to use the WordBasic Macintosh /mkntɒʃ/ a trade name macro language supplied with the software.’ [Computing] for a range of personal computers demacro library /mkrəυ labrəri/ signed by Apple Corporation. The Macinnoun a number of useful, independent routosh uses the Motorola family of procesmachine instruction





machine intelligence





macro

machine-intimate



macro-

macro block

machine language



macro call

machine language compile





macro code

machine language programming

macro command





macro definition

macroelement



machine readable



macro expansion



machine-readable code



macro flowchart

machine run



macroinstruction



machine translation





macro language

machine word



Macintosh

macro library

Computing.fm Page 203 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

203 magnetic medium tines that can be incorporated into any promagnetic cassette /m netk kə gram to ease program writing set/ noun same as magnetic cartridge magnetic cell /mnetk sel/ noun a Macromedia Director small piece of material whose magnetic / mkrəυmi diə darektə/ a trade name field can be altered to represent the two for authoring software for the PC and states of binary data Macintosh that uses the Lingo scripting language magnetic core /mnetk kɔ / noun an early main memory system for storing macro programming / mkrəυ data in the first types of computer, where

prəυrmŋ/ noun the process of writeach bit of data was stored in a magnetic ing a program using macro instructions or cell defining macro instructions magnetic disk /mnetk dsk/ noun macro virus /mkrəυ varəs/ noun a a flat circular piece of material coated with type of virus that is stored as a macro ata substance, allowing signals and data to tached to a document or e-mail message. be stored magnetically Most advanced software applications promagnetic disk unit /m netk dsk vide a macro language that lets users ex ju nt/ noun a computer peripheral made tend the application and automate features. up of a disk drive and the necessary control However, as macro languages become electronics more advanced and powerful, they also magnetic drum /mnetk drm/ provide an opportunity for someone to crenoun a cylindrical magnetic storage deate a macro that can delete files or corrupt vice data when run. COMMENT: A macro virus will run when the magnetic encoding /m netk n document is opened. Some viruses are bekəυdŋ/ noun the storage of binary data nign, others carry out malicious damage on signals on a magnetic medium your files and data. The virus will also try and spread to other compatible documents and magnetic field /m netk fi ld/ applications on your computer, so that any noun a description of the polarity and new documents you create are also infected. strength of magnetic effects at a point Current macro virus attacks have used the magnetic flux /mnetk flks/ macro features of advanced e-mail software to re-send the virus to all the e-mail addresses noun a measure of magnetic field strength stored in your e-mail address book. The last per unit area major macro virus created so much extra netmagnetic head /mnetk hed/ work e-mail traffic on the Internet that many servers were overloaded. The best way to noun an electromagnetic component that avoid a macro virus is to regularly run virus converts electrical signals into a magnetic detection software that can check and remove field, allowing them to be stored on a magviruses attached to documents and new enetic medium mail messages. magnetic ink /m netk ŋk/ noun magazine /məzi n/ noun a number printing ink that contains a magnetic mateof pages in a videotext system rial, used in some character recognition magnet /mnt/ noun something that systems produces a magnetic field magnetic ink character recognimagnetic /mnetk/ adjective that tion /m netk ŋk krktə rekə has a magnetic field associated with it nʃ(ə)n/ noun full form of MICR magnetic bubble memory /m magnetic master /m netk

netk bb(ə)l mem(ə)ri/ noun 쏡 bubmɑ stə/ noun the original version of a reble memory corded tape or disk magnetic card /mnetk kɑ d/ magnetic material /m netk mə noun a plastic card with a strip of magnettəriəl/ noun a substance that will retain a ic recording material on its surface, allowmagnetic flux pattern after a magnetic ing data to be stored field is removed magnetic card reader /m netk magnetic media /m netk mi diə/ kɑ d ri də/ noun a machine that can read plural noun magnetic materials used to data stored on a magnetic card store signals, e.g. disk and tape magnetic cartridge /m netk magnetic medium /m netk kɑ trd'/ noun a small box containing a mi diəm/ noun same as magnetic material reel of magnetic tape and a pick up reel magnetic cassette





magnetic cell

Macromedia Director





magnetic core



macro programming

magnetic disk

macro virus



magnetic disk unit



magnetic drum



magnetic encoding





magnetic field



magnetic flux



magnetic head



magnetic ink

magazine





magnet

magnetic ink character recognition

magnetic







magnetic bubble memory



magnetic master



magnetic card

magnetic material







magnetic card reader

magnetic media



magnetic cartridge



magnetic medium





Computing.fm Page 204 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

magnetic memory 204 signals stored on magnetic tape and conmagnetic memory /m netk vert them to an electrical form that can be mem(ə)ri/ noun storage that uses a mediunderstood by a computer um that can store data bits as magnetic field changes magnetic tape recorder /m netk tep r kɔ də/ noun a device with a magmagnetic polarity /m netk pəυ netic head, motor and circuitry to allow lrti/ noun a method of indicating if a electrical signals to be recorded onto or point is a source or collector of magnetic played back from a magnetic tape flux patterns magnetic tape transport /m magnetic recording /m netk r

netk tep trnspɔ t/ noun a computerkɔ dŋ/ noun the process of transferring controlled magnetic tape drive mechanism an electrical signal onto a moving magnetmagnetic transfer /m netk ic tape or disk by means of an magnetic trnsf / noun the copying of signals field generated by a magnetic head stored on one type of magnetic medium to magnetic screen /mnetk skri n/ another noun a metal screen to prevent stray magmagnetise /mnə taz/, magnetize netic fields affecting electronic compoverb to convert a material or object into a nents magnet magnetic storage /m netk magneto-optical disc /m ni təυ stɔ rd'/ noun a method of storing infor ɒptk(ə)l dsk/ noun an optical disc that mation as magnetic changes on a sensitive is used in a magneto-optical recording dedisk, such as a floppy disk or hard disk vice magnetic strip /m netk strp/ magneto-optical recording /m noun a layer of magnetic material on the

ni təυ ɒptk(ə)l rkɔ dŋ/ noun a surface of a plastic card, used for recordmethod of recording that uses an optical ing data disc covered with a thin layer of magnetic magnetic stripe /m netk strap/ film that is heated by a laser. The particles noun a strip of magnetic material, containare then polarised by a weak magnetic ing information in coded form, on a plastic field. (NOTE: Magneto-optical discs have card such as a credit card very high capacity, over 600Mb, and are magnetic strip reader /m netk re-writable.) strp ri də/ noun same as magnetic magnitude /mntju d/ noun a level card reader or strength of a signal or variable magnetic tape /mnetk tep/ noun mag tape /m tep/ noun same as a narrow length of thin plastic coated with magnetic tape (informal ) a magnetic material used to store signals mail /mel/ noun electronic messages to magnetically and from users of a bulletin board or netCOMMENT: Magnetic tape is available on work spools of between 200 and 800 metres. The tape is magnetised by the read/write head. mail application programming inTape is a storage medium that only allows seterface / mel

plkeʃ(ə)n rial access, that is, all the tape has to be read prəυrmŋ ntəfes/ noun full form until the required location is found, as opposed to disk storage, which can be accessed of MAPI randomly. mailbox /melbɒks/, mail box /mel magnetic tape cartridge /m bɒks/ noun an electronic storage space

netk tep kɑ trd'/ noun a small box with an address in which a user’s incoming containing a reel of magnetic tape and a messages are stored pick up reel, used in a cassette player or mail-enabled /mel neb(ə)ld/ adjectape drive tive referring to an application that has acmagnetic tape cassette /m netk cess to an electronic mail system without tep kəset/ noun same as magnetic leaving the application 쑗 This word-proctape cartridge essor is mail-enabled – you can send mesmagnetic tape encoder /m netk sages to other users from within it. tep enkəυdə/ noun a device that directmail exchange record / mel ks ly writes data entered at a keyboard onto tʃend' rekɔ d/ noun (in an electronic magnetic tape mail system) information stored in the magnetic tape reader /m netk DNS, a database that helps locate a dotep ri də/ noun a machine that can read main name on the Internet or a Unix netmagnetic memory



magnetic tape recorder



magnetic polarity







magnetic tape transport

magnetic recording







magnetic transfer



magnetic screen



magnetise



magnetic storage



magneto-optical disc



magnetic strip



magneto-optical recording





magnetic stripe



magnetic strip reader



magnitude

magnetic tape



mag tape

mail

mail application programming interface

mailbox

magnetic tape cartridge



mail-enabled



magnetic tape cassette





magnetic tape encoder



mail exchange record





magnetic tape reader



Computing.fm Page 205 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

205 maintain the most popular mail transfer agent. Abbr work, that tells a mail system how to delivMTA er a mail message to a particular domain 쑗 Mail sent to ‘smith&pcp.co.uk’ will be mail user agent / mel ju zə sent to the ‘pcp.co.uk’ server by the MX

ed'ənt/ noun full form of MUA record, the local server then has to send main /men/ adjective most important the message to the user ‘smith’. Also main body / men bɒdi/ noun a set of called MX record instructions that form the main part of a program and from which other subroutines mail gateway /mel etwe/ noun a are called software program, or a combination of server and software, that links two differmain clock /men klɒk/ noun a clock ent electronic mail systems together so signal that synchronises all the compothat mail messages can be transferred from nents in a system one system to another. For example, if you main entry /men entri/ noun an entry are using Lotus cc:Mail as the electronic in a catalogue that contains the most immail product within your company, you portant information about a particular docwould need to fit a gateway function to alument low messages to be sent to and received by mainframe /menfrem kəm pju tə/, users on the Internet. (NOTE: LAN e-mail mainframe computer / menfrem kəm systems normally use one of three main pju tə/ noun a large-scale high-power standards, MAPI, MHS or VIM, to send computer system that can handle high-camail messages. If you are sending mail pacity memory and backing storage devicfrom a LAN e-mail system to the Internet es as well as a number of operators simulthe mail gateway needs to convert this taneously standard to one of the Internet mail mainframe access /menfrem standards such as POP3 or SMTP be kses/ noun the process of using microfore it can be delivered.) computers to access a mainframe computer mailing /melŋ/ noun the process of sending something using the post or e-mail main index /men ndeks/ noun a general index that directs the user gradually to mailing list /melŋ lst/ noun (in elecmore specific index areas tronic mail ) list of the e-mail addresses of main loop / men lu p/ noun a series of users who receive information on a regular instructions performed repeatedly that carbasis from a company, a person or from ry out the main action of a program. This other people on the list. An Internet mailloop is often used to wait for user input being list allows any person whose name and fore processing the event. address are on the list to send a message to main memory /men mem(ə)ri/ noun the list, which will then automatically disa fast-access RAM whose locations can be tribute a copy of this message to all the directly and immediately addressed by the other people on the list. CPU 쑗 The 16-bit system includes up to mailmerge /melm d'/ noun a word3Mb of main memory. processing program which allows a standmain menu /men menju / noun a list ard form letter to be printed out to a series of the primary options available of different names and addresses main routine /men ru ti n/ noun a ‘Spreadsheet views for data and graphical forms for section of instructions that make up the data entry have been added to the Q&A database, with the traditional reporting, mailmerge, and labels main part of a program (NOTE: A program mail user agent

main

main body

mail gateway

main clock

main entry

mainframe





mainframe access

mailing

main index

mailing list

main loop

main memory

mailmerge

main menu

main routine



improved through Windows facilities.’ [Computing]

mail server /mel s və/ noun a commail server

puter that stores incoming mail and sends it to the correct user and stores outgoing mail and transfers it to the correct destination server on the Internet mail transfer agent / mel trnsf

ed'ənt/ noun a software program that manages the way electronic mail messages are transferred over a network. On computers running the Unix operating system and the Internet the ‘sendmail’ software is mail transfer agent

often consists of a main routine and several subroutines, which are called from the main routine.) mains electricity /mens  lektrsəti/ noun the normal domestic electricity supply to consumers (NOTE: In the UK this is 240 volts at 50Hz. In the US, it is 110 volts at 60Hz.) main storage /men stɔ rd'/ noun same as main memory maintain /menten/ verb to ensure a mains electricity





main storage

maintain



system is in good condition and function-

Computing.fm Page 206 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

maintainability 206 ing correctly 왍 well maintained well management information service looked after / mnd'mənt nfəmeʃ(ə)n s vs/ maintainability / mentenəblti/ noun a department within a company that noun the ability to have repairs carried out is responsible for information and data quickly and efficiently if a failure occurs processing. Abbr MIS (NOTE: In practice, this department is often responsible for maintenance /mentənəns/ noun 1. the computer system in a company.) the task of keeping a machine in good working condition 2. tasks carried out in management information system order to keep a system running, e.g. repair/ mnd'mənt nfəmeʃ(ə)n sstəm / ing faults and replacing components noun software that allows managers in a maintenance contract /mentənəns company to access and analyse data. Abbr

kɒntrkt/ noun an arrangement with a MIS repair company that provides for regular manager /mnd'ə/ noun a userchecks and special repair prices in the friendly front end software that allows event of a fault easy access to operating system commaintenance release /mentənəns mands r li s/ noun a program revision that corManchester coding /mntʃestə rects a minor problem or bug but does not

kɒdŋ/ noun a method of encoding data offer any major new features 쑗 The mainand timing signals that is used in commutenance release of the database program, nications. The first half of the bit period inversion 2.01, corrects the problem with the dicates the value of the bit (1 or 0), and the margins. second half is used as a timing signal. maintenance routine /mentənəns Mandlebrot set /mnd(ə)lbrɒt set/ ru ti n/ noun a software diagnostic tool noun a mathematical equation that is used by an engineer during preventative called recursively to generate a set of valmaintenance operations ues. When plotted these form a fractal immajor cycle / med'ə sak(ə)l/ noun age. 쒁 fractal the minimum access time of a mechanical manipulate /mənpjυ let/ verb to storage device move, edit and change text or data 쑗 An majordomo / med'ədəυməυ/ noun image processor that captures, displays same as listserv and manipulates video images. make directory / mek darekt(ə)ri/ manipulation /mə npjυleʃ(ə)n/ noun full form of MD noun the process of moving or editing or male connector /mel kənektə/ noun changing text or data 쑗 The high-speed a plug with conducting pins that can be indatabase management program allows the serted into a female connector to provide manipulation of very large amounts of daan electrical connection ta. malfunction /mlfŋkʃən/ noun (of hardware or software) the fact of not man machine interface / mn mə working correctly 쑗 The data was lost due

ʃi n ntəfes/ noun full form of MMI to a software malfunction. 쐽 verb not to mantissa /mntsə/ noun the fractionwork properly 쑗 Some of the keys on the al part of a number 쑗 The mantissa of the keyboard have started to malfunction. number 45.897 is 0.897. malfunctioning /mlfŋkʃənŋ/ admanual /mnjuəl/ noun a document jective not working properly containing instructions about the operamalfunction routine /mlfŋkʃən tion of a system or piece of software 쑗 The ru ti n/ noun a software routine used to manual is included with the system. find and help diagnose the cause of an ermanual data processing / mnjυəl ror or fault detə prəυsesŋ/ noun the process of MAN /mn/ noun a network extending sorting and processing information withover a limited geographical area, normally out the help of a computer a city. Full form metropolitan area netmanual entry / mnjυəl entri/ noun work. Compare LAN, WAN the act of entering data into a computer by manageable /mnd'əb(ə)l/ adjecan operator via a keyboard tive that can be dealt with easily 쑗 processing problems which are still manmanual input / mnjυəl npυt/ noun same as manual entry ageable. management information service



maintainability



maintenance

management information system



maintenance contract

manager

maintenance release



Manchester coding

maintenance routine

Mandlebrot set



major cycle

manipulate





majordomo



make directory



manipulation





male connector



malfunction



man machine interface



mantissa



malfunctioning

manual



malfunction routine





manual data processing

MAN

manual entry

manageable

manual input

Computing.fm Page 207 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

207 mask register marker / mɑ kə / noun a code inserted in manually /mnjυəli/ adverb done by a file or text to indicate a special section hand, not automatically 쑗 The paper has mark sense / mɑ k sens/ verb to write to be fed into the printer manually. characters with conductive or magnetic map /mp/ noun a diagram representing ink so that they are then machine readable the internal layout of a computer’s memomark sense device / mɑ k sens d ry or communications regions 쐽 verb 1. to

vas/ noun a device that reads data from retrieve data and display it as a map 2. to special cards containing conductive or represent a network directory path on a remagnetic marks mote computer with a local drive letter, enmark sense reader / mɑ k sens abling a user to view the contents of the re ri də/ noun same as mark sense device mote directory by simply typing in the mark sensing card /mɑ k sensŋ drive letter rather than the often long and kɑ d/ noun a preprinted card with spaces complex directory path 3. to represent a for mark sense characters network printer connected to another computer on a network with a local printer mark space / mɑ k spes/ noun a twoidentifier, so a user can treat the remote state transmission code using a mark and a network printer as if it is directly connectspace (without a mark) as signals ed to their computer 4. to connect to a disk markup /mɑ kp/ noun the addition of drive or a printer that is connected to aninstructions for layout and style to a text other computer on a network. 쒁 texture that is to be printed out mapping 5. to transform a two-dimenmarkup language /mɑ kp sional image into a three-dimensional

lŋwd'/ noun a computer coding sysform that can then be rotated or manipulattem that gives instructions relating to the ed 6. (in an image) to transform a graphilayout and style to be used for a document cal object from one coordinate system to marquee /mɑ ki / noun 1. (in graphics) another so that it can be displayed; e.g., to the area selected by a selection tool 2. (in transform a three-dimensional wire frame a website) a piece of text that moves slowmodel to a solid shaded object. 쒁 texture ly across the screen, used as a special feamapping ture of a webpage MAPI / em e pi a/ noun a set of standmask /mɑ sk/ noun 1. an integrated cirards, developed by Microsoft, that defines cuit layout that is used to define the pattern how electronic mail is sent and delivered. to be etched or doped onto a slice of semiFull form mail application programconductor 쑗 A mask or stencil is used to ming interface transfer the transistor design onto silicon. 2. a pattern of binary digits used to select MAR / em e ɑ / noun a register within various bits from a binary word. A one in the CPU that contains the next location to the mask retains that bit in the word. 쐽 be accessed. Full form memory address verb to cover an area of something with register something marching display /mɑ tʃŋ dsple/ maskable /mɑ skəb(ə)l/ adjective that noun a display device that contains a buffcan be masked er to show the last few characters entered maskable interrupt / mɑ skəb(ə)l margin /mɑ d'n/ noun 1. the blank ntərpt/ noun an interrupt which can be space around a section of printed text 쑗 activated by using an interrupt mask When typing the contract leave wide marmask bit /mɑ sk bt/ noun one bit in a gins. 왍 to set the margin to define the size mask, used to select the required bit from of a margin 2. an extra time or space a word or string margin of error / mɑ d'n əv erə/ masked ROM /mɑ skt rɒm/ noun a noun the number of mistakes that is acread-only memory device that is proceptable in a document or in a calculation grammed during manufacture, by depositmark /mɑ k/ noun 1. a sign put on a page ing metal onto selected regions dictated by to show something 2. a transmitted signal the shape of a mask that represents a logical one or true condimasking /mɑ skŋ/ noun an operation tion 쐽 verb to put a mark on something used to select various bits in a word mark block / mɑ k blɒk/ verb to put a mask register /mɑ sk red'stə/ noun a storage location in a computer that conblock marker at the beginning and end of a tains the pattern of bits used as a mask block of text manually

marker

mark sense

map

mark sense device



mark sense reader

mark sensing card

mark space

markup

markup language

marquee



MAPI

mask

MAR

marching display



maskable

maskable interrupt

margin

mask bit

margin of error

masked ROM

mark

masking

mark block

mask register

Computing.fm Page 208 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

mass production 208 mass production /ms prədkʃən/ noun a system in which each processor is noun the process of manufacturing large a master, dedicated to one task quantities of goods 쑗 mass production of master program file / mɑ stə monitors prəυrm fal/ noun a magnetic medimass storage /ms stɔ rd'/ noun um which contains all the programs rethe storage and retrieval of large amounts quired for an application of data master/slave computer system mass storage device / ms / mɑ stə slev kəm pju tə sstəm/ stɔ rd' d vas/ noun a computer backnoun a system with a master controlling ing store device that is able to store large computer and a slave that takes commands amounts of data 쑗 The hard disk is a mass from the master storage device. master tape /mɑ stə tep/ noun a mass storage system / ms magnetic tape which contains all the vital stɔ rd' sstəm/ noun a data storage operating system routines, loaded by the system that can hold more than one milinitial program loader once when the comlion million bits of a data puter is switched on or hard reset master /mɑ stə/ adjective referring to master terminal / mɑ stə t mn(ə)l/ the main or most important device or pernoun one terminal in a network which has son in a system 쑗 The master computer priority over any other, used by the system controls everything else. 쐽 verb to learn manager to set up the system or carry out and understand a language or process 쑗 privileged commands 쑗 The system manWe mastered the new word-processor quite ager uses the master terminal to restart the quickly. system. master card /mɑ stə kɑ d/ noun the mat /mt/ noun a plain coloured border first punched card in a pack that provides that is displayed around an image that is information about the rest of the pack smaller than the window in which it is displayed master clock /mɑ stə klɒk/ noun a timing signal to which all components in a match /mtʃ/ verb 1. to search through system are synchronised a database for a similar piece of information 2. to set a register equal to another master computer /mɑ stə kəm

pju tə/ noun a computer in a multiprocmaterial /mətəriəl/ noun a substance essor system that controls the other procwhich can be used to make a finished prodessors and allocates jobs uct 쑗 Gold is the ideal material for electrical connections. master control program / mɑ stə kəntrəυl prəυrm/ noun software that math /mθ/ noun US same as mathecontrols the operations in a system. Abbr matics (informal ) MCP mathematical / mθəmtk(ə)l/ admaster data / mɑ stə detə/ noun refjective referring to mathematics erence data which is stored in a master file mathematical model master disc /mɑ stə dsk/ noun a / mθəmtk(ə)l mɒd(ə)l/ noun a repglass disc onto which a laser etches pits to resentation of a system using mathematirepresent data, and which is then used to cal ideas and formulae create plastic compact discs ready for dismathematical subroutines tribution / mθəmtk(ə)l sbru ti nz/ plural master disk /mɑ stə dsk/ noun 1. a noun library routines that carry out standdisk containing all the files for a task 2. a ard mathematical functions such as square disk containing the code for a computer’s root, logarithm, cosine and sine operating system that must be loaded bemathematics / mθəmtks/ noun fore the system will operate the science of the relationship between master file /mɑ stə fal/ noun a set of numbers, their manipulation and organisaall the reference data required for an applition to (logically) prove facts and theories. cation, which is updated periodically 쒁 algebra mastering /mɑ stərŋ/ noun a process maths chip /mθs tʃp/ noun a dediused to convert finished data to a master cated IC that can be added to a system to disc carry out mathematical functions far more master/master computer system rapidly than a standard CPU, speeding up / mɑ stə mɑ stə kəm pju tə sstəm/ the execution of a program mass production



master program file

mass storage

master/slave computer system

mass storage device





master tape

mass storage system

master

master terminal

master card

mat

master clock

match

master computer



material



master control program

math



mathematical



master data

mathematical model

master disc

mathematical subroutines

master disk

mathematics



master file

mastering

maths chip

master/master computer system



Computing.fm Page 209 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

209 mean MBR / em bi ɑ / noun a register in a maths coprocessor /mθs kəυ maths coprocessor

MBR



prəυsesə/ noun same as maths chip matrix /metrks/ noun 1. an array of numbers or data items arranged in rows and columns 2. an array of connections between logic gates providing a number of possible logical functions 3. a pattern of the dots that make up a character on a computer screen, dot-matrix or laser printer matrix printer /metrks prntə/ noun 쏡 dot-matrix printer matrix rotation /metrks rəυ

teʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of swapping the rows with the columns in an array, equal to rotating by 90 degrees matrix transform / metrks trns fɔ m/ noun a mathematical process used to rotate a line in any direction. The process involves multiplying a 4x4 transform matrix with the matrix of the line’s coordinates. matte /mt/ noun (in video or film) a specified region within an image, which can be coded to appear transparent or opaque. A matte is reveals or masks off part of an image in another plane, and is normally used for special effects in which an object is photographed against a specially coloured background that is then replaced with another image to give the impression that the object appears against that image. 쒁 chroma key matter /mtə/ noun the main section of text on a page as opposed to titles or headlines MAU abbr multistation access unit maximise /mksmaz/, maximize verb (in MS-Windows) to expand an application icon back to its original display window. Compare minimise maximum /mksməm/ noun the highest value used or that is allowed maximum capacity / mksməm kə psti/ noun the greatest amount of data that can be stored matrix

matrix printer

matrix rotation



matrix transform



matte

matter

MAU

maximise

maximum

maximum capacity



maximum maximum transmission rate

transmission

rate

/ mksməm trnzmʃ(ə)n ret/ noun 

the greatest amount of data that can be transmitted every second maximum users / mksməm ju zəz/ plural noun the greatest number of users that a system can support at any one time Mb abbr megabit MB abbr megabyte Mbps abbr megabits per second maximum users

Mb

MB

Mbps

CPU that temporarily buffers all inputs and outputs. Full form memory buffer

register

Mbyte /em bat/ abbr megabyte

쑗 The latest model has a 30Mbyte hard disk. MCA / em si e/ a trade name for the expansion bus within IBM’s PS/2 range of personal computers that has taken over from the older ISA/AT bus. MCA is a 32bit bus that supports bus master devices. Full form Micro Channel Architecture 쐽 abbr media control architecture MCA chipset / em si e tʃpset/ noun the number of electronic components required to manage the timing and data signals over an MCA expansion bus MCGA / em si d'i e/ noun a colour graphics adapter standard fitted in low-end IBM PS/2 computers. Full form multiMbyte

MCA

MCA chipset

MCGA

color graphics adapter MCI / em si a/ noun an interface that alMCI

low any program to control a multimedia device such as a sound card or video clip. Full form media control interface MCI device / em si a d vas/ noun a recognised multimedia device that is installed in a computer with the correct drivers MCP / em si pi d'ɔnt/ abbr master control program MD / em di / noun a DOS command used to create a new directory on a disk. Full form make directory MDA / em di e/ noun a video adapter standard used in early PC systems that could display text in 25 lines of 80 columns. Full form monochrome display MCI device



MCP

MD

MDA

adapter

MDK / em di ke/ noun a product develMDK

oped by Microsoft that allows developers to produce multimedia applications more easily using the supplied libraries of routines to control video playback, process images and display text. Full form multimedia developer’s kit

MDR / em di ɑ / noun a register in a MDR

CPU that holds data before it is processed or moved to a memory location. Full form

memory data register MDRAM / em di rm/ noun a type of MDRAM

high-performance memory normally used in video adapter cards to provide fast graphic display. Full form multibank dy-

namic random access memory

mean /mi n/ noun, adjective the average mean

value of a set of numbers or values 쐽 verb

Computing.fm Page 210 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

mean time between failures 210 to signify something 쑗 The message DISK media error / mi djə erə/ noun a fault FULL means that there is no more room on in the storage media that corrupts data the disk for further data. Media Player /mi diə pleə/ a trade mean time between failures / mi n name for a Windows utility program that tam b twi n feljəz/ noun full form of allows a user to control installed multimeMTBF dia hardware including video disc or audio CDs, or play back multimedia files includmean time to failure / mi n tam tə ing sound, animation and video files feljə/ noun full form of MTF MediaServer /mi diə s və/ a trade measure /me'ə/ noun 1. a way of calname for a system developed by Netscape culating size or quantity 2. the total width to provide audio and video delivery over of a printed line of text 3. a type of action 왍 to take measures to prevent something the Internet happening to act to stop something hapmedical telematics / medk(ə)l tel pening 쐽 verb 1. to find out the size or mtks/ noun the development and use quantity of something 2. to be of a certain of computer networks to enable medical size or quantity data to be accessed from different countries and exchanged between one country measurement /me'əmənt/ noun a and another way of judging something 쑗 Performance measurement or measurement of performmedium /mi diəm/ adjective middle or ance is carried out by running a benchaverage 쑗 a medium-sized computer sysmark program. tem 쐽 noun any physical material that can be used to store date measurements /me'əmənts/ plural noun size 쑗 to write down the measuremedium model / mi diəm mɒd(ə)l/ ments of a package noun memory model of the Intel 80x86 processor family that allows 64Kb of data mechanical /mknk(ə)l/ adjective and up to 1MB of code referring to machines medium scale integration mechanical mouse /mknk(ə)l / mi diəm skel ntreʃ(ə)n/ noun an maυs/ noun pointing device that is operatintegrated circuit with 10 – 500 compoed by moving it across a flat surface. As nents. Abbr MSI the mouse is moved, a ball inside spins and turns two sensors that feed the horizontal medium speed /mi diəm spi d/ noun and vertical movement back to the compua data communication speed between ter. Compare optical mouse 2400 and 9600 bits per second (NOTE: Medium speed transmission describes the mechanism /mekə nz(ə)m/ noun a maximum rate of transfer for a normal piece of machinery 쑗 The printer mechavoice grade channel.) nism is very simple. meet /mi t/ noun a logical function medallion /mədliən/ noun the microwhose output is true if both inputs are true chip inside a smart card meg /me/ noun same as megabyte media /mi diə/ plural noun physical (informal ) 쑗 This computer has a ninetymaterials that can be used to store data 쑗 meg hard disk. Computers can store data on a variety of media, such as disk or CD-ROM. mega- /meə/ prefix 1. one million 2. 1,048,576 (equal to 220) and used only in media access control / mi diə computing and electronic related applicakses kən trəυl/ noun a sublayer within tions the data-link layer of the OSI network model that provides access to the transmismegabit /meəbt/ noun equal to sion media. Abbr MAC 1,048,576 bits. Abbr Mb media control architecture / mi diə megabits per second / meəbts p kən trəυl ɑ k tektʃə/ noun full form of sekənd/ noun a number of million bits MCA transmitted every second. Abbr Mbps media control interface / mi diə kən megabyte /meəbat/ noun a measure

trəυl ntəfes/ noun full form of MCI of the data capacity of a storage device that media conversion / mi djə kən is equal to 1,048,576 bytes or 220 bytes. v ʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of copying Megabytes are used to measure the storage data from one type of storage medium to capacity of hard disk drives or main memanother ory (RAM). Abbr MB media error

Media Player

mean time between failures



mean time to failure

MediaServer

measure



medical telematics



measurement

medium

measurements

medium model

mechanical



medium scale integration

mechanical mouse





medium speed

mechanism



meet

medallion



meg

media

mega-

media access control



megabit

media control architecture



megabits per second



media control interface

megabyte



media conversion



Computing.fm Page 211 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

211 memory effect memory access time / mem(ə)ri kses tam/ noun a time delay between mega floating point instructions requesting access to a location and actualper second / meə fləυtŋ pɔnt n ly gaining access to it

strkʃənz p skɒnd/ noun full form memory address register of MFLOPS / mem(ə)ri ədres red'stə/ noun full megaflop /meəflɒp/ noun a measure form of MAR of computing power and speed equal to memory allocation /mem(ə)ri one million floating point instructions per

ləkeʃ(ə)n/ noun a process in which an second. Abbr MFLOPS operating system provides an application megahertz /meə h ts/ noun a measwith the memory it requires in order to run ure of frequency equal to one million cymemory backup capacitor cles per second. Abbr MHz / mem(ə)ri bkp kə pstə/ noun a megapixel display /meə pks(ə)l d very high-capacitance, small device that sple/ noun a display adapter and monitor can be used instead of a battery to provide that are capable of displaying over one power for volatile RAM chips for up to million pixels. This means a resolution of two weeks at least 1,024x1,024 pixels. memory bank /mem(ə)ri bŋk/ noun Megastream /meəstri m/ a trade a number of smaller storage devices conname for a data link provided by British nected together to form one large area of Telecom that offers data transfer at rates memory up to 8Mbits/second memory board /mem(ə)ri bɔ d/ noun a printed circuit board containing memory Mega VGA / meə vi d'i e/ noun a chips 256 colour Super VGA mode with a resolution of 1024x768 that requires one megmemory buffer register /mem(ə)ri abyte of video RAM

bfə red'stə/ noun full form of MBR member /membə/ noun 1. one object memory bus /mem(ə)ri bs/ noun a on a page of a multimedia book 2. an indibus carrying address data between a CPU vidual record or item in a field and memory devices membrane keyboard / membren memory capacity /mem(ə)ri kə

psti/ noun the number of bits or bytes ki bɔ d/ noun a keyboard that uses a thin plastic or rubber sheet with key shapes that can be stored within a memory device moulded into it. When the user presses on memory cell /mem(ə)ri sel/ noun the a key, it activates a pressure sensor. (NOTE: smallest location in a memory that can be The keys in a membrane keyboard have individually accessed less travel than normal mechanical keys, memory chip /mem(ə)ri tʃp/ noun an but since they have no moving parts, they electronic component that is able to store are more robust and reliable.) binary data memo field /meməυ fi ld/ noun a field memory cycle /mem(ə)ri sak(ə)l/ in a database or text window in an applicanoun the period of time from when the tion that allows a user to add comments or CPU reads or writes to a location and to a memo about the entry when the action is actually performed memorise /memə raz/, memorize memory data register / mem(ə)ri verb to remember or to retain in the memdetə red'stə/ noun full form of MDR ory memory diagnostic /mem(ə)ri memory /mem(ə)ri/ noun storage

daənɒstk/ noun a software routine space in a computer system or medium that checks each memory location in main that is capable of retaining data or instrucmemory for faults tions memory dump /mem(ə)ri dmp/ ‘The lower-power design, together with an additionnoun a printout of all the contents of an al 8Kb of on-board cache memory, will increase the area of memory chip’s performance to 75 million instructions per memory edit /mem(ə)ri edt/ verb to second.’ [Computing] change the contents of various memory lo‘…when a program is loaded into memory, some is used for the code, some for the permanent data, and cations some is reserved for the stack which grows and memory effect /mem(ə)ri  fekt/ shrinks for function calls and local data’ noun a feature of nickel-cadmium, or [Personal Computer World] ‘Doing this reduced a bitmap of my desktop from 2.25 megabytes to a 58K GIF’ [The Guardian]

memory access time

megaflop



memory address register





megaflop

memory allocation

megahertz



memory backup capacitor



megapixel display





memory bank

Megastream

memory board

Mega VGA

memory buffer register

member

memory bus

membrane keyboard

memory capacity



memory cell

memory chip

memo field

memory cycle

memorise

memory data register



memory diagnostic

memory

memory dump

memory edit

memory effect



Computing.fm Page 212 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

memory expansion 212 NiCad, rechargeable batteries where the memory model /mem(ə)ri mɒd(ə)l/ noun a method used in a program to adbattery’s capacity to hold charge is reduced if the battery is recharged before it dress the code and data that is used within has been fully discharged. For example, if that program. The memory model defines a battery still has half its original charge how much memory is available for code when it is recharged, it appears only to and data. (NOTE: Processors with a seghave the capacity to carry the new halfmented address space, like the Intel charge rather than a full charge. It seems, 80x86 range, can support multiple memin effect, to have a memory of the last level ory models.) of its charge. (NOTE: This problem was memory page /mem(ə)ri ped'/ noun particularly noticeable on older NiCad one section of a main store containing data batteries. Modern NiCad batteries suffer or programs that is divided into pages very little from this effect, and other types memory protect /mem(ə)ri prə tekt/ of battery such as the lithium ion battery noun a feature on most storage systems to do not suffer from it at all.) prevent the accidental overwriting of data memory expansion /mem(ə)ri k memory-resident software

spnʃ(ə)n/ noun the action of adding / mem(ə)ri rezd(ə)nt sɒftweə/ noun more electronic memory chips to a compusame as resident software ter memory stick /mem(ə)ri stk/ noun a memory hierarchy / mem(ə)ri tiny memory expansion device, developed

haərɑ ki/ noun the different types of by Sony, that can store up to 128Mb of damemory available in a system, arranged ta, often used in MP3 music players and according to their capacity and access time digital cameras memory-intensive software memory switching system / mem(ə)ri n tensv sɒftweə/ noun /mem(ə)ri swtʃŋ sstəm/ noun a syssoftware that uses large amounts of RAM tem which communicates information, or disk storage during run-time, such as stores it in memory and then transmits it programs whose entire code has to be in according to instructions main memory during execution memory workspace /mem(ə)ri memory management /mem(ə)ri

w kspes/ noun the amount of extra

mnd'mənt/ noun software that conmemory required by a program to store trols and regulates the flow and position in data used during execution memory of files and data menu /menju / noun a list of options or programs available to the user memory management unit /mem(ə)ri mnd'mənt ju nt/ noun menu-bar /menju bɑ / noun (in a full form of MMU GUI) a list of options available to a user which are displayed on a horizontal line memory map /mem(ə)ri mp/ noun a along the top of the screen or window. diagram indicating the allocation of adEach menu option activates a pull-down dress ranges to various memory devices, menu. such as RAM, ROM and memory-mapped input/output devices menu-driven software / menju

drv(ə)n sɒftweə/ noun a program in memory-mapped /mem(ə)ri mpt/ which commands or options are selected adjective referring to a computer’s input from a menu by the operator rather than or output devices that have addresses allotyped in by the user at a prompt cated to them so that they can be accessed menu item /menju atəm/ noun one as if they were a memory location 쑗 A of the choices in a menu memory-mapped screen has an address allocated to each pixel, allowing direct acmenu selection /menju s lekʃən/ cess to the screen by the CPU. noun the act of choosing commands from a list of options presented to the operator memory-mapped input/output / mem(ə)ri mpt npυt aυtpυt/ noun menu shortcut / menju ʃɔ tkt/ same as memory-mapped I/O noun a key combination of two or more keys that is the same are selecting a menu memory-mapped I/O / mem(ə)ri option

mpt a əυ/ noun an I/O port which can merchant account /m tʃənt ə be accessed as if it were a memory loca kaυnt/ noun a bank account that enables tion within the CPU’s normal address its user to deposit payments made by credit range memory model

memory page

memory protect



memory expansion

memory-resident software



memory stick

memory hierarchy

memory-intensive software

memory switching system



memory workspace

memory management

menu

memory management unit

menu-bar

memory map

menu-driven software

memory-mapped

menu item

menu selection



memory-mapped input/output

menu shortcut

memory-mapped I/O

merchant account



Computing.fm Page 213 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

213 MFM the source and destination of a message in card, used especially for trading on the Ina network ternet mercury delay line / m kjυri dle message slot /mesd' slɒt/ noun the

lan/ noun an obsolete method of storing number of bits that can hold a message that serial data as pulses in a length of mercury circulates around a ring network (NOTE: The data was constantly read, remessage text /mesd' tekst/ noun ingenerated and fed back into the input.) formation that concerns the user at the desmerge /m d'/ verb to combine two data tination without routing or network confiles retaining an overall order 쑗 The systrol data tem automatically merges text and illustramessage transfer agent / mesd' tions into the document. (NOTE: merges – trnsf ed'ənt/ noun full form of mercury delay line

message slot



message text

merge

message transfer agent

merging – merged)

merge sort / m d' sɔ t/ noun a softmerge sort

ware application in which the sorted files are merged into a new file mesh /meʃ/ noun any system with two or more possible paths at each interconnection mesh model /meʃ mɒd(ə)l/ noun a graphical object that is displayed as a mesh, with crossing lines. 쒁 wire frame mesh

mesh model

model (NOTE: The mesh is actually created from polygons and can be used to shade the object.) mesh network /meʃ netw k/ noun a mesh network

method of connecting several machines together, where each device is directly connected to every other device in the network message /mesd'/ noun 1. a piece of information sent from one person to another 2. a defined amount of information message

message

authentication

message authentication code

code

/ mesd' ɔ θentkeʃ(ə)n kəυd/ noun full form of MAC message board /mesd' bɔ d/ noun same as bulletin board message box /mesd' bɒks/ noun a 



message board

message box

small window that is displayed on screen to warn of an event, condition or error

message message code authentication

code

authentication

/ mesd' kəυd ɔ θentkeʃ(ə)n/ noun a 



coding system that enables the author of an email message to be identified and ensures that the message is genuine message format /mesd' fɔ mt/ noun a set of predetermined rules defining the coding, size and speed of transmitted messages message format

message message handling service

handling

service

/ mesd' hndlŋ s vs/ noun full form of MHS message header /mesd' hedə/ noun a sequence of data at the beginning message header

of a message that contains routing and destination information message routing /mesd' raυtŋ/ noun selection of a suitable path between message routing

MTA

messaging /mesd'ŋ/ noun the process of sending a message to other people, e.g. by computer, telephone or pager metabit /metəbt/ noun an extra identifying bit for each data word metacompilation / metəkɒmp leʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of compiling a program that will compile other programs when executed metacompiler /metəkɒm palə/ noun a compiler that is used to create another compiler metafile /metəfal/ noun 1. a file that contains other files 쑗 The operating system uses a metafile to hold data that defines where each file is stored on disk. 2. a file that defines or contains data about other files metalanguage /metə lŋwd'/ noun a language that describes a programming language messaging

metabit

metacompilation



metacompiler



metafile

metalanguage



metal

metal oxide semiconductor

oxide

semiconductor

/ met(ə)l ɒksad semikən dktə/ noun full form of MOS 

metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor / met(ə)l ɒksad metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor

semikəndktə fi ld  fekt trnzstə/ noun full form of MOSFET meter – power supply / mi tə paυə sə pla/ noun a utility within Windows that indicates how much power is left in a laptop’s battery and whether a laptop is running from a battery or mains electricity power 



meter – power supply



metropolitan metropolitan area network

area

network

/ metrəpɒlt(ə)n eəriə netw k/ noun full form of MAN MFLOPS /em flɒps/ noun a measure of MFLOPS

computing speed calculated as the number of floating point instructions that can be processed each second. Full form mega

floating point instructions per second MFM / em ef em/ noun a method of storMFM

ing data on magnetic media, e.g. a magnetic disk that encodes the data bit according

Computing.fm Page 214 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

MFS 214 around a microprocessor chip and having to the state of the previous bit. Full form limited memory capacity. Also called mimodified frequency modulation (NOTE: MFM is more efficient than FM, but less efficient than RLL encoding.) MFS abbr Macintosh filing system MHS / em etʃ es/ noun a store-and-forMFS

MHS

ward message transfer mechanism used mainly by Novell. Full form message handling service MHz abbr megahertz MICR / em a si ɑ / noun a system that MHz

MICR

identifies characters by sensing magnetic ink patterns, as used on bank cheques. Full form magnetic ink character recognition

micro /makrəυ/ noun same as micromicro

computer micro- /makrəυ/ prefix 1. very small 2. micro-

one millionth of a unit microcassette /makrəυkə set/ noun a small format audio cassette used mainly in pocket dictating equipment microcassette



Micro

Micro Channel Architecture

Channel

Architecture

/ makrəυ tʃn(ə)l ɑ ktektʃə/ full form of MCA

Micro Channel Architecture chipset / makrəυ

tʃn(ə)l Micro Channel Architecture chipset

ɑ ktektʃə tʃpset/ same as MCA chipset

Channel Bus / makrəυ

tʃn(ə)l bs/ a proprietary 32-bit expansion bus defined by IBM in its Micro Channel Architecture microchip /makrəυ tʃp/ noun a circuit in which all the active and passive components are formed on one small piece of semiconductor, by means of etching and chemical processes microcircuit /makrəυ k kt/ noun a complex integrated circuit microcode /makrəυkəυd/ noun a set of ALU control instructions implemented as hardwired software Micro Micro Channel Bus

microchip



microcircuit



microcode

Microcom Networking Protocol Microcom Networking Protocol

/ makrəkɒm netw kŋ prəυtəkɒl/ full form of MNP microcomputer1 /makrəυkəm

pju tə/ noun a complete small-scale, microcomputer



cheap, low-power computer system based around a microprocessor chip and having limited memory capacity COMMENT: Microcomputers are particularly used as home computers or as small office computers.

microcomputer2 microcomputer

/makrəυkəm

cro

microcomputer

architecture

microcomputer architecture

/ makrəυkəmpju tə ɑ ktektʃə/ noun

the layout and interconnection of a microcomputer’s internal hardware

microcomputer

backplane

microcomputer backplane

/ makrəυkəmpju tə bkplen/ noun

the main printed circuit board of a system, containing most of the components and connections for expansion boards microcomputer bus /makrəυkəm

pju tə bs/ noun the set of the main data, address and control buses in a microcomputer microcomputer bus



microcomputer development kit microcomputer development kit

/ makrəυkəmpju tə dveləpmənt kt/ noun a basic computer based around a new 

CPU chip that allows hardware and software designers to experiment with the new device microcomputing /makrəυkəm

pju tŋ/ adjective referring to microcomputers and their use 쑗 the microcomputing industry microcontroller /makrəυkən

trəυlə/ noun a small selfcontained microcomputer for use in dedicated control applications microcycle /makrəυ sak(ə)l/ noun a unit of time, (usually a multiple of the system clock period) used to give the execution time of instructions microdevice /makrəυd vas/ noun a very small device, e.g. a microprocessor microelectronics / makrəυlek trɒnks/ noun the design and manufacture of electronic circuits with integrated circuits and chips microfloppy /makrəυ flɒpi/ noun a small size magnetic floppy disk, usually a 3.5 inch disk microinstruction /makrəυn

strkʃən/ noun a hardwired instruction, part of a microcode, that controls the actions of the ALU in a processor micrometre /makrəυ mi tə/ noun one millionth of a metre micron /makrɒn/ noun one millionth of a metre microphone /makrəfəυn/ noun a device that converts sound waves into electrical signals microprocessor /makrəυ prəυsesə/ noun a set of central processing unit elements, often contained on a single intemicrocomputing



microcontroller



microcycle



microdevice



microelectronics



microfloppy



microinstruction



micrometre



micron

microphone

microprocessor



pju tə/ noun a complete small-scale, cheap, low-power computer system based



Computing.fm Page 215 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

215 MIDI grated circuit chip, which when combined Microsoft /makrəsɒft/ the biggest dewith other memory and I/O chips will veloper and publisher of software for the make up a microcomputer PC and Apple Mac. Microsoft developed the MS-DOS operating system for the microprocessor addressing capaIBM PC and later Windows together with bilities / makrəυprəυsesə ədresŋ a range of application software.

kepəbltiz/ noun the highest address Microsoft Compact Disc Extenthat a CPU can directly address, without sions / makrəsɒft kɒmpkt dsk k special features (NOTE: This depends on

stenʃ(ə)nz/ full form of MSCDEX the address word size: the bigger the word the greater the addressing capaciMicrosoft DOS / makrəsɒft dɒs/ full ty.) form of MS-DOS Microsoft Exchange / makrəsɒft microprocessor architecture kstʃend'/ a program included with /makrəυprəυsesə ɑ ktektʃə/ noun Windows 95 that coordinates the email, the layout of the basic parts within a CPU fax and network messages sent and remicroprocessor chip /makrəυ ceived on a PC

prəυsesə tʃp/ noun an integrated circuit Microsoft Exchange Server that contains all the elements of a central / makrəsɒft kstʃend' s və/ a proprocessing unit, connected with other gram that runs on a server under Microsoft memory and I/O chips to make a microWindows NT and provides sophisticated computer groupware functions using the Exchange microprocessor timing /makrəυ client software supplied with Windows 95

prəυsesə tamŋ/ noun the correct seMicrosoft Fax / makrəsɒft fks/ a lection of system clock frequency to allow series of programs supplied with Windows for factors such as slower peripherals 3.1 and 95 that let a user send and receive microprocessor unit /makrəυ fax transmissions from a PC

prəυsesə ju nt/ noun a unit containing Microsoft Internet Explorer the main elements of a microprocessor. / makrəsɒft ntənet ksplɔ rə/ 쏡 InAbbr MPU Microsoft

microprocessor



Microsoft Compact Disc Extensions



Microsoft DOS

Microsoft Exchange

microprocessor architecture



microprocessor chip



Microsoft Exchange Server



microprocessor timing



Microsoft Fax

microprocessor unit



Microsoft Internet Explorer



ternet Explorer

microprogram /makrəυ prəυrm/ microprogram



Microsoft Microsoft Network

noun a series of microinstructions

microprogram assembly language / makrəυprəυrm əsembli microprogram assembly language



lŋwd'/ noun a computer language consisting of microprograms each of which carries out an assembly language instruction microprogram counter /makrəυ

prəυrm kaυntə/ noun a register that stores the address of the next microinstruction to be carried out (NOTE: The micromicroprogram counter



program counter is the same as the memory address register.)

microprogram microprogram instruction set

instruction

set

Network

netw k/ full form of MSN

/ makrəsɒft

Outlook / makrəsɒft aυtlυk/ a trade name for an application that provides a range of features to manage email, fax messages, contacts, diary appointments, notes and projects Microsoft Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Microsoft Outlook Express

Outlook

Express

/ makrəsɒft aυtlυk kspres/ a trade 

name for a free version of Outlook that is normally used for email (NOTE: It has fewer extra features for managing contacts and appointments than Microsoft Outlook.) Microsoft Windows / makrəsɒft wndəυz/ same as Windows microwriter /makrəυ ratə/ noun a Microsoft Windows

/ makrəυprəυrm nstrkʃən set/ noun a complete set of basic microinstruc

microwriter



tions available in a CPU /makrəυ

prəυrmŋ/ noun the writing of microcode using microinstructions microprogram store /makrəυ

prəυrm stɔ / noun a storage device used to hold a microprogram microsecond /makrəυ sekənd/ noun one millionth of a second microsequence /makrəυ si kwəns/ noun a series of microinstructions

microprogramming microprogramming



microprogram store



microsecond



microsequence



portable keyboard and display, used for keyboarding when travelling middleware /md(ə)lweə/ noun system software that has been customised by a dealer for a particular user MID-F1 / md ef wn/ noun (in CD-i) mid-quality sound at Level B. 쏡 Level B MIDI /mdi/ noun a serial interface that connects electronic instruments. Full form middleware

MID-F1

MIDI

musical instrument digital interface (NOTE: The MIDI interface carries signals

Computing.fm Page 216 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

MIDI channel

216 quired to define the settings for MIDI Mapper MIDI time code / mdi tam kəυd/ noun full form of MTC any one of 15 independent connections mid-user /md ju zə/ noun an operator that is supported by the MIDI system, alwho retrieves relevant information from a lowing 16 different electronic devices to database for a customer or end user be connected to one main sequencer migrate /maret/ verb to transfer a file from one computer system or database MIDI connector /mdi kə nektə/ to another (NOTE: migrates – migrating – noun a standard 5-pin, round DIN connecmigrated) tor used to connect MIDI devices migration /mareʃ(ə)n/ noun the MIDI control-change message process of moving users from one hard/ mdi kəntrəυl tʃend' mesd'/ noun ware platform to another a message sent to a synthesiser to control milk disk /mlk dsk/ noun a disk used the volume or pitch of a sound or to change to transfer data from a small machine onto the instrument patch used to generate a a larger computer, which provides greater sound processing power MIDI device /mdi ði vas/ noun a demilking machine /mlkŋ mə ʃi n/ vice that can receive or send MIDI data noun a portable machine which can accept MIDI file /mdi fal/ noun a file format data from different machines, then transfer used to store a MIDI song, made up of it to another larger computer notes and control-change messages (NOTE: millennium bug /mleniəm b/ It usually has a MID file extension.) noun the inability to handle dates later MIDI interface card / mdi ntəfes than 1999. This problem, which came to kɑ d/ noun an adapter card that plugs into light in the 1990s, affected old hardware an expansion connector in a PC and allows and software that stored dates as two digit to send and receive MIDI data its, with the ‘19’ being assumed. Such MIDI Mapper /mdi mpə/ noun a dates would not move to ‘2000’ at the turn program supplied with Windows 3.1x that of the millennium but would revert to allows experienced MIDI users to change ‘1900’, with unpredictable and possibly the way in which musical notes are sent to serious results for the affected systems. In each instrument that is connected to the the event, the affected systems were nearly PC 쑗 You could use the MIDI Mapper to all modified in time. There were very few re-direct all the notes meant for the drum problems when the year 2000 arrived, and machine to the electronic piano. the more apocalyptic predictions did not MIDI mapping /mdi mpŋ/ noun come to pass. the process of translating and redirecting milli- /ml/ prefix one thousandth. Abbr MIDI messages between channels accordm ing to settings in a MIDI map milliampere / mlimpeə/ noun an MIDI program-change message electrical current measure equal to one / mdi prəυrm tʃend' mesd'/ thousandth of an ampere. Abbr mA noun a message sent to a synthesiser to remillion instructions per second quest a patch change for a particular MIDI / mljən n strkʃənz p skɒnd/ noun channel full form of MIPS MIDI sequence /mdi si kwəns/ millisecond /ml sekənd/ noun one noun data that has time-sequence data emthousandth of a second. Abbr ms bedded and that can be played by a MIDI MIMD / em a em di / noun architecture sequencer of a parallel processor that uses a number MIDI sequencer / mdi si kwənsə/ of ALUs and memory devices in parallel noun 1. a piece of software that allows a to provide high speed processing. Full user to record, edit, add special effects and form multiple instruction stream – play back MIDI data through a synthesiser multiple data stream 2. a hardware device that records or plays MIME / em a em i / noun a standard back stored MIDI data that defines a way of sending files using MIDI setup map / mdi setp mp/ email software. Full form multipurpose Internet mail extensions noun a file that contains all the data refrom a controller or computer that instructs the different instruments to play notes.) MIDI channel /mdi tʃn(ə)l/ noun

MIDI time code

MIDI channel

mid-user

migrate



MIDI connector



migration

MIDI control-change message





milk disk

MIDI device



milking machine



MIDI file

millennium bug



MIDI interface card

MIDI Mapper

MIDI mapping

milli-

milliampere



MIDI program-change message

million instructions per second





MIDI sequence

millisecond



MIMD

MIDI sequencer

MIME

MIDI setup map

Computing.fm Page 217 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

COMMENT:

MIME allows a user to send files over the Internet to another user without having to carry out any other encoding or conversion actions. MIME was developed to get around a problem of many email systems that could only transmit text which is stored in a 7bit data format; programs, multimedia, graphics and other files are stored using an 8-bit data format.

217 MMU perceived distance of the scene from the viewer MIPS /mps/ noun a measure of processor speed that defines the number of instructions it can carry out per second. Full form million instructions per second. Compare megaflop MIPS

mini /mni/ noun same as minicomput-

‘ICL has staked its claim to the massively parallel market with the launch of the Goldrush MegaServer, providing up to 16,000 Unix MIPS of processing power.’ [Computing]

mini

er

mini- /mni/ prefix small miniaturisation, miniaturization mini-

mirror /mrə/ verb 1. to create an identi-

miniaturisation

mirror

noun the process of making something very small minicomputer /mnikəm pju tə/ noun a small computer with a greater range of instructions and processing power than a microcomputer but not able to compete with the speed or data-handling capacity of a mainframe computer. Also called mini minidisk /mnidsk/ noun a magnetic disk smaller than the 5.25 inch standard, usually 3.5 inch minifloppy /mni flɒpi/ noun a magnetic disk, usually of the 5.25 inch standard (NOTE: The plural is minifloppies.) minimal latency coding / mnməl letənsi kəυdŋ/ noun 쏡 optimum code minimal tree /mnm(ə)l tri / noun a tree whose nodes are organised in the optimum way, providing maximum efficiency minimise /mnmaz/, minimize verb 1. to make something as small as possible 쑗 We minimised costs by cutting down the number of components. 2. (in MS-Windows) to shrink an application window to an icon. Compare maximise (NOTE: minimises – minimising – minimised)

cal copy of something 2. to duplicate all disk operations onto a second disk drive that can be used if the first breaks down

minicomputer



minidisk

minifloppy



minimal latency coding

minimal tree

minimise

COMMENT: The

application can continue to run in the background. You minimise a window by clicking once on the down arrow in the top right hand corner.

miniwinny /mni wni/ noun a small miniwinny



Winchester hard disk (slang) (NOTE: The

plural is miniwinnies.) minmax /mnimks/ noun a method minmax

used in artificial intelligence to solve problems minuend /mnju end/ noun a number from which another is subtracted minus /manəs/, minus sign /manəs san/ noun a printed or written sign, like a small dash, to indicate subtraction or to show a negative value MIP mapping / em a pi mpŋ/ noun a method of calculating pixels within texture mapping to take into account the minuend

minus

MIP mapping

‘Network-attached storage systems which aim to make it easy to mirror data between units’ [The Guardian]

mirror site /mrə sat/ noun an exact mirror site

copy of a website kept on a different file server so that the main site does not become overloaded and its data is protected against loss if there is a hardware or software failure MIS abbr 1. management information service 2. management information system MISD / em a es di / noun architecture of a parallel computer that has a single ALU and data bus with a number of control units. Full form multiple instruction MIS

MISD

stream-single data stream

mission-critical / mʃ(ə)n krtk(ə)l/ mission-critical

adjective referring to an application or hardware on which a company depends MJPEG / em d'e pe/ noun a version of the JPEG image compression system that supports video. Full form motion JPEG MKDIR abbr make directory. 쏡 MD MMC / em em si / noun a compact memory expansion device that includes digital copyright control features and is often used in MP3 music players and digital cameras. Full form multimedia card. Also called SD card MMI / em em a/ noun hardware and software designed to make it easier for users to communicate effectively with a machine. Full form man-machine interface MMU / em em ju / noun a set of electronic logic circuits that generate the memory refresh signals and manage the mapping of virtual memory addresses to physical memory locations. Full form memory management unit (NOTE: The MMU is normally integrated into the processor chip.) MJPEG

MKDIR

MMC

MMI

MMU

Computing.fm Page 218 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

MMX 218 MMX a trade name for an enhanced Intel mode /məυd/ noun a way of doing processor chip that includes special feasomething tures and components that are used to im‘The approach being established by the Jedec committee provides for burst mode data transfer clocked prove the performance when dealing with at up to 100MHz.’ [Computing] multimedia and communications. Full Mode 1 /məυd wn/ noun an encoding form multimedia extensions format used on compact discs that has ermnemonic /nmɒnk/ noun a shortror-detection and -correction codes ened form of a word or function that is Mode 2 /məυd tu / noun an encoding helpful as a reminder, e.g. INCA for increformat with two forms, form 1, which is ment register A the same as Mode 1, and form 2, which remnemonic operation code /n quires no processing and allows data to be

mɒnk ɒpəreʃ(ə)n kəυd/ noun same sent straight to the output channel as assembler mnemonic model /mɒd(ə)l/ noun 1. a small copy MNP / em en pi / noun an error detecof something to show what it will look like tion and correction system developed by when finished 쑗 He showed us a model of Microcom Inc. used in modems and some the new computer centre building. 2. a communications software. Full form Mistyle, type or version of a product 쑗 The crocom Networking Protocol new model B has taken the place of model MNP 2–4 noun an error-correcting comA. 쐽 adjective which is a perfect example munications protocol developed by Microto be copied 쑗 a model agreement 쐽 verb com Inc. and adopted into the CCITT V.42 to make a computerised model of a new standard. product or of a system, e.g. the economic MNP 5 noun a communications standard system (NOTE: modelling – modelled. that provides data compression, providing The US spellings are modeling – modup to 2-to-1 compression, though averageled.) ing less modelling /mɒd(ə)lŋ/ noun the procMNP 10 noun an error correcting comess of creating computer models munications protocol that can transfer data modem /məυ dem/, MODEM noun a accurately even over poor-quality teledevice that allows data to be sent over telphone connections ephone lines by converting binary signals mobile phone / məυbal fəυn/ noun a from a computer into analog sound signals small, portable device that lets someone which can be transmitted over a telephone make and receive telephone calls. Also line. Full form modulator/demodulator called cellular phone ‘AST Research has bundled together a notebook PC MMX

mode

Mode 1

mnemonic



Mode 2

mnemonic operation code





model

MNP

MNP 2–4

MNP 5

modelling

MNP 10

modem



mobile phone

COMMENT: Older mobile phone standards transmitted the user’s voice as an analog radio signal; current phones convert the voice to digital data and transmit this via a radio signal. New mobile phones provide data and messaging services as well as basic telephone functions: some include built-in modems to provide dial-up access to the Internet, many allow text messages to be transmitted to other phone users and some incorporate an electronic diary, organiser and address book. Current mobile telephones transmit information using the GSM, PCS or GPRS standard and can provide basic Internet access using WAP and GPRS.

mock-up /mɒk p/ noun a model of a mock-up

new product for testing or to show to possible customers MOD /mɒd/ noun the remainder after the division of one number by another. Full form modulus modal /məυd(ə)l/ adjective 1. referring to modes 쑗 Dialog boxes are normally modal windows. 2. (in Windows) referring to a window that is displayed and does not allow a user to do anything outside it MOD

modal

with a third-party PCMCIA fax modem technology for a limited-period special offer.’ [Computing] COMMENT: The process of converting binary signals to analog is called ‘modulation’. When the signal is received, another converter reverses the process (called ‘demodulation’). Both parts must be working according to the same standards.

eliminator / məυdem  lmnetə/ noun a cable or device that allows two computers to communicate via their serial ports without using modems modem standards /məυdem

stndədz/ plural noun rules defining transmitting frequencies and other factors which allow different modems to communicate moderated list / mɒd(ə)rətd lst/, moderated mailing list noun a mailing list in which a moderator reads all the material that has been submitted before it is distributed to the users on the list modem modem eliminator



modem standards

moderated list

moderated moderated newsgroup

newsgroup

/ mɒd(ə)rətd nju zru p / noun a news-

Computing.fm Page 219 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

219 monitor group in which a moderator reads all the (NOTE: modulates – modulating – modulated) material that has been submitted before it is published in the newsgroup (NOTE: Most modulated signal / mɒdjυletd newsgroups are not moderated and anysn(ə)l/ noun a constant frequency and one can write anything. Moderated amplitude carrier signal that is used in a newsgroups usually have a -d after their modulated form to transmit data name.) modulating signal /mɒdjuletŋ moderator /mɒdə retə/ noun a person

sn(ə)l/ noun a signal to be transmitted responsible for reading messages sent to a that is used to modulate a carrier mailing list or newsgroup and editing any modulator /mɒdjυletə/ noun an elecmessages that do not conform to the rules tronic circuit that varies a carrier signal acof the list, e.g. by deleting commercial cording to an applied signal messages modulator/demodulator modification / mɒdfkeʃ(ə)n/ noun / mɒdjυletə di mɒdjυletə/ noun full form of modem a change made to something 쑗 The modifications to the system allow it to be run as module /mɒdju l/ noun 1. a small secpart of a LAN. tion of a large program that can, if required, function independently as a promodification loop / mɒdfkeʃ(ə)n gram in its own right 2. a self-contained lu p/ noun a set of instructions within a piece of hardware that can be connected loop that change other instructions or data with other modules to form a new system within a program 쑗 A multifunction analog interface module modified frequency modulation includes analog-to-digital and digital-to/ mɒdfad fri kwənsi mɒdjυleʃ(ə)n/ analog converters. noun full form of MFM modulo arithmetic /mɒdjuləυ ə modifier /mɒd faə/ noun a program rθmətk/ noun a branch of arithmetic ming instruction that alters the normal acthat uses the remainder of one number tion of a command when divided by another modify /mɒd fa/ verb to change modulo-N / mɒdjuləυ en/ noun modusomething or make something fit a differlo arithmetic using base N ent use 쑗 The keyboard was modified for modulo-N check / mɒdjuləυ en European users. (NOTE: modifies – moditʃek/ noun an error detection test using fying – modified) the remainder from a modulo arithmetic Modula-2 / mɒdjulə tu / noun a highoperation on data level programming language derived from modulus /mɒdjυləs/ noun full form of Pascal that supports modular programMOD ming techniques and data abstraction moiré effect /mwɑ re  fekt/ noun an modular /mɒdjυlə/ adjective referring interference pattern caused by printing to a method of constructing hardware or with the wrong screen angle software products by connecting several momentary switch /məυmənt(ə)ri smaller blocks together to produce a cusswtʃ/ noun a switch that only conducts tomised product while it is being pressed modularisation, modularization monadic Boolean operation /mɒ noun the process of designing programs

ndk bu liən ɒpəreʃ(ə)n/ noun a from a set of standard modules logical operation on only one word, such modularity / mɒdjυlrti/ noun the as NOT. Also called monadic operator state or fact of being made up from modmonadic operation /mɒ ndk ɒpə ules 쑗 The modularity of the software or reʃ(ə)n/ noun an operation that uses one hardware allows the system to be changed. operand to produce one result modular programming / mɒdjυlə monitor /mɒntə/ noun 1. a VDU used prəυrmŋ/ noun programming with to display high quality text or graphics, small individually written sections of comgenerated by a computer 2. a system that puter code that can be made to fit into a watches for faults or failures in a circuit 쐽 structured program and can be called up verb 1. to check or to examine how somefrom a main program thing is working 쑗 He is monitoring the modulate /mɒdjυ let/ verb to change progress of the trainee programmers. 2. to a carrier wave so that it can carry data look after and supervise a process or exmodulated signal

modulating signal

moderator



modulator

modulator/demodulator

modification





module

modification loop



modified frequency modulation

modulo arithmetic

modifier





modify



modulo-N

modulo-N check

Modula-2

modulus

moiré effect



modular

momentary switch

modularisation

monadic Boolean operation





modularity



monadic operation



modular programming

monitor

modulate





Computing.fm Page 220 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

monitor program 220 grated circuits using patterns of metal conperiment to make sure it is operating corductors and oxide deposited onto a semirectly 쑗 The machine monitors each signal conductor. Full form metal oxide semias it is sent out. conductor. 쒁 MOSFET monitor program /mɒntə mosaic /məυzek/ noun a display

prəυrm/ noun a computer program character used in videotext systems that is that allows basic commands. e.g. load a made up of small dots program or examine the state of devices, to be entered to operate a system. Mosaic /məυzek/ a trade name for a popular browser software used to view monitor unit /mɒntə ju nt/ noun webpages on the Internet same as VDU MOSFET /mɒsfet/ noun a high power mono- /mɒnəυ/ prefix single or one and high speed field effect transistor manmonoaural / mɒnəυɔ rəl/ adjective ufactured using MOS techniques. Full having one source of sound or one sound form metal oxide semiconductor field signal. Compare stereo effect transistor monochrome /mɒnəkrəυm/ adjecMOS memory / em əυ es mem(ə)ri/ tive, noun referring to an image in one colnoun a solid-state memory using MOSour, usually shades of grey and black and FETs to store binary data white most significant bit / məυst s monochrome display adapter

nfkənt bt/ noun full form of msb 쑗 / mɒnəkrəυm dsple ə dptə/ noun a The most significant bit in an eight bit bivideo adapter standard used in early PC nary word represents 128 in decimal notasystems that could display text in 25 lines tion. of 80 columns. Abbr MDA most significant digit, most signifimonochrome monitor / mɒnəkrəυm cant character noun full form of MSD mɒntə/ noun a computer monitor that motherboard /mðəbɔ d/ noun the displays text and graphics in black, white main printed circuit board of a system, and shades of grey instead of colours containing most of the components and monolithic driver /mɒnə lθk connections for expansion boards and othdravə/ noun a piece of driver software er features that has a range of different functions or motion JPEG / məυʃ(ə)n d'e pe/ applications within one program noun full form of MJPEG monomode fibre /mɒnəυməυd motion picture experts group

fabə/ noun same as single mode fibre / məυʃ(ə)n pktʃə eksp ts ru p/ monoprogramming system noun full form of MPEG /mɒnəυ prəυrmŋ sstəm/ noun a Motorola / məυtərəυlə/ a company computer batch processing system that exthat designs and makes the 68000 range of ecutes one program at a time. Compare processors that were used in the original multi-programming system Apple Mac computers. Its latest processor monospaced /mɒnəυspest/ adjecis the PowerPC chip that is used in worktive referring to a font in which each charstations and newer Apple Mac computers. acter has the same width. Compare proCompare Intel portionally spaced mount /maυnt/ verb 1. to fix a device or monospaced font / mɒnəυspest circuit onto a base 쑗 The chips are mountfɒnt/ noun a font in which each character ed in sockets on the PCB. 2. to insert a disk has the same width, making it easy to align in a disk drive or inform an operating systables and columns 쑗 In Windows, the tem that a disk drive is ready to be used monospaced font is called Courier. mouse /maυs/ noun a small hand-held Monte Carlo method / mɒnti kɑ ləυ input device moved on a flat surface to

meθəd/ noun a statistical analysis techcontrol the position of a cursor on the nique screen (NOTE: The plural is mouses or morphing /mɔ fŋ/ noun a special efmice.) fect used in multimedia and games in ‘This project has now borne fruit, with the announcewhich one image gradually turns into anment last week of Windots, a project which allows users to ‘see’ Windows screens in a Braille form of other Ascii. Other areas of research include a sound sysMOS / em əυ es/ noun a production and tem which allows a sound to ‘move’, mirroring the design method for a certain family of intemovement of a mouse.’ [Computing] monitor program

mosaic



Mosaic



monitor unit

MOSFET

mono-

monoaural



monochrome

MOS memory

most significant bit

monochrome display adapter







most significant digit

monochrome monitor

motherboard

monolithic driver



motion JPEG

monomode fibre

motion picture experts group

monoprogramming system



Motorola



monospaced

mount

monospaced font

mouse

Monte Carlo method

morphing

MOS

Computing.fm Page 221 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

221 MPEG audio level 3 mouse acceleration /maυs ək selə Moving Pictures Expert Group mouse acceleration

Moving Pictures Expert Group





reʃ(ə)n/ noun a feature of some mouse driver software that will move the mouse pointer at different speeds according to the speed at which you move the mouse rather than the distance mouse-driven /maυs drv(ə)n/ adjective referring to software which uses a mouse rather than a keyboard for input mouse driver /maυs dravə/ noun a program which converts positional data sent from a mouse to a standard form of coordinates that can be used by any software mouse pointer /maυs pɔntə/ noun a small arrow displayed on screen that moves around as the mouse is moved mouse sensitivity /maυs sensə tvəti/ noun the ratio of how far the pointer moves on screen in relation to the distance you move the mouse (NOTE: High mouse-driven

mouse driver

mouse pointer

mouse sensitivity



mouse sensitivity means that a small movement of the mouse results in a small movement of the pointer.) mouse tracking /maυs trkŋ/ noun inverse of mouse sensitivity (NOTE: High mouse tracking means that a small movement of the mouse results in a large movement of the pointer.) M out of N code / em aυt əv en

kəυd/ noun a coding system providing

/ mu vŋ pktʃəs eksp t ru p/ noun full form of MPEG MP3 / em pi θri / noun a way of encodMP3

ing digital audio data into a compressed data format that is approximately one twelfth the size of the original without perceptible loss of quality. MP3 files (that normally have the file name extension ‘MP3’) are now one of the most popular ways of storing and distributing music over the Internet. Because MP3 files are compact and easy to copy, they are relatively quick to download and very easy to distribute – which is causing problems for the original artists who are trying to protect their copyright material. Once you have an MP3 file you can listen to it by opening it and playing it with special software on your computer or by transferring it to a dedicated pocket-sized device that stores the file in its memory, has no moving parts and but can play back CD-quality music. Full form MPEG audio level 3

mouse tracking

COMMENT: MP3 files, which usually have the file name extension MP3, are now one of the most popular ways of storing and distributing music over the Internet. Because MP3 files are compact and easy to copy, they are relatively quick to download and very easy to distribute, which is causing problems for the original artists who are trying to protect their copyright material. Once you have an MP3 file you can listen to it by opening it and playing it with special software on your computer or by transferring it to a dedicated pocket-sized device that stores the file in its memory, and has no moving parts but that can play back CDquality music

M out of N code

error detection on the basis that each valid character which is N bits long must contain M binary ‘one’ bits movable /mu vəb(ə)l/ adjective which can be moved movable head disk / mu vəb(ə)l hed dsk/ noun a magnetic disk head assembly that moves across the disk until the required track is reached move /mu v/ verb to change the position of something move block /mu v blɒk/ noun a command which changes the place of a block of text identified by block markers movement /mu vmənt/ noun the act of changing position or of changing the position of something movement file /mu vmənt fal/ noun a file which continues recent changes or transactions to records, which is then used to update a master file movie file /mu vi fal/ noun a file stored on disk that contains a series of images that make up an animation or video clip movable

movable head disk

move

move block

movement

movement file

movie file

MPC / em pi si / noun an outdated set of minimum requirements for a PC that will allow it to run most multimedia software. Full form multimedia PC MPEG /em pe/ noun a group of developers that have defined a series of standards to improve audio and video quality but at the same time increase data compression so that the audio or video information takes less space but retains its quality. Full form moving pictures expert group. 쒁 JPEG (NOTE: MPEG is often MPC

MPEG

used to compress video clips and its derivative standard MP3 provides one of the most popular ways of compressing and storing audio information, while JPEG provides a popular way to store compressed still images.) MPEG audio level 3 / em pe ɔ diəυ

lev(ə)l θri / noun full form of MP3 MPEG audio level 3

Computing.fm Page 222 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

MPPP 222 will operate between failures. Full form MPPP / em pi pi pi / noun communimean time between failures cations protocol used with ISDN to link the two B-channels in a standard ISDN MTC / em ti si / noun a system of mesadapter to create a transmission channel sages used to synchronise MIDI sequences that can transfer data at a higher speed. with an external device, e.g. an SMPTE Full form multi-link point to point protime code. Full form MIDI time code tocol MTF / em ti ef/ noun the average period MPS abbr microprocessor system of time for which a device will operate, MPU abbr microprocessor unit usually continuously, before failing. Full form mean time to failure ms abbr millisecond MUA / em ju e/ noun software used to msb / em es bi /, MSB noun a bit in a create and read email messages that creword that represents the greatest value or ates a message in the correct format and weight, usually the bit furthest to the left. standard and passes this to the mail transFull form most significant bit fer agent that is responsible for transferMSCDEX / em es si di eks/ noun ring the message over the network. Full driver software installed on a PC to allow form mail user agent DOS and Windows to control a CD-ROM MUD / em ti e/ noun 1. a virtual online drive. Full form Microsoft Compact space in which several people can particiDisc Extensions pate in collaborative projects at the same MSD / em es di / noun the digit at the far time. Full form multiuser domain 2. an left of a number, which represents the adventure game played by multiple users greatest power of the base. Full form most over the Internet. Full form multiuser significant digit dungeon MS-DOS / em es dɒs/ a trade name for multi- /mlti/ prefix many or more than an operating system for the IBM PC range one of personal computers that managed data multi-access system / mlt kses storage onto disks, display output and user sstəm/ noun a computer system that alinput. Windows supports MS-DOS prolows several users to access one file or programs through the Command Prompt, gram at the same time. Also called multiwhich emulates MS-DOS. Full form MiMPPP

MTC

MTF

MPS

MPU

ms

msb

MUA

MSCDEX

MUD

MSD

MS-DOS

multi-

multi-access system

crosoft DOS (NOTE: MS-DOS is a singleuser, single-tasking operating system that is controlled by a command-line interface.) MSF time format / em es ef ta

fɔ mt/ noun a time format that counts MSF time format

frames per second used by MCI, usually used by CD-audio devices, in which there are 75 frames per second MSI abbr medium scale integration MSN a trade name for an Internet portal. Full form Microsoft Network MS-Windows / em es wndəυz/ same as Windows MSX / em es eks/ noun a hardware and software standard for home computers that can use interchangeable software MTA / em ti e/ noun software that temporarily stores a new email message and then sends it to its correct destination. Full form message transfer agent (NOTE: In MSI

MSN

MS-Windows

MSX

MTA

some email software applications, there are several message transfer agents, one for each type of delivery method such as Internet, fax or LAN.) MTBF / em ti bi ef/ noun the average MTBF

period of time that a piece of equipment

ple access system

multi-address / mlt ədres/, multimulti-address



address instruction / mlt ə dres n strkʃən/ noun an instruction that con



tains more than one address of data , locations or input/output

multibank dynamic random access memory / mltbŋk da multibank dynamic random access memory



nmk rndəm kses mem(ə)ri/ noun full form of MDRAM multi-board computer / mlt bɔ d kəmpju tə/ noun a computer which has several integrated circuit boards connected with a motherboard multibus system / mltbs sstəm/, multibus architecture / mltbs ɑ ktektʃə/ noun computer architecture that uses a high speed bus between CPU and main memory and a slower bus between CPU and other peripherals. Also called multiple bus system, multiple multi-board computer



multibus system

bus architecture multicast /mltikɑ st/ verb to transmit multicast

one message to a group of recipients

COMMENT: This could be as simple as sending an email message to a list of email addresses or posting a message to a mailing list. It can also refer to more complex transfers such as

Computing.fm Page 223 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

223 multimode fibre provides many features to upgrade a computer multifunction workstation / mltfnkʃ(ə)n w k steʃ(ə)n/ noun a workstation where several tasks can be carried out multilayer / mltileə/ adjective referring to a printed circuit board that has sevmulticast packet / ltkɑ st pkt/ eral layers or interconnecting conduction noun a data packet that is sent to a selected tracks set of network addresses, as opposed to a multilevel / mltilev(ə)l/ adjective rebroadcast packet, which is sent to all staferring to a signal with a number of possitions in a network ble values multichannel / mltitʃn(ə)l/ adjecmultiline adjective in a text box, refertive with more than one channel ring to a display of text broken into several multicolour / mltiklə/ adjective lines rather than as a single continuous with several colours line. Also called multiple line multicolour graphics adapter multi-link point to point protocol / mltiklə rfks ə dptə/ noun full / mlti lŋk pɔnt tə pɔnt pəυtəkɒl/ form of MCGA noun full form of MPPP multidimensional / mltida multilink system /mltlŋk sstəm/ menʃən(ə)l/ adjective with features in noun a system in which there is more than more than one dimension one connection between two points multidimensional array multimedia / mltimi diə/ adjective / mltdamenʃ(ə)n(ə)l ə re/ noun a combining sound, graphics, animation, number of arrays arranged in parallel, provideo and text within an application viding depth ‘The Oracle Media Server is a multimedia database designed to run on massively parallel computers, multidimensional language running hundreds of transactions per second and / mltdamenʃ(ə)n(ə)l lŋwd'/ managing multiple data types, such as video, audio noun a programming language that can be and text.’ [Computing] represented in a number of ways multimedia card / mltimi diə kɑ d/ multi-disk / mlt dsk/ adjective renoun full form of MMC ferring to several types of disk multimedia developer’s kit multi-disk option /mlt dsk / mltimi diə dveləpəz kt/ noun full

ɒpʃ(ə)n/ noun a system that can have form of MDK disk drives installed in a number of sizes multimedia extensions / mlti multi-disk reader / mlt dsk ri də/ mi diə kstenʃ(ə)nz/ plural noun full noun a device which can read from various form of MMX sizes and formats of disk multimedia Internet mail extenmultidrop circuit /mltdrɒp s kt/ sions / mltimi diə ntənet mel k noun a network allowing communications

stenʃ(ə)nz/ noun full form of MIME between a number of terminals and a cenmultimedia PC / mltimi diə pi si / tral computer, but not directly between ternoun full form of MPC minals multimedia-ready / mltimi diə MultiFinder /mltifandə/ noun a verredi/ adjective referring to a PC that has sion of Apple Macintosh Finder that supall the extra equipment requirement to run ports multitasking most multimedia software multifrequency monitor multimode fibre / mltməυd fabə/ / mltifri kwənsi mɒntə/ noun same as noun a commonly used type of optic fibre multisync monitor that uses a glass fibre with a diameter of multifunction, multifunctional adjecbetween 50 and 125 microns and can carry tive which has several functions 쑗 A mulseveral different frequencies of light with a tifunction analog interface module inmaximum bandwidth of 2.5 Gbps (NOTE: cludes analog to digital and digital to anThe disadvantage is that because the fialog converters. bre is wide, the light disperses quickly and so repeaters need to be installed to multifunction card / mltfnkʃ(ə)n boost the signal.) kɑ d/ noun an add-on circuit board that a teleconference or videoconference in which several users link together by telephone or video link. A broadcast, in comparison, refers to the process of sending a message to anyone who could receive the message rather than a select group of recipients. Narrowcasting is very similar in concept to a multicasting, but is normally used to refer to the concept, whereas multicasting refers to the technology used.

multifunction workstation



multilayer



multicast packet

multilevel



multichannel

multiline



multicolour



multicolour graphics adapter

multi-link point to point protocol



multidimensional

multilink system



multidimensional array

multimedia





multidimensional language

multimedia card

multi-disk

multimedia developer’s kit

multi-disk option



multimedia extensions

multi-disk reader



multimedia Internet mail extensions

multidrop circuit



multimedia PC

multimedia-ready

MultiFinder

multifrequency monitor

multimode fibre

multifunction

multifunction card

Computing.fm Page 224 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

multipass overlap 224 one number to itself a number of times 쑗 multipass overlap / mltpɑ s The multiplication of 5 and 3 = 15. əυvəlp/ noun a system of producing higher quality print from a dot matrix multiplication sign / mltpl printer by repeating the line of characters keʃ(ə)n san/ noun a printed or written but shifted slightly, so making the dots less sign (x) used to show that numbers are noticeable multiplied multiphase program / mltfez multiplier /mltplaə/ noun a number prəυrm/ noun a program that requires which multiplies a multiplicand more than one fetch operation before exemultiply /mlt pla/ verb to perform cution is complete the mathematical operation of multiplicamulti platform / mlt plt fɔ m/ adtion (NOTE: multiplies – multiplying – muljective referring to software that can run tiplied) on several different hardware platforms multipoint /mltipɔnt/ adjective remultiple /mltp(ə)l/ adjective having ferring to a connection with several lines, many parts attaching several terminals to a single line multiple access system / mltp(ə)l to a single computer kses sstəm/ noun same as multi-acmultiprecision / mltiprs'(ə)n/ cess system noun the use of more than one data word multiple address code / mltp(ə)l ə to represent numbers, increasing the range dres kəυd/ noun an instruction with or precision possible more than one address for the operands, multiprocessing system / mlt result and the location of the next instrucprəυsesŋ sstəm/ noun a system where tion to be executed several processing units work together multiple base page / mltp(ə)l bes sharing the same memory ped'/ noun a multi-user system in which multiprocessor /mlti prəυsesə/ each user and the operating system have noun a number of processing units acting one page of main memory, which can then together or separately but sharing the same call up other pages within main memory area of memory multiple instruction stream-multimultiprocessor interleaving ple data stream / mltp(ə)l n / mltprəυsesə ntəli vŋ/ noun an

strkʃən stri m mltp(ə)l detə operation in which each processor in a

stri m/ noun full form of MIMD multiprocessor system deals with a section multiple instruction stream-single of one or more processes data stream / mltp(ə)l n strkʃən multi-programming system / mlt

stri m sŋ(ə)l detə stri m/ noun full prəυrmŋ sstəm/ noun an operating form of MISD system used to execute more than one promultiple line adjective same as multigram apparently simultaneously, each proline gram being executed a little at a time. Compare monoprogramming system multiple precision / mltp(ə)l pr s'(ə)n/ noun the use of more than one multipurpose Internet mail extenbyte of data for number storage to increase sions / mltip pəs ntənet mel k possible precision

stenʃ(ə)nz/ noun full form of MIME multiplex /mltpleks/ verb to commulti-scan monitor / mlt skn bine several messages in the same transmɒntə/ noun same as multisync monimission medium tor multiplexed bus / mltpleksd bs/ multisession-compatible noun one bus used to carry address, data / mltseʃ(ə)n kəmptb(ə)l/ adjective and control signals at different times referring to a CD-ROM drive that can read PhotoCD discs or other discs that have multiplexor /mltpleksə/ noun full been created in several goes form of MUX 쑗 A 4 to 1 multiplexor combines four inputs into a single output. multi statement line / mlt

stetmənt lan/ noun a line from a commultiplicand / mltiplknd/ noun a puter program that contains more than one number which is multiplied by another instruction or statement number, the multiplier multiplication / mltplkeʃ(ə)n/ multistation access unit noun a mathematical operation that adds / mltisteʃ(ə)n kses ju nt/ noun a multipass overlap

multiplication sign



multiphase program

multiplier

multiply



multi platform



multipoint

multiple

multiple access system

multiprecision



multiple address code



multiprocessing system



multiple base page

multiprocessor



multiple instruction stream-multiple data stream

multiprocessor interleaving





multiple instruction stream-single data stream

multi-programming system



multiple line

multiple precision



multipurpose Internet mail extensions



multiplex

multi-scan monitor

multiplexed bus

multisession-compatible



multiplexor

multi statement line

multiplicand



multiplication

multistation access unit



Computing.fm Page 225 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

225 My Computer central hub used to connect together cables multiuser program / mltiju zə in a Token Ring network. Abbr MAU prərm/ noun a software diary utility that allows many users to enter appointmultisync monitor /mlt sŋk ments and schedule meetings with other mɒntə/ noun a monitor which contains users. Also called network calendar procircuitry to lock onto the required scangram ning frequency of any type of graphics multiuser system / mltiju zə card 쑗 If you want to plug a monitor into sstəm/ noun a computer system that can PCs with VGA, EGA and MDA adapters, support more than one user at a time 쑗 The you’ll need a multisync monitor. Also program runs on a standalone machine or called multifrequency monitor, multia multi-user system. scan monitor multi-window editor / mlti wndəυ multitasking /mlti tɑ skŋ/ noun the edtə/ noun a program used for creating ability of a computer system to run two or and editing a number of applications promore programs at the same time 쑗 The sysgrams independently, each in a separate tem is multi-user and multi-tasking. window on screen at the same time ‘X is the underlying technology which allows Unix Murray code /mri kəυd/ noun a applications to run under a multi-user, multitasking code used for teleprinters that uses only 5 GUI. It has been adopted as the standard for the bits Common Open Software Environment, proposed remultiuser program

multisync monitor



multiuser system

multi-window editor

multitasking



Murray code

cently by top Unix vendors including Digital, IBM and Sun.’ [Computing] COMMENT: Few small systems are capable of simultaneous multitasking, since each program would require its own processor. This is overcome by allocating to each program an amount of processing time, executing each a little at a time so that they will appear to run simultaneously due to the speed of the processor and the relatively short gaps between programs.

musical instrument digital interface / mju zk(ə)l

nstrυmənt musical instrument digital interface

dd't(ə)l ntəfes/ noun full form of MIDI

music chip /mju zk tʃp/ noun an inmusic chip

terminal system / mlt

t mn(ə)l sstəm/ noun a system where several terminals are linked to a single CPU multithread /mltiθred/ noun a program design using more than one logical path through it, each path being concurrently executed multiuser domain / mltiju zə də men/ noun full form of MUD multiuser dungeon / mltiju zə dnd'ən/ noun full form of MUD multi

multi terminal system

multithread

multiuser domain



multiuser dungeon

tegrated circuit capable of generating musical sounds and tunes MUX / em ju eks/ noun a circuit that combines a number of inputs into a smaller number of outputs. Full form multiplexor. Compare demultiplexor MX record / em eks rekɔ d/ noun same as mail exchange record 쑗 Mail sent to ‘smith&pcp.co.uk’ will be sent to the ‘pcp.co.uk’ server by the MX record, the local server then has to send the message to the user ‘smith’. My Computer / ma kəmpju tə/ noun an icon that is normally in the upper lefthand corner of the screen on a computer running Windows, containing an overview of the PC MUX

MX record

My Computer



Computing.fm Page 226 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

N n abbr nanoNAK abbr negative acknowledgement name /nem/ noun an ordinary word n

NAK



used to identify an address in machine language name registration /nem red' streʃ(ə)n/ noun same as domain name name registration



registration

resolution /nem rezə lu ʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of converting a domain name into its numerical IP address name server /nem s və/ noun a computer on the Internet that provides a domain name service to any other computer namespace /nemspes/ noun a group of unique names (NOTE: In a small office name

spond to impulses within nanoseconds. Also called nanosecond circuit nanosecond /nnəυ sekənd/ noun one thousand millionth of a second nanosecond circuit /nnəυ sekənd

s kt/ noun same as nanocircuit Napster /npstə/ a trade name for software that allows users to share files, normally MP3-format music files, over the Internet nanosecond

name

name resolution



nanosecond circuit



Napster

COMMENT: Napster was originally used to distribute and share MP3 files with a personal recording of a commercial artist in an efficient way. The software, developed by Shawn Fanning, allowed anyone to download music from any another Napster user’s computer. Once installed, the free software searches your hard disk for any MP3 music files, then allows other Napster users online to access these files from your hard disk, via the Internet. Because it allows music to be copied and shared very easily, Napster has become unpopular with the recording and music industry and was the subject of a legal case enforcing copyright over the Internet.

name server

namespace

network the namespace might include 20 users; in the Internet the namespace runs into hundreds of millions.) name table /nem teb(ə)l/ noun a list name table

of reserved words or commands in a language and the addresses in the computer that refer to them naming services /nemŋ s vsz/ noun a method of assigning each user or node or computer on a network a unique name that allows other users to access shared resources even over a wide area network NAND function /nnd fŋkʃ(ə)n/ noun a logical function whose output is false if all inputs are true, and true if any input is false naming services

NAND function

COMMENT: The NAND function is equivalent to an AND function with a NOT function at the output. The output is 0 only if both inputs are 1; if one input is 1 and the other 0, or if both inputs are 0, then the output is 1.

NAND gate /nnd et/ noun an elecNAND gate

tronic circuit that provides a NAND function nano- /nnəυ/ prefix one thousand millionth. Abbr n nanocircuit /nnəυ s kt/ noun a set of electronic and logic circuits that can renano-

nanocircuit



narrative /nrətv/ noun a set of explanatory notes or comments to help a user operate a program narrative statement /nrətv

stetmənt/ noun a statement which sets variables and allocates storage at the start of a program narrow band ISDN / nrəυ bnd a es di en/ noun the ISDN communications system narrowcast /nrəυkɑ st/ verb same as multicast NAT / en e ti / noun a system that allows a local area network to work with two sets of IP addresses for each computer or node in the network. Full form network narrative

narrative statement

narrow band ISDN

narrowcast

NAT

address translation COMMENT: The first set of addresses is used for internal traffic and the second set (often just one or two addresses) is used for external traffic, for example when accessing resources on the public Internet via a router. This system provides basic security against external attacks, for example using IP spoofing. Its main purpose is that it allows the local area network

Computing.fm Page 227 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

to use as many IP addresses as are required, but only using a minimal number of public IP addresses, which must be registered and allocated by an organisation such as InterNIC.

227 NEQ chemicals and used in multipart forms. Full form no carbon required paper

National Center for Supercomputing Applications / nʃ(ə)nəl sentə National Center for Supercomputing Applications

fə su pəkəm pju tŋ plkeʃ(ə)nz/ noun full form of NCSA 

National Television System Committee / nʃ(ə)nəl telv'(ə)n sstəm National Television System Committee



kə mti/ noun full form of NTSC native compiler / netv kəmpalə/ noun a compiler that produces code that will run on the same system on which it is running (NOTE: A cross-compiler produc

native compiler



es code that will run on another hardware platform.) native file format / netv fal

fɔ mt/ noun a default file format, usualnative file format

ly proprietary, that is used by an application to store its data on disk native format / netv fɔ mt/ noun the first or basic format native language / netv lŋwd'/ noun a computer language that can be executed by a processor without the need for any special software, usually the processor’s machine code native format

native language

(NOTE: When NCR paper is printed on by an impact printer, the writing also appears on the sheets below.) NCSA / en si es e/ noun an organisaNCSA

tion that helped define and create the World Wide Web with its Mosaic web browser. Full form National Center for

Supercomputing Applications NDIS / en di e es/ noun a standard NDIS

command interface, defined by Microsoft, between network driver software and NICs. Full form network driver interface specification

NDR / en di ɑ / noun a display system NDR

that continues to display previous characters when new ones are displayed. Full form non destructive readout NEAR /nə/ noun a binary operator used in searches of computer text that returns true if it finds two words within a specified distance of each other within the text, and false otherwise needle /ni d(ə)l/ noun a tiny metal pin on a dot matrix printer which prints one of the dots negate /net/ verb to reverse the sign of a number 쑗 If you negate 23.4 the result is –23.4. (NOTE: negates – negating – neNEAR

needle

negate

natural binary coded decimal natural binary coded decimal

/ ntʃ(ə)rəl

banəri

kəυdd desm(ə)l/ noun a representation of sin-



gle decimal digits as a pattern of 4 bits. Abbr NBCD natural language / ntʃ(ə)rəl lŋwd'/ noun a language that is used or understood by humans 쑗 The expert system can be programmed in a natural language.

gated)

natural

NOT gate

natural language

natural language processing

language

processing

/ ntʃ(ə)rəl lŋwd' prəυsesŋ/ noun the use of artificial intelligence to

process ordinary human languages, e.g. in machine translation navigable /nvəb(ə)l/ adjective referring to a website that has been designed in such a way that the user can move from one section of the site to another by clicking on highlighted computer links navigation / nveʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of moving around a multimedia title using hotspots, buttons and a user interface NBCD abbr natural binary coded decimal NC abbr 1. network computer 2. numerical control NCR paper / en si ɑ pepə/ noun a special type of paper impregnated with navigable

navigation



NBCD

NC

NCR paper

negation /neʃ(ə)n/ noun the reversnegation



ing of the sign of a number, e.g. from 5 to –5 negation gate /neʃ(ə)n et/ noun a single input gate whose output is equal to the logical inverse of the input. Also called negation gate



negative /neətv/ adjective meaning negative

‘no’

negative

acknowledgement

negative acknowledgement

/ neətv əknɒld'mənt/ noun a signal 

sent by a receiver to indicate that data has been incorrectly or incompletely received. Abbr NAK negative number / neətv nmbə/ noun a number which represents the number subtracted from zero, indicated by a minus sign in front of the number negative-true logic / neətv tru

lɒd'k/ noun the use of a lower voltage level to represent binary 1 than for binary 0 neither-nor function / naðə nɔ r

fŋkʃ(ə)n/ noun a logical function whose output is false if any input is true NEQ abbr nonequivalence function negative number

negative-true logic

neither-nor function

NEQ

Computing.fm Page 228 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

NEQ funcfunction 228 NetShow /netshəυ/ a system develNEQ function /nek fŋkʃ(ə)n/ noun oped by Microsoft to provide audio and a logical function in which the output is video delivery over the Internet without intrue if the inputs are not the same, otherterruption or glitches in the video sewise the output is false quence NEQ gate /nek et/ noun an electronic NetView /netvju / a trade name for a implementation of a nonequivalence funcnetwork management architecture develtion oped by IBM nerd /n d/ noun a person who is obNetWare /netweə/ a trade name for a sessed with computers and rarely talks or network operating system, developed by thinks about anything that is not technoNovell, that runs on a range of hardware logically exciting (slang) platforms and supports file and print sharnest /nest/ verb 1. to insert a subroutine ing and client-server applications within a program or another routine 2. to NetWare Loadable Module use a routine that calls itself recursively / netweə ləυdəb(ə)l mɒdju l/ a trade nested loop / nestd lu p/ noun a loop name for an application that can run under inside another loop in the same program the NetWare operating system nested macro call / nestd mkrəυ network /netw k/ noun a system

kɔ l/ noun a macro called from within anmade of a number of points or circuits that other macro are interconnected 쐽 verb to link points together in a network 쑗 They run a system of nested structure /nestd strktʃə/ networked micros. noun a section of a program in which one ‘Asante Technologies has expanded its range of control loop or subroutine is used within Ethernet-to-LocalTalk converters with the release of another AsantePrint 8, which connects up to eight LocalTalk nesting level /nestŋ lev(ə)l/ noun a printers, or other LocalTalk devices, to a high-speed Ethernet network.’ [Computing] number of subroutines within a subroutine network adapter /netw k ə dptə/ nesting store / nestŋ stɔ / noun a noun same as NIC hardware stack (NOTE: Usually stacks are network address /netw k ə dres/ implemented with software.) noun a part of an IP address that defines NetBEUI /net bju i/ noun an extended the main network on which the domain is version of the NetBIOS network protocol located (NOTE: For class A networks this developed by Microsoft, which cannot be is the first byte of the address, for class B routed in a network. Full form NetBIOS NEQ funcfunction

NetShow

NEQ gate

NetView

nerd

NetWare

nest

NetWare Loadable Module

nested loop

nested macro call

network

nested structure

nesting level

network adapter

nesting store



network address



NetBEUI

Extended User Interface NetBIOS /net baɒs/ noun a commonNetBIOS

ly used standard set of commands, originally developed by IBM, that allow application programs to carry out basic operations such as file sharing and transferring data between nodes over a network 쑗 This software uses NetBIOS calls to manage file sharing. Full form Network Basic In-

put Output System netiquette /netket/ noun a set of unnetiquette

official rules that define good manners on the Internet netphone /netfəυn/ noun a phone that uses the Internet to make connections and carry voice messages NetScape /netskep/ a software company that develops Internet applications Netscape Navigator / netskep nvetə/ a trade name for one of the most popular web browsers that provides many features including a news reader and that supports Java applets netphone

NetScape

Netscape Navigator

networks it is the first two bytes and for class C networks it is the first three bytes. The rest of the IP address forms the host address.)

network

address

network address translation

translation

/ netw k ə dres trns leʃ(ə)n/ noun full form of NAT (see) network administrator / netw k əd mnstretə/ noun a person who is re



network administrator



sponsible for looking after a network, with responsibilities including installing, configuring and maintaining the network network alert / netw k əl t/ noun a message sent from the network operating system to the user warning that the network hardware is not working properly network analysis /netw k ə

nləss/ noun the study of messages, destinations and routes in a network to provide a better operation network architecture / netw k ɑ ktektʃə/ noun the way in which a network is constructed, e.g. layers in an OSI system network alert



network analysis



network architecture

Computing.fm Page 229 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

229 network printer Network Basic Input Output Sysnetworking /netw kŋ/ noun 1. the tem / netw k besk npυt aυtpυt working or organisation of a network 2.

sstəm/ noun full form of NetBIOS the process of interconnecting two or more computers either in the same room or difnetwork computer / netw k kəm ferent buildings, in the same town or difpju tə/ noun a computer that is designed ferent towns, allowing them to exchange to run Java programs and access informainformation tion using a web browser. Abbr NC network computer

networking

network computer



COMMENT: Networking allows a machine with a floppy disk drive to use another PC’s hard disk when both machines are linked by a cable and are using networking software.

COMMENT: The network computer has a small desktop box that does not have a floppy disk drive. Instead it downloads any software it requires from a central server. Network computers are simpler and cheaper than current PCs and Apple Mac computers, and are designed to be easier to manage in a large company.

network controller / netw k kən

networking hardware / netw kŋ networking hardware

network controller



trəυlə/ noun a network user responsible for allocating disk space, answering queries and solving problems from other users of the same network network control program / netw k kəntrəυl prəυrm/ noun a piece of software that regulates the flow of and channels for data transmitted in a network network database / netw k detəbes/ noun a database structure in which data items can be linked together network device driver / net w k d vas dravə/ noun a piece of software which controls and manages a n NIC to ensure that it functions correctly with other hardware and software in the computer network diagram / netw k daərm/ noun a graphical representation of the interconnections between points in a network network directory / netw k da rekt(ə)ri/ noun a directory that is stored on a disk drive on another computer in the network but can be accessed by anyone on the network network drive /netw k drav/ noun a disk drive that is part of another computer on a network but can be used by anyone on the network network control program



network database

network device driver





network diagram

network directory



network drive

network driver interface specification / netw k dravə ntəfes network driver interface specification

spesfkeʃ(ə)n/ noun full form of NDIS network file system / netw k fal

sstəm/ noun a network protocol developed by Sun Microsystems that allows a computer to share its local disk drives with other users on a network and is now used as a standard across most of the Internet. Abbr NFS network hardware / netw k hɑ dweə/ noun same as networking network file system

network hardware

hardware

hɑ dweə/ noun the physical links, computers and control equipment that make up a network. Also called network hard-

ware

networking software / netw kŋ networking software

sɒftweə/ noun software that is used to establish the link between a user’s program and the network. Also called net-

work software

networking specialist /netw kŋ networking specialist

speʃəlst/ noun a company or person who specialises in designing and setting up networks 쑗 This computer firm is a UK networking specialist. network interface card / netw k ntəfes kɑ d/ noun full form of NIC network interface card

network-intrinsic network-intrinsic application

application

/ netw k ntrnsk plkeʃ(ə)n/ noun an application that makes use of a 

network and its shared resources

network layer /netw k leə/ noun network layer

the third ISO/OSI layer that decides on the route to be used to send a packet of data network management / netw k mnd'mənt/ noun the organisation, planning, running and upkeep of a network Network Neighborhood / netw k nebəhυd/ noun a Windows 95 utility that allows you to view and manage connections to your computer network management

Network Neighborhood

network news transfer protocol network news transfer protocol

/ netw k nju z trnsf prəυtəkɒl/ noun full form of NNTP

network network operating system

operating

system

/ netw k ɒpəretŋ sstəm/ noun an

operating system running on a server computer, usually a dedicated one, that controls access to the network resources, managing network links, printing and users. Abbr NOS network printer / netw k prntə/ noun a printer attached to a server or workstation that can be used by any user connected to the network network printer

Computing.fm Page 230 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

network processor 230 network processor / netw k new line character / nju lan prəυsesə/ noun a signal multiplexor con krktə/ noun a character that moves a trolled by a microprocessor in a network cursor or printhead to the beginning of the next line network protocol / netw k prəυtəkɒl/ noun a set of handshaking newsgroup /nju z ru p/ noun a feasignals that defines how a workstation ture of the Internet that provides free-forsends data over a network without clashall discussion forums ing with other data transmissions news reader /nju z ri də/ noun a piece of software that allows a user to view network redundancy / netw k r dndənsi/ noun the existence of extra the list of newsgroups and read the articles links between points allowing continued posted in each group or submit a new artioperation in the event of one point failing cle newswire /nju zwaə/ noun an Internetwork server / netw k s və/ net service providing the latest informanoun a computer which runs a network option on current events erating system and controls the basic network operations (NOTE: All the workstanew technology /nju teknɒləd'i/ tions in a LAN are connected to the cennoun electronic instruments which have tral network server and users log onto a recently been developed network server,) Newton /nju tən/ a trade name for a network software / netw k range of PDAs developed by the Apple sɒftweə/ noun same as networking Computer Corporation software next instruction register / nekst n network structure / netw k strkʃən red'stə/ noun a register in a strktʃə/ noun a data structure which alCPU that contains the location where the lows each node to be connected to any of next instruction to be executed is stored the others nexus /neksəs/ noun a connection point network time protocol / netw k between units in a network tam prəυtəkɒl/ noun a protocol which NFS abbr network file system provides an accurate time signal to comnibble /nb(ə)l/ noun another spelling of puters on the Internet based on an atomic nybble clock, allowing local computers to synNIC / en a si / noun an add-in board that chronise their clocks. Abbr NTP connects a computer to a network. Full network timing / netw k tamŋ/ form network interface card. Also noun signals which correctly synchronise called network adapter (NOTE: The the transmission of data board converts the computer’s data into network topology / netw k tə electrical signals that are then transmitpɒləd'i/ noun the layout of machines in a ted along the network cable.) network, e.g. a star network, ring network NiCad /nakd/ noun a type of reor bus network, which will determine what chargeable battery used in laptops but now cabling and interfaces are needed and what superseded by the NiMH battery. Full possibilities the network can offer form nickel-cadmium neural network / njυərəl netw k/ COMMENT: NiCad batteries unfortunately have one problem called ‘memory’ which gradually noun a system running an artificial intellireduces their ability to retain charge. To regence program that attempts to simulate move the memory you should condition a batthe way the brain works, how it learns and tery by running it right down so that it has no remembers charge, before re-charging it. neutral /nju trəl/ adjective with no nil pointer /nl pɔntə/ noun a pointer state, bias or voltage used to indicate the end of a chained list of neutral transmission / nju trəl items trnzmʃ(ə)n/ noun a transmission sysNiMH / en a em etʃ/ noun a type of retem in which a voltage pulse and zero volts chargeable battery now used in laptops represent the binary digits 1 and 0 that has better charge-carrying ability than new /nju / adjective recent or not old 쑗 a NiCad battery, is quicker to charge and They have installed a new computer sysdoes not suffer from ‘memory.’ Full form nickel metal hydride tem. newbie /nju bi/ noun a new user of the nine’s complement /nanz Internet (slang)

kɒmplmənt/ noun a decimal complenetwork processor

new line character

network protocol

newsgroup



news reader

network redundancy



network server

newswire

new technology



Newton

network software

next instruction register



network structure

nexus

network time protocol

NFS

nibble

NIC

network timing

network topology



NiCad

neural network

neutral

nil pointer

neutral transmission

NiMH



new

newbie

nine’s complement

Computing.fm Page 231 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

231 nonequivalence gate ment, equivalent to the binary one’s comnomenclature /nəυmeŋklətʃə/ noun plement, formed by subtracting each digit a predefined system for assigning words in the number from nine. 쒁 ten’s compleand symbols to represent numbers or terms ment nomogram /nɒmərm/, nomon-key rollover / en ki rəυləυvə/ noun graph /nɒmərɑ f/ noun a graphical a facility on a keyboard where each keysystem for solving one value given two stroke, (up to a maximum of n, is regisothers tered in sequence even if they are struck non- /nɒn/ prefix not very fast (NOTE: Up to n keys can be nonaligned / nɒnəland/ adjective restored.) ferring to two devices which are not corNLB abbr nonlinear behaviour rectly positioned in relation to each other, for optimum performance n-level logic / en lev(ə)l lɒd'k/ noun logic gate design in which no more than n nonaligned read head /nɒnə land gates occur in a series ri d hed/ noun a read head that is not in the same position on a magnetic medium NLP abbr neurolinguistic programming as the write head was, producing a loss of NLQ abbr near-letter-quality signal quality NMI abbr non maskable interrupt non arithmetic shift / nɒn NNTP / en en ti pi / noun a standard

rθmetk ʃft/ noun same as logical method of distributing news messages on shift the Internet, one of the protocols within non breaking space / nɒn brekŋ the TCP/IP protocol suite, that provides a spes/ noun (in word-processing or DTP way of creating, reading and distributing software) a space character that prevents messages within newsgroups over the Intwo words being separated by a line break ternet. Full form network news transfer protocol noncompatibility / nɒnkəm pt blti/ noun inability of two or more piecno-address operation / nəυ ədres es of hardware or software to exchange

ɒpəreʃ(ə)n/ noun an instruction which data or use the same peripherals does not require an address within it non dedicated server / nɒn node /nəυd/ noun an interconnection

dedketd s və/ noun a computer that point in a structure or network 쑗 A tree is runs a network operating system in the made of branches that connect together at background and can also be used to run nodes. normal applications at the same time no-drop image / nəυ drɒp md'/ non destructive cursor / nɒn d noun (in a GUI) an icon image displayed

strktv k sə/ noun a cursor on a disduring a drag and drop operation when the play that does not erase characters already pointer is over an object that cannot be the displayed as it passes over them 쑗 The destination object and onto which it cannot screen quickly became unreadable when be dropped using a non-destructive cursor. noise /nɔz/ noun a random signal non destructive readout / nɒn d present in addition to any wanted signal,

strktv ri daυt/ noun full form of caused by static, temperature, power supNDR ply, magnetic or electric fields and also from stars and the Sun non destructive test / nɒn d

strktv test/ noun a series of tests carnoise immunity /nɔz mju nəti/ ried out on a piece of equipment without noun the ability of a circuit to ignore or fildestroying it 쑗 I will carry out a number of ter out noise or to be protected from noise non-destructive tests on your computer, if noisy digit / nɔzi dd't/ noun a digit, it passes, you can start using it again. usually not zero, added during the normalnonequivalence function / nɒn isation of a floating point number when in kwvələns fŋkʃən/ noun a logical noisy mode function in which the output is true if the noisy mode /nɔzi məυd/ noun a inputs are not the same, otherwise the outfloating point arithmetic system in which a put is false. Abbr NEQ digit other than a zero is deliberately addnonequivalence gate / nɒn ed in the least significant position during kwvələns et/ noun an electronic imthe normalisation of a floating point plementation of an NEQ function number nomenclature



nomogram

n-key rollover

non-

nonaligned



n-key rollover NLB

n-level logic

nonaligned read head



NLP

NLQ

NMI

non arithmetic shift

NNTP

non breaking space

noncompatibility





no-address operation



non dedicated server

node

no-drop image

non destructive cursor



noise

non destructive readout



non destructive test



noise immunity



noisy digit

nonequivalence function



noisy mode

nonequivalence gate



Computing.fm Page 232 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

nonerasable storage 232 nonerasable storage /nɒn nonrepudiation / nɒnr pju di eʃ(ə)n/ noun the ability of the person

rezəb(ə)l stɔ rd'/ noun a storage mewho receives a message to identify its dium that cannot be erased and reused sender, especially by means of the digital non impact printer / nɒn m pkt signature on the message prntə/ noun a printer such as an ink-jet non-return to zero / nɒn r t n tə printer in which the character form does zərəυ/ noun a representation of binary not hit a ribbon onto the paper data in which the signal changes when the non interlaced / nɒn ntəlesd/ addata changes state, and does not return to jective (in a monitor ) referring to a system zero volts after each bit of data. Abbr NRZ in which the picture electron beam scans non scrollable / nɒn skrəυləb(ə)l/ each line of the display once during each adjective referring to part of the screen refresh cycle (NOTE: The beam in an interdisplay which is always displayed (NOTE: laced display scans every alternate line.) In a WP the text can scroll while instrucnonlinear /nɒnlniə/ adjective refertions are nonscrollable.) ring to an electronic circuit whose output non volatile memory / nɒn vɒlətal does not change linearly in proportion to mem(ə)ri/ noun a storage medium or its input memory that retains data even when the nonlinear video editing /nɒn lniə power has been switched off 쑗 Bubble vdiəυ edtŋ/ noun a method of editing memory is a non-volatile storage. Also a video sequence in which the video is digcalled nonvolatile storage, nonvolatile itised and stored in a computer and the edstore itor can then cut and move frames in any non-volatile random access memorder before outputting the finished seory / nɒn vɒlətal rndəm kses quence (NOTE: The finished sequence mem(ə)ri/ noun full form of NVRAM can either be produced directly from the computer output – though this is normalnon volatile storage / nɒn vɒlətal ly at a lower quality than the original bestɔ rd'/, nonvolatile store noun same cause of compression losses – or the as non volatile memory computer can output timecode instrucno-op instruction /nəυ ɒp/, no op tions that can be used to edit the original noun an instruction that does not carry out videotape.) any functions but increments the program non maskable interrupt / nɒn counter

mɑ skəb(ə)l ntərpt/ noun a high prino parity /nəυ prəti/ noun data transority interrupt signal that cannot be mission which does not use a parity bit blocked and overrides all other comNOR function /nɔ r fŋkʃən/ noun a mands. Abbr NMI logical function whose output is false if einonmodal /nɒnməυd(ə)l/ adjective (in ther input is true a GUI) displaying a window but still alCOMMENT: The output is 1 only if both inputs lowing a user to access other windows that are 0; if the two inputs are different or if both are 1, the output is 0. are on-screen before closing the nonmodal NOR gate /nɔ r et/ noun an electric window circuit or chip which performs a NOR non operable instruction / nɒn function

ɒp(ə)rəb(ə)l nstrkʃən/ noun an innormal /nɔ m(ə)l/ adjective usual or struction that does not carry out any funcwhich happens regularly 쑗 The normal tion, but increments the program counter procedure is for backup copies to be made nonprinting code / nɒnprntŋ at the end of each day’s work. kəυd/ plural noun a code that represents normal form /nɔ m(ə)l fɔ m/ noun a an action of the printer rather than a printmethod of structuring information in a daed character 쑗 The line width can be set tabase to avoid redundancy and improve using one of the non-printing codes, .LW, storage efficiency then a number. normal format /nɔ m(ə)l fɔ mt/ non-procedural language /nɒn prə noun a standardised format for data stor si d'(ə)rəl lŋwd'/ noun a programage ming language which does not execute normalisation / nɔ məlazeʃ(ə)n/, statements one after another or calls subnormalization noun the process of norroutines, but instead defines a set of facts malising data that can be queried nonerasable storage

nonrepudiation







non impact printer



non-return to zero



non interlaced

non scrollable

nonlinear



non volatile memory

nonlinear video editing



non-volatile random access memory

non volatile storage

no-op instruction

non maskable interrupt

no parity

NOR function

nonmodal



NOR gate

non operable instruction



normal

nonprinting code

normal form

normal format

non-procedural language



normalisation





Computing.fm Page 233 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

233 NUL character to tell other processes when it has finished normalisation routine / nɔ məla normalisation routine



zeʃ(ə)n ru ti n/ noun a routine that normalises a floating point number and adds extra, noisy digits in the least significant position normalise /nɔ mə laz/, normalize verb 1. to convert data into a form which can be read by a particular computer system 2. to convert characters into just capitals or into just a lowercase form 3. to store and represent numbers in a pre-agreed form, usually to provide maximum precision 쑗 All the new data has been normalised to 10 decimal places. (NOTE: normal

normalise



ises – normalising – normalised)

normalised form /nɔ məlazd fɔ m/ normalised form

noun a floating point number that has been normalised so that its mantissa is within a certain range normal range /nɔ m(ə)l rend'/ noun the expected range for a result or number (NOTE: Any outside this range are errors.) normals /nɔ m(ə)lz/ plural noun (in a three-dimensional scene) lines that are perpendicular to a tangent normal range

normals

normal-vector interpolation shading / nɔ m(ə)l vektə n t pəleʃ(ə)n

noun a series of commands that are executed when a particular notification message is received Novell /nəυvel/ a large company that produces network software and is best known for its NetWare range of network operating system software that runs on a PC server Novell



n-plus-one address instruction n-plus-one address instruction

/en pls wn ədres/ noun an instruction 

made up of a number (n) of addresses and one other address that is the location of the next instruction n-plus-one instruction /en pls wn/ noun an instruction made up of a number (n) of addresses and one other address that is the location of the next instruction to be executed npn transistor / en pi en trn zstə/ noun a bipolar transistor design using ptype semiconductor for the base and ntype for the collector and emitter NRZ abbr non return to zero ns abbr nanosecond NSFnet / en es ef net/ noun a wide area network developed by the National Science Foundation to replace ArpaNet as the main US government-funded network linking together universities and research laboratories (NOTE: NSFnet was a crucial n-plus-one instruction

npn transistor



ns



ʃedŋ/ noun same as Phong shading NOS abbr network operating system NOT-AND /nɒt ən/ noun an equivalent to the NAND function notation /nəυteʃ(ə)n/ noun a method of writing or representing numbers notched /nɒtʃd/ adjective 쏡 edge NOS

NOT-AND

notation



notched

notched card

notebook computer / nəυtbυk kəm

notify handler /nəυtfa hndlə/ notify handler

NRZ

normal-vector interpolation shading



moving the object.

notebook computer



pju tə/ noun a very small portable computer, usually smaller than a laptop computer, that has a small keyboard and display and can be carried easily NOT function /nɒt fŋkʃən/ noun a logical inverse function in which the output is true if the input is false NOT function

COMMENT: If the input is 1, the output is 0; if the

input is 0, the output is 1.

NOT gate /nɒt et/ noun same as neNOT gate

gation gate

NSFnet

stepping-stone in the development history of the Internet. It was closed down in 1995 and replaced by a commercial high-speed network backbone that formed one of the foundations for the current commercial Internet.) NT / en ti / noun 쏡 Windows NT NTFS abbr Windows NT file system NTP abbr network time protocol NTSC / en ti es si / noun a US commitNT

NTFS

NTP

NTSC

tee that defines standards for television and video. Full form National Television System Committee

n-type material /en tap/, n-type semiconductor noun a semiconductor n-type material

notice board /nəυts bɔ d/ noun 1. a notice board

board fixed to a wall where notices can be pinned up 2. a type of bulletin board on which messages to all users can be left notification message / nəυtf keʃ(ə)n mesd'/ noun a message within authoring software to notify other objects that a particular task has been completed 쑗 If an object is moved, the application will generate a notification message notification message



doped with a substance which provides extra electrons in the material, giving it an overall negative charge compared to the intrinsic semiconductor NuBus /nju bs/ noun a high-speed 96pin expansion bus used within Apple Mac II computers NUL character /nl krktə/ noun same as null character NuBus

NUL character

Computing.fm Page 234 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

null 234 null /nl/ noun nothing numerical analysis /nju merk(ə)l ə nləss/ noun the study of ways of solvnull character /nl krktə/ noun a ing mathematical problems character which means nothing, usually code 0 numerical control /nju merk(ə)l kəntrəυl/ noun a machine operated autonull instruction /nl nstrkʃən/ matically by computer or a set of circuits noun same as blank instruction controlled by stored data. Abbr NC null modem /nl məυ dem/ noun a numeric array /nju merk əre/ noun circuit or cable which allows two computan array containing numbers ers to communicate via their serial ports 쑗 This cable is configured as a null modem, numeric character /nju merk which will allow me to connect these two krktə/ noun a letter used in some notacomputers together easily. tions to represent a number. For example, null string / nl strŋ/ noun a string in hex the letters A-F are numeric characwhich contains nothing ters. null terminated string / nl numeric keypad /nju merk

t mnetd strŋ/ noun a string of charki pd/ noun a set of ten keys with figacters which has a null character to indiures 0–9, included in most computer keycate the end of the string boards as a separate group, used for entering large amounts of data in numeric form. number /nmbə/ noun 1. a representaAlso called numeric pad tion of a quantity 2. a written figure 쑗 Each piece of hardware has a production numeric operand /nju merk number. 쐽 verb 1. to put a figure on a docɒpərnd/ noun an operand that only conument 쑗 The pages of the manual are numtains numerals bered 1 to 196. 2. to assign digits to a list numeric pad /nju merk pd/ noun of items in an ordered manner same as numeric keypad number cruncher /nmbə krntʃə/ numeric punch /nju merk pntʃ/ noun a dedicated processor used for highnoun a punched hole in rows 0–9 of a speed calculations punched card number crunching /nmbə numeric string /nju merk strŋ/ krntʃŋ/ noun the process of performing noun a string which contains only numhigh-speed calculations 쑗 A very powerful bers processor is needed for graphics applicaNum Lock key /nm lɒk ki / noun (on tions which require extensive number a keyboard ) a key that switches the funccrunching capabilities. tion of a numeric keypad from cursor connumber range /nmbə rend'/ noun trol to numeric entry a set of allowable values NVRAM / en vi rm/ noun memory numeral /nju m(ə)rəl/ noun a characthat can permanently retain information. ter or symbol which represents a number Full form non-volatile random access numeric /nju merk/ adjective 1. refermemory ring to numbers 2. which contains only nybble /nb(ə)l/, nibble noun half the numbers 쑗 a numeric field length of a standard byte (informal ) numerical /nju merk(ə)l/ adjective COMMENT: A nybble is normally 4 bits, but can referring to numbers vary according to different micros. null

numerical analysis





null character

numerical control



null instruction





null modem



numeric array





numeric character



null string

null terminated string

numeric keypad



number

numeric operand



numeric pad



number cruncher

numeric punch



number crunching

numeric string



Num Lock key

number range

NVRAM

numeral

numeric



nybble

numerical



Computing.fm Page 235 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

O OA abbr office automation object /ɒbd'ekt/ noun 1. the data that OA

object-oriented / ɒbd'ekt ɔ rientd/ object-oriented

ject-orientated architecture

adjective referring to a system or language that uses objects object-oriented graphics / ɒbd'ekt

ɔ rientd rfks/ plural noun graphics which use lines and curves, vector definitions, to describe the shapes of the image rather than pixels in a bitmap image 쑗 This object-oriented graphics program lets you move shapes around very easily. object-oriented language / ɒbd'ekt

ɔ rientd lŋwd'/ noun a programming language that is used for object-oriented programming, e.g. C++

object code

object-oriented programming

object

makes up a particular image or sound 2. a variable used in an IKBS within a reasoning operation 3. the data in a statement which is to be operated on by the operator object animation / ɒbd'ekt n meʃ(ə)n/ noun same as cast-based anobject animation



imation

architecture / ɒbd'ekt ɑ ktektʃə/ noun a structure where all features such as files or outputs in a system are represented as objects. Also called obobject object architecture

object code /əbd'ekt kəυd/ noun 

program code after it has been translated, compiled or assembled into machine code object computer / ɒbd'ekt kəm pju tə/ noun a computer system for which a program has been written and compiled object deck /əbd'ekt dek/ noun a set of punched cards that contain a program object file /əbd'ekt fal/ noun a file that contains object code for a routine or program object hierarchy / ɒbd'ekt haərɑ ki/ noun the order in which messages are passed from one object to another objective /əbd'ektv/ noun something which someone tries to do object language / ɒbd'ekt lŋwd'/ noun the language of a program after it has been translated. Opposite object computer



object deck



object file



object hierarchy

objective



object language

source language

object-oriented

programming

/ ɒbd'ekt ɔ rientd prəυrmŋ/ noun a method of programming, as in

C++, in which each element of the program is treated as an object that can interact with other objects within the program. Abbr OOP Object Packager /ɒbd'ekt

pkd'ə/ noun a utility included with Windows 3.x that lets you convert data from an application that does not support OLE so that it can be used as an OLE object in another application. object program /ɒbd'ekt

prəυrm/ noun a computer program in object code form, produced by a compiler or assembler Object Request Broker /əb d'ekt r kwest brəυkə/ noun software that links objects together using the CORBA standard. Abbr ORB obtain /əbten/ verb to get or receive something 쑗 to obtain data from a storage device OCCAM /ɒkəm/ noun a computer programming language used in large multiprocessor or multi-user systems Object Packager

object program

Object Request Broker







/ ɒbd'ekt lŋkŋ ənd m bedŋ/ noun full form of OLE 

object linking and embedding 2 object linking and embedding 2

/ ɒbd'ekt lŋkŋ ənd m bedŋ tu / noun full form of OLE-2 

object-orientated

object-oriented language

obtain

object linking and embedding object linking and embedding

object-orientated architecture

object-oriented graphics

architecture

/ ɒbd'ekt ɔ riəntetd ɑ ktektʃə/ noun same as object architecture

OCCAM

COMMENT: This is the development language for transputer systems.

occur /ək / verb to happen or take occur



place 쑗 Data loss can occur because of

Computing.fm Page 236 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

OCE 236 power supply variations. (NOTE: occurring odd-even check / ɒd i v(ə)n tʃek/ – occurred) noun a method of checking that transmitted binary data has not been corrupted OCE / əυ si i / noun a set of standards that allow networked Apple Mac users to odd parity / ɒd prti/, odd parity share objects and files. Full form open check / ɒd prti tʃek/ noun an error collaboration environment checking system in which any series of bits transmitted must have an odd number OCP / əυ si pi / noun (in a multiprocesof binary ones sor system) a processor which decides and performs the arithmetic and logical ODI a trade name for a standard interface, operations according to the program code. defined by Novell, for an NIC that allows Full form order code processor users to have just one network driver that will work with all NICs. Full form open OCR / əυ si ɑ / noun 1. a device which datalink interface. Compare NDIS scans printed or written characters, recog(NOTE: The standard also supports more nises them and converts them into mathan one protocol, e.g. IPX and Netchine-readable form for processing in a BEUI.) computer. Full form optical character reader 2. software or a process that allows OEM / əυ i em/ noun a company which printed or written characters to be recogproduces equipment using basic parts nised optically and converted into mamade by other manufacturers, and customchine-readable code that can be input into ises the product for a particular application a computer, using an optical character 쑗 One OEM supplies the disk drive, anothreader. Full form optical character recer the monitor. Full form original equipodd-even check

OCE

odd parity

OCP

ODI

OCR

OEM

ognition

‘In 1986, Calera Recognition Systems introduced the first neural-network-based OCR system that could read complex pages containing any mixture of nondecorative fonts without manual training.’ [Computing] COMMENT: There are two OCR fonts in common use: OCR-A, which is easy for scanners to read, and OCR-B, which is easier for people to read than the OCR-A font.

OCR font / əυ si ɑ fɒnt/ noun same as OCR font

optical font octal /ɒkt(ə)l/, octal notation / ɒkt(ə)l nəυteʃ(ə)n/ noun a number notation usoctal



ing base 8, with digits 0 to 7 COMMENT:

In octal, the digits used are 0 to 7; so decimal 9 is octal 11.

octal digit / ɒkt(ə)l dd't/ noun a digit, 0 to 7 used in octal notation octal scale /ɒkt(ə)l skel/ noun the power of eight associated with each digit position in a number octet /ɒktet/ noun a group of eight bits treated as one unit or word. 쒁 byte OCX / əυ si eks/ noun the file extension of an ActiveX component or add-in that is used by an application such as a web browser or custom application running under Windows 95 or 98 ODBC noun a software interface that allows an application to access any compatible data source. Full form open dataoctal digit

octal scale

octet



OCX

ODBC

base connectivity (NOTE: The standard was developed by Microsoft but is used by many different developers as a standard method of providing access to a wide range of databases.)

ment manufacturer off-hook /ɒf hυk/ adverb in or into the off-hook

condition of a modem when it is connected to answer a call. Compare on-hook office automation / ɒfs ɔ tə meʃ(ə)n/ noun the use of machines and computers to carry out ordinary office tasks. Abbr OA office computer / ɒfs kəmpju tə/ noun a small computer, sometimes with a hard disk and several terminals, suitable for office use off-line /ɒf lan/ adverb, adjective 1. referring to a processor, printer or terminal that is not connected to a network or central computer, usually temporarily 쑗 Before changing the paper in the printer, switch it off-line. 2. referring to a peripheral connected to a network but not available for use. Compare online off-line editing / ɒf lan edtŋ/ noun an editing process in which copies of the original sound tape or videotape are used, cut and edited to create an EDL that is then used in an on-line editing suite to automatically assemble all the sectors of the tape according to the instructions in the EDL office automation



office computer



off-line

off-line editing

(NOTE: Off-line editing software allows two or more video clips to be edited and merged with effects.) off-line newsreader / ɒf lan nju zri də/ noun a piece of software that off-line newsreader

allows a user to read newsgroup articles when the computer is not connected to the Internet

Computing.fm Page 237 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

237 one-level code reference to a linked object or a copy of an off-line printing / ɒf lan prntŋ/ off-line printing

noun a printout operation that is not supervised by a computer off-line processing / ɒf lan prəυsesŋ/ noun processing performed by devices not under the control of a central computer off-line storage / ɒf lan stɔ rd'/ noun storage that is not currently available for access offload /ɒfləυd/ verb to transfer data from one computer to another to create more usable space on the first computer off-screen buffer / ɒf skri n bfə/ noun the area of RAM used to hold an offscreen image before it is displayed on screen off-screen image / ɒf skri n md'/ noun an image that is first drawn in memory and then is transferred to the display memory to give the impression of fast display action offset /ɒfset/ noun a quantity added to a number or address to give a final number offset value / ɒf set vlju /, offset word / ɒfset w d/ noun a value to be added to a base address to provide a final indexed address ohm /əυm/ noun a unit of measurement of electrical resistance 쑗 this resistance has a value of 100 ohms OK / əυ ke/ noun used as a prompt in place of ‘ready’ in some systems OK button /əυke bt(ə)n/ noun (in a GUI) a button with an ‘OK’ label that is used to start or confirm an action OLE / əυ el i / noun (in Microsoft Windows) a facility for including data formatted in one application within another application; e.g. insertion of an object such as an image or sound into a document or spreadsheet. Full form object linking and embedding. 쒁 DDE OLE-2 / əυ el i tu / noun (in Microsoft Windows) a facility that extends the functions of OLE to include visual editing to allow the embedded object to be edited without leaving the document in which it is embedded. Full form object linking and embedding 2 (NOTE: If you insert an image into a document, you can now edit the image without leaving the word-processor. OLE2 also allows applications to exchange information.) OLE object / əυ el i ɒbd'ekt/, OLE container object / əυ el i kəntenə

ɒbd'ekt/ noun an object that contains a off-line processing

off-line storage

offload



off-screen buffer

off-screen image

offset

offset value





ohm

OK

OK button



OLE

OLE-2

OLE object



embedded object

omission factor /əυmʃ(ə)n fktə/ omission factor



noun the number of relevant documents that were missed in a search OMR / əυ em ɑ / noun 1. a device that can recognise marks or lines on a special forms such as an order form or a reply to a questionnaire and convert them into a form a computer can process. Full form optical mark reader 2. process that allows certain marks or lines on special forms such as an order form or a reply to a questionnaire to be recognised by an OMR and input into a computer. Full form optical mark recognition on-board /ɒn bɔ d/ adjective referring to a feature or circuit which is contained on a motherboard or main PCB OMR

on-board

‘…the electronic page is converted to a printer-readable video image by the on-board raster image processor the key intelligence features of these laser printers are emulation modes and on-board memory’ [Byte]

on chip / ɒn tʃp/ noun a circuit conon chip

structed on a chip on-chip /ɒn tʃp/ adjective referring to a circuit constructed on a chip 쑗 The processor uses on-chip bootstrap software to allow programs to be loaded rapidly. on-chip cache / ɒn tʃp kʃ/ noun cache memory and controller circuitry built into a processor chip one-address computer / wn ə dres kəmpju tə/ noun a computer structure whose machine code only uses one address at a time one-address instruction / wn ə

dres nstrkʃən/ noun an instruction made up of an operator and one address one element /wn elmənt/ noun a logical function that produces a true output if any input is true one for one / wn fə wn/ noun a programming language, usually assembler, that produces one machine code instruction for each instruction or command word in the language on-chip

on-chip cache

one-address computer





one-address instruction





one element

one for one

COMMENT: Compilers and interpreters are usually used for translating high-level languages that use more than one machine code instruction for each high-level instruction.

one-level address / wn lev(ə)l ə one-level address



dres/ noun a storage address that directly, without any modification, accesses a location or device one-level code / wn lev(ə)l kəυd/ noun same as direct code one-level code

Computing.fm Page 238 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

one-level store 238 film sequence from original tape using edone-level store / wn lev(ə)l stɔ / iting instructions in an EDL list noun the organisation of storage in which each different type of storage device is online help / ɒnlan help/ noun a text treated as if it were the same screen displayed from within an application that explains how to use the applicaone-level subroutine / wn lev(ə)l tion sbru ti n/ noun a subroutine which online information retrieval does not call another subroutine during its / ɒnlan nfəmeʃ(ə)n r tri vəl/ noun a execution system that allows an operator of an online one-pass assembler / wn pɑ s ə terminal to access, search and display data semblə/ noun an assembler program that held in a main computer translates the source code in one action 쑗 online processing / ɒnlan This new one-pass assembler is very quick prəυsesŋ/ noun processing by devices in operation. connected to and under the control of the one-plus-one address /wn pls central computer, during which the user wn/ noun an address format that proremains in contact with the central compuvides the location of one register and the ter location of the next instruction online storage / ɒnlan stɔ rd'/ one’s complement /wnz noun data storage equipment that is direct kɒmplment/ noun the inverse of a binaly controlled by a computer ry number 쑗 The one’s complement of online system / ɒnlan stsəm/ noun 10011 is 01100. a computer system that allows users who one-time pad / wn tam pd/ noun are online to transmit and receive informaa coding system that uses a unique cipher tion key each time it is used online transaction processing COMMENT: Two identical pieces of paper with / ɒnlan trnzkʃən prəυsesŋ/ noun an encrypted alphabet printed on each one an interactive processing in which a user are used, one by the sender, one by the receiver. This is one of the most secure cipher enters commands and data on a terminal systems. which is linked to a central computer, with one to zero ratio /wn tə, tυ zərəυ/ results being displayed on the screen noun the ratio between the amplitude of a OnNow / ɒnnaυ/ noun a standard that binary one and zero output provides a way of integrating power manon-hook /ɒn hυk/ adverb in or into the agement and control within all types of condition of a modem when it is not concomputer (NOTE: The main benefit of Onnected to make a call Now is that it allows the development of onion skin architecture /njən skn a computer that is dormant but will be

ɑ ktektʃə/ noun a design of a computer ready to use almost immediately after it system in layers, according to function or has been switched on, unlike current priority 쑗 The onion skin architecture of computers that can take a minute to conthis computer is made up of a kernel at the figure and load the operating system.) centre, an operating system, a low-level on-screen /ɒn skri n/ adjective referlanguage and then the user’s program. ring to information that is displayed on a computer screen rather than printed out onion skin language /njən skn

lŋwd'/ noun a database manipulation on-site /ɒn sat/ adjective located at the language that can process hierarchical data place where a particular thing is 쑗 The new structures model has an on-site upgrade facility. on the fly / ɒn ðə fla/ adverb (to exonline /ɒnlan/ adverb, adjective referamine and modify data) during a program ring to a terminal or device connected to run without stopping the run and under the control of a central processor 쑗 The terminal is on-line to the mainOOP abbr object-oriented programming frame. o/p, O/P abbr output online database / ɒnlan detəbes/ op code /ɒp kəυd/ noun a part of the noun an interactive search, retrieve and machine code instruction that defines the update of database records using an online action to be performed. Also called operterminal ation code, order code online editing /ɒn lan edtŋ/ noun open /əυpən/ adjective 1. called up and the process of creating a finished audio or prepared before reading or writing actions one-level store

online help

one-level subroutine

online information retrieval





one-pass assembler



online processing

one-plus-one address

online storage

one’s complement

online system

one-time pad

online transaction processing



one to zero ratio

OnNow



on-hook

onion skin architecture

on-screen

onion skin language

on-site

online

on the fly



OOP

o/p

online database

op code

online editing

open



Computing.fm Page 239 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

239 operational information a preference for open source software.’ can occur 쑗 You cannot access the data [The Guardian] unless the file is open. 2. not closed 쐽 verb open subroutine / əυpən sbru ti n/ to call up and prepare a file before accessnoun a code for a subroutine which is coping, editing or carrying out other transacied into memory whenever a call instructions on stored records 쑗 You cannot action is found, rather than executing a jump cess the data unless the file has been to the subroutine’s address opened. open system /əυpən sstəm/ noun 1. open access / əυpən kses/ noun a a nonproprietary system that is not under system in which many workstations are the control of one company 2. a system available for anyone to use that is constructed in such a way that difopen architecture / əυpən ferent operating systems can work togethɑ ktektʃə/ noun computer architecture er with a published expansion interface that open system interconnection has been designed to allow add-on hard/ əυpən sstəm ntəkənekʃ(ə)n/ noun ware to be plugged in e. Full form of OSI open code /əυpən kəυd/ noun a set of open trading protocol / əυpən extra instructions required in a program tredŋ prəυtəkɒl/ noun a standardised that mainly uses macroinstructions computer protocol for transactions involvopen collaboration environment ing payments and for methods of payment. / əυpən kə lbəreʃ(ə)n n Abbr OTP

varənmənt/ noun full form of OCE operand /ɒpərnd/ noun the data in a open database connectivity computer instruction which is to be oper/ əυpən detəbes kɒnektvti/ noun ated on by the operator 쑗 In the instruction full form of ODBC ADD 74, the operator ADD will add the open datalink interface / əυpən operand 74 to the accumulator. detəlŋk ntəfes/ noun full form of operand field /ɒpərnd fi ld/ noun a ODI part of a computer instruction containing open-ended program / əυpən endd the location of the operand prəυrm/ noun a program designed to operate /ɒpəret/ verb to work or to allow future expansion and easy modificamake a machine work 쑗 Do you know how tion to operate the telephone switchboard? open file /əυpən fal/ noun a file that (NOTE: operates – operating – operated) can be read from or written to (NOTE: An operating code /ɒpəretŋ kəυd/ application opens the file which locates noun a part of the machine code instructhe file on disk and prepares it for an option that defines the action to be pereration.) formed. Also called op code open reel /əυpən ri l/ noun a magnetic operating console /ɒpəretŋ tape on a reel that is not enclosed in a car kɒnsəυl/ noun a terminal in an interactridge or cassette tive system that sends and receives inforopen routine / əυpən ru ti n/ noun a mation routine which can be inserted into a larger operating instructions /ɒpəretŋ routine or program without using a call inn strkʃənz/ plural noun commands and struction instructions used to operate a computer OpenScript /əυpənskrpt/ noun an operating system /ɒpəretŋ object-oriented programming language

sstəm/ noun full form of OS used in the Asymetrix Toolbook authoring operating time /ɒpəretŋ tam/ noun software the total time required to carry out a task open shortest path first / əυpən operation / ɒpəreʃ(ə)n/ noun the

ʃɔ təst pɑ θ φ ʃθ/ noun full form of working of a machine OSPF operational / ɒpəreʃ(ə)nəl/ adjective open source adjective describes a prowhich is working gram for which the source code is freely operational information / ɒpə available and which anyone is legally able

reʃ(ə)nəl nfəmeʃ(ə)n/ noun inforto modify and improve mation about the normal operations of a ‘In yet another initiative, aimed at cutting the upfront system costs of big IT projects, the OGC is tipping towards open subroutine

open system

open access

open architecture

open system interconnection



open code

open trading protocol

open collaboration environment







operand

open database connectivity



open datalink interface

operand field

open-ended program

operate

open file

operating code

open reel

operating console

open routine



operating instructions



OpenScript

operating system

operating time

open shortest path first

operation



operational

open source



operational information





Computing.fm Page 240 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

operation code 240 op register /ɒp red'stə/ noun a regisoperation code / ɒpəreʃ(ə)n kəυd/ ter that contains the op code for the innoun same as op code struction that is being executed operation cycle / ɒpəreʃ(ə)n optical /ɒptk(ə)l/ adjective referring to

sak(ə)l/ noun a section of the machine or making use of light 쑗 An optical reader cycle during which the instruction is exeuses a light beam to scan characters. cuted optical bar reader / ɒptk(ə)l bɑ operation decoder / ɒpəreʃ(ə)n di

ri də/ noun an optical device that reads

kəυdə/ noun a piece of hardware that data from a bar code converts a machine-code instruction in bioptical character reader / ɒptk(ə)l nary form into actions krktə ri də/ noun full form of OCR 1 operation field / ɒpəreʃ(ə)n fi ld/ optical character recognition noun a part of an assembly language state/ ɒptk(ə)l krktə rekənʃ(ə)n/ ment that contains the mnemonic or symnoun full form of OCR 2 bol for the op code optical communication system operation priority / ɒpəreʃ(ə)n pra / ɒptk(ə)l kə mju nkeʃ(ə)n sstəm/ ɒrti/ noun the sequence order in which noun a communication system using fibre the operations within a statement are caroptics ried out optical computer / ɒptk(ə)l kəm operation register / ɒpəreʃ(ə)n pju tə/ noun a proposed computer that

red'stə/ noun a register that contains would use optical fibres and switches and the op code during its execution laser light, instead of wires, transistors and operations manual / ɒpə reʃ(ə)nz printed circuits, and that would process inmnjυəl/ noun same as instruction formation much faster than conventional manual computers operation time / ɒpəreʃ(ə)n tam/ optical data link / ɒptk(ə)l detə noun a period of time that an operation re lŋk/ noun a connection between two dequires for its operation cycle vices to allow the transmission of data usoperation trial / ɒpəreʃ(ə)n traəl/ ing light signals, either line-of-sight or opnoun a series of tests to check programs tic fibre and data preparation optical disk /ɒptk(ə)l dsk/ noun a operator /ɒpə retə/ noun 1. a person disk that contains binary data in the form who makes a machine or process work 쑗 of small holes in a metal layer under the The operator was sitting at his console. 2. surface which are read with a laser beam a character, symbol or word that defines a (NOTE: One example is a WORM disk function or operation 쑗 x is the multiplica(write once, read many times) which can tion operator. be programmed once or a compact disc (CD) which is programmed at manufacoperator overloading / ɒpəretə ture) əυvələυdŋ/ noun the process of assigning more than one function to a particular optical fibre / ɒptk(ə)l fabə/ noun a operator (NOTE: the function often define strand of glass or plastic protected by pends on the type of data being operated a surrounding material, that is used for the on and is used in the C++ and Ada proconvenient transmission of light signals. 쒁 gramming languages.) fibre optics. Also called optic fibre optical font /ɒptk(ə)l fɒnt/ noun a operator precedence / ɒpəretə character design that can be easily read uspresdəns/ noun the order in which a ing an OCR. Also called OCR font number of mathematical operations will be carried out optical mark reader / ɒptk(ə)l mɑ k ri də/ noun full form of OMR 1 operator procedure /ɒpəretə prə optical mark recognition / ɒptk(ə)l

si d'ə/ noun a set of actions that an opermɑ k rekənʃ(ə)n/ noun full form of ator has to carry out to work a machine or OMR 2 process optical memory / ɒptk(ə)l operator’s console /ɒpəretəz mem(ə)ri/ noun the capacity of optical

kɒnsəυl/ noun a unit with the input and disks output devices used by an operator to conoptical mouse /ɒptk(ə)l maυs/ noun trol a computer, usually consisting of a a pointing device that is operated by movkeyboard and VDU operation code

op register



operation cycle



optical

optical bar reader

operation decoder





optical character reader

operation field



optical character recognition



optical communication system

operation priority







optical computer

operation register





operations manual



operation time

optical data link



operation trial



optical disk

operator



operator overloading

optical fibre

operator precedence

optical font

optical mark reader

operator procedure



optical mark recognition



operator’s console

optical memory

optical mouse

Computing.fm Page 241 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

241 orientation ing it across a special flat mat; (NOTE: On optional /ɒpʃ(ə)n(ə)l/ adjective which the mat is printed a grid of lines. As the can be chosen 쑗 The system comes with mouse is moved, two light sensors count optional 3.5 or 5.25 disk drives. the number of lines that have been Option key /ɒpʃ(ə)n ki / noun a key on passed to produce a measure of the disan Apple Mac keyboard that gives access tance and direction of travel. An optical to other functions of keys, similar to Ctrl mouse has fewer moving parts than a or Alt keys on an IBM PC keyboard mechanical mouse and so is more reliaoptomechanical mouse / ɒptəυm ble, but requires an accurately printed

knk(ə)l maυs/ noun same as meoptional

Option key

optomechanical mouse



mat.)

optical scanner / ɒptk(ə)l sknə/ optical scanner

noun a piece of equipment that converts an image into electrical signals which can be stored in and displayed on a computer optical storage / ɒptk(ə)l stɔ rd'/ noun data storage using mediums such as optical disk optical transmission / ɒptk(ə)l trnzmʃ(ə)n/ noun the use of fibre optic cables, laser beams and other light sources to carry data, in the form of pulses of light optic fibre / ɒptk fabə/ noun same as optical fibre optimisation, optimization noun the process of making something work as efficiently as possible optimise /ɒpt maz/, optimize verb to make something work as efficiently as possible (NOTE: optimises – optimising – optimised) optimised code /ɒpt mazd kəυd/, optimized code noun a program that has been passed through an optimiser to remove any inefficient code or statements optimiser /ɒptmazə/, optimizer noun a program that adapts another program to run more efficiently optimising compiler / ɒptmazŋ kəmpalə/ noun a compiler that analyses the machine code it produces in order to improve the speed or efficiency of the code optimum /ɒptməm/ adjective best possible optimum code /ɒptməm kəυd/ noun a coding system that provides the fastest access and retrieval time for stored data items opt-in mailing list / ɒpt n melŋ lst/ noun a list of email addresses in which each recipient has specifically asked to receive advertising email messages, usually so that he or she can keep up to date with a topic or industry option /ɒpʃən/ noun an action which can be chosen 쑗 There are usually four options along the top of the screen. optical storage

optical transmission



optic fibre

optimisation

optimise



optimised code



optimiser

optimising compiler



optimum

optimum code

opt-in mailing list

option

chanical mouse

OR / əυ ɑ / noun a Boolean function that OR

is often used in searches to ask the search engine to find text that contains any of the search words. Compare AND (NOTE: For

example, the phrase ‘dog OR cat’ will include all documents that contain the words dog or cat.) Orange Book /ɒrnd' bυk/ noun a set Orange Book

of standards published by Philips that define the format for a recordable CD-ROM ORB abbr Object Request Broker (see) order /ɔ də/ noun 1. an instruction 2. an arrangement sorted according to a key 쑗 in alphabetical order 쐽 verb 1. to direct or instruct a person to do something 2. to sort data according to a key order code /ɔ də kəυd/ noun same as ORB

order

order code

op code

order code processor /ɔ də kəυd order code processor

prəυsesə/ noun full form of OCP

ordered list /ɔ dəd lst/ noun a list of ordered list

data items which have been sorted into an order OR function /ɔ fŋkʃən/ noun a logical function that produces a true output if any input is true OR function

COMMENT: The result of the OR function will be 1 if either or both inputs are 1; if both inputs are 0, then the result is 0.

organisation / ɔ ənazeʃ(ə)n/, organization noun a way of arranging organisation



something so that it works efficiently or has a logical structure organisational / ɔ əna zeʃ(ə)n(ə)l/, organizational adjective referring to the way in which something is organised organise /ɔ ə naz/, organize verb to arrange something so that it works efficiently or has a logical structure (NOTE: ororganisational



organise



ganises – organising – organised) OR gate /ɔ et/ noun an electronic OR gate

circuit that provides the OR function /ɔ riəntetd/ adjective aimed towards something orientation / ɔ riənteʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. the direction or position of an object 2. (in

orientated orientated

orientation



Computing.fm Page 242 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

origin

242 almost all networks in use. Full form open

word-processing or DTP software) the direction of a page, either landscape, with long edge horizontal, or portrait, with long edge vertical origin /ɒrd'n/ noun 1. the position on a display screen to which all coordinates are referenced, usually the top left hand corner of the screen 2. a location in memory at which the first instruction of a program is stored original /ərd'ən(ə)l/ adjective used or made first 쐽 noun the master data disk, from which a copy can be made origin

original



original equipment manufacturer original equipment manufacturer

/ə rd'ən(ə)l  kwpmənt

mnjυ fktʃərə/ noun full form of OEM originate /ərd'net/ verb to start or 





originate



come from a place or source 쑗 The data originated from the new computer. (NOTE:

originates – originating – originated) originate modem /ərd'ənet

məυdem/ noun a modem that makes a originate modem



call to another modem that is waiting to answer calls (NOTE: The originate modem emits a carrier in response to an answertone from the remote modem.) origination /ə rd'neʃ(ə)n/ noun the origination





work involved in creating something OROM /əυ rɒm/ abbr optical read-only memory orphan /ɔ f(ə)n/ noun the first line of a paragraph of text printed alone at the bottom of a column, with the rest of the paragraph at the top of the next column or page. Compare widow (NOTE: An orphan OROM

orphan

makes a page look ugly.) orthogonal / ɔ θɒənəl/ adjective reorthogonal



ferring to an instruction made up of independent parameters or parts OS / əυ es/ noun software that controls the basic, low-level hardware operations, and file management of a computer, without the user having to operate it. Full form OS

operating system (NOTE: The OS is usually supplied with the computer as part of the bundled software in ROM.)

OS/2 a trade name for a multitasking opOS/2

erating system for PC computers developed by IBM and Microsoft (NOTE: Development is now continued by IBM to make it an alternative to Microsoft Windows.) OSF abbr Open Software Foundation OSI / əυ es a/ noun a standard theoretiOSF

OSI

cal model of a network that is created from seven different layers each with a different function. This model provides the basis of

system interconnection

OSPF / əυ es pi ef/ noun a protocol OSPF

used with a TCP/IP network that will send packets of data on a route that has the least amount of traffic. Full form open shortest path first

OTP abbr open trading protocol outage /aυtd'/ noun the time during OTP

outage

which a system is not operational outlet /aυtlet/ noun a connection or point in a circuit or network where a signal or data can be accessed outline /aυtlan/ noun the main features of something outline flowchart /aυt(ə)lan

fləυtʃɑ t/ noun a flowchart of the main features, steps and decisions in a program or system outline font /aυt(ə)lan fɒnt/ noun a printer or display font stored as a set of outlines that mathematically describe the shape of each character, and which are then used to draw each character rather than actual patterns of dots (NOTE: Outline outlet

outline

outline flowchart

outline font

fonts can be easily scaled, unlike bitmap fonts.) outliner /aυtlanə/ noun a utility prooutliner

gram used to help a user order sections and subsections of a list of things to do or parts of a project out of alignment / aυt əv əlanmənt/ adjective not aligned correctly out of control / aυt əv kəntrəυl/ adjective not kept in check out of date / aυt əv det/ adjective old-fashioned or no longer current 쑗 Their computer system is years out of date. out of range / aυt əv rend'/ adjective referring to a number or quantity that is outside the limits of a system output /aυtpυt/ noun 1. information or data that is transferred from a CPU or the main memory to another device such as a monitor, printer or secondary storage device 2. the action of transferring information or data from store to a user 왘 abbr o/p, O/P 쐽 verb to transfer data from a computer to a monitor or printer 쑗 Finished documents can be output to the laser printer. output area /aυtpυt eəriə/, output block noun a section of memory that contains data to be transferred to an output device output-bound /aυtpυt baυnd/ adjective referring to a processor that cannot out of alignment



out of control



out of date

out of range

output

output area

output-bound

Computing.fm Page 243 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

243 overrun function at normal speed because of a overflow check / əυvəfləυ tʃek/ slower peripheral noun a process of examining an overflow flag to see if an overflow has occurred output buffer register / aυtpυt bfə overhead /əυvəhed/ noun an extra red'stə/ noun a temporary store for data code that has to be stored to organise the that is waiting to be output program 쑗 The line numbers in a BASIC output bureau /aυtpυt bjυərəυ/ program are an overhead. noun an office that converts data from a overhead bit / əυvərhed bt/ noun a DTP program or a drawing stored on disk single bit used for error detection in a into typeset artwork transmission output device /aυtpυt d vas/ noun a overheat / əυvəhi t/ verb to become device such as a monitor or printer which too hot 쑗 The system may overheat if the allows information to be displayed room is not air-conditioned. output file /aυtpυt fal/ noun a set of overlap / əυvəlp/ noun a situation in records that have been completely procwhich one thing covers part of another or essed according to various parameters two sections of data are placed on top of output formatter /aυtpυt fɔ mtə/ each other 쐽 verb to cover part of an item noun 1. a piece of software used to format with another (NOTE: overlapping – overdata or programs, and output them, so that lapped) they are compatible with another sort of overlay /əυvəle/ noun a small section storage medium 2. a part of a word-procof a program that is bigger than the main essor program that formats text according memory capacity of a computer, loaded to embedded commands into memory when required, so that main output-limited / aυtpυt lmtd/ admemory only contains the sections it rejective same as output-bound quires output mode /aυtpυt məυd/ noun a ‘Many packages also boast useful drawing and overlay facilities which enable the user to annotate specomputer mode in which data is moved cific maps.’ [Computing] from internal storage or the CPU to exteroverlay card /əυvəle kɑ d/ noun nal devices same as video graphics card output port /aυtpυt pɔ t/ noun a ciroverlay function /əυvəle cuit and connector that allow a computer

fŋkʃ(ə)n/ noun 쏡 matte, chroma key to output or transmit data to other devices overlay manager /əυvəle or machines 쑗 Connect the printer to the

mnd'ə/ noun a piece of system softprinter output port. ware that manages the loading and execuoutput register /aυtpυt red'stə/ tion of sections of a program when they noun a register that stores data to be output are required during run-time until the receiver is ready or the channel is overlay region /əυvəle ri d'(ə)n/ free noun an area of main memory that can be output stream /aυtpυt stri m/ noun a used by the overlay manager to store the communications channel carrying data current section of the program being run output to a peripheral overlay segments /əυvəle outsource /aυt sɔ s/ verb to employ

semənts/ plural noun short sections of a another company to manage and support a long program that can be loaded into network for your company memory when required, and executed OV abbr overflow overload / əυvələυd/ verb to demand more than the device is capable of 쑗 The OverDrive /əυvədrav/ a trade name computer is overloaded with that amount for a processor chip that is used as a more of processing. powerful replacement for a conventional Intel 80486 processor overpunching / əυvəpntʃŋ/ noun the process of altering data on a paper tape overflow /əυvəfləυ/ noun 1. a matheby punching additional holes matical result that is greater than the limits overrun / əυvərn/ noun data that was of the computer’s number storage system 2. a situation in a network when the missed by a receiver because it was not number of transmissions is greater than the synchronised with the transmitter or beline capacity and they are transferred by cause it operates at a slower speed than the another route 왘 abbr OV transmitter and has no buffer overflow check



output buffer register

overhead

output bureau

overhead bit



output device



overheat



output file

overlap



output formatter

overlay

output-limited

output mode

overlay card

output port

overlay function

overlay manager

output register

overlay region

output stream

overlay segments

outsource



OV

overload



OverDrive

overpunching



overflow

overrun



Computing.fm Page 244 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

overscan 244 vice that prevents a power supply voltage overscan /əυvəskn/ noun 1. a faulty exceeding certain specified limits or badly adjusted monitor in which the displayed image runs off the edge of the overwrite / əυvərat/ verb to write data screen 2. display equipment in which the to a location, e.g. memory or disk, and, in picture beam scans past the screen bounddoing so, to destroy any data already conaries to ensure that the image fills the tained in that location 쑗 The latest data inscreen put has overwritten the old information. over-voltage protection / əυvə (NOTE: overwriting – overwrote – overwritten) vəυltd' prə tekʃ(ə)n/ noun a safety deoverscan

overwrite



over-voltage protection



P p abbr picoP abbr peta pack /pk/ noun a number of disks sold p

P

pack

or kept together 쐽 verb to store a quantity of data in a reduced form, often by representing several characters of data with one stored character package deal /pkd' di l/ noun an agreement in which several different items are agreed at the same time 쑗 They agreed a package deal, which involves the development of software, customising hardware and training of staff. packaged software / pkd'd sɒftweə/ noun same as software packpackage deal

packaged software

age

packed decimal /pkt desm(ə)l/ packed decimal

noun a sequence of decimal digits stored in a small space, by using only four bits for each digit packed format /pkt fɔ mt/ noun two binary coded decimal digits stored within one computer word or byte, usually achieved by removing the check or parity bit packet /pkt/ noun a group of data bits which can be transmitted as a group from one node to another over a network packed format

packet

packet

assembler/disassembler

packet assembler/disassembler

/ pkt ə semblə dsə semblə/ noun a 



dedicated computer which converts serial data from asynchronous terminals to a form that can be transmitted along a pack-

et-switched, synchronous network. Abbr PAD

Internet groper / pkt

ntənet rəυpə/ noun full form of PING (see) packet scheduler /pkt ʃedju lə/ noun a part of a network router that determines when to transmit the packet of data to the final destination based on the route that has been selected packet switching /pkt swtʃŋ/ noun a method of sending data across a WAN in small packets, which are then reassembled in the correct order at the receiving end packet packet Internet groper

packet scheduler

packet switching

‘The network is based on Northern Telecom DPN data switches over which it will offer X.25 packet switching, IBM SNA, and frame-relay transmission.’ [Computing]

packet switching service /pkt packet switching service

swtʃŋ s vs/ noun a commercial data transmission service that sends data over its WAN using packet switching. Abbr PSS

packing /pkŋ/ noun the process of putting large amounts of data into a small area of storage packing density /pkŋ densti/ noun the number of bits that can be stored in a unit area packing routine /pkŋ ru ti n/ noun a program which packs data into a small storage area packing

packing density

packing routine



Computing.fm Page 245 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

245 page preview page display / ped' d sple/ noun the pad /pd/ noun a number of keys arprocess of showing a page of text on the ranged together screen as it will appear when printed out PAD abbr packet assembler/disassembler paged-memory management unit pad character /pd krktə/ noun an / ped'd

mem(ə)ri mnd'mənt extra character added to a string or packet

ju nt/ noun an electronic logic circuit or file until it is a required size that manages the translation between logipadding /pdŋ/ noun a character or cal addresses that refer to a particular page set of digits added to fill out a string or and the real physical address that is being packet until it is the right length referenced paged-memory scheme / ped'd paddle /pd(ə)l/ noun a computer pemem(ə)ri ski m/ noun a way of dividing ripheral consisting of a knob or device memory into areas or pages which are then which is turned to move a cursor or pointer allocated a page number (NOTE: Memory on the screen addresses are relative to a page that is page /ped'/ noun 1. a sheet of paper 2. then mapped to the real, physical memoan amount of text displayed on a computer ry. This system is normally used to implemonitor or screen which would fill a page ment virtual memory.) of paper if printed out or which fills the page down key / ped' daυn ki / screen 3. a section of main store, which noun a keyboard key that moves the cursor contains data or programs 4. one section of position down by the number of lines on a main program which can be loaded into one screen. Abbr PgDn main memory when required 쐽 verb 1. to page frame / ped' frem/ noun a make up a text into pages 2. to divide comphysical address to which a page of virtual puter backing store into sections to allow or logical memory can be mapped long programs to be executed in a small page image buffer / ped' md' main memory (NOTE: pages – paging –

bfə/ noun memory in a page printer that paged) holds the image as it is built up before it is page addressing /ped' ədresŋ/ printed noun main memory which has been split page impression /ped' mpreʃ(ə)n/ into blocks, with a unique address allocatnoun a measure used to count how many ed to each block of memory which can times a webpage has been displayed to a then be called up and accessed individualvisitor to a website ly, when required page layout /ped' leaυt/ noun the page boundary /ped' baυnd(ə)ri/ arrangement of text and pictures within a noun a point where one page ends and the page of a document 쑗 We do all our page next starts layout using desktop publishing software. page break / ped' brek/ noun 1. the page length / ped' leŋθ/ noun the point in continuous text at which a page length of a page in word-processing ends and a new page starts 2. a marker page makeup / ped' mekp/ noun used when word-processing to show the action of pasting images and text into a where a new page should start page ready for printing paged address / ped'd ədres/ noun page-mode RAM / ped' məυd rm/ (in a paged-memory scheme) the actual noun dynamic RAM designed to access physical memory address that is calculated sequential memory locations very quickly from a logical address and its page address 쑗 The video adapter uses page-mode RAM to speed up the display. page description language / ped' dskrpʃən lŋwd'/ noun software page number /ped' nmbə/ noun a that controls a printer’s actions to print a unique number assigned to each page page of text to a particular format accordwithin a multimedia application, to be ing to a user’s instructions. Abbr PDL used within hyperlinks and when moving between pages page description programming page orientation /ped' ɔ riən language /ped' d skrpʃ(ə)n teʃ(ə)n/ noun the direction of the long prəυrmŋ lŋwd'/ noun a proedge of a piece of paper gramming language that accepts compage preview /ped' pri vju / noun mands to define the size, position and type (in WP or DTP software) a graphical repstyle for text or graphics on a page pad

page display



PAD

paged-memory management unit

pad character

padding

paddle

paged-memory scheme

page

page down key

page frame

page image buffer

page addressing



page impression



page layout

page boundary

page break

page length

page makeup

paged address

page-mode RAM



page description language

page number



page description programming language

page orientation





page preview



Computing.fm Page 246 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

page printer 246 resentation of how a page will look when paint /pent/ noun (in a graphics proprinted, with different type styles, margins gram) colour and pattern used to fill an and graphics correctly displayed area 쐽 verb (in a graphics program) to fill an enclosed graphics shape with a colour page printer /ped' prntə/ noun a printer, usually a laser printer, which comPaintbrush/Paint / pantbrʃ pent/ poses one page of text within memory and noun an application supplied with Microthen prints it in one pass soft Windows 3.1x and Windows 95 for creating or editing bitmap images page protection /ped' prətekʃən/ noun the set of software controls used to paint object /pent ɒbd'ekt/ noun a ensure that pages are not overwritten by bitmap image accident or copied into a reserved section paint program /pent prəυrm/ of memory noun software that allows a user to draw page reader /ped' ri də/ noun a depictures on screen in different colours, vice which converts written or typed inforwith different styles of brush and special mation to a form that a computer can uneffects 쑗 I drew a rough of our new logo derstand and process with this paint program. page requests /ped' rkwestz/ pluCOMMENT: Paint programs normally operate on bitmap images. Drafting or design software ral noun a measure of the number of pages normally works with vector-based images. viewed in a day, providing an indication of paired register / peəd red'stə/ noun the popularity of your website a set of two basic word size registers used page setup /ped' setp/ noun the together as one large word size register, ofset of software options that allow a user to ten for storing address words 쑗 The 8-bit set up how the page will look when printCPU uses a paired register to provide a ed, – usually setting the margins, size of 16-bit address register. paper, and scaling of a page PAL / pi e el/ noun a standard for telepages per minute / ped'z p vision transmission and reception using a mnət/ noun full form of ppm 쑗 This la625-line picture transmitted at 25 frames ser printer can output eight pages per per second. Full form phase alternation minute. line (NOTE: PAL provides a clearer image page table /ped' teb(ə)l/ noun a list than NTSC and is used in most of Euof all the pages and their locations within rope, except for France, which uses SEmain memory, used by the operating sysCAM. The USA and Japan use NTSC.) tem when accessing a page palette /plət/ noun the range of colpage up key / ped' p ki / noun a ours which can be used on a printer or keyboard key that moves the cursor posicomputer display tion up by the number of lines in one palette shift /plət ʃft/ noun an imscreen. Abbr PgUp age displayed using the wrong palette with page width / ped' , wdθ/ noun the the unwanted effect that the colours appear number of characters across a page or line distorted pagination / pd'neʃ(ə)n/ noun the palmtop /pɑ mtɒp/ noun a personal process of dividing text into pages computer that is small enough to be held in paging /ped'ŋ/ noun a virtual memoone hand and operated with the other 쑗 ry technique of splitting main memory into This palmtop has a tiny keyboard and small blocks or pages which are allocated twenty-line LCD screen. an address and which can be called up pan /pn/ verb 1. (in computer graphics) when required to smoothly move a viewing window horiCOMMENT: A virtual memory management zontally across an image that is too wide to system stores data as pages in memory to provide an apparently larger capacity main display all at once 2. (in MIDI or sound ) to memory by storing unused pages in backing adjust the balance of a sound between the store, copying them into main memory only two stereo channels (NOTE: panning – when required. panned) paging algorithm /ped'ŋ panel /pn(ə)l/ noun a flat section of a

lərð(ə)m/ noun a formula by which casing with control knobs or sockets 쑗 The the memory management allocates memosocket is on the back panel. ry to pages, also covering the transfer from Pantone Matching System backing storage to main memory in the / pntəυn mtʃŋ sstəm/ a trade most efficient way paint

page printer

Paintbrush/Paint

page protection



paint object

paint program

page reader

page requests



paired register

page setup

PAL

pages per minute

page table

palette

page up key

palette shift

page width

pagination



palmtop

paging

pan

paging algorithm

panel

Pantone Matching System

Computing.fm Page 247 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

247 parallel printer more processors operate simultaneously name for a standard method of matching on one or more items of data 2. referring to ink colours on screen and on printed outtwo or more bits of a word transmitted put using a book of pre-defined colours. over separate lines at the same time Abbr PMS paper-fed /pepə fed/ adjective referparallel access / prəlel kses/ ring to a device which is activated when noun data transfer between two devices paper is introduced into it 쑗 a paper-fed with a number of bits, usually one byte scanner wide, being sent simultaneously paper feed /pepə fi d/ noun a mechaparallel adder / prəlel də/ noun a nism which pulls paper through a printer number of adders joined together, allowpaperless /pepələs/ adjective without ing several digits to be added at once using paper parallel broadcast / prəlel paperless office / pepələs ɒfs/ brɔ dkɑ st/ noun a broadcast that is noun an office which uses computers and transmitted simultaneously by radio or telother electronic devices for office tasks evision and over the Internet and avoids the use of paper parallel computer / prəlel kəm ‘Indeed, the concept of the paperless office may have pju tə/ noun a computer with one or been a direct attack on Xerox and its close ties to the more logic or arithmetic units, allowing paper document. Yet, as we all know, the paperless office has so far been an empty promise.’ [Computparallel processing ing] parallel connection / prəlel kə paper tape /pepə tep/ noun a long nekʃ(ə)n/ noun a connector on a compustrip of paper on which data can be recordter allowing parallel data to be transferred ed, usually in the form of punched holes 쑗 Their transmission rate is 60,000 bps paper tape feed / pepə tep fi d/ through parallel connection. noun a method by which paper tape is parallel data transmission passed into a machine / prəlel detə trnz mʃ(ə)n/ noun the paper tape punch / pepə tep transmission of bits of data simultaneously

pntʃ/ noun a device which punches along a number of data lines holes in paper tape to carry data parallel input/output / prəlel paper tape reader / pepə tep

npυt aυtpυt/ noun full form of PIO

ri də/ noun a device which accepts parallel input/output chip / prəlel punched paper tape and converts the

npυt aυtpυt tʃp/ noun a dedicated inpunched information stored on it into sigtegrated circuit that performs all handnals which a computer can process shaking, buffering and other operations paper throw /pepə θrəυ/ noun rapid needed when transferring parallel data to vertical movement of paper in a printer and from a CPU paper tray /pepə tre/ noun a containparallel input/parallel output er used to hold paper to be fed into a print/ prəlel npυt prəlel aυtpυt/ noun er full form of PIPO paper-white monitor / pepə wat parallel input/serial output

mɒntə/ noun a monitor that normally / prəlel npυt səriəl aυtpυt/ noun displays black text on a white background, full form of PISO rather than the normal illuminated text on a black background parallel interface / prəlel ntəfes/ paragraph /prərɑ f/ noun 1. (in a noun a circuit and connector that allows document) the section of text between two parallel data to be received or transmitted. carriage return characters, with a unified Also called parallel port subject 2. (in a memory map) a 16-byte parallel operation / prəlel ɒpə section of memory which starts at a hexareʃ(ə)n/ noun a number of processes decimal address that can be evenly divided carried out simultaneously on a number of by 16 inputs paragraph marker /prərɑ f parallel printer / prəlel prntə/

mɑ kə/ noun (in a document) a nonprintnoun a printer that is connected to a coming character that shows where a carriage puter via a parallel interface and accepts return is within a document character data in parallel form parallel /prəlel/ adjective 1. referring ‘The Wheelwriter 7000 offers 172Kb of document to a computer system in which two or storage and mail-merge capabilities: it can be conpaper-fed

paper feed

parallel access

parallel adder

paperless

parallel broadcast

paperless office

parallel computer



parallel connection



paper tape

paper tape feed

parallel data transmission



paper tape punch

parallel input/output

paper tape reader

parallel input/output chip

paper throw

paper tray

parallel input/parallel output

paper-white monitor

parallel input/serial output

parallel interface

paragraph

parallel operation



paragraph marker

parallel printer

parallel

Computing.fm Page 248 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

parallel priority system

248 parametric equaliser / prəmetrk i kwəlazə/ noun a device that can enparallel priority system / prəlel hance or reduce the levels of particular frepraɒrti sstəm/ noun a number of pequencies within an audio signal ripherals connected in parallel to one bus, parametric subroutine which, if they require attention, send their / prəmetrk sbru ti n/ noun a subaddress and an interrupt signal, which is routine that uses parameters to define its then processed by the computer according limits or actions to device priority parent directory /peərənt da parallel processing / prəlel

rekt(ə)ri/ noun (in a DOS filing system) prəυsesŋ/ noun computer operation on the directory above a subdirectory several tasks simultaneously parent folder /peərənt fəυldə/ noun parallel running / prəlel rnŋ/ (in an Apple Mac filing system) one folder noun the running of an old and a new comthat contains other folders puter system together to allow the new parent object /peərənt ɒbd'ekt/ system to be checked before it becomes noun a page that contains the object that is the only system used being referenced parallel search storage / prəlel parent program /peərənt s tʃ stɔ rd'/ noun data retrieval from

prəυrm/ noun a program that starts storage that uses part of the data other than another program, a child program, while it an address to locate the data is still running (NOTE: Control passes back to the parent program when the parallel transfer / prəlel trnsf / child program has finished.) noun data transfer between two devices with a number of bits, usually one byte parity /prti/ noun the fact of being wide, being sent simultaneously equal ‘The difference between them is that RAID level one parallel transmission / prəlel offers mirroring, whereas level five stripes records in trnzmʃ(ə)n/ noun data transmitted parity across the disks in the system.’ [Computing] over a number of data lines carrying all the parity bit /prti bt/ noun an extra bit bits of a data word simultaneously. Comadded to a data word as a parity checking pare serial transmission device parameter /pərmtə/ noun an item of parity check /prti tʃek/ noun a information which defines the limits or acmethod of checking for errors and that tions of something, e.g. a variable, routine transmitted binary data has not been coror program 쑗 The X parameter defines the rupted by adding an extra bit number of characters displayed across a parity flag /prti fl/ noun an indiscreen. cator that shows if data has passed a parity parameter-driven software /pə check or if data has odd or even parity

rmtə drv(ə)n sɒftweə/ noun softparity interrupt /prti ntərpt/ ware whose main functions can be modinoun an interrupt signal from an error fied and tailored to a user’s needs by a checking routine which indicates that renumber of variables ceived data has failed a parity check and is parameterisation /pə rmtəra corrupt zeʃ(ə)n/, parameterization noun the parity track /prti trk/ noun a track action of setting parameters for software on magnetic or paper tape that carries the parameter passing /pərmtə parity bit

pɑ sŋ/ noun (in a program) a value park /pɑ k/ verb to move the read/write passed to a routine or program when it is head of a hard disk drive over a point on called the disk where no data is stored 쑗 When parked, the disk head will not damage any parameter testing /pərmtə data if it touches the disk surface.

testŋ/ noun the process of using a program to examine the parameters and set up parse /pɑ z/ verb to break down highthe system or program accordingly level language code into its element parts when translating into machine code (NOTE: parameter word /pərmtə w d/ parses – parsing – parsed) noun a data word that contains informaparser /pɑ zə/ noun a program that tion defining the limits or actions of a rouparses computer input (NOTE: Using the tine or program nected to a PC using the parallel printer port.’ [Computing]

parametric equaliser

parallel priority system



parametric subroutine

parent directory



parallel processing

parent folder

parallel running

parent object

parallel search storage

parent program

parallel transfer

parity

parallel transmission



parity bit

parameter

parity check



parity flag

parameter-driven software



parity interrupt

parameterisation





parity track

parameter passing



park

parameter testing



parse

parameter word



parser

Computing.fm Page 249 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

249 payment gateway requires the user to enter a password before he or she can gain access paste /pest/ verb to insert text or graphics that has been copied or cut into a file 쑗 Now that I have cut this paragraph from the end of the document, I can paste it in here. (NOTE: pastes – pasting – pasted) part of the payment for a new one Paste Special / pest speʃ(ə)l/ noun a facility for inserting a special object such partial carry / pɑ ʃ(ə)l kri/ noun as sound, images or data from other applitemporary storage of all carries generated cations into a document by parallel adders rather than a direct transfer patch /ptʃ/ noun a temporary correction made to a program by a user, often on partial RAM /pɑ ʃ(ə)l rm/ noun a the instructions of the software publisher RAM chip in which only a certain area of the chip functions correctly, usually in patch cord /ptʃ kɔ d/ noun a short newly released chips (NOTE: Partial RAMs cable with a connector at each end, used to can be used by employing more than one make an electrical connection on a patch to make up the capacity of one fully funcpanel tional chip.) patch panel /ptʃ pn(ə)l/ noun a set partition /pɑ tʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. an area of electrical terminals that can be interconof a hard disk that is treated as a logical nected using short patch cords, allowing drive and can be accessed as a separate quick and simple reconfiguration of a netdrive 쑗 I defined two partitions on this work hard disk – called drive C: and D:. 2. a path /pɑ θ/ noun 1. a possible route or section of computer memory set aside as sequence of events or instructions within foreground or background memory 쐽 verb the execution of a program 2. a route from 1. to divide a hard disk into two or more one point in a communications network to logical drives that can be accessed as sepanother 3. (in the DOS operating system) arate drives 2. to divide a large file or a list of subdirectories in which the operatblock into several smaller units which can ing system should look for a named file 쑗 be accessed and handled more easily You cannot run the program from the root partitioned file /pɑ tʃ(ə)nd fal/ directory until its directory is added to the noun one file made up of several smaller path. sequential files, each part of which can be pathname / pɑ θnem/ noun the locaaccessed individually by the control protion of a file with a listing of the subdirecgram tories leading to it 쑗 The pathname for the part page display / pɑ t ped' d letter file is .DOC. sple/ noun a display of only a section of pattern /pt(ə)n/ noun a series of regua page, and not the whole page lar lines or shapes which are repeated parts per quarter note / pɑ ts p again and again kɔ tə nəυt/ noun full form of PPQN patterned /pt(ə)nd/ adjective with PASCAL /pskl/ noun a high-level patterns structured programming language used pattern palette /pt(ə)n plət/ noun both on micros and for teaching programa range of predefined patterns that can be ming used to fill an area of an image pass /pɑ s/ noun 1. the execution of a pattern recognition / pt(ə)n rekə loop, once 2. a single operation 3. the acnʃ(ə)n/ noun algorithms or program tion of moving the whole length of a magfunctions that can identify a shape, e.g. netic tape over the read/write heads from a video camera password /pɑ s w d/ noun a word or pause key /pɔ z ki / noun a keyboard series of characters which identifies a user key that temporarily stops a process, often so that he or she can access a system a scrolling screen display, until the key is ‘…the system’s security features let you divide the pressed a second time disk into up to 256 password-protected sections’ [Byte] payment gateway /pemənt password protection / pɑ sw d prə

etwe/ noun a server or organisation tekʃ(ə)n/ noun a computer software that that acts as an interface between the paygrammar of the language involved, it works out how a sentence can be constructed from the input and produces a parse tree to show this.) part /pɑ t/ noun a section of something part exchange / pɑ t kstʃend'/ noun the act of giving an old product as

paste

part

part exchange



Paste Special

partial carry

patch

partial RAM

patch cord

patch panel

partition



path

partitioned file



pathname



part page display



pattern

parts per quarter note

patterned

PASCAL

pattern palette

pass

pattern recognition



password



pause key

payment gateway

password protection



Computing.fm Page 250 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

PB 250 that allow a computer to control a printer. ment systems of the seller and the buyer Full form printer control language when payments are made over the Internet payment gateway certificate auPCM / pi si em/ noun 1. a company thority / pemənt etwe sətfkət that produces add-on boards which are ɔ θɒrti/ noun an organisation that iscompatible with another manufacturer’s sues, renews or cancels the certificates that computer. Full form plug-compatible identify an Internet payment gateway. manufacturer 2. a way of storing sounds Abbr PGCA in an accurate, compact format that is used PB abbr petabyte by high-end sound cards. Full form pulsecode modulation PBX abbr private branch exchange PC / pi si / noun a computer that uses an PCMCIA / pi si em si a e/ noun a Intel 80x86 processor and is based on the specification for add-in expansion cards IBM PC-style architecture. Full form perthat are the size of a credit card with a consonal computer (NOTE: PC originally renector at one end 쑗 The extra memory is ferred to a microcomputer specification stored on this PCMCIA card and I use it on with an 8086-based low-power compumy laptop. Full form Personal CompuPB

PCM





PB

PBX

PC

PCMCIA

ter.)

ter Memory Card International Association PCMCIA card / pi si em si a e kɑ d/ noun add-in memory or a peripheral

PC-97 noun the set of basic requirements PC-97

for the hardware of a PC system that can run the Windows 95 operating system PC-98 noun the set of basic requirements for the hardware of a PC system that can run the Windows 98 operating system PC/AT / pi si e ti / noun a PC-compatible computer that used an Intel 80286 processor and was fitted with 16-bit ISA expansion connectors PC/AT keyboard / pi si e ti ki bɔ d/ noun a keyboard that features 12 function keys arranged in one row along the top of the keyboard PCB abbr printed circuit board PC Card / pi si kɑ d/ noun an electronic device, about the same size as a thick credit card, that can be plugged into a PCMCIA adapter to provide a particular function. 쒁 PCMCIA (NOTE: For example, PC-98

PC/AT

PC/AT keyboard

PCB

PC Card

PC Cards are available that provide a modem, NIC, extra memory and hard disk drive functions.) PC-compatible / pi si kəm ptəb(ə)l/ adjective referring to a comPC-compatible



puter that is compatible with the IBM PC

PC-DOS / pi si dɒs/ noun a version of PC-DOS

MS-DOS that is sold by IBM

p-channel metal oxide semiconductor /pi tʃn(ə)l met(ə)l ɒksad p-channel metal oxide semiconductor

semikəndktə/ noun full form of 

PMOS PCI / pi si e/ noun a specification proPCI

duced by Intel defining a type of fast local bus that allows high-speed data transfer between the processor and expansion cards. Full form peripheral component interconnect

PCL / pi si el/ noun standard set of PCL

commands, defined by Hewlett Packard,

PCMCIA card

which complies with the PCMCIA standard PCMCIA connector / pi si em si a e kənektə/ noun a 68-pin connector that is inside a PCMCIA slot and on the end of a PCMCIA card PCMCIA slot / pi si em si a e slɒt/ noun an expansion slot, normally on a laptop, that can accept a PCMCIA expansion card P-code /pi kəυd/ noun an intermediate code produced by a compiler that is ready for an interpreter to process, usually for PASCAL programs PCS abbr personal communications services PC/TV / pi si ti vi / noun a personal computer that can receive, decode and display standard television images PCU / pi si ju / noun a device used to convert input and output signals and instructions to a form that a peripheral device will understand. Full form peripherPCMCIA connector



PCMCIA slot

P-code

PCS

PC/TV

PCU

al control unit

PCX file / pi si eks fal/ noun a methPCX file

od of storing a bitmap graphic image file on disk PC/XT / pi si eks ti / noun a PC-compatible computer that was fitted with a hard disk drive and used a 8086 Intel processor PC/XT keyboard / pi si eks ti ki bɔ d/ noun a keyboard that features 10 function keys arranged in two columns along the left hand side of the keyboard PD abbr public domain PC/XT

PC/XT keyboard

PD

Computing.fm Page 251 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

251 peripheral PDA / pi di e/ noun a lightweight wards-compatible with the 80x86 family PDA

palmtop computer that provides the basic functions of a diary, notepad, addressbook and to-do list together with fax or modem communications. Full form per-

sonal digital assistant (NOTE: Current PDA designs do not have a keyboard, but use a touch-sensitive screen with a pen and handwriting-recognition to control the software.) PDF / pi di ef/ noun a file format used by Adobe Acrobat. Full form portable document format PDL abbr 1. page description language 2. PDF

PDL

program design language PDN abbr public data network peak /pi k/ noun the highest point 쐽 verb to reach the highest point peak output /pi k aυtpυt/ noun the highest output peak period /pi k pəriəd/ noun the time of the day when most power is being used peek /pi k/ noun a BASIC computer instruction that allows the user to read the contents of a memory location 쑗 You need the instruction PEEK 1452 here to examine the contents of memory location 1452. Compare poke peer /pə/ noun each of two similar devices operating on the same network protocol level peer-to-peer network / pə tə pə/ noun a local area network, usually using NICs in each computer, that does not use a central dedicated server, but instead each computer in the network shares the jobs 쑗 We have linked the four PCs in our small office using a peer-to-peer network. pel /pel/ noun same as pixel pen /pen/ noun same as light pen pen computer /pen kəmpju tə/ noun a type of computer that uses a light pen instead of a keyboard for input (NOTE: The PDN

peak

peak output

peak period

peek

peer

peer-to-peer network

pel

pen

pen computer



computer has a touch-sensitive screen and uses handwriting-recognition software to interpret the commands written on the screen using the light pen.) pen plotter /pen plɒtə/ noun a plotter pen plotter

that uses removable pens to draw an image on paper pen recorder /pen rkɔ də/ noun a peripheral which moves a pen over paper according to an input Pentium /pentiəm/ a trade name for a range of electronic processor components developed by Intel (NOTE: They are backpen recorder



Pentium

used in IBM PCs. The processor uses a 32-bit address bus and a 64-bit data bus.) per 왍 as per according to 쐽 noun 1. at a rate of 2. out of or for each 쑗 The rate of per

imperfect items is about 25 per 1.000.

per cent /pə sent/ adjective, adverb out per cent

of each hundred or for each hundred 왍 10 per cent ten in every hundred 쑗 what is the increase per cent? fifty per cent of nothing is still nothing percentage point /pəsentd' pɔnt/ noun one per cent percentile /pəsen tal/ noun one of a series of 99 figures below which a certain percentage of the total falls per day /pə de/ phrase for each day perforated tape /p fə retd tep/ noun a paper tape or long strip of tape on which data can be recorded in the form of punched holes perforation / p fəreʃ(ə)n/ noun any one of a line of very small holes in a sheet of paper or continuous stationery, to help when tearing perforator /p fəretə/ noun a machine that punches holes in a paper tape perform /pəfɔ m/ verb to do well or badly performance /pəfɔ məns/ noun the way in which someone or something works per hour / pər aυə/ adverb for each hour period /pəriəd/ noun 1. a length of time 쑗 for a period of time or for a period of months or for a six-year period 2. a printing sign used at the end of a piece of text, the full stop periodic / pəriɒdk/, periodical / pəriɒdk(ə)l/ adjective 1. happening from time to time 쑗 a periodic review of the company’s performance 2. referring to a signal or event that occurs regularly 쑗 The clock signal is periodic. periodically / pəriɒdkli/ adverb from time to time peripheral /pərf(ə)rəl/ adjective which is not essential 쐽 noun 1. an item of hardware such as a terminals, printers or monitors which is attached to a main computer system 쑗 Peripherals such as disk drives or printers allow data transfer and are controlled by a system, but contain independent circuits for their operation. Also called peripheral unit 2. any device percentage point



percentile





per day

perforated tape



perforation



perforator

perform



performance



per hour

period

periodic





periodically



peripheral



Computing.fm Page 252 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

peripheral control unit 252 that allows communication between a sysnoun a storage medium which retains data tem and itself but is not directly operated even when power is removed by the system permanent error / p mənənt erə/ noun an error in a system which cannot be peripheral component interconrepaired nect /pə rf(ə)rəl kəm pəυnənt ntəkənekt/ noun full form of PCI permanent file /p mənənt fal/ noun a data file that is stored in a backing storperipheral control unit /pə rf(ə)rəl age device such as a disk drive kəntrəυl ju nt/ noun full form of PCU permanent memory / p mənənt peripheral driver /pə rf(ə)rəl mem(ə)ri/ noun a computer memory that dravə/ noun a program or routine used retains data even when power is removed to interface, manage and control an inpermanent swap file / p mənənt put/output device or peripheral swɒp fal/ noun a file on a hard disk, peripheral equipment /pə rf(ə)rəl  made up of contiguous disk sectors, which kwpmənt/ noun 1. external devices that stores a swap file for software that impleare used with a computer, e.g. a printer or ments virtual memory, e.g. Microsoft Winscanner 2. communications equipment exdows ternal to a central processor that provides permission /pəmʃ(ə)n/ noun authoriextra features sation given to a particular user to access a peripheral interface adapter /pə certain shared resource or area of disk 쑗

rf(ə)rəl ntəfes ə dptə/ noun full This user cannot access the file on the form of PIA server because he does not have permisperipheral limited /pə rf(ə)rəl sion. lmtd/ noun a CPU that cannot execute permutation / p mjυteʃ(ə)n/ noun instructions at normal speed because of a each of a number of different ways in slow peripheral which something can be arranged 쑗 The peripheral memory /pə rf(ə)rəl cipher system is very secure since there mem(ə)ri/ noun storage capacity availaare so many possible permutations for the ble in a peripheral key. peripheral processing unit /pə persistence /pəsstəns/ noun the

rf(ə)rəl prəυsesŋ ju nt/ noun a delength of time that a CRT will continue to vice used for input, output or storage display an image after the picture beam which is controlled by the CPU. Abbr has stopped tracing it on the screen 쑗 Slow PPU scan rate monitors need long persistence peripheral software driver /pə phosphor to prevent the image flickering.

rf(ə)rəl sɒftweə dravə/ noun a short personal communications servicsection of computer program that allows a es / p s(ə)n(ə)l kə mju nkeʃ(ə)nz user to access and control a peripheral eas s vsz/ plural noun a range of wireless ily communication systems that allow comperipheral transfer /pə rf(ə)rəl puters to exchange data with other devices trnsf / noun the movement of data besuch as a printer or PDA. Abbr PCS tween a CPU and peripheral personal computer / p s(ə)n(ə)l kəm pju tə/ noun full form of PC peripheral unit /pə rf(ə)rəl ju nt/ noun 1. an item of hardware such as a terPersonal Computer Memory Card minal, printer or monitor which is attached International Association to a main computer system. Also called / p s(ə)nəl kəm pju tə mem(ə)ri kɑ d peripheral 2. any device that allows com ntənʃ(ə)nəl ə səυsieʃ(ə)n/ noun munication between a system and itself, full form of PCMCIA (see) but is not operated only by the system personal digital assistant / p s(ə)n(ə)l dd't(ə)l ə sstənt/ noun Perl /p l/ noun an interpreted programfull form of PDA ming language, usually used under Unix, used to create CGI scripts that can process personal identification device forms or carry out functions on a web serv/ p s(ə)n(ə)l a dentfkeʃ(ə)n d er to enhance a website. Full form practi vas/ noun full form of PID cal extraction and report language personal identification number permanent dynamic memory / p s(ə)n(ə)l a dentfkeʃ(ə)n / p mənənt da nmk mem(ə)ri/

nmbə/ noun full form of PIN permanent error

peripheral control unit





permanent file

peripheral control unit





permanent memory

peripheral driver



permanent swap file

peripheral equipment





permission



peripheral interface adapter





peripheral limited



permutation



peripheral memory



peripheral processing unit



persistence



peripheral software driver



personal communications services





peripheral transfer



personal computer

peripheral unit





Personal Computer Memory Card International Association







personal digital assistant

Perl



personal identification device







personal identification number

permanent dynamic memory







Computing.fm Page 253 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

personal personal information manager

information

253 phosphor triad manager phase alternation line / fez ɔ ltə phase alternation line

/ p s(ə)n(ə)l nfəmeʃ(ə)n mnd'ə/ noun full form of PIM personalise /p s(ə)nəlaz/, personalize verb to customise or adapt a product specially for a certain user (NOTE: personalises – personalising – personalised) personalising, personalizing noun 

personalise

personalising

the process of changing the settings of Windows from their default COMMENT: For example, you can change the background wallpaper to display a different image behind your windows or you could change the colours of the title bars, the font used by Windows and so on. To make these changes, use the Start/Settings menu item in Windows or the Control Panel icon in the Main program group of Windows 3.1x.

perspective /pəspektv/ noun the apperspective



pearance of depth in an image in which objects that are further away from the viewer appear smaller perspective correction /pəspektv kə rekʃ(ə)n/ noun (in a three-dimensional scene) a method that is used to change the size and shape of an object to give the impression of depth and distance PERT /p t/ noun a definition of tasks or jobs and the time each requires, arranged in order to achieve a goal. Full form properspective correction





PERT

gram evaluation and review technique

per week /pə wi k/ adverb for each per week

week

per year /pə jə/ adverb for each year peta /petə/ prefix one quadrillion (250). per year

peta

Abbr P

petabyte /petəbat/ noun one quadrilpetabyte

lion bytes. Abbr PB

PGCA abbr Payment Gateway CertifiPGCA

cate Authority PgDn / ped' daυn/ abbr page down key PGP / pi d'i pi / noun an encryption system developed to allow anyone to protect the contents of his or her email messages from unauthorised readers. Full form pretty good privacy (NOTE: This PgDn

PGP

system is often used when sending credit card or payment details over the Internet.) PgUp / ped' p/ abbr page up key phantom ROM /fntəm rɒm/ noun a PgUp

phantom ROM

duplicate area of read-only memory that is accessed by a special code phase /fez/ noun one part of a larger process 쐽 verb 왍 to phase in, to phase out to introduce something gradually or to reduce something gradually phase



neʃ(ə)n lan/ noun full form of PAL phased change-over / fezd tʃend'/ noun gradually introduction of a new device as the old one is used less and less PHIGS /fz/ noun a standard application interface between software and a graphics adapter that uses a set of standard commands to draw and manipulate 2D and 3D images. Full form programmer’s hiphased change-over

PHIGS

erarchical interactive graphics standard phone /fəυn/ noun a telephone or maphone

chine used for speaking to someone over a long distance 쑗 We had a new phone system installed last week. Phone Dialer /fəυn daələ/ noun same as Dialer phoneme /fəυni m/ noun one small meaningful sound, several of which may make up a spoken word (NOTE: Phonemes Phone Dialer

phoneme

are relevant to the analysis of voice input to recognise words and in the reproduction of speech.) phone number /fəυn nmbə/ noun a phone number

set of figures for a particular telephone 쑗 He keeps a list of phone numbers in a little black book. Phong shading /fɒŋ ʃedŋ/ noun the most complex method of applying shading to a three-dimensional scene that creates the smoothest shading effects and is better than a Gouraud shading (NOTE: Phong shading

The disadvantage is that this method is very processor-intensive and so takes a long time to process each scene.) phosphor /fɒfsə/ noun a substance that phosphor

produces light when excited by some form of energy, usually an electron beam, used for coating the inside of a cathode ray tube COMMENT: A thin layer of phosphor is arranged in a pattern of small dots on the inside of a television screen which produces an image when scanned by the picture beam.

phosphor coating /fɒsfə kəυtŋ/ phosphor coating

noun a thin layer of phosphor on the inside of a CRT screen phosphor dots /fɒsfə dɒtz/ plural noun individual dots of red, green and blue phosphor on a colour CRT screen phosphor efficiency /fɒsfə 

fʃ(ə)nsi/ noun a measure of the amount of light produced in ratio to the energy received from an electron beam phosphor triad /fɒsfə trad/ noun a group of three individual phosphor dots, phosphor dots

phosphor efficiency



phosphor triad

Computing.fm Page 254 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

photo254 ports and other handshaking signals rerepresenting red, green and blue, that toquired to interface the peripheral. Full gether form a single pixel on a colour form peripheral interface adapter screen photo- /fəυtəυ/ prefix light PIC / pi a si / noun an image compression algorithm used in Intel’s DVI video PhotoCD /fəυtəυ si di / noun a standsystem. Full form picture image comard developed to store 35 mm photographpression ic slides or negatives in digital format on a CD-ROM pica /pakə/ noun a typeface used on a photodigital memory /fəυtəυ printer to giving 10 characters to the inch

dd't(ə)l mem(ə)ri/ noun a computer PICK /pk/ noun a multi-user, multitaskmemory system that uses a laser to write ing operating system that runs on maindata onto a piece of film which can then be frame, mini or PC computers read many times but not written to again. pickup reel /pkp ri l/ noun an empty Also called WORM reel used to take the tape as it is played photorealistic / fəυtəυriəlstk/ adfrom a full reel jective referring to a computer image that pico- /pi kəυ/ prefix one million milhas almost the same quality and clarity as lionth of a unit. Abbr p a photograph picosecond /pi kəυ sekənd/ noun photoresist / fəυtəυrzst/ noun a one million millionth of a second. Abbr chemical or material that hardens into an pS etch resistant material when light is shone PICS /pks/ noun a file format used to on it 쑗 To make the PCB, coat the board import a sequence of PICT files on an Apwith photoresist, place the opaque pattern ple Mac above, expose, then develop and etch, PICT /pkt/ noun a method of storing leaving the conducting tracks. vector graphic images, developed by Lotus phototypesetter / fəυtəυtapsetə/ for its 1–2–3 spreadsheet charts and noun a device that can produce very highgraphs. Full form PICture resolution text on photosensitive paper or picture /pktʃə/ noun a printed or film drawn image of an object or scene 쑗 This physical address / fzk(ə)l ədres/ picture shows the new design. 쐽 verb to noun a memory address that corresponds visualise an object or scene 쑗 Try to picto a hardware memory location in a memture the layout before starting to draw it in. ory device (NOTE: pictures – picturing – pictured) physical database / fzk(ə)l PICture /pktʃə/ noun full form of detəbes/ noun the organisation and PICT structure of a stored database picture beam /pktʃə bi m/ noun a physical layer / fzk(ə)l leə/ noun moving electron beam in a TV that prothe lowest ISO/OSI standard network layduces an image on the screen by illuminater that defines rules for bit rate, power and ing the phosphor coating and by varying medium for signal transmission its intensity according to the received sigphysical memory / fzk(ə)l nal mem(ə)ri/ noun memory fitted in a compicture element /pktʃə elmənt/ puter noun same as pixel physical parameter / fzk(ə)l pə picture image compression rmtə/ noun a description of the size, / pktʃə md' kəm preʃ(ə)n/ noun full weight, voltage or power of a system form of PIC physical record / fzk(ə)l rekɔ d/ picture level benchmark / pktʃə noun 1. the maximum unit of data that can

lev(ə)l bentʃmɑ k/ noun full form of be transmitted in a single operation 2. all PLB the information, including control data, for one record stored in a computer system picture object /pktʃə ɒbd'ekt/ noun an image created with a vector drawphysical topology / fzk(ə)l tə ing package and stored as vectors rather pɒləd'i/ noun the actual arrangement of than as a bitmap the cables in a network PIA / pi a e/ noun a circuit which alpicture processing / pktʃə prə sesŋ/ noun the analysis of information lows a computer to communicate with a contained in an image, usually by compuperipheral by providing serial and parallel photo-

PIC

PhotoCD

pica

photodigital memory



PICK

pickup reel

photorealistic



pico-

picosecond



photoresist



PICS

PICT

phototypesetter



picture

physical address



physical database

PICture

picture beam

physical layer

physical memory

picture element

physical parameter



picture image compression



physical record

picture level benchmark

picture object

physical topology



PIA

picture processing



Computing.fm Page 255 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

255 PIPO in a socket 쑗 Use a three-pin plug to conter or electronic methods, providing analysis or recognition of objects in the image nect the printer to the mains. PIN /pn/ noun a unique sequence of digpicture transmission /pktʃə trnz its that identifies a user to provide authori mʃ(ə)n/ noun the transmission of images sation to access a system, often used on auover a telephone line tomatic cash dispensers or with a PID or PID / pi a di / noun a device such as a password to enter a system. Full form perbank card connected with or inserted into sonal identification number a system to identify or provide authorisapinchwheel /pntʃwi l/ noun a small tion for a user. Full form personal identirubber wheel in a tape machine that holds fication device the tape in place and prevents flutter pie chart /pa tʃɑ t/ noun a diagram in pin-compatible / pn kəmptb(ə)l/ which ratios are shown as slices of a circle adjective referring to an electronic chip 쑗 The memory allocation is shown on this that can directly replace another because pie chart. the arrangement of the pins is the same and PIF / pi a ef/ noun a Microsoft Winthey carry the same signals 쑗 It’s easy to dows file that contains the environment upgrade the processor because the new settings for a particular program. Full form one is pin-compatible. program information file pincushion distortion / pnkυʃ(ə)n piggyback /pibk/ verb to connect dstɔ ʃ(ə)n/ noun a fault with a monitor two integrated circuits in parallel, one on that causes the distortion of an image distop of the other to save space 쑗 Piggyback played in which the edges curve in towards those two memory chips to boost the memthe centre ory capacity. pinfeed /pnfi d/ noun same as tractor piggyback entry /pibk entri/ feed noun unauthorised access to a computer PING /pŋ/ noun a software utility that system gained by using an authorised uswill test all the nodes on a network or Iner’s password or terminal ternet to ensure that they are working corpiggybacking /pibkŋ/ noun the rectly. Full form packet Internet groper process of using transmitted messages to pinout /pnaυt/ noun a description of carry acknowledgements from a message the position of all the pins on an integrated which has been received earlier circuit together with their function and sigpilot /palət/ adjective used as a test, nal which if successful will then be expanded PIO / pi a əυ/ noun data input or output into a full operation 쑗 The company set up from a computer in a parallel form. Full a pilot project to see if the proposed manform parallel input/output. 쒁 PIPO, ufacturing system was efficient. 쐽 verb to PISO test something 쑗 They are piloting the new pipe /pap/ noun (in DOS and UNIX) a system. symbol, usually (), that tells the operating PILOT /palət/ noun a computer prosystem to send the output of one command gramming language that uses a text-based to another command, instead of displaying format and is mainly used in computerit aided learning pipeline /paplan/ verb 1. to schedule pilot system /palət sstəm/ noun a inputs to arrive at the microprocessor system constructed to see if it can be manwhen nothing else is happening, so inufactured, if it works and if the end user creasing apparent speed 2. to carry out likes it more than one task at a time: e.g., to compress and store an image on disk as it is bePIM / pi a em/ noun a software utility ing scanned (NOTE: pipelines – pipelining that stores and manages a user’s everyday – pipelined) data such as diary, telephone numbers, address book and notes. Full form personal pipeline burst cache / paplan b st information manager kʃ/ noun a secondary synchronous cache that uses very high speed memory pin /pn/ noun 1. one of several short chips, with access speeds of around 9 ns pieces of wire attached to an integrated cirPIPO / pi a pi əυ/ noun a device that cuit package that allows the IC to be concan accept and transmit parallel data. Full nected to a circuit board 2. a short piece of metal, part of a plug which fits into a hole form parallel input/parallel output PIN

picture transmission



PID

pinchwheel

pie chart

pin-compatible



PIF

pincushion distortion

piggyback



pinfeed

piggyback entry

PING

piggybacking

pinout

pilot

PIO

pipe



PILOT

pipeline

pilot system

PIM

pipeline burst cache

pin

PIPO

Computing.fm Page 256 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

piracy 256 COMMENT: A PLA consists of a large matrix of piracy /parəsi/ noun the process of paths between input and output pins, with logcopying patented inventions or copyright ic gates and a fusible link at each connection works point that can be broken or left to conduct when programming to define a function from pirate /parət/ noun a person who copinput to output. ies a patented invention or a copyright place /ples/ noun the position of a digit work and sells it 쑗 The company is trying within a number to take the software pirates to court. 쐽 verb to manufacture copies of an original plain old telephone service / plen copyrighted work illegally 쑗 a pirated əυld telfəυn s vs/ noun full form of DVD or a pirated design (NOTE: pirates – POTS pirating – pirated) plaintext / plentekst/ noun text or inCOMMENT: The items most frequently pirated formation that has not been encrypted or are programs on magnetic disks and tapes, coded 쑗 The messages were sent as plainwhich are relatively simple to copy. text by telephone. Opposite ciphertext pirate copy / parət kɒpi/ noun a copy of software or other copyright material plan /pln/ noun 1. an organised way of which has been made illegally doing something 2. a drawing which shows how something is arranged or how pirate software / parət sɒftweə/ something will be built 쐽 verb to organise noun an illegal copy of a software package carefully how something should be done PISO / pi a es əυ/ noun a device that (NOTE: planning – planned) can accept parallel data and transmit serial data. Full form parallel input/serial outPLAN /pln/ noun a low-level programput ming language pit /pt/ noun a bump or impression on the planar /plenə/ adjective referring to a surface of an optical disk that represents a method of producing integrated circuits by bit of data, created by a master disk during diffusing chemicals into a slice of silicon manufacture to create the different components 쐽 noun pitch /ptʃ/ noun the number of characreferring to graphical objects or images arters which will fit into one inch of line, ranged on the same plane when the characters are typed in single plane /plen/ noun one layer of an image spacing (NOTE: Pitch is used on line printthat can be manipulated independently ers, the normal pitches available being within a graphics program 10, 12 and 17 characters per inch.) planner /plnə/ noun a software propitch scale factor / ptʃ skel gram that allows appointments and impor fktə/ noun an instruction to a waveform tant meetings to be recorded and arranged audio device to change the pitch of the in the most efficient way sound by a factor planning /plnŋ/ noun the activity of pix /pks/ plural noun pictures organising how something should be done pixel /pksəl/ noun the smallest single 쑗 long-term planning or short-term planunit or point of a display whose colour or ning brightness can be controlled. Also called plant /plɑ nt/ verb to store a result in picture element memory for later use ‘…adding 40 to each pixel brightens the image and can improve the display’s appearance’ [Byte] plasma display /plzmə d sple/ COMMENT: In high resolution display systems noun same as gas discharge display piracy

pirate

place

plain old telephone service

plaintext



pirate copy

plan

pirate software

PISO

PLAN

pit

planar

pitch

plane

planner

pitch scale factor

planning

pix

pixel

plant

plasma display



the colour or brightness of a single pixel can be controlled; in low resolution systems a group of pixels are controlled at the same time.

pixelated /pksəletd/ adjective referpixelated

ring to an image on a computer or television screen that is made up of pixels, especially one that is unclear or distorted PLA / pi el e/ noun an integrated circuit that can be permanently programmed to perform logic operations on data using a matrix of links between input and output pins. Full form programmable logic arPLA

ray

COMMENT: This is a thin display usually used in small portable computers.

plastic bubble keyboard / plstk plastic bubble keyboard

bb(ə)l ki bɔ d/ noun a keyboard whose keys are small bubbles in a plastic sheet over a contact which when pressed completes a circuit COMMENT: These are very solid and cheap keyboards but are not ideal for rapid typing.

platform /plt fɔ m/ noun a standard type of hardware that makes up a particular range of computers 쑗 This software will only work on the IBM PC platform. platform



Computing.fm Page 257 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

257 PMOS COMMENT : Plotters are used for graph and diplatform independence / pltfɔ m agram plotting and can plot curved lines as a

ndpendəns/ noun the fact that softnumber of short straight lines. ware or a network can work with or conplotter driver /plɒtə dravə/ noun nect to different types of incompatible dedicated software that converts simple inhardware structions issued by a user into complex platter /pltə/ noun one disk within a control instructions to direct the plotter hard disk drive plotter pen /plɒtə pen/ noun an instruCOMMENT: The disks are made of metal or ment used in a plotter to mark the paper glass and coated with a magnetic compound; with ink as it moves over the paper each platter has a read/write head that moves across its surface to access stored data. plotting mode /plɒtŋ məυd/ noun the ability of some word-processors to play back / ple bk/ verb to read data produce graphs by printing a number of or a signal from a recording 쑗 After you closely spaced characters rather than indihave recorded the music, press this button vidual pixels, which results in a broad lowto play it back and hear what it sounds resolution line like. plug /pl/ noun a connector with proplayback head /ple bk hed/ noun a truding pins that is inserted into a socket to piece of equipment that reads signals reprovide an electrical connection 쑗 The corded on a storage medium and usually printer is supplied with a plug. 쐽 verb 왍 converts them to an electrical signal 쑗 disk plug in to make an electrical connection playback head by pushing a plug into a socket 쑗 No wonplayback rate scale factor der the computer does nothing, you have /plebk ret skel fktə/ noun 1. (in not plugged it in at the mains. waveform audio) sound played back at a plug and play / pl ən ple/ noun a different rate, directed by another applicafacility in PCs that allows a user to plug a tion, to create a special effect 2. (in video new adapter card into their PC without displayed on a computer ) the point at having to configure it or set any switches. which video playback is no longer smooth Abbr PNP and appears jerky because of missed plug-compatible /pl kəm frames ptəb(ə)l/ adjective referring to equipplayback speed /ple bk spi d/ ment that can work with several different noun the rate at which tape travels past a types of computer, so long as they have the playback head correct type of connector PLB / pi el bi / noun benchmark used to plug-compatible manufacturer measure the performance (not the quality) / pl kəm ptb(ə)l mnjυfktʃərə/ of a graphics adapter or workstation. Full noun full form of PCM form picture level benchmark plug-in /pl n/ noun a program that PLD abbr programmable logic device works with a web browser to increase the plex database /pleks detəbes/ functionality of the browser. 쒁 browser, noun a database structure in which data helper application items can be linked together plug-in unit /pl n ju nt/ noun a plex structure /pleks strktʃə/ noun small electronic circuit that can be simply a network structure or data structure in plugged into a system to increase its power which each node is connected to all the plus /pls/, plus sign /pls san/ noun others a printed or written sign (+) showing that PL/M / pi el em/ noun a high level profigures are added or showing a positive gramming language derived for use on mivalue croprocessors. Full form programming PLV / pi el vi / noun the highest-quality language for microprocessors video compression algorithm used with plot /plɒt/ noun a graph or map 쐽 verb to DVI full-motion video sequences. Full draw an image (especially a graph) based form production level video on information supplied as a series of coPMOS /pi mɒs/ noun a metal oxide ordinates semiconductor transistor that conducts via plotter /plɒtə/ noun a computer peripha small region of p-type semiconductor. eral that draws straight lines between two Full form p-channel metal oxide semiconductor coordinates platform independence



plotter driver

platter

plotter pen

plotting mode

play back

plug

playback head



playback rate scale factor

plug and play

plug-compatible



playback speed



PLB

plug-compatible manufacturer



plug-in

PLD

plex database

plug-in unit

plex structure

plus

PL/M

PLV

plot

PMOS

plotter



Computing.fm Page 258 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

PMS 258 PMS / pi em es/ abbr Pantone Matchpolar coordinates / pəυlə kəυ ing System ɔ dnəts/ noun a system of defining positions as an angle and distance from the orPNP / pi en pi / abbr plug and play igin pnp transistor / pi en pi trn zstə/ polarised edge connector noun the layout of a bipolar transistor / pəυlərazd ed' kə nektə/ noun an whose collector and emitter are of p-type edge connector that has a hole or key to semiconductor and whose base is n-type prevent it being plugged in the wrong way semiconductor round pointer /pɔntə/ noun 1. a variable in a polarised plug / pəυlərazd pl/ computer program that contains the adnoun a plug which has a feature (usually a dress to a data item or instruction 쑗 Increpeg or a special shape) which allows it to ment the contents of the pointer to the adbe inserted into a socket only in one way dress of the next instruction. 2. a graphical symbol used to indicate the position of a polarity /pəυlrəti/ noun the definition cursor on a computer display 쑗 Desktop of direction of flow of flux or current in an publishing on a PC is greatly helped by the object use of a pointer and mouse. polarity test /pəυlrəti test/ noun a pointer file /pɔntə fal/ noun a file of check to see which electrical terminal is pointers referring to large amounts of positive and which negative stored data policy /pɒlsi/ noun 쏡 acceptable use pointing device /pɔntŋ d vas/ policy noun an input device that controls the poPolish notation / pəυlʃ nəυteʃ(ə)n/ sition of a cursor on screen as it is moved 쏡 reverse Polish notation by the user. 쒁 mouse poll /pəυl/ verb (of a computer ) to deterpoint of presence / pɔnt əv mine the state of a peripheral in a network prezəns/ noun full form of POP polled interrupt / pəυld ntərpt/ point-of-sale / pɔnt əv sel/ noun a noun an interrupt signal determined by place in a shop where goods are paid for. polling devices Abbr POS polling /pəυlŋ/ noun a system of compoint sampling /pɔnt sɑ mplŋ/ munication between a controlling compunoun a method of adding texture and shadter and a number of networked terminals ing to a three-dimensional scene or object, (the computer checks each terminal in turn in which the algorithm calculates the perto see if it is ready to receive or transmit ceived depth, position and shade of each data, and takes the required action) point on the image and applies a texture COMMENT: The polling system differs from othmap pixel, or texel, to that point er communications systems in that the compoint size / pɔnt saz/ noun (in typogputer asks the terminals to transmit or receive, raphy) a unit of measure equal to 1/72not the other way round. inch, used to measure type or text polling characters / pəυlŋ krktəz/ plural noun a special sequence point to point /pɔnt tə, tυ/ noun 1. a direct link between two devices 2. comof characters for each terminal to be munications network in which every node polled, which ensures that when a terminal is directly connected to every other node recognises its sequence, it responds point to point protocol / pɔnt tə polling interval /pəυlŋ ntəv(ə)l/

pɔnt prəυtəkɒl/ noun full form of PPP noun a period of time between two polling operations point-to-point tunneling protocol /pɔnt tə, tυ pɔnt tn(ə)lŋ/ noun full polling list /pəυlŋ lst/ noun the order form of PPTP in which terminals are to be polled by a computer poke /pəυk/ noun a computer instruction that modifies an entry in a memory by polling overhead /pəυlŋ əυvəhed/ writing a number to an address in memory noun the amount of time spent by a com쑗 Poke 1423,74 will write the data 74 into puter calling and checking each terminal location 1423. Compare peek in a network POL abbr problem-orientated language polygon /pɒlən/ noun a graphics polar /pəυlə/ adjective referring to poles shape with three or more sides PMS

polar coordinates



PNP

pnp transistor



polarised edge connector



pointer

polarised plug

polarity



polarity test



pointer file

policy

pointing device



Polish notation



poll

point of presence

polled interrupt

point-of-sale

polling

point sampling

point size

polling characters

point to point

point to point protocol

polling interval

point-to-point tunneling protocol

polling list



poke

polling overhead

POL

polygon

polar

Computing.fm Page 259 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

259 positive logic data files that can used on a range of differpolygon mesh model / pɒlən meʃ ent computers

mɒd(ə)l/ noun same as wire frame model portable document format / pɔ təb(ə)l dɒkjυmənt fɔ mt/ noun polynomial code / pɒlinəυmiəl full form of PDF kəυd/ noun an error detection system that portable operating system interuses a set of mathematical rules applied to face / pɔ təb(ə)l ɒpəretŋ sstəm the message before it is transmitted and

ntəfes/ noun full form of POSIX again when it is received to reproduce the portable programs / pɔ təb(ə)l original message prəυrmz/ noun same as portable polyphony /pəlfəni/ noun a device software that can play more than one musical note portable software / pɔ təb(ə)l at a time sɒftweə/ noun programs that can be run pop /pɒp/ verb to read and remove the on several different computer systems last piece of data from a stack portal /pɔ t(ə)l/ noun a website that POP /pɒp/ noun telephone access provides links to information and other number for a service provider that can be websites used to connect to the Internet via a moportrait /pɔ trt/ adjective the orientadem. Full form point of presence tion of a page or piece of paper in which POP 2 /pɒp tu / noun a high level prothe longest edge is vertical gramming language used for list processport replicator /pɔ t replketə/ ing applications noun a version of a docking station that alPOP 3 / pɒp θri / noun a system used to lows a laptop computer to be connected to transfer electronic mail messages between duplicate the connection ports on the back a user’s computer and a server at an ISP of the laptop, allowing a user to keep a mouse, power cable, and printer connected pop-down menu / pɒp daυn menju / to the port replicator and easily insert the noun a menu that can be displayed on the laptop to use these ports without having to screen at any time by pressing the approplug in cables each time the machine is priate key, usually displayed over material used already on the screen. Also called pop-up menu port selector /pɔ t slektə/ noun a switch that allows the user to choose populate /pɒpjυlet/ verb to fill the which peripheral a computer is connected sockets on a printed circuit board with to, via its o/p port components port sharing /pɔ t ʃεərŋ/ noun a depop-up menu / pɒp p menju / noun vice that is placed between one I/O port same as pop-down menu and a number of peripherals, allowing the pop-up window / pɒp p wndəυ/ computer access to all of them noun a window that can be displayed on POS /pɒz/ abbr point-of-sale the screen at any time on top of anything positional /pəzʃ(ə)nəl/ adjective rethat is already on the screen ferring to position ‘…you can use a mouse to access pop-up menus and positioning time /pəzʃ(ə)nŋ tam/ a keyboard for word processing’ [Byte] noun the amount of time required to acport /pɔ t/ noun a socket or physical concess data stored in a disk drive or tape manection allowing data transfer between a chine, including all mechanical movecomputer’s internal communications ments of the read head and arm channel and another external device positive /pɒztv/ adjective 1. meaning portability / pɔ təblti/ noun an ex‘yes’ 2. referring to an image that shows tent to which software or hardware can be objects as they are seen 3. an electrical used on several systems voltage greater than zero ‘…although portability between machines is there in positive display / pɒztv dsple/ theory, in practice it just isn’t that simple’ [Personal Computer World] noun a display in which the text and graphics are shown as black on a white portable /pɔ təb(ə)l/ noun a compact background to imitate a printed page self-contained computer that can be carpositive logic / pɒztv lɒd'k/ noun ried around and used either with a battery a logic system in which a logical one is pack or mains power supply 쐽 adjective referring to any hardware or software or represented by a positive voltage level, and polygon mesh model

portable document format

polynomial code



portable operating system interface

portable programs

polyphony



portable software

pop

portal

POP

portrait

POP 2

port replicator

POP 3

pop-down menu

port selector



populate

port sharing

pop-up menu

pop-up window

POS

positional



positioning time



port

positive

portability



positive display



portable

positive logic

Computing.fm Page 260 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

positive photoresist 260 a logical zero represented by a zero or negpost office /pəυst ɒfs/ noun the cenative voltage level tral store for the messages for users on a local area network positive photoresist / pɒztv

fəυtəυrzst/ noun a method of forming post office protocol /pəυst ɒfs/ photographic images where exposed areas noun 쏡 POP 3 of photoresist are removed, used in makpostprocessor / pəυstprəυsesə/ ing PCBs noun 1. a microprocessor that handles positive presentation / pɒztv semi-processed data from another device

prez(ə)nteʃ(ə)n/ noun a screen image 2. a program that processes data from anwhich is coloured on a white background other program, which has already been positive response / pɒztv r processed spɒns/ noun a communication signal that post production / pəυst prədkʃən/ indicates correct reception of a message noun the final editing process of a video or positive terminal / pɒztv animation in which titles are added and set mn(ə)l/ noun a connection to a power quences finalised supply source that is at a higher electrical PostScript /pəυstskrpt/ a trade name potential than ground and supplies current for a standard page description language to a component developed by Adobe Systems that offers POSIX /pɒsks/ noun the IEEE standard flexible font sizing and positioning and is that defines software that can be easily most often found in laser printers ported between hardware platforms. Full potential difference /pə tenʃəl form portable operating system interdf(ə)rəns/ noun the voltage difference face between two points in a circuit post /pəυst/ verb to enter data into a POTS /pɒts/ noun the simplest, standard record in a file telephone line without any special features postbyte /pəυstbat/ noun in a prosuch as call waiting or forwarding, and gram instruction, the data byte following without high-speed digital access such as the op code that defines the register to be ADSL. Full form plain old telephone used service post-editing /pəυst edtŋ/ noun the power /paυə/ noun 1. the unit of energy process of editing and modifying text after in electronics equal to the product of voltit has been compiled or translated by a maage and current, measured in watts 2. a chine mathematical term describing the number post-filtering / pəυst fltərŋ/ noun of times a number is to be multiplied by itimage processing carried out after the imself 쑗 5 to the power 2 is equal to 25. age has been compressed (NOTE: written as small figures in superpostfix /pəυstfks/ noun a word or letscript: 105: say: ‘ten to the power five’) 쐽 ter written after another verb to provide electrical or mechanical postfix notation / pəυstfks nəυ energy to a device 쑗 The monitor is powteʃ(ə)n/ noun mathematical operations ered from a supply in the main PC. written in a logical way, so that the operaPowerBook /paυəbυk/ a trade name tor appears after the operands, which refor a laptop version of a Macintosh commoves the need for brackets puter, designed by Apple Corp post-formatted / pəυst fɔ mtd/ PowerCD /paυə si di / a trade name adjective referring to text arranged at for a CD-ROM player produced by Apple printing time rather than on screen that can connect to a television to display posting /pəυstŋ/ noun an online mesPhoto CD images, or to a Macintosh as a sage, especially a message sent to an Interstandard CD-ROM drive, or to play back net newsgroup or bulletin board music CDs postmaster /pəυstmɑ stə/ noun the power down /paυə daυn/ verb to turn email address of the person nominally in off the electricity supply to a computer or charge of email within a company other electronic device post mortem /pəυst mɔ təm/ noun an power dump /paυə dmp/ verb to reexamination of a computer program or move all power from a computer piece of hardware after it has failed, depower failure /paυə feljə/ noun the signed to find out why the failure took loss of the electric power supply place post office

positive photoresist

post office protocol



postprocessor



positive presentation



positive response



post production



positive terminal

PostScript

POSIX

potential difference



post

POTS

postbyte

post-editing



power

post-filtering

postfix

postfix notation



PowerBook

post-formatted

PowerCD

posting

postmaster

power down

post mortem

power dump

power failure

Computing.fm Page 261 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

261 preemptive multitasking net in a transparent manner without the power loss /paυə lɒs/ noun the power loss

amount of power lost in transmission or through connection equipment power management /paυə

mnd'mənt/ noun software built into laptop computers and some newer desktop PCs and monitors that, to save energy, will automatically turn off components that are not being used power monitor /paυə mɒntə/ noun a circuit that shuts off the electricity supply if it is faulty or likely to damage equipment power-on reset / paυə ɒn ri set/ noun the automatic reset of a CPU to a known initial state immediately after power is applied power on self test / paυə ɒn self test/ noun a series of hardware tests that a computer carries out when it is first switched on. Abbr POST power pack /paυə pk/ noun a selfcontained box that will provide a voltage and current supply for a circuit PowerPC /paυə pi si / a trade name for a high-performance RISC-based processor developed by Motorola power supply / paυə səpla/ noun a PSU power transient / paυə trnziənt/ noun a very short duration voltage pulse or spike power up /paυə p/ verb to switch on or apply a voltage to a electrical device power user /paυə ju zə/ noun a user who needs the latest, fastest model of computer because he or she runs complex or demanding applications ppm / pi pi em/ noun the number of pages that a printer can print in one minute, used for describing the speed of a printer. Full form pages per minute PPP / pi pi pi / noun a protocol that supports a network link over an asynchronous (modem) connection and is normally used to provide data transfer between a user’s computer and a remote server on the Internet using the TCP/IP network protocol. Full form point to point protocol PPQN / pi pi kju en/ noun the most common time format used with standard MIDI sequences. Full form parts per power management

power monitor

power-on reset

power on self test

power pack

PowerPC

power supply



power transient

power up

power user

ppm

PPP

PPQN

quarter note PPTP / pi pi ti pi / noun a protocol PPTP

that allows a standard local-area network protocol (such as Novell’s IPX or Microsoft’s NetBEUI) to be sent over the Inter-

user or operating system noticing, used by companies that want to use the Internet to connect servers in different offices. Full form point-to-point tunneling protocol

practical extraction and report language / prktk(ə)l k strkʃ(ə)n practical extraction and report language



ən rpɔ t lŋwd'/ noun full form of 

Perl

pre- /pri / prefix before pre-agreed /pri əri d/ adjective pre-

pre-agreed



which has been agreed in advance pre-allocation /pri ləkeʃ(ə)n/ noun the execution of a process which does not begin until all memory and peripheral requirements are free for use pre-amplifier /pri mpl faə/ noun an electronic circuit which amplifies a signal to a particular level, before it is fed to an amplifier for output precede /prsi d/ verb to come before something 쑗 This instruction cancels the instruction which precedes it. precedence /presd(ə)ns/ noun a set of computational rules defining the order in which mathematical operations are calculated precise /prsas/ adjective very exact 쑗 The atomic clock will give the precise time of starting the process. precision /prs'(ə)n/ noun the fact that something is very accurate precision of a number /pr s'(ə)n əv ə nmbə/ noun the number of digits in a number precompiled code /prikəm pald kəυd/ noun a code that is output from a compiler, ready to be executed precondition / pri kəndʃ(ə)n/ verb to condition data before it is processed predefined / pri dfand/ adjective which has been defined in advance predicate /predkət/ noun a function or statement used in rule-based programs such as expert systems predictive /prdktv/ adjective using technology that works out which word a computer or mobile phone user is keying from its first few letters and automatically completes the word pre-edit /pri edt/ verb to change text before it is run through a machine to make sure it is compatible preemptive multitasking /pri

emptv mltitɑ skŋ/ noun a form of multitasking in which the operating syspre-allocation



pre-amplifier



precede



precedence

precise



precision



precision of a number



precompiled code



precondition



predefined



predicate

predictive



pre-edit

preemptive multitasking



Computing.fm Page 262 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

pre-fetch 262 tem executes a program for a period of prescan /pri skn/ noun a feature of time, then passes control to the next promany flat-bed scanners that carry out a gram so preventing any one program using quick, low-resolution scan to allow you to all the processor time re-position the original or mark the area that is to be scanned at a higher resolution pre-fetch /pri fetʃ/ noun CPU instructions stored in a short temporary queue bepresentation graphics fore being processed, increasing the speed / prez(ə)nteʃ(ə)n rfks/ plural noun of execution graphics used to represent business information or data prefetch unit /pri fetʃ ju nt/ noun part of a microprocessor that sorts out presentation layer / prez(ə)n which instruction and data is next to be teʃ(ə)n leə/ noun the sixth ISO/OSI processed by looking in the main memory standard network layer that agrees on forand the instruction cache and passing the mats, codes and requests for the start and next instruction on to the decode unit end of a connection pre-filtering /pri fltərŋ/ noun image Presentation Manager / prez(ə)n processing before the image is compressed teʃ(ə)n mnd'ə/ noun a graphical (e.g., scaling the image) user interface supplied with the OS/2 operprefix /pri fks/ noun a code, instrucating system tion or character at the beginning of a mespresentation software sage or instruction / prez(ə)nteʃ(ə)n sɒftweə/ noun a softprefix notation /pri fks nəυ ware application that allows a user to cre teʃ(ə)n/ noun mathematical operations ate a business presentation with graphs, written in a logical way, so that the operadata, text and images tor appears before the operands, removing preset / pri set/ verb to set something the need for brackets in advance 쑗 The printer was preset with preformatted /pri fɔ mtd/ adjecnew page parameters. tive which has been formatted already 쑗 a prestore /pri stɔ / verb to store data in preformatted disk memory before it is processed pre-imaging /pri md'ŋ/ noun the presumptive address /pr zmptv process of generating one frame of an aniədres/ noun the initial address in a promation or video in a memory buffer before gram, used as a reference for others it is transferred on screen for display presumptive instruction /pr preprinted stationery /pri prntd

zmptv nstrkʃən/ noun an unmodisteʃ(ə)n(ə)ri/ noun computer stationery fied program instruction that is processed which is preprinted with the company to obtain the instruction to be executed heading and form layout onto which the pretty good privacy / prti υd details will be printed by the computer prvəsi/ noun full form of PGP preprocess /pri prəυses/ verb to carry preventative /prventətv/, prevenout initial organisation and simple tive /prventv/ adjective which tries to processing of data stop something happening preprocessor /pri prəυsesə/ noun 1. preventive maintenance /pr software that partly processes or prepares

ventv mentənəns/ noun a regular indata before it is compiled or translated 2. a spection and cleaning of a system to presmall computer that carries out some inivent faults occurring tial processing of raw data before passing preview /pri vju / verb to display text it to the main computer or graphics on a screen as it will appear ‘…the C preprocessor is in the first stage of converting a written program into machine instructions the when it is printed out preprocessor can be directed to read in another file previewer /pri vju ə/ noun a feature before completion, perhaps because the same inforthat allows a user to see on screen what a mation is needed in each module of the program’ page will look like when printed 쑗 The [Personal Computer World] built-in previewer allows the user to check preprogram /pri prəυrm/ verb to for mistakes. program a computer in advance preprogrammed /pri prəυrmd/ PRI / pi ɑ a/ noun a high-performance adjective referring to a chip that has been ISDN communications link that supports programmed in the factory to perform one 23 separate B channels that can transfer function 64Kbits/second plus one D channel for prescan

pre-fetch

presentation graphics

prefetch unit



presentation layer



pre-filtering

Presentation Manager





prefix



presentation software

prefix notation



preset



preformatted



prestore



pre-imaging

presumptive address





presumptive instruction



preprinted stationery





pretty good privacy

preprocess



preventative





preprocessor



preventive maintenance



preview



previewer

preprogram



PRI

preprogrammed



Computing.fm Page 263 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

263 printhead signalling and control. Full form primary printer buffer /prntə bfə/ noun a rate interface temporary store for character data waiting to be printed, used to free the computer beprimary /praməri/ adjective first or bafore the printing is completed making the sic or most important operation faster primary channel / praməri printer control characters / prntə tʃn(ə)l/ noun a channel that carries the kəntrəυl krktəz/ noun a command data transmission between two devices characters in a text which transmit printing primary key /praməri ki / noun a commands to a printer unique identifying word that selects one printer control language / prntə entry from a database kəntrəυl lŋwd'/ noun full form of primary memory / praməri PCL mem(ə)ri/ noun same as core memory printer driver /prntə dravə/ noun primary rate interface / praməri dedicated software that converts and forret ntəfes/ noun full form of PRI mats users’ commands ready for a printer primary station / praməri steʃ(ə)n/ printer emulation /prntə emju noun the single station in a data network

leʃ(ə)n/ noun a printer that is able to inthat can select a path and transmit terpret the standard set of commands used primary storage / praməri stɔ rd'/ to control another brand of printer 쑗 This noun 1. a small fast-access internal memprinter emulation allows my NEC printer ory of a system which contains the proto emulate an Epsom. gram currently being executed 2. the main printer-plotter /prntə plɒtə/ noun a internal memory of a system high-resolution printer that is able to mimprime /pram/ adjective very important ic a plotter and produce low-resolution prime attribute / pram ətrbju t/ plots noun the most important feature or design printer port /prntə pɔ t/ noun the outof a system put port of a computer with a standard conprimer /pramə/ noun a manual or simnector to which a printer is connected to ple instruction book with instructions and receive character data examples to show how a new program or printer quality /prntə kwɒlti/ noun system operates the standard of printed text from a particuprimitive /prmtv/ noun 1. (in prolar printer gramming) a basic routine that can be used printer ribbon /prntə rbən/ noun a to create more complex routines 2. (in roll of inked material that passes between graphics) a simple shape such as circle, a printhead and the paper square, line or curve used to create more printer’s controller / prntəz kən complex shapes in a graphics program trəυlə/ noun the main device in a printer print /prnt/ noun characters made in ink that translates output from the computer on paper 쑗 The print from the new printer into printing instructions is much clearer than that from old one. 쐽 print format /prnt fɔ mt/ noun a verb to put letters or figures in ink on paway in which text is arranged when printed per 쑗 printed agreement 왍 print out to out, according to embedded codes, used to print information stored in a computer set features such as margins and headers with a printer print formatter /prnt fɔ mtə/ noun print control character /prnt kən a piece of software that converts embedtrəυl/, print control code noun a speded codes and print commands to printer cial character sent to a printer that directs control signals it to perform an action or function, e.g. to change font, rather than print a character print hammer /prnt hmə/ noun a moving arm in a daisy-wheel printer that printed circuit / prntd s kt/, presses the metal character form onto the printed circuit board noun a flat insulatprinter ribbon leaving a mark on the paper ing material that has conducting tracks of metal printed or etched onto its surface printhead /prnthed/ noun 1. a row of which complete a circuit when componeedles in a dot-matrix printer that pronents are mounted on it. Abbr PCB duce characters as a series of dots 2. the printer /prntə/ noun a device that conmetal form of a character that is pressed verts input data in an electrical form into a onto an inked ribbon to print the character printed readable form. Abbr PRN on paper printer buffer

primary

primary channel

printer control characters



primary key

printer control language

primary memory



printer driver

primary rate interface

primary station

printer emulation



primary storage

printer-plotter

prime

prime attribute



printer port

primer

printer quality

primitive

printer ribbon

printer’s controller



print

print format

print formatter

print control character



print hammer

printed circuit

printhead

printer

Computing.fm Page 264 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

printing 264 printing /prntŋ/ noun the action of priority /praɒrti/ noun the importance putting text and graphics onto paper of a device or software routine in a computer system 쑗 The operating system has priprint job /prnt d'ɒb/ noun a file in a ority over the application when disk space print queue that contains all the characters is allocated. and printer control codes needed to print one document or page priority interrupt /pra ɒrti print life / prnt laf/ noun the number ntərpt/ noun a signal to a computer of characters a component can print before that takes precedence over any other task needing to be replaced 쑗 The printhead priority interrupt table /pra ɒrti has a print life of over 400 million characntərpt teb(ə)l/ noun a list of periphters. erals and their priorities when they send an Print Manager /prnt mnd'ə/ a interrupt signal, used instead of a hardsoftware utility that is part of Microsoft ware priority scheduler Windows and is used to manage print priority scheduler /praɒrti queues

ʃedju lə/ noun a system that organises print modifiers /prnt mɒd faəs/ tasks into correct processing priority to plural noun codes in a document that improve performance cause a printer to change mode, e.g., from priority sequence /praɒrti bold to italic

si kwəns/ noun the order in which variprintout /prnt aυt/ noun the final ous devices that have sent an interrupt sigprinted page nal are processed, according to their imprint pause / prnt pɔ z/ noun the portance or urgency process of temporarily stopping a printer privacy /prvəsi/ noun the right of an while printing, e.g. in order to change paindividual to limit the extent of and control per the access to the data that is stored about print preview /prnt pri vju / noun a him function of a software product that lets the privacy of data / prvəsi əv detə/ user see how a page will appear when noun the fact that particular data is secret printed and must not be accessed by users who print quality /prnt kwɒlti/ noun the have not been authorized quality of the text or graphics printed, norprivacy of information / prvəsi əv mally measured in dots per inch 쑗 A desk nfəmeʃ(ə)n/ noun the fact that unautop printer with a resolution of 600dpi prothorized users must not obtain data about vides good print quality. private individuals from databases, or that print queue / prnt kju / noun an area each individual has the right to know what of memory that stores print jobs ready to information is being held about him or her send to the printer when it has finished its on a database current work privacy statement /prvəsi Print Screen key / prnt skri n ki /

stetmənt/ noun the policy of a companoun a key in the top right-hand side of the ny, published on their website, that exkeyboard that sends the characters that are plains to visitors and customers what the displayed on the screen to the printer company will or will not do with a customprint server /prnt s və/ noun a comer’s personal details puter in a network which is dedicated to private /pravət/ adjective belonging to managing print queues and printers an individual or to a company, not to the print spooling / prnt spu lŋ/ noun public the automatic printing of a number of difprivate address space / pravət ə ferent documents in a queue at the normal dres spes/ noun a memory address speed of the printer, while the computer is range that is reserved for a single user, not doing some other task for public access print style / prnt stal/ noun a typeface used on a certain printer or for a cerprivate branch exchange / pravət tain document brɑ ntʃ ks tʃend'/ noun a small teleprintwheel /prntwi l/ noun a daisyphone exchange located within a company wheel or the wheel made up of a number of that allows the people in the company to arms, with a character shape at the end of dial each other or to dial out to an external each arm, used in a daisy-wheel printer telephone number. Abbr PBX printing

priority



print job

priority interrupt



print life

priority interrupt table



Print Manager

priority scheduler



print modifiers



priority sequence



printout



print pause

privacy

print preview



privacy of data

print quality

privacy of information



print queue

privacy statement

Print Screen key

print server

private

print spooling

private address space



print style

private branch exchange



printwheel

Computing.fm Page 265 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

265 processor-limited ing and declaring the variable types of proprivate key cryptography / pravət private key cryptography

ki krptɒrəi/ noun a method of encrypting Internet messages that uses a single key both to encode and decode them privilege /prvld'/ noun the status of a user as regards to the type of program he or she can run and the resources he or she can use privileged account / prvəld'd ə kaυnt/ noun a computer account that allows special programs or access to sensitive system data privileged instructions / prvəld'd nstrkʃənz/ plural noun computer commands that can only be executed via a privileged account privileged mode /prvəld'd məυd/ noun a mode of an Intel 80286 processor that is in protected mode and allows a program to modify vital parts of the operating environment PRN / pi ɑ en/ noun an acronym used in MS-DOS to represent the standard printer port. Full form printer problem /prɒbləm/ noun a malfunction or fault with hardware or software problem definition /prɒbləm

defənʃ(ə)n/ noun the clear explanation, in logical steps, of a problem that is to be solved problem diagnosis /prɒbləm

daənəυss/ noun the process of finding the cause of a fault or error and finding the method of repairing it 

privilege

privileged account



privileged instructions



privileged mode

PRN

problem

problem definition

problem diagnosis

problem-orientated problem-orientated language

language

/ prɒbləm ɔ riəntetd lŋwd'/ noun a high-level programming language

that allows certain problems to be expressed easily. Abbr POL procedural /prəsi d'ərəl/ adjective using a procedure to solve a problem procedural language /prə

si d'(ə)rəl lŋwd'/ noun a high-level programming language in which the programmer enters the actions required to achieve the result wanted procedure /prəsi d'ə/ noun 1. a small section of computer instruction code that provides a frequently used function and can be called upon from a main program 쑗 This procedure sorts all the files into alphabetical order. 쒁 subroutine 2. a method or route used when solving a problem 쑗 You should use this procedure to retrieve lost files. procedure declaration /prəsi d'ə

dekləreʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of writprocedural



procedural language



procedure



procedure declaration



cedure used and the routine name and location

procedure-orientated procedure-orientated language

language

/prə si d'ə ɔ riəntetd lŋwd'/ noun a high-level programming language 

that allows procedures to be programmed easily process /prəυses/ noun a number of tasks that must be carried out to achieve a goal 쑗 The process of setting up the computer takes a long time. 쐽 verb to carry out a number of tasks to produce a result 쑗 We processed the new data. process bound /prəυses baυnd/ noun a program that spends more time executing instructions and using the CPU than in I/O operations process chart /prəυses tʃɑ t/ noun a diagram that shows each step of the computer procedures needed in a system process control /prəυses kən trəυl/ noun the automatic control of a process by a computer process



process bound

process chart

process control



process

control

process control computer

computer

/ prəυses kən trəυl kəmpju tə/ noun a 



dedicated computer that controls and manages a process process control system / prəυses kəntrəυl sstəm/ noun a system that completely monitors, manages and regulates a process, comprising input and output modules, a CPU with memory, a program and control and feedback devices such as A/D and D/A converters processing /prəυsesŋ/ noun the use of a computer to solve a problem or organise data 쑗 Page processing time depends on the complexity of a given page. 쒁 CPU processor /prəυ sesə/ noun a hardware or software device that is able to manipulate or modify data according to instructions process control system



processing

processor



processor

controlled

processor controlled keying

keying

/ prəυsesə kən trəυld ki ŋ/ noun data 

entry by an operator which is prompted and controlled by a computer processor interrupt / prəυsesə ntərpt/ noun the process of sending an interrupt signal to a processor requesting attention, usually causing it to stop what it is doing and attend to the calling device processor-limited / prəυsesə lmtd/ adjective referring to operation or execution time that is set by the speed of the processor rather than a peripheral processor interrupt

processor-limited

Computing.fm Page 266 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

processor status word 266 program a number of assembly code inprocessor status word / prəυsesə structions that perform a task 쐽 verb to stetəs w d/ noun a word that contains write or prepare a set of instructions that a number of status bits, e.g. as carry flag, direct a computer to perform a certain task zero flag and overflow flag. Abbr PSW program address counter produce /prədju s/ verb to make or / prəυrm ədres kaυntə/ noun a regmanufacture something ister in a CPU that contains the location of producer /prədju sə/ noun a person, the next instruction to be processed company or country that manufactures 쑗 program branch /prəυrm Country which is a producer of high qualbrɑ ntʃ/ noun one or more paths that can ity computer equipment. be followed after a conditional statement producing capacity /prədju sŋ kə program cards /prəυrm kɑ dz/

psəti/ noun the capacity to produce plural noun punched cards that contain the product /prɒdkt/ noun 1. an item that instructions that make up a program is made or manufactured 2. a manufacprogram coding sheet / prəυrm tured item for sale 3. the result after multikəυdŋ ʃi t/ noun a specially preprinted plication form on which computer instructions can product design /prɒdkt d zan/ be written, simplifying program writing noun the activity of designing products program compatibility / prəυrm product engineer / prɒdkt end' kəm ptəblti/ noun the ability of two nə/ noun an engineer in charge of the pieces of software to function correctly toequipment for making a product gether production /prədkʃən/ noun the program compilation / prəυrm process of making or manufacturing of

kɒmpəleʃ(ə)n/ noun the translation of goods for sale 쑗 Production will probably an encoded source program into machine be held up by industrial action. code production control /prədkʃən kən program counter /prəυrm

trəυl/ noun the control of the manufac kaυntə/ noun a register in a CPU that turing of a product (using computers) contains the location of the next instrucproduction level video /prə dkʃən tion to be processed. Abbr PC

lev(ə)l vdiəυ/ noun full form of PLV program crash /prəυrm krʃ/ production rate /prədkʃ(ə)n ret/ noun an unexpected failure of a program noun same as rate of production owing to a programming error or a hardproduction standards /prədkʃən ware fault

stndədz/ plural noun the quality of proprogram design language duction / prəυrm dzan lŋwd'/ noun a productive /prədktv/ adjective durprogramming language used to design the ing or in which something useful is prostructure of a program. Abbr PDL duced program development /prəυrm productive time /prə dktv tam/ d veləpmənt/ noun all the operations innoun a period of time during which a comvolved in creating a computer program puter can run error-free tasks from first ideas to initial writing, debugproduct line /prɒdkt lan/, product ging and the final product range /prɒdkt rend'/ noun a series of program development system different products made by the same com/ prəυrm dveləpmənt sstəm/ pany, which form a group noun all the hardware and software needproduct range /prɒdkt rend'/ ed for program development on a system noun same as product line program documentation profile /prəυfal/ noun a feature of Win/ prəυrm dɒkjυmenteʃ(ə)n/ noun dows 95 that stores the settings for differa set of instruction notes, examples and ent users on one PC tips on how to use a program PROFS /prɒfs/ a trade name for an elecprogram editor /prəυrm edtə/ tronic mail system developed by IBM that noun a piece of software that allows the runs on mainframe computers user to alter, delete and add instructions to a program file program /prəυrm/ noun a complete program evaluation and review set of instructions which direct a computer technique / prəυrm  vljueʃ(ə)n to carry out a particular task 왍 assembly processor status word

program address counter

produce





producer



program branch

producing capacity





program cards

product

program coding sheet

product design



program compatibility

product engineer







production



program compilation



production control





program counter

production level video



program crash

production rate



production standards



program design language



productive



program development

productive time





product line

program development system



product range

program documentation

profile



PROFS

program editor

program

program editor



Computing.fm Page 267 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

267 programming small calculator that can hold certain basic ən rvju tek ni k/ noun full form of mathematical calculating programs PERT programmable clock program execution / prəυrm / prəυrməb(ə)l klɒk/ noun a circuit

ekskju ʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of inwhose frequency can be set by the user structing a processor to execute in sequence the instructions in a program programmable interrupt controller / prəυrməb(ə)l ntərpt kən program file /prəυrm fal/ noun a

trəυlə/ noun a circuit or chip that can be file containing a program rather than data programmed to ignore certain interrupts, program flowchart / prəυrm accept only high priority interrupts and sefləυtʃɑ t/ noun a diagram that graphicallect the priority of interrupts ly describes the various steps in a program programmable key program generation / prəυrm / prəυrməb(ə)l ki / noun a special

d'enəreʃ(ə)n/ noun 쏡 generator key on a computer terminal keyboard that program generator /prəυrm can be programmed with various functions

d'enəretə/ noun a piece of software that or characters allows users to write complex programs programmable logic array noun full using a few simple instructions form of PLA program group /prəυrm ru p/ programmable logic device noun (in Windows 3.1x) a window that /

prəυrməb(ə)l lɒd'k d

vas / noun contains icons relating to a particular subfull form of PLD ject or program programmable memory program icon /prəυrm akɒn/ / prəυrməb(ə)l mem(ə)ri/ noun full noun (in a GUI) an icon that represents an form of PROM executable program file 쑗 To run the proprogrammable read only memory gram, double-click on the program icon. / prəυrməb(ə)l ri d əυnli mem(ə)ri/ program information file noun full form of PROM / prəυrm nfəmeʃ(ə)n fal/ noun program maintenance /prəυrm full form of PIF

mentənəns/ noun the process of keepprogram instruction /prəυrm n ing a program free of errors and up to date

strkʃən/ noun a single word or expresProgram Manager / prəυrm sion that represents one operation mnd'ə/ noun (in Windows 3.x) the program item /prəυrm atəm/ main part of Windows that the user sees noun (in a GUI) an icon that represents a programmatic / prəυrəmtk/ adprogram jective relating to computer programs program library /prəυrm programmed halt /prəυrmd hɔ lt/

labrəri/ noun a collection of useful pronoun an instruction within a program cedures and programs which can be used which, when executed, halts the processor for various purposes and included into new programmed learning / prəυrmd software l nŋ/ noun the process of using educaprogram line /prəυrm lan/ noun tional software which allows a learner to one row of commands or arguments in a follow a course of instruction computer program programmer /prəυ rmə/ noun 1. a program line number / prəυrm person who is capable of designing and lan nmbə/ noun a number that refers writing a working program 쑗 The proto a line of program code in a computer grammer is still working on the new softprogram ware. 2. a device that allows data to be program listing /prəυrm lstŋ/ written into a programmable read only noun a list of the instructions that make up memory a program, displayed in an ordered manner programmer’s hierarchical interprogrammable /prəυrməb(ə)l/ active graphics standard adjective referring to a device that can ac/ prəυrməz haə rɑ kk(ə)l ntər cept and store instructions then execute

ktv rfks stndəd/ noun full them form of PHIGS programmable calculator programming /prəυrmŋ/ noun 1. / prəυrməb(ə)l klkjυletə/ noun a the activity of writing programs for com



programmable clock

program execution



programmable interrupt controller

program file



program flowchart

programmable key

program generation



program generator

programmable logic array

program group

programmable logic device



programmable memory

program icon

programmable read only memory

program information file



program maintenance

program instruction



Program Manager

program item

programmatic



program library

programmed halt

programmed learning

program line

programmer



program line number

program listing

programmer’s hierarchical interactive graphics standard

programmable



programmable calculator

programming



Computing.fm Page 268 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

programming in logic 268 puters 2. the activity of writing data into a Programs menu /prəυrmz PROM device

menju / noun a sub-menu, accessed from COMMENT: Programming languages are the Start button in Windows, that lists all grouped into different levels: the high-level the programs that are installed on the comlanguages such as BASIC and PASCAL are puter easy to understand and use, but offer slow execution time since each instruction is made up program specification / prəυrm of a number of machine code instructions;

spesfkeʃ(ə)n/ noun detailed informalow-level languages such as assembler are tion about a program’s abilities, features more complex to read and program in but ofand methods fer faster execution time. program stack /prəυrm stk/ programming in logic / prəυrmŋ noun a section of memory reserved for n lɒd'k/ noun full form of PROLOG storing temporary system or program data programming language program statement /prəυrm /prəυrmŋ lŋwd'/ noun a piece

stetmənt/ noun a high level program inof software that allows a user to write a sestruction that is made up of a number of ries of instructions to define a particular machine code instructions task, which will then be translated to a form that is understood by the computer program status word / prəυrm stetəs w d/ noun a word which conprogramming language for microtains a number of status bits, such as carry processors / prəυrmŋ lŋwd' flag, zero flag, overflow bit, etc. Abbr fə makrə prəυsesəz/ noun full form of Programs menu

program specification



program stack

programming in logic

programming language

program statement

program status word

programming language for microprocessors



PSW

PL/M

programming programming standards

standards

/prəυrmŋ stndədz/ plural noun

rules to which programs must conform to produce compatible code program name /prəυrm nem/ noun an identification name for a stored program file program origin / prəυrm ɒrd'n/ noun the address at which the first instruction of a program is stored program overlay / prəυrm əυvəle/ noun a portion of a big program that is loaded from disk into memory when it is needed program register /prəυrm

red'stə/ noun a register in a CPU that contains an instruction during decoding and execution operations program relocation / prəυrm

ri ləυkeʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of moving a stored program from one area of memory to another program name

program origin

program overlay

program register

program relocation



program

report

program report generator

generator

/ prəυrm rpɔ t d'enəretə/ noun a 

piece of software that allows users to create reports from files, databases and other stored data program run /prəυrm rn/ noun the process of executing, in correct order, the instructions in a program program segment /prəυrm

semənt/ noun a section of a main program that can be executed in its own right, without the rest of the main program being required program run

program segment

program status word register program status word register

/ prəυrm stetəs w d red'stə/ noun a register which contains a number

of status bits, such as carry flag, zero flag, overflow flag. Also called PSW register program step /prəυrm step/ noun one operation within a program, usually a single instruction program storage / prəυrm stɔ rd'/ noun a section of main memory in which programs, rather than operating system or data, can be stored program structure / prəυrm strktʃə/ noun the way in which sections of program code are interlinked and operate program testing /prəυrm testŋ/ noun the process of testing a new program with test data to ensure that it functions correctly program trading /prəυrm

tredŋ/ noun the automatic buying and selling of large quantities of shares using computer programs that monitor price changes program verification / prəυrm

verfkeʃ(ə)n/ noun a number of tests and checks performed to ensure that a program functions correctly progressive scanning /prəυ resv sknŋ/ noun a method of displaying and transmitting video images in which each line of the image is displayed consecutively, unlike non-interlaced image, which shows alternate lines. 쒁 scan conversion program step

program storage

program structure

program testing

program trading

program verification



progressive scanning



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269 proxy server its products and incompatible with other project noun /prɒd'ekt/ a planned task project

쑗 His latest project is computerising the sales team. 쐽 verb /prəd'ekt/ to forecast future figures from a set of data 쑗 The pro

jected sales of the new PC. projection /prəd'ekʃən/ noun the forecasting of a situation from a set of data 쑗 The projection indicates that sales will increase. PROLOG /prəυlɒ/ noun a high-level programming language using logical operations for artificial intelligence and data retrieval applications. Full form programprojection



PROLOG

ming in logic PROM /prɒm/ noun 1. read-only memoPROM

ry that can be programmed by the user, as distinct from ROM, which is programmed by the manufacturer. Full form programmable read-only memory 2. an electronic device in which data can be stored. Full form programmable memory PROM blaster /b nə/, PROM burner, PROM programmer /prəυ rmə/ noun an electronic device used to program a PROM prompt /prɒmpt/ noun a message or character displayed to remind the user that an input is expected 쑗 The prompt READY indicates that the system is available to receive instructions. propagate /prɒpə et/ verb to travel or spread propagated error / prɒpəetd erə/ noun one error in a process that has affected later operations propagating error /prɒpəetŋ erə/ noun an error that occurs in one place or operation and affects another operation or process propagation delay / prɒpəeʃ(ə)n d le/ noun 1. the time taken for an output to appear in a logic gate after the input is applied 2. the time taken for a data bit to travel over a network from the source to the destination propagation time / prɒpəeʃ(ə)n

tam/ noun same as gate delay properties /prɒpətiz/ noun (in Windows) the attributes of a file or object proportionally spaced /prə

pɔ ʃ(ə)nəli spest/ adjective referring to a font in which each letter takes a space proportional to the character width. Compare monospaced proprietary file format /prə

praət(ə)ri fal fɔ mt/ noun a method of storing data devised by a company for PROM blaster



prompt

propagate



propagated error

propagating error

propagation delay





propagation time



properties

proportionally spaced



proprietary file format



products 쑗 You cannot read this spreadsheet file because my software saves it in a proprietary file format. protected field /prətektd fi ld/ noun a storage or display area that cannot be altered by the user protected location /prə tektd ləυ keʃ(ə)n/ noun a memory location that cannot be altered or cannot be accessed without authorisation protected mode /prətektd məυd/ noun the operating mode of an 80286 Intel processor or higher that supports multitasking, virtual memory and data security protected storage /prə tektd stɔ rd'/ noun a section of memory that cannot be altered protection key /prətekʃən ki / noun a signal checked to see if a program can access a section of memory protection master /prətekʃən

mɑ stə/ noun a spare copy of a master film or tape protocol /prəυtəkɒl/ noun the preagreed signals, codes and rules to be used for data exchange between systems protocol stack /prəυtəυkɒl stk/ noun the separate parts of a protocol, each with a different function, that work together to provide a complete set of network functions protocol standards /prəυtəυkɒl

stndədz/ plural noun standards laid down to allow data exchange between any computer system conforming to the standard prototype /prəυtə tap/ noun the first working model of a device or program, which is then tested and adapted to improve it prototyping /prəυtətapŋ/ noun the process of making a prototype proximity operator /prɒksmti

ɒpəretə/ noun a Boolean operator that directs a search engine making a text search to locate pages in which the words it is looking for are near one another in any direction proxy agent /prɒksi ed'ənt/ noun a piece of software that can translate network management commands to allow management software to control a device that uses a different protocol proxy server / prɒksi s və/ noun a computer that stores copies of files and data normally held on a slow server and so protected field



protected location





protected mode



protected storage



protection key



protection master



protocol

protocol stack

protocol standards

prototype



prototyping

proximity operator



proxy agent

proxy server

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PrtSc 270 allows users to access files and data quickpublic access terminal / pblk ly. Proxy servers are often used as a fire kses t mn(ə)l/ noun a terminal that wall between an intranet in a company and can be used by anyone to access a computhe public Internet. ter PrtSc / prnt skri n/ noun (on an IBM public data network / pblk detə PC keyboard ) a key that sends the connetw k/ noun a data transmission servtents of the current screen to the printer. ice for the public, e.g. the main telephone Full form print screen system in a country. Abbr PDN pS / pi es/ abbr picosecond public domain / pblk dəυmen/ noun the status of documents, text or proPS/2 a trade name for a range of IBM PC grams that are not protected by copyright computers that are software compatible and can be copied by anyone. Abbr PD. with the original IBM PC, but use a differCompare shareware 왍 program which ent MCA expansion bus. 쒁 MCA is in the public domain a program which pseudo- /sju dəυ/ prefix similar to is not protected by copyright something, but not genuine public key cipher system / pblk pseudo-code /sju dəυ kəυd/ noun ki safə sstəm/ noun a cipher that uses English sentence structures, used to dea public key to encrypt messages and a sescribe program instructions that are transcret key to decrypt them. Conventional cilated at a later date into machine code pher systems use one secret key to encrypt pseudo-digital / sju dəυ dd't(ə)l/ and decrypt messages. adjective referring to modulated analog public key encryption / pblk ki n signals that are produced by a modem and krpʃ(ə)n/ noun a method of encrypting transmitted over telephone lines data that uses one key to encrypt the data pseudo-instruction / sju dəυ n and another different key to decrypt the strkʃən/ noun a label in an assembly data language program that represents a publish /pblʃ/ verb to produce and number of instructions sell software pseudo-operation / sju dəυ ɒpə pull /pυl/ verb to remove data from a reʃ(ə)n/ noun a command in an assemstack bler program that controls the assembler rather than producing machine code pull-down menu /pυl daυn menju / noun a set of options that are displayed bepseudo-random / sju dəυ rndəm/ low the relevant entry on a menu-bar. noun a generated sequence that appears Compare pop-down menu random but is repeated over a long period pull up / pυl p/ verb 왍 to pull up a line pseudo-random number generato connect or set a line to a voltage level 쑗 tor / sju dəυ rndəm nmbə Pull up the input line to a logic one by con d'enəretə/ noun a piece of hardware or necting it to 5 volts. software that produces pseudo-random numbers pulse /pls/ noun a short period of a pseudo-static / sju dəυ sttk/ advoltage level 쐽 verb to apply a short-durajective referring to dynamic RAM memotion voltage level to a circuit 쑗 We pulsed ry chips that contain circuitry to refresh the input but it still would not work. the contents and so have the same appearCOMMENT: Electric pulse can be used to transmit information, as the binary digits 0 and 1 ance as a static RAM component correspond to ‘no pulse’ and ‘pulse’ (the voltPSN abbr packet switched network age level used to distinguish the binary digits 0 and 1, is often zero and 5 or 12 volts, with PSS abbr packet switching system the pulse width depending on transmission PSU / pi es ju / noun an electrical cirrate). cuit that provides certain direct current pulse-code modulation / pls kəυd voltage and current levels from an alternat mɒdjυleʃ(ə)n/ noun full form of PCM ing current source to other electrical cirpulse-dialling /pls daəlŋ/ noun cuits. Full form power supply unit telephone dialling that dials a telephone COMMENT: A PSU will regulate, smooth and number by sending a series of pulses along step down a higher voltage supply for use in small electronic equipment. the line PSW abbr processor status word pulse stream / pls stri m/ noun a PTR abbr paper tape reader continuous series of similar pulses public access terminal

PrtSc

public data network

pS

public domain



PS/2

pseudo-

public key cipher system

pseudo-code

pseudo-digital

public key encryption



pseudo-instruction



publish

pseudo-operation



pull

pull-down menu

pseudo-random

pseudo-random number generator

pull up

pulse

pseudo-static

PSN

PSS

PSU

pulse-code modulation



pulse-dialling

PSW

PTR

pulse stream

Computing.fm Page 271 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

271 QISAM comma or full stop, used for making the pulse train /pls tren/ noun same as pulse train

pulse stream punch /pntʃ/ noun a device for making holes in punched cards 쐽 verb to make a punch

hole in something punch card /pntʃ kɑ d/ noun a small piece of card which contains holes representing various instructions or data punch-down block / pntʃ daυn blɒk/ noun a device used in a local area network to connect UTP cable punched card / pntʃt kɑ d/ noun same as punch card punched card reader / pntʃd kɑ d

ri də/ noun a device that transforms data on a punched card to a form that can be recognized by a computer punched code / pntʃd kəυd/ noun a combination of holes that represent characters in a punched card punched tag / pntʃd t/ noun a card attached to a product in a shop, with punched holes containing data about the product punched tape1 / pntʃd tep/, punched paper tape noun a strip of paper tape that contains holes to represent data punched tape2 / pntʃd tep/ noun same as paper tape punctuation mark / pŋktʃueʃ(ə)n mɑ k/ noun a printing symbol such as a punch card

punch-down block

punched card

punched card reader

punched code

punched tag

punched tape

punched tape

punctuation mark



meaning of text clear

pure code / pjυə kəυd/ noun a code pure code

that does not modify itself during execution purge /p d'/ verb to remove unnecessary or out-of-date data from a file or disk 쑗 Each month, I purge the disk of all the old email messages. pushbutton /pυʃbt(ə)n/ adjective which works by pressing on a button push-down list / pυʃdaυn lst/, push-down stack /pυʃ daυn/ noun a method of storing data in which the last item stored is always at the same location, the rest of the list being pushed down by one address push instruction /pυʃ nstrkʃən/, push operation noun non-synchronous sound, non-sync sound a computer instruction that stores data on a LIFO list or stack push technology /pυʃ tek nɒləd'i/ noun Internet technology that allows subscribers to receive customised information directly push-up list /stk/, push-up stack noun a method of storing data in which the last item stored is added at the bottom of the list. 쒁 FIFO put /pυt/ verb to push or place data onto a stack purge

pushbutton

push-down list

push instruction



push technology



push-up list

put

Q QAM abbr quadrature amplitude modulaQAM

tion

QBE / kju bi i / noun a simple lanQBE

guage used to retrieve information from a database management system by, normally, entering a query with known values, which is then matched with the database and used to retrieve the correct data 쑗 In most QBE databases, the query form looks like the record format in the database – re-

trieving data is as easy as filling in a form. Full form query by example Q Channel /kju tʃn(ə)l/ noun (in a CD audio disc) one of the eight information channels that holds data identifying the track and the absolute playing time QISAM noun an indexed sequential file that is read item by item into a buffer. Full form queued indexed sequential acQ Channel

QISAM

cess method

Computing.fm Page 272 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

QL 272 QL abbr query language quantifier /kwɒnt faə/ noun a sign or symbol that indicates the quantity or range QOS abbr quality of service of a predicate QSAM / kju es e em/ noun queue of blocks waiting to be processed, which are quantify /kwɒnt fa/ verb 왍 to quanretrieved using a sequential access methtify the effect of something to show the od. Full form queued sequential aceffect of something in figures 쑗 It is imcess method possible to quantify the effect of the new computer system on our production. quad /kwɒd/ adjective operating at four times the standard speed, or processing quantisation, quantization noun the four times the standard amount of data conversion of an analog signal to a numerquadbit /kwɒdbt/ noun four bits that ical representation are used by modems to increase transmisquantisation error / kwɒnteʃ(ə)n sion rates when using QAM

erə/ noun an error in converting an analog quad density /kwɒd densəti/ noun signal into a numerical form, owing to limfour bits of data stored in the usual place of ited accuracy or a rapidly changing signal one quantise, quantize verb to convert an quadding /kwɒdŋ/ noun the insertion analog signal into a numerical representaof spaces into text to fill out a line tion 쑗 The input signal is quantized by an quadr- /kwɒdr/ prefix four analog to digital converter. quadrature amplitude modulation quantiser, quantizer noun a device / kwɒdtrətʃə mpltju d mɒdju used to convert an analog input signal to a

leʃ(ə)n/ noun a data encoding method numerical form, that can be processed by a used by high-speed modems (transmitting computer at rates above 2,400bps). It combines amquantising noise / kwɒntazŋ nɔz/ plitude modulation and phase modulation noun noise on a signal caused by inaccurato increase the data transmission rate. cies in the quantising process Abbr QAM quantity /kwɒntti/ noun the amount or quadrature encoding /kwɒdtrətʃə number of items 쑗 A small quantity of illen kəυdŋ/ noun a system used to detergal copies of the program have been immine the direction in which a mouse is beported. 쐽 adjective in large amounts 쑗 ing moved. In a mechanical mouse, two The company offers a discount for quantity sensors send signals that describe its horipurchases. zontal and vertical movements, these sigquantum /kwɒntəm/ noun (in communals being transmitted using quadrature nications ) a packet of data that is the result encoding. of a signal being quantised quadruplex /kwɒdrυpleks/ noun a set quartz clock / kwɔ ts klɒk/, quartz of four signals combined into a single one crystal clock / kwɔ ts krstəl klɒk/ quad-speed drive / kwɒd spi d noun a small slice of quartz crystal that vidrav/ noun a CD-ROM drive that spins brates at a certain frequency when an electhe disc at four times the speed of a singletrical voltage is supplied, used as a very speed drive, providing higher data accurate clock signal for computers and throughput of 600Kbps and shorter seek other high precision timing applications times quasi- /kweza/ prefix almost, or simiquality control /kwɒlti kən trəυl/ lar to noun the process of checking that the qualquasi-instruction / kweza n ity of a product is good strkʃən/ noun a label in an assembly quality of service / kwɒlti əv program that represents a number of ins vs/ noun the degree to which a netstructions work can transfer information without erquaternary /kwɔ t nəri/ adjective ror or fault existing as four bits, levels or objects Quantel /kwɒntel/ the hardware graphquaternary level quantization /kwə ics company that developed Paintbox and

t nəri lev(ə)l kwɒntazeʃ(ə)n/ Harry production graphics systems noun the use of four bits of data in an A/D quantifiable /kwɒntfaəb(ə)l/ adjecconversion process tive which can be quantified 쑗 The effect query by example / kwəri ba  of the change in the pricing structure is not zɑ mpəl/ noun full form of QBE quantifiable. QL

quantifier



QOS

QSAM

quantify



quad

quantisation

quadbit

quantisation error



quad density

quantise

quadding

quadr-

quadrature amplitude modulation

quantiser



quantising noise

quantity

quadrature encoding



quantum

quadruplex

quartz clock

quad-speed drive

quasi-

quality control



quasi-instruction



quality of service

quaternary

Quantel

quaternary level quantization





quantifiable

query by example



Computing.fm Page 273 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

273 QWERTY keyboard ware spooler with a built-in queue manquery facility /kwəri fə slti/ noun a query facility



program, usually a database or retrieval system, that allows the user to ask questions and receive answers or access certain information according to the query query language /kwəri lŋwd'/ noun a language in a database management system that allows a database to be searched and queried easily. Abbr QL query message /kwəri mesd'/ noun a message sent to an object to find out the value of one of the object’s properties, e.g. its name, active state or position query processing /kwəri

prəυsesŋ/ noun the processing of queries, either by extracting information from a database or by translating query commands from a query language query window /kwəri wndəυ/ noun 1. a window that appears when an error has occurred, asking the user what action they would like to take 2. a window that is displayed with fields a user can fill in to search a database question mark /kweʃtʃən mɑ k/ noun the character ( ? ) that is often used as a wildcard to indicate that any single character in the position will produce a match 쑗 To find all the letters, use the command DIR LETTER?DOC which will list LETTER1.DOC, LETTER2.DOC and LETTER3.DOC. 쒁 asterisk queue /kju / noun a list of data or tasks that are waiting to be processed, or a series of documents that are dealt with in order 쐽 verb to add more data or tasks to the end of a queue queued access method / kju d kses meθəd/ noun a programming method that minimises input/output delays by ensuring that data transferred between software and an I/O device is synchronised with the I/O device query language

query message

query processing

query window

question mark

queue

queued access method

queued indexed sequential access method / kju d ndeksd s queued indexed sequential access method



kwenʃəl kses meθəd/ noun full form of QISAM queue discipline /kju dsə pln/ noun a method used as the queue structure, either LIFO or FIFO queue discipline



queued sequential access method / kju d s kwenʃəl kses meθəd/ queued sequential access method



noun full form of QSAM

management /kju mnd'mənt/, queue manager /kju mnd'ə/ noun software which orders tasks to be processed 쑗 This is a new soft-

queue queue management

agement.

queuing time /kju ŋ tam/ noun the queuing time

period of time messages have to wait before they can be processed or transmitted QuickDraw /kwkdrɔ / (in an Apple Macintosh) a trade name for the graphics routines built into the Macintosh’s operating system that control displayed text and images quick format /kwk fɔ mt/ noun a command that does not delete all the existing data on a floppy disk during a format process. It is faster than a full format and allows data to be recovered. quicksort /kwksɔ t/ noun a very rapid file sorting and ordering method QuickTime /kwktam/ (in an Apple Macintosh) a trade name for the graphics routines built into the Macintosh’s operating system that allow windows, boxes and graphic objects, including animation and video files, to be displayed quiescent /kwies(ə)nt/ adjective referring to a process, circuit or device in a state in which no input signal is applied quintet /kwntet/ noun a byte made up of five bits quit /kwt/ verb to leave a system or a program 쑗 Do not forget to save your text before you quit the system. quotation /kwəυteʃ(ə)n/ noun part of a text borrowed from another text quotation marks /kwəυteʃ(ə)n mɑ ks/ noun punctuation marks used for enclosing text to show that it has been quoted from another source quote /kwəυt/ verb to repeat words used by someone else quotes /kwəυts/ plural noun quotation marks (informal ) quotient /kwəυʃ(ə)nt/ noun the result of one number divided by another QuickDraw

quick format

quicksort

QuickTime

quiescent



quintet



quit

quotation



quotation marks



quote

quotes

quotient

COMMENT: When two numbers are divided, the answer is made up of a quotient and a remainder (the fractional part). 16 divided by 4 is equal to a quotient of 4 and zero remainder; 16 divided by 5 is equal to a quotient of 3 and a remainder of 1.

quoting /kwəυtŋ/ noun a feature of many electronic mail applications that allows you to reply to a message and include the text of the original message QWERTY keyboard / kw ti ki bɔ d/ noun a standard English language key layout. The first six letters on the top left row of keys are QWERTY. quoting

QWERTY keyboard

Computing.fm Page 274 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

R race /res/ noun an error condition in a digital circuit, in which the state or output of the circuit is very dependent on the exact timing between the input signals. Faulty output is due to unequal propagation delays on the separate input signals at a gate. rack /rk/ noun a metal supporting frame for electronic circuit boards and peripheral devices such as disk drives rack mounted /rk maυntd/ plural noun referring to a system consisting of removable circuit boards in a supporting frame radial transfer / rediəl trnsf / noun data transfer between two peripherals or programs that are on different layers of a structured system (such as an ISO/OSI system) radio button /rediəυ bt(ə)n/ noun (in a GUI) a circle displayed beside an option that, when selected, has a dark centre. Only one radio button can be selected at one time. radio frequency /rediəυ

fri kwənsi/ noun full form of RF radix /redks/ noun the value of the base of the number system being used 쑗 The hexadecimal number has a radix of 16. radix complement /redks

kɒmplmənt/ noun 쏡 ten’s comple-

ragged text /rd tekst/ noun text

race

ragged text

rack

with a ragged right margin RAID /red/ noun a fast, fault tolerant disk drive system that uses multiple drives which would, typically, each store one byte of a word of data, so allowing the data to be saved faster. Full form redundant RAID

array of inexpensive disks ‘A Japanese investor group led by system distributor Technography has pumped $4.2 million (#2.8 million) into US disk manufacturer Storage Computer to help with the development costs of RAID 7 hard disk technology.’ [Computing]

rack mounted

radial transfer

radio button

radio frequency

radix

radix complement

ment, two’s complement radix notation /redks nəυ teʃ(ə)n/ noun numbers represented to a certain raradix notation



dix

radix point /redks pɔnt/ noun a dot which indicates the division between a whole unit and its fractional parts ragged left /rd left/ noun printed text with a flush right-hand margin and uneven left-hand margin ragged right /rd rat/ noun printed text with a flush left-hand margin and uneven right-hand margin radix point

ragged left

ragged right

RAM /rm/ noun memory that allows access to any location in any order, without having to access the rest first. Full form random access memory. Compare seRAM

quential access ‘The HP Enterprise Desktops have hard-disk capacities of between 260Mb and 1Gb, with RAM ranging from 16Mb up to 128Mb.’ [Computing] ‘…fast memory is RAM that does not have to share bus access with the chip that manages the video display’ [Byte] COMMENT: Dynamic RAM, which uses a capacitor to store a bit of data, needs to have each location refreshed from time to time to retain the data, but is very fast and can contain more data per unit area than static RAM, which uses a latch to store the state of a bit. Static RAM, however, has the advantage of not requiring to be refreshed to retain its data, and will keep data for as long as power is supplied.

RAM cache /rm kʃ/ noun a section RAM cache

of high-speed RAM that is used to buffer data transfers between the faster processor and a slower disk drive RAM card /rm kɑ d/ noun an expansion card that contains RAM chips. It is plugged into a computer or device to increase the main memory capacity. RAM cartridge /rm kɑ trd'/ noun a plug-in device that contains RAM chips and increases the memory of a computer or device RAM chip /rm tʃp/ noun a chip that stores data, allowing random access RAM card

RAM cartridge

RAM chip

Computing.fm Page 275 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

275 raster graphics random access memory / rndəm RAMDAC /rmdk/ noun an electronkses mem(ə)ri/ noun full form of ic component on a video graphics adapter RAM that converts the digital colour signals into random access storage / rndəm electrical signals that are sent to the monikses stɔ rd'/ noun a storage medium tor that allows access to any location in any RAM disk /rm dsk/ noun same as order silicon disk random number / rndəm nmbə/ RAM loader /rm ləυdə/ noun a rounoun a number which cannot be predicted tine that will transfer a program from exrandom number generation ternal backing store into RAM / rndəm nmbə d'enəreʃ(ə)n/ noun RAM refresh /rm rfreʃ/ noun siga method of creating a sequence of numnals used to update the contents of dynambers that appears to be random so that no ic RAM chips every few thousandths of a number appears more often than another second, involving reading and rewriting random number generator the contents / rndəm nmbə d'enəretə/ noun a RAM refresh rate / rm rfreʃ ret/ program that generates random numbers, noun the number of times every second used in lotteries, games, etc. that the data in a dynamic RAM chip has random process / rndəm prəυses/ to be read and rewritten noun a system whose output cannot be related to its input or internal structure RAM resident program / rm random processing / rndəm

rezd(ə)nt prəυrm/ noun a program that loads itself into main memory and carprəυsesŋ/ noun the processing of data in the order required rather than the order in ries out a function when activated 쑗 When you hit Ctrl-F5, you will activate the RAM which it is stored resident program and it will display your range /rend'/ noun 1. a set of allowed day’s diary. values between a maximum and minimum 2. (in a spreadsheet) a cell or group of R & D / ɑ r ən di / noun investigation of cells 왍 range left to move text to align it to new products, discoveries and techniques. the left margin 쐽 verb 1. to vary or to be Full form research and development different 쑗 The company’s products range R & D department / ɑ r ən di d from a cheap lapheld micro to a multista pɑ tmənt/ noun a department in a comtion mainframe. 2. to put text in order to pany that investigates new products, disone side coveries and techniques range left /rend' left/ noun to move random access / rndəm kses/ text to align it to the left margin noun the ability to access immediately rank /rŋk/ verb to sort data into an ormemory locations in any order 쑗 Disk der, usually according to size or impordrives are random access, whereas magtance netic tape is sequential access memory. rapid access / rpd kses/ noun a random access device / rndəm device or memory whose access time is kses d vas/ noun a device whose acvery short cess time to retrieve data is not dependent rapid access memory / rpd on the location or type of data

kses mem(ə)ri/ noun storage locations random access digital to analog that can be read from or written to very converter / rndəm kses dd't(ə)l quickly tə nəlɒ kənv tə/ noun an electronic raster /rstə/ noun a system of scancomponent on a video graphics adapter ning the whole of a CRT screen with a picthat converts the digital colour signals into ture beam by sweeping across it horizonelectrical signals that are sent to the monitally, moving down one pixel or line at a tor. Abbr RAMDAC time raster font /rstə fɒnt/ noun a compurandom access files / rndəm ter font formed from pixels and based on a kses falz/ noun a file in which each bit map item or record can be immediately acraster graphics /rstə rfks/ plucessed by its address, without searching ral noun graphics in which the picture is through the rest of the file, and is not debuilt up in lines across the screen or page pendent on the previous location RAMDAC

random access memory

random access storage

RAM disk

random number

RAM loader

random number generation

RAM refresh



random number generator

RAM refresh rate



random process

RAM resident program

random processing

range

R & D

R & D department



range left

random access

rank

rapid access

random access device



rapid access memory

random access digital to analog converter

raster



random access files

raster font

raster graphics

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raster image processor 276 reactive mode /riktv məυd/ noun a raster image processor / rstə computer operating mode in which each md' prəυsesə/ noun raster which entry by the user causes something to haptranslates software instructions into an impen but does not provide an immediate reage or complete page which is then printed sponse by the printer 쑗 An electronic page can be converted to a printer-readable video imread /ri d/ verb 1. (of an electronic deage by an on-board raster image procesvice) to scan printed text 쑗 Can the OCR sor. Abbr RIP read typeset characters? 2. to retrieve data from a storage medium 쑗 This instruction raster scan /rstə skn/ noun one reads the first record of a file. sweep of the picture beam horizontally across the front of a CRT screen read in / ri d n / verb to transfer data rate /ret/ noun the quantity of data or from an external source to main memory 쑗 tasks that can be processed in a set time 쑗 The processor’s instruction execution rate The computer automatically read-in thirty is better than the older version. values from the A/D converter. rated throughput / retd θru pυt/ noun the maximum throughput of a device readable /ri dəb(ə)l/ adjective that can which will still meet original specificabe read or understood by someone or by an tions electronic device 쑗 The electronic page is rate of production / ret əv prə converted to a printer-readable video imdkʃən/ noun the speed at which items age. are made read back check /ri d bk tʃek/ ratio /reʃiəυ/ noun the proportion of noun a system that ensures that data was one number to another 쑗 The ratio of 10 to correctly received, in which the transmit5 is 2:1. ted data is sent back and checked against the original for any errors rational number / rʃ(ə)nəl nmbə/ read cycle /ri d sak(ə)l/ noun the penoun a number that can be written as the riod of time between address data being ratio of two whole numbers 쑗 24 over 7 is sent to a storage device and the data being a rational number. returned raw data /rɔ detə/ noun 1. pieces of reader /ri də/ noun a device that reads information which have not been input data stored on one medium and converts it into a computer system 2. data in a datainto another form base which has to be processed to provide information to the user 3. unprocessed reader level /ri də lev(ə)l/ noun (in data authoring software) one of two modes that allows a user to run and interact with a raw mode / rɔ məυd/ noun a method multimedia application, but not modify it of accessing a file which, when data is read in any way from the file, does not carry out any data translation or filtering read error /ri d erə/ noun an error that occurs during a read operation, often beray tracing /re tresŋ/ noun (in cause the stored data has been corrupted graphics) a method of creating life-like computer-generated graphics which corread head / ri d hed/ noun a transducer rectly show shadows and highlights on an that reads signals stored on a magnetic meobject to suggest the existence of a light dium and converts them back to their origsource inal electrical form RD / ɑ di / noun (in DOS) a command reading /ri dŋ/ noun a note taken of to remove an empty subdirectory. Full figures or degrees, especially of degrees form remove directory on a scale RDBMS abbr relational database manreadme file /ri dmi fal/ noun a file agement system that contains last-minute information about an application react /rikt/ verb 왍 to react to something to act in response to something 왍 to read only /ri d əυnli/ noun a device or react with something to change because a circuit whose stored data cannot be substance is present changed reaction time /rikʃən tam/ noun read only attribute / ri d əυnli same as access time

trbju t/ noun a special attribute atraster image processor

reactive mode



read

raster scan

rate

rated throughput

readable

rate of production



read back check

ratio

rational number

read cycle

raw data

reader

reader level

raw mode

read error

ray tracing

read head

RD

reading

RDBMS

readme file

react



read only

reaction time

read only attribute



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277 real-time simulation tached to a file which, when switched on, RealNames / rəlnemz/ a system of only allows the contents of the file to be assigning a trade name or descriptive viewed, the contents cannot be changed name to a website address read only memory / ri d əυnli real number /rəl nmbə/ noun (in mem(ə)ri/ noun a memory device that computing) a number that is represented has had data written into it at the time of with a fractional part, or a number repremanufacture, and now its contents can sented in floating point notation only be read 쑗 The manufacturer provided real time /rəl tam/ noun the instant the monitor program in two ROM chips. nature of the responses of some computer Abbr ROM system to events, changes and other stimureadout /ri daυt/ noun a display of data li 쑗 A navigation system needs to be able 쑗 The readout displayed the time. to process the position of a ship in real readout device /ri daυt d vas/ time and take suitable action before it hits noun a device that allows information a rock. (numbers or characters) to be displayed ‘Quotron provides real-time quotes, news and analysis on equity securities through a network of 40,000 read rate / ri d ret/ noun the number terminals to US brokers and investors.’ [Computing] of bytes or bits that a reader can read in a ‘…define a real-time system as any system which is certain time expected to interact with its environment within cerread/write channel / ri d rat tain timing constraints’ [British Telecom Technology Journal]

tʃn(ə)l/ noun a channel that can carry real-time animation / rəl tam n signals travelling in two directions meʃ(ə)n/ noun an animation in which read/write cycle / ri d rat sak(ə)l/ objects appear to move at the same speed noun a sequence of events used to retrieve as they would in real life. Real-time aniand store data mation requires display hardware capable read/write head / ri d rat hed/ noun of displaying a sequence with tens of difsame as combined head ferent images every second. read/write memory / ri d rat real-time authorisation / rəl tam mem(ə)ri/ noun a storage medium that

ɔ θərazeʃ(ə)n/, real-time authentican be written to and read from cation / rəl tam ɔ θentkeʃ(ə)n/ ready /redi/ adjective waiting and able noun an online system that can check the to be used 쑗 The green light indicates the authenticity and validity of a customer’s system is ready for another program. credit card within a few seconds, allowing ready state /redi stet/ noun the state the Internet shop to deliver goods or conof a communications line or device that is firm an order immediately waiting to accept data real-time clock / rəl tam klɒk/ noun Real /rəl/ a trade name for a system used a clock in a computer that provides the to transmit sound and video over the Intercorrect time of day net, normally used to transmit live sound, real-time input / rəl tam npυt/ e.g. from a radio station, over the Internet. noun data input to a system as it happens 쒁 plug-in, streaming data or is required real address /rəl ədres/ noun an abreal-time multi-tasking / rəl tam solute address that directly accesses a mlti tɑ skŋ/ noun the process of exememory location. Compare paged adcuting several real-time tasks simultanedress ously without slowing the execution of any RealAudio / rəlɔ diəυ/ a trade name of the processes for a system used to transmit sound, usualreal-time operating system / rəl ly live, over the Internet tam ɒpəretŋ sstəm/ noun an operatrealise /rəlaz/, realise the palette ing system designed to control a real-time verb to select a particular set of colours for system or process-control system a 256-colour palette and use this palette real-time processing / rəl tam when displaying an image, normally by prəυsesŋ/ noun processing operations mapping the colours in a logical palette that take place instantly into the system palette real memory /rəl mem(ə)ri/ noun the real-time simulation / rəl tam actual physical memory that can be ad smjυleʃ(ə)n/ noun a computer model of a process where each process is executdressed by a CPU. Compare virtual memory ed in a similar time to the real process RealNames



read only memory

real number

real time

readout

readout device



read rate

read/write channel

real-time animation



read/write cycle

read/write head

read/write memory

real-time authorisation



ready



ready state

real-time clock

Real

real-time input

real address



real-time multi-tasking



RealAudio



real-time operating system

realise

real-time processing

real memory

real-time simulation



Computing.fm Page 278 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

real-time system 278 recognition / rekənʃ(ə)n/ noun a real-time system /rəl tam sstəm/ process that allows something such as letnoun a computer system that responds inters on a printed text or bars on bar codes stantly to events, changes and other stimuli to be recognised, real time transport protocol / rəl recognition logic / rekənʃ(ə)n tam trnspɔ t prəυtəkɒl/ noun a data

lɒd'k/ noun logical software used in transport protocol developed by the IETF OCR, AI, etc. that provides guaranteed data delivery over a network that does not normally prorecompile / ri kəmpal/ verb to comvide this quality of service. Abbr RTP pile a source program again, usually after changes or debugging real-time video / rəl tam vdiəυ/ reconfiguration / ri kənfəreʃ(ə)n/ noun full form of RTV noun the process of altering the structure reboot /ri bu t/ verb to reload an operof data in a system ating system during a computing session 쑗 reconfigure / ri kənfə/ verb to alter We rebooted and the files reappeared. 쒁 the structure of data in a system 쑗 I reconboot figured the field structure in the file. 쒁 conrecall /rkɔ l/ noun the process of bringfigure, set up ing back text or files from store 쐽 verb to reconstitute /ri kɒnsttju t/ verb to bring back text or files from store for editreturn a file to a previous state, usually to ing restore a file after a crash or corruption receipt notification /rsi t record noun /rekɔ d/ a set of items of

nəυtfkeʃ(ə)n/ noun a feature of many related data 쑗 Your record contains severelectronic mail applications that will send al fields that have been grouped together an automatic message to confirm that the under the one heading. 쐽 verb /rkɔ d/ to recipient has received the message store data or signals 쑗 Record the results receive /rsi v/ verb to accept data from in this column. a communications link 쑗 The computer rerecordable CD /r kɔ dəb(ə)l si di / ceived data via the telephone line. noun full form of CD-R receive only /r si v əυnli/ noun full record button /rkɔ d bt(ə)n/ noun form of RO a key pressed on a recorder when ready to receiver /rsi və/ noun an electronic record signals onto a medium device that can detect transmitted signals record count /rekɔ d kaυnt/ noun the and present them in a suitable form number of records within a stored file receiver register /rsi və red'stə/ recorder /rkɔ də/ noun equipment noun a temporary storage register for data able to transfer input signals onto a storage inputs, before processing medium re-chargeable battery /ri COMMENT: The signal recorded is not always

tʃɑ d'əb(ə)l bt(ə)ri/ noun a battery in the same form as the input signal. Many rethat can be used to supply power, and then corders record a modulated carrier signal for better quality. A recorder is usually combined have its charge replenished 쑗 A re-chargewith a suitable playback circuit since the read able battery is used for RAM back-up and write heads are often the same physical when the system is switched off. device. reciprocal link /r sprək(ə)l lŋk/ record format /rekɔ d fɔ mt/ noun noun a link connecting two websites and the organisation and length of separate working in both directions so that each site fields in a record is effectively providing advertising space record gap /rekɔ d p/ noun a blank for the other section of magnetic tape between two conrecode /ri kəυd/ verb to code a prosecutive records gram which has been coded for one sysrecord head /rekɔ d hed/ noun a tem, so that it will work on another transducer that converts an electrical signal into a magnetic field to write the data recognisable /rekənazəb(ə)l/, reconto a magnetic medium. Also called ognizable adjective which can be recogwrite head nised recording /rkɔ dŋ/ noun the action of recognise /rekə naz/, recognize storing signals or data verb to see something and remember that recording density /rkɔ dŋ it has been seen before 쑗 The scanner will recognize most character fonts.

densti/ noun same as packing density real-time system

recognition



real time transport protocol

recognition logic



recompile



real-time video

reconfiguration



reboot



reconfigure



recall



reconstitute



receipt notification



record



receive



recordable CD



receive only



record button



receiver



record count

receiver register



recorder



re-chargeable battery

reciprocal link

record format



record gap

recode



record head



recognisable

recording

recognise





recording density



Computing.fm Page 279 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

279 redundancy checking are automatically stored, with an icon on the Desktop that looks like a wastepaper

ndketə/ noun a light or symbol that bin shows when a device is recording recording level /rkɔ dŋ lev(ə)l/ red, green, blue / red ri n blu / noun the amplification of an input signal noun the three colour picture beams used before it is recorded in a colour TV record layout / rekɔ d leaυt/ noun COMMENT: There are three colour guns producing red, green and blue beams acting on same as record format groups of three phosphor dots at each pixel record length /rekɔ d leŋθ/ noun the location. total number of characters contained in the red, green, blue display / red ri n various fields within a stored record blu d sple/ noun full form of RGB record locking /rekɔ d lɒkŋ/ noun display (in a multiuser system) a software method red book audio / red bυk ɔ diəυ/ of preventing more than one user writing noun 쏡 compact disc-digital audio data to a record at the same time. The first redefinable / ri dfanəb(ə)l/ adjecuser’s software sets a locked flag for the tive which can be redefined record during write operations, preventing redefine / ri dfan/ verb to change the other users from corrupting data by also function or value assigned to a variable or writing data. object 쑗 We redefined the initial paramerecordset /rekɔ dset/ noun a group of ters. 왍 to redefine a key to change the records selected from a main database by a function of a programmable key 쑗 I have filter, search or query redefined this key to display the figure five records manager /rekɔ dz when pressed.

mnd'ə/ noun a program which main‘…one especially useful command lets you redefine tains records and can access and process the printer’s character-translation table’ [Byte] them to provide information redirect / ri darekt/ verb 1. to send a record structure /rekɔ d strktʃə/ message to its destination by another route noun a list of the fields that make up a 2. (in DOS and UNIX operating systems) record, together with their length and data to treat the output of one program as input type for another program recover /rkvə/ verb to get back someredirection / ri darekʃən/ noun the thing which has been lost 쑗 It is possible process of sending a message to its destito recover the data but it can take a long nation by another route 쑗 Call forwarding time. is automatic redirection of calls. recoverable error /r kv(ə)rəb(ə)l redirect operator, redirection operaerə/ noun an error type that allows protor noun a character used by an operating gram execution to be continued after it has system to indicate that the output of one occurred program is to be sent as input to another recovery /rkv(ə)ri/ noun 1. the procredliner /redlanə/ noun a feature of ess of returning to normal operating after a workgroup or word-processor software fault 2. the process of getting back somethat allows a user to highlight text in a difthing that has been lost 쑗 The recovery of ferent colour lost files can be carried out using the reredo from start / ri du frəm stɑ t/ covery procedure. verb to start something again from the berecovery procedure /rkv(ə)ri prə ginning

si d'ə/ noun the processes required to rereduce /rdju s/ verb to convert raw turn a system to normal operation after an data into a more compact form which can error then be easily processed recursion /rk '(ə)n/ noun a subroureduced instruction set computer tine in a program that calls itself during ex/r dju st n strkʃən set kəmpju tə/ ecution. Also called recursive routine noun full form of RISC recursive call /r k sv kɔ l/ noun a subroutine that calls itself when it is run redundancy /rdndənsi/ noun the process of providing extra components in recursive routine /r k sv ru ti n/ a system in case there is a breakdown noun same as recursion Recycle Bin /ri sak(ə)l bn/ noun a redundancy checking /rdndənsi folder in Windows 95 where deleted files tʃekŋ/ noun the checking of received

recording

/rkɔ dŋ

indicator

recording indicator



recording level

red, green, blue



record layout

record length

red, green, blue display



record locking

red book audio

redefinable



redefine



recordset

records manager

redirect



record structure

recover



redirection



recoverable error



redirect operator

recovery



redliner

redo from start

recovery procedure





reduce



recursion



reduced instruction set computer







recursive call



redundancy



recursive routine



redundancy checking

Recycle Bin





Computing.fm Page 280 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

redundant 280 data for correct redundant codes to detect reference instruction /ref(ə)rəns n any errors

strkʃən/ noun a command that provides access to sorted or stored data redundant /rdndənt/ adjective 1. referring to data that can be removed without reference list /ref(ə)rəns lst/ noun a losing any information 쑗 The parity bits list of routines or instructions and their loon the received data are redundant and cation within a program can be removed. 2. referring to an extra reference mark /ref(ə)rəns mɑ k/ piece of equipment kept ready for a task in noun a printed symbol that indicates the case of faults presence of a note or reference not in the redundant array of inexpensive text disks /r dndənt ə re əv reference program table

nkspensv dsks/ noun full form of / ref(ə)rəns prəυrm teb(ə)l/ noun a RAID list produced by a compiler or system of redundant character /r dndənt the location, size and type of the variables, krktə/ noun a character added to a routines and macros within a program block of characters for error detection or reference retrieval system protocol purposes. It carries no informa/ ref(ə)rəns rtri v(ə)l sstəm/ noun an tion. index that provides a reference to a docuredundant code /rdndənt kəυd/ ment noun a check bit or item of data added to a reference table /ref(ə)rəns teb(ə)l/ block of data for error detection purposes. noun a list of ordered items It carries no information. reference time /ref(ə)rəns tam/ reel to reel / ri l tə ri l/ noun the procnoun a point in time that is used as an oriess of copying one tape of data onto anothgin for further timings or measurements er magnetic tape reflectance /rflektəns/ noun the difreel to reel recorder / ri l tə ri l r ference between the amount of light or sigkɔ də/ noun a magnetic tape recording nal incident and the amount that is reflectmachine that uses tape held on one reel ed back from a surface. Opposite aband feeds it to a pick-up reel sorptance (NOTE: the opposite is re-entrant program /kəυd/, re-enabsorptance) trant code, re-entrant routine /ru ti n/ reflected code /rflektd kəυd/ noun a noun one program or code shared by many coding system in which the binary repreusers in a multi-user system. It can be insentation of decimal numbers changes by terrupted or called again by another user only one bit at a time from one number to before it has finished its previous run, and the next will return to the point at which it was inreformat / ri fɔ mt/ verb to format a terrupted when it has finished that run. disk that already contains data, and erasing re-entry /re entri/ noun the process of the data by doing so 쑗 Do not reformat calling a routine from within that routine, your hard disk unless you can’t do anyor of running a program from within that thing else. program reformatting /ri fɔ mtŋ/ noun the re-entry point / ri entri pɔnt/ noun act of formatting a disk which already cona point in a program or routine where it is tains data 쑗 Reformatting destroys all the re-entered data on a disk. 쒁 format reference /ref(ə)rəns/ noun 1. a value refraction /rfrkʃən/ noun the apparused as a starting point for other values, ofent bending of light or sound that occurs ten zero 2. the act of mentioning or dealing when it travels through a material with something 쐽 verb to access a location in memory 쑗 The access time taken to refrefresh /rfreʃ/ verb to update regularly erence an item in memory is short. the contents of dynamic RAM by reading and rewriting stored data to ensure data is reference address /ref(ə)rəns ə retained 쑗 memory refresh signal

dres/ noun the initial address in a program used as an origin or base for others refresh cycle /rfreʃ sak(ə)l/ noun reference file /ref(ə)rəns fal/ noun a the period of time during which a controlfile of data which is kept so that it can be ler updates the contents of dynamic RAM referred to chips reference instruction



redundant



reference list

reference mark

redundant array of inexpensive disks



reference program table



redundant character



reference retrieval system



redundant code



reference table

reference time

reel to reel

reflectance

reel to reel recorder





re-entrant program



reflected code



reformat



re-entry

reformatting

re-entry point



reference

refraction



refresh



reference address



refresh cycle



reference file

Computing.fm Page 281 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

281 relative pointing device gram settings that forms the basis of Winrefresh rate /rfreʃ ret/ noun the dows number of times every second that the image on a CRT is redrawn regulate /rejυlet/ verb to control a ‘Philips autoscan colour monitor, the 4CM6099, has process, usually using sensors and a feedSVGA refresh rates of 72Hz (800 x 600) and EVGA back mechanism refresh rates of 70Hz (1,024 x 768).’ [Computing] regulated power supply regenerate /rd'enə ret/ verb 1. to / rejυletd paυə sə pla/ noun a conredraw an image on a screen many times a stant, controlled voltage or current source second so that it remains visible 2. to rewhose output will not vary with input supceive distorted signals, process and error ply variation check them, then retransmit the same data COMMENT: A regulated power supply is reregenerative memory /r quired for all computers where components cannot withstand voltage variations.

d'enərətv mem(ə)ri/ noun a storage rehyphenation /ri hafəneʃ(ə)n/ medium whose contents need to be regunoun the process of changing the hyphenlarly refreshed to retain its contents 쑗 Dyation of words in a text after it has been put namic RAM is regenerative memory – it into a new page format or line width needs to be refreshed every 250ns. rejection error /rd'ekʃən erə/ noun regenerative reading /r d'enərətv an error by a scanner which cannot read a ri dŋ/ noun a reading operation that aucharacter and so leaves a blank tomatically regenerates and rewrites the rekey /ri ki / verb to use a keyboard to data back into memory re-enter lost text or data into a computer or regenerator /ri d'enəretə/ noun a to input text or data in a different form device used in communications that amplirelational database /r leʃ(ə)n(ə)l fies or regenerates a received signal and detəbes/, relational database mantransmits it on. Regenerators are often agement system noun a database in used to extend the range of a network. which all the items of data can be interconregion /ri d'ən/ noun a special or renected. Data is retrieved by using one item served area of memory or program or of data to search for a related field. 쑗 If you screen search the relational database for the surregional breakpoint / ri d'(ə)nəl name, you can pull out his salary from the brekpɔnt/ noun a breakpoint that can related accounts database. Abbr RDBMS be inserted anywhere within a program relational operator /r leʃ(ə)n(ə)l that is being debugged. 쒁 breakpoint, deɒpəretə/ noun a symbol that compares bug two items region fill /ri d'(ə)n fl/ noun the procrelational query /r leʃ(ə)n(ə)l ess of filling an area of the screen or a kwəri/ noun a database query that congraphics shape with a particular colour tains relational operators 쑗 The relational register /red'stə/ noun 1. a special loquery ‘find all men under 35 years old’ cation within a CPU that is used to hold will not work on this system. data and addresses to be processed in a relative address / relətv ədres/ machine code operation 2. a reserved noun a location specified in relation to a memory location used for special storage reference or base address purposes 쐽 verb to react to a stimulus relative coding /relətv kɒdŋ/ noun register addressing / red'stə ə the writing of a program using relative addresŋ/ noun an instruction whose address instructions dress field contains the register in which relative coordinates / relətv kəυ the operand is stored ɔ dnəts/ plural noun positional informaregister file /red'stə fal/ noun a tion given in relation to a reference point number of registers used for temporary relative data / relətv detə/ noun storage data that gives new coordinate information register length /red'stə leŋθ/ noun relative to previous coordinates the number of bits that make up a register relative error / relətv erə/ noun the register map /red'stə mp/ noun a difference between a number and its cordisplay of the contents of all the registers rect value, caused by rounding off Registry /red'stri/ noun a database of relative pointing device / relətv information about configuration and propɔntŋ d vas/ noun an input device, refresh rate



regulate

regulated power supply

regenerate







regenerative memory



rehyphenation





rejection error

regenerative reading





rekey



regenerator



relational database



region

regional breakpoint

relational operator



region fill

relational query



register

relative address



relative coding

register addressing



relative coordinates



register file

relative data

register length

relative error

register map

Registry

relative pointing device



Computing.fm Page 282 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

relative-time clock 282 e.g. a mouse, in which the movement of a relocation / ri ləυkeʃ(ə)n/ noun the pointer on screen is relative to the moveprocess of moving to another area in memment of the input device ory relocation constant / ri ləυkeʃ(ə)n relative-time clock / relətv tam

kɒnstənt/ noun a quantity added to all klɒk/ noun regular pulses that allow softaddresses to move them to another section ware in a computer to calculate the real of memory, equal to the new base address time REM /rem/ noun a statement in a BASIC relay /ri le/ noun an electromagneticalprogram that is ignored by the interpreter, ly controlled switch 쑗 There is a relay in allowing the programmer to write explanthe circuit. 쐽 verb to receive data from one atory notes. Full form remark source and then retransmit it to another point 쑗 All messages are relayed through remainder /rmendə/ noun a number this small micro. equal to the dividend minus the product of the quotient and divider 쑗 7 divided by 3 is release /rli s/ noun 1. a version of a equal to 2 remainder 1. Compare quoproduct 쑗 The latest software is release 5. tient 2. the shape of a sound signal that shows the speed at which a sound signal decreasremark /rmɑ k/ noun full form of REM es in strength after a note has stopped playremedial maintenance /r mi diəl ing. 쒁 decay 쐽 verb 1. to put a new prodmentənəns/ noun maintenance to repair uct on the market 2. (of software) to relinfaults which have developed in a system quish control of a block of memory or file remote /rməυt/ adjective referring to release number /rli s nmbə/ noun communications with a computer at a disthe number of the version of a product tance from the systems centre 쑗 Users can print reports on remote printers. release rate /rli s ret/ noun the speed at which a sound signal decreases in remote access /r məυt kses/ noun strength after a note has stopped playing. 쒁 a link that allows a user to access a compudecay ter from a distance, normally using a modem reliability /r laəblti/ noun the ability of a device to function as intended, effiremote client /r məυt klaənt/ noun ciently and without failure 쑗 It has an exa user who is accessing mail without being cellent reliability record. connected to the mail server’s local network reliable /rlaəb(ə)l/ adjective which remote console /r məυt kɒnsəυl/ can be trusted to work properly 쑗 The earnoun an input/output device located away ly versions of the software were not comfrom the computer. Data is sent between pletely reliable. the two by line or modem. reliable connection /r laəb(ə)l kə remote control /r məυt kəntrəυl/ nekʃən/ noun a connection between two noun a system that allows a remote user to modems that are both using an error corcontrol a computer from a distance rection protocol to ensure that data is transmitted without errors remote control software /r məυt kəntrəυl sɒftweə/ noun software that reload /ri ləυd/ verb to load something runs on a local computer and a remote again 쑗 We reloaded the program after the computer allowing a user to control the recrash. 쒁 load mote computer relocatable / ri ləυketəb(ə)l/ adjecremote device /r məυt dvas/ noun tive which can be moved to another area of same as remote console memory without affecting its operation remote job entry /r məυt d'ɒb relocatable program entri/ noun full form of RJE / ri ləυketəb(ə)l prəυrm/ noun a remote procedure call /r məυt prə computer program that can be loaded into si d'ə kɔ l/ noun full form of RPC and executed from any area of memory 쑗 The operating system can load and run a remote station /r məυt steʃ(ə)n/ relocatable program from any area of noun a communications station that can be memory. controlled by a central computer relocate / ri ləυket/ verb to move data remote terminal /r məυt t mn(ə)l/ noun a computer terminal connected to a from one area of storage to another 쑗 The data is relocated during execution. distant computer system relocation



relative-time clock

relocation constant



REM

relay

remainder



release



remark



remedial maintenance



remote



release number



release rate



remote access



reliability





remote client



reliable



remote console



reliable connection





remote control





remote control software



reload





relocatable



remote device





remote job entry

relocatable program



remote procedure call



remote station



relocate

remote terminal







Computing.fm Page 283 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

283 reprogram removable /rmu vəb(ə)l/ adjective reperforator /ri p fəretə/ noun a removable

reperforator





which can be removed 쑗 a removable hard disk removable Winchester /r

mu vəb(ə)l ɺntʃestə/ noun a small hard disk in a sealed unit, which can be detached from a computer when full or when not required remove directory /r mu v da rekt(ə)ri/ noun full form of RD REN /ren/ noun a number that defines the load a device places on a telephone network. Full form ringer equivalence removable Winchester



remove directory





REN

number

rename /ri nem/ verb to give a new rename



name to a file render /rendə/ verb to colour and shade a graphic object so that it looks solid and real 쑗 We rendered the wire-frame model. renumber /ri nmbə/ noun a feature of some computer languages which allows the programmer to allocate new values to all or some of a program’s line numbers. 쒁 render

renumber

machine that punches paper tape according to received signals reperforator transmitter /ri p fəretə trnz mtə/ noun a reperforator and a punched tape transmitter connected together repertoire /repə twɑ / noun the range of functions of a device or software 쑗 The manual describes the full repertoire. repetitive letter /r petətv letə/ noun a form letter or standard letter into which the details of each addressee are inserted repetitive strain injury /r pettv stren nd'əri/, repetitive stress injury noun pain in the arm, wrist or hands felt by someone who performs the same movement many times over a certain period, as when operating a computer. Abbr RSI replace /rples/ verb to find a certain item of data and put another in its place. 쒁 reperforator transmitter





repertoire



repetitive letter



repetitive strain injury



replace



search and replace replace mode /rples məυd/ noun an replace mode

line number



reorganise /ri ɔ ənaz/, reorganize reorganise



verb to organise something again or in a different way 쑗 Wait while the spelling checker database is being reorganized. repaginate /ri pd'net/ verb to change the lengths of pages of text before they are printed 쑗 The text was repaginated with a new line width. repagination /ri pd'neʃ(ə)n/ noun the action of changing pages lengths 쑗 The dtp package allows simple repagination. repeat counter /r pi t kaυntə/ noun a register that holds the number of times a routine or task has been repeated repeater /rpi tə/ noun a device used in communications that amplifies or regenerates a received signal and transmits it on. Regenerators are often used to extend the range of a network, while the repeater works at the physical layer of the OSI network model. 쒁 bridge, OSI, router repeating group /rpi tŋ ru p/ noun a pattern of data that is duplicated in a bit stream repeat key /rpi t ki / noun a key on a keyboard which repeats the character pressed repeat rate /rpi t ret/ noun the number of times that a character will be entered on screen if you press and hold down one key on the keyboard repaginate



repagination





repeat counter



repeater



repeating group



repeat key



repeat rate



interactive computer mode in which new text entered replaces any previous text replay noun /ri ple/ the playing back or reading back of data or a signal from a recording 쐽 verb /ri ple/ to play back something that has been recorded replenish /rplenʃ/ verb to charge a battery with electricity again replication / replkeʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. extra components in a system provided in case there is a breakdown or fault in one 2. the process of copying a record or data to another location reply /rpla/ verb to answer an electronic mail message report generator /r pɔ t d'enəretə/ noun software that allows data from database files to be merged with a document, in the form of graphs or tables, in order to provide a complete report report program generator /rpɔ t

prəυrm d'enəretə/ noun a programming language used mainly on personal computers for the preparation of business reports, allowing data in files, databases, etc., to be included. Abbr RPG reproduce / ri prədju s/ verb to copy data or text from one material or medium to another similar one reprogram /ri prəυrm/ verb to alter a program so that it can be run on another type of computer replay



replenish



replication



reply



report generator



report program generator



reproduce



reprogram



Computing.fm Page 284 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

request for comment 284 ticular operation or instruction and so canrequest for comment /r kwest fə not be used for other purposes by the prokɒment/ noun full form of RFC grammer or user. request to send /r kwest tə send/ noun a signal used in an RS-232C serial reset / ri set/ verb 1. to return a system port to control the flow of data from anothto its initial state, in order to allow a proer device, e.g. a modem. When the compugram or process to be started again 2. to set ter is ready to receive more data, it sends a a register or counter to its initial state 쑗 RTS signal to the modem that replies with When it reaches 999 this counter resets to zero. a signal on the CTS pin of the RS-232C COMMENT: Hard reset is similar to soft reset connector and then sends the next batch of but with a few important differences. Hard redata to the computer. Abbr RTS set is a switch that directly signals the CPU, request to send signal /r kwest tə while soft reset signals the operating system; send sn(ə)l/ noun a signal sent by a hard reset clears all memory contents, while a soft reset does not affect memory contents; transmitter to a receiver asking if the rehard reset should always reset the system, ceiver is ready to accept data, used in the while a soft reset does not always work if the RS232C serial connection. Abbr RTS operating system has been upset in a signifirequirements /rkwaəmənts/ noun cant way. things which are needed 쑗 Memory rereset button / ri set bt(ə)n/, reset quirements depend on the application softkey noun a switch that allows a program ware in use. to be terminated and reset manually re-route /ri ru t/ verb to send somereshape handle /ri ʃep hnd(ə)l/ thing by a different route noun (in a GUI) a small square displayed on a frame around an object or image that rerun / ri rn/ verb to run a program or a user can select and drag to change the a printing job again shape of the frame or graphical object rerun point /ri rn pɔnt/ noun a resident /rezd(ə)nt/ adjective referplace in the program from where to start a ring to data or a program that is always in running again after a crash or halt a computer res /rez/ noun same as resolution resident engineer / rezd(ə)nt end' resample /ri sɑ mp(ə)l/ verb to change nə/ noun an engineer who works permathe number of pixels used to make up an nently for one company image resident fonts / rezd(ə)nt fɒntz/ resave /ri sev/ verb to save a document plural noun font data which is always or file again 쑗 It automatically resaves the present in a printer or device and which text. does not have to be downloaded rescue dump /reskju dmp/ noun resident software / rezd(ə)nt data automatically saved on disk when a sɒftweə/ noun a program that is held percomputer fault occurs. The rescue dump manently in memory (whilst the machine describes the state of the system at that is on) time, and is used to help in debugging. residual /rzdjuəl/ adjective remainresearch /rs tʃ/ noun scientific ining after the rest or the others have disapvestigation carried out in order to learn peared or have been dealt with new facts about a field of study residual error rate /r zdjuəl erə research and development /r s tʃ

ret/ noun the ratio between incorrect and ən dveləpmənt/ noun full form of R & undetected received data and total data D transmitted reserved character /r z vd residue check /rez dju tʃek/ noun krktə/ noun a special character which an error detection check in which the reis used by the operating system or which ceived data is divided by a set number and has a particular function to control an opthe remainder is checked against the reerating system and cannot be used for othquired remainder er uses resist /rzst/ noun a substance used to reserved sector /r z vd sektə/ protect a pattern of tracks on a PCB, which noun the area of disk space that is used is not affected by etching chemicals. 쒁 only for control data storage photoresist reserved word /rz vd w d/ noun a resolution / rezəlu ʃ(ə)n/ noun the word or phrase used as an identifier in a number of pixels that a screen or printer programming language. It performs a parrequest for comment



request to send



reset



request to send signal



requirements



reset button



re-route

reshape handle

rerun



rerun point



resident

res

resident engineer

resample





resident fonts

resave



rescue dump

resident software

residual

research





residual error rate

research and development







reserved character



residue check



resist

reserved sector





reserved word



resolution



Computing.fm Page 285 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

285 reveal can display per unit area 쑗 The resolution result /rzlt/ noun the answer or outof most personal computer screens is not come of an arithmetic or logical operation much more than 70 dpi (dots per inch). result code /rzlt kəυd/ noun a mesAlso called res sage sent from a modem to the local com‘Group IV fax devices can send a grey or colour A4 puter indicating the state of the modem page in about four seconds, at a maximum resolution resume /rzju m/ verb to restart the of 15.7 lines per millimetre over an Integrated Services Digital Network circuit.’ [Computing] program from the point where it was left, resolving power /rzɒlvŋ paυə/ without changing any data noun a measurement of the ability of an retrain / ri tren/ verb to re-establish a optical system to detect fine black lines on better quality connection when the quality a white background, given as the number of a line is very bad of lines per millimetre retrieval /rtri v(ə)l/ noun the process resonance /rez(ə)nəns/ noun a situaof searching, locating and recovering intion in which a body oscillates with a very formation from a file or storage device large amplitude because the frequency apretrieve /rtri v/ verb to extract inforplied to it is the same as its natural fremation from a file or storage device 쑗 quency These are the records retrieved in that resource /rzɔ s/ noun a useful device, search. product, program or graphic object retro- /retrəυ/ prefix relating to an earlier resource allocation /rzɔ s time, state, or stage of development

ləkeʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of dividretrofit /retrəυ ft/ noun a new device ing available resources in a system beor accessory added to an existing system to tween jobs upgrade it resource fork /rzɔ s fɔ k/ noun (in an Apple Macintosh) one of two forks of a retrospective parallel running file. The resource fork contains resources / retrəυspektv prəlel rnŋ/ noun such as fonts, codes or icons that the file running a new computer system with old needs. data to check if it is accurate result



result code



resume



resolving power



retrain



retrieval



resonance

retrieve



resource



retro-

resource allocation



retrofit



resource fork



retrospective parallel running

resource interchange file format resource interchange file format



resource sharing



or system by several users response frame /rspɒns frem/ noun a page in a videotext system that allows a user to enter data response position /rspɒns pə

zʃ(ə)n/ noun the area of a form that is to be used for optical mark reading data response time /rspɒns tam/ noun 1. the time which passes between the user starting an action, by pressing a key, and the result appearing on the screen 2. the speed with which a system responds to a stimulus restart /rstɑ t/ verb to start something again 쑗 First try to restart your system. restore /rstɔ / verb to put something back into an earlier state response frame



response position





response time



restart



restore



‘…first you have to restore the directory that contains the list of deleted files’ [Personal Computer World]

restrict /rstrkt/ verb to keep something within a certain limit restriction /rstrkʃ(ə)n/ noun something that restricts data flow or access restrict



restriction



retrospective

search

retrospective search

/r zɔ s ntətʃend' fal fɔ mt/ noun full form of RIFF resource sharing /rzɔ s ʃeərŋ/ noun the use of one resource in a network

/ retrəυspektv s tʃ/ noun a search of

documents on a certain subject since a certain date return /rt n/ noun 1. an instruction that causes program execution to return to the main program from a subroutine 쑗 The program is not working because you missed out the return instruction at the end of the subroutine. 2. a key on a keyboard used to indicate that all the required data has been entered 쑗 You type in your name and code number then press return. 3. the indication of an end of line (in printing) return address /rt n ə dres/ noun the address to be returned to after a called routine finishes return



return address





COMMENT: The return address is put on the stack by the call instruction and provides the address of the instruction after the call, which is to be returned to after the called routine has finished.

return to zero signal /r t n tə zərəυ sn(ə)l/ noun a recording reference mark taken as the level of unmagnetised tape reveal /rvi l/ verb to display previously hidden information once a condition has been met return to zero signal



reveal



Computing.fm Page 286 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

reverb 286 document and make any comments. Full reverb, reverberation noun a musical form request for comment effect that gives the impression of depth in the sound RF shielding / ɑ ef ʃi ldŋ/ noun thin metal foil wrapped around a cable that prereverse /rv s/ verb to go or travel in vents the transmission of radio frequency the opposite direction interference signals 쑗 Without RF shield‘…the options are listed on the left side of the screen, with active options shown at the top left in reverse ing, the transmitted signal would be disvideo’ [PC User] torted by the interference. reverse channel /r v s tʃn(ə)l/ RGB / ɑ d'i bi / noun a high-definition noun a low speed control data channel bemonitor system that uses three separate intween a receiver and transmitter put signals controlling red, green and blue reverse characters /r v s colour picture beams. Full form red, krktəz/ plural noun characters which green, blue are displayed in the opposite way to other COMMENT: There are three colour guns producing red, green and blue beams acting on characters for emphasis groups of three phosphor dots at each pixel reverse engineering /r v s end' location. nərŋ/ noun a method of product design RGB display /mɒntə/, RGB monitor in which the finished item is analysed to noun a monitor that uses RGB determine how it should be constructed ribbon cable /rbən keb(ə)l/ noun reverse index /r v s ndeks/ noun same as tape cable the movement of a printer head up half a rich e-mail / rtʃ i mel/ noun an eline to print superscripts mail that has a voice message attached to it reverse interrupt /r v s ntərpt/ rich text / rtʃ tekst/ noun text that innoun a signal sent by a receiver to request cludes formatting such as bold, italics, etc the termination of transmissions rich text format / rtʃ tekst fɔ mt/ reverse polarity /r v s pəυlrti/ noun a way of storing a document that innoun a situation in an electric or electronic cludes all the commands that describe the circuit in which the positive and negative page, type, font and formatting. Abbr RTF terminals have been confused, resulting in RIFF /rf/ noun a multimedia data format the equipment not functioning jointly introduced by IBM and Microsoft reverse Polish notation /r v s that uses tags to identify parts of a multi pəυlʃ nəυteʃ(ə)n/ noun mathematical media file structure and allows the file to operations written in a logical way, so that be exchanged between platforms. Full the operator appears after the numbers to form resource interchange file format be acted upon, removing the need for RIFF chunk /rf tʃŋk/ noun a chunk brackets. Abbr RPN with the ID RIFF reverse video /r v s vdiəυ/ noun a RIFF file /rf fal/ noun a file that conscreen display mode in which white and tains tagged information that complies black are reversed and colours are complewith the RIFF file format mented right-click / rat klk/ verb to press and revert command /rv t kə mɑ nd/ release the right-hand button of a compunoun a command in text that returns a forter mouse matted page to its original state right-click menu / rat klk menju / revise /rvaz/ verb to update or correct noun a small pop-up menu that appears a version of a document or file when you click on the right-hand button of rewind / ri wand/ verb to return a tape a two-button mouse or film or counter to its starting point 쑗 right-hand button / rat hnd The tape rewinds onto the spool automatibt(ə)n/ noun a button on the right-hand cally. side of a two or three-button mouse RF, R/F noun the electromagnetic specright justification /rat d'stf trum that lies between the frequency range keʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of aligning 10KHz and 3000GHz. Full form radio the text and spacing characters so that the frequency right margin is straight RFC / ɑ ef si / noun a document that right justify /rat d'st fa/ verb to contains information about a proposed align the right margin so that the text is new standard and asks users to look at the straight reverb

RF shielding

reverse



reverse channel

RGB



reverse characters



reverse engineering





RGB display

ribbon cable

reverse index



rich e-mail

reverse interrupt

rich text



rich text format

reverse polarity





RIFF

reverse Polish notation





RIFF chunk

reverse video

RIFF file



right-click

revert command





right-click menu

revise



rewind



right-hand button

RF

right justification



RFC

right justify



Computing.fm Page 287 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

287 robustness RISC / ɑ a es si / noun a CPU design right shift / rat ʃft/ verb to move a right shift

RISC

section of data one bit to the right rightsizing /ratsazŋ/ noun the process of moving a company’s information technology structure to the most cost-effective hardware platform, which in practice often means moving from a mainframe-based network to a PC-based network rigid disk /rd'd dsk/ noun a rigid magnetic disk that is able to store many times more data than a floppy disk, and usually cannot be removed from the disk drive ring /rŋ/ noun 1. a data list whose last entry points back to the first entry. 쒁 chained list 2. the topology of a network in which the wiring sequentially connects one workstation to another ring back system /rŋ bk sstəm/ noun a remote computer system in which a user attempting to access it phones once, allows it to ring a number of times, disconnects, waits a moment, then redials ringer equivalence number / rŋər  kwvələns nmbə/ noun full form of

whose instruction set contains a small number of simple fast-executing instructions, which makes program writing more complex but increases speed. Full form reduced instruction set computer. 쒁

rightsizing

rigid disk

ring

ring back system

ringer equivalence number



REN

WISC

Rivest, Shamir, Adleman / rvest ʃə Rivest, Shamir, Adleman



mə d(ə)lmən/ noun full form of RSA (see) RJ-11 / ɑ d'e lev(ə)n/ noun a connector with four connections, normally used in telephone sockets in the USA RJ-45 / ɑ d'e fɔ ti fav/ noun a connector used in telephone systems with eight connections. A similar looking connector, often referred to as an RJ-45 connector is used to connect 10BaseT UTP cable in an Ethernet local area network. RJE / ɑ d'e i / noun a batch processing system in which instructions are transmitted to the computer from a remote terminal. Full form remote job entry RLE / ɑ el i / noun a data compression technique that stores any sequence of bits of data with the same value to a single value. Full form run-length encoding RLL encoding / ɑ el el nkəυdŋ/ noun a fast and efficient method of storing data onto a disk in which the changes in a run of data bits is stored. Full form runRJ-11



RJ-45

RJE

RLE

RLL encoding

ring shift / rŋ ʃft/ noun data movering shift

ment to the left or right in a word. The bits falling outside the word boundary are discarded, and the free positions are filled with zeros. ring topology /rŋ tə pɒləd'i/ noun network architecture in which each computer or printer is connected together in a loop ring topology network /rŋ tə

pɒləd'i netw k/ noun a type of network in which each terminal is connected one after the other in a circle RIP abbr 1. raster image processor 2. routing information protocol ripper /rpə/ noun a program that can be used to copy digital music from a compact disc onto a computer before converting it into a format in which it can be stored as a computer file ripple-through carry /rp(ə)l θru

kri/ noun the fact that one operation produces a carry out from a sum and a carry in ripple-through effect /rp(ə)l θru 

fekt/ noun (in a spreadsheet) the results, changes or errors appearing in a spreadsheet as a result of the value in one cell being changed ring topology



ring topology network



RIP

ripper

ripple-through carry

ripple-through effect





length limited encoding rm / ɑ em/ noun (in UNIX) a command rm

to remove an empty subdirectory RMDIR abbr remove directory. Same as RMDIR

RD

RO / ɑ əυ/ noun a computer terminal RO

that can only accept and display data, not transmit. Full form receive only roam /rəυm/ verb (in wireless communications) to move around freely and still be in contact with a wireless communications transmitter robot /rəυ bɒt/ noun 1. a device that can be programmed to carry out certain manufacturing tasks which are similar to tasks carried out by people 2. same as bot2 robotics /rəυbɒtks/ noun the study of artificial intelligence, programming and building involved with robot construction robust /rəυbst/ adjective referring to a system which can resume working after a fault robustness /rəυbstnəs/ noun a system’s ability to continue functioning even with errors or faults during a program execution roam

robot



robotics



robust



robustness



Computing.fm Page 288 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

rogue indicator 288 rot13 / rɒt θ ti n/ noun simple encodrogue indicator /rəυ nd ketə/ ing that is used to scramble offensive mesnoun a special code used only for control sages posted in newsgroups applications, e.g. an end of file marker rotate /rəυtet/ verb to move data withrogue value / rəυ vlju / noun an in a storage location in a circular manner item in a list of data which shows that the rotate operation /rəυtet list is terminated. Also called terminator

ɒpəreʃ(ə)n/ noun same as bit rotation role indicator /rəυl nd ketə/ noun a rotating helical aperture scanner symbol used to show the role of a index /rəυ tetŋ helk(ə)l pətʃə sknə/ entry in its particular context noun a type of scanner in which the origiroll back /rəυl bk/ noun a function of nal image is lit and the reflection sent, a database application that stops a transacthrough a lens and mirror, through a rotattion and returns the database to its previing spiral slit and finally onto a photodeous state tector cell; as the spiral slit turns, it has the roll forward /rəυl fɔ wəd/ noun a effect of moving up the image function of a database application that alrotation /rəυteʃ(ə)n/ noun the degree lows the user to recover from an event such to which an object has been rotated as a power cut by reading the transaction rough copy / rf kɒpi/ noun a draft of log and re-executing all the instructions to a program which, it is expected, will have return the database to the state just before changes made to it before it is complete the event round /raυnd/ verb 왍 to round down to roll in / rəυl n/ verb to transfer data approximate a number to a slightly lower from backing store into main memory one of lower precision 쑗 We can round down 2.651 to 2.65. 왍 to round off to aproll out / rəυl aυt/ verb to save the conproximate a number to a slightly larger or tents of main memory onto backing store smaller one of lower precision 쑗 Round off rollover /rəυləυvə/ noun a keyboard 23.456 to 23.46. 왍 to round up to approxwith a small temporary buffer so that it can imate a number to a slightly larger one of still transmit correct data when several lower precision 쑗 We can round up 2.647 keys are pressed at once to 2.65. roll scroll /rəυl skrəυl/ noun displayed round brackets / raυnd brkts/ plutext that moves up or down the computer ral noun brackets in the form ( ) screen one line at a time rounding /raυndŋ/ noun 1. an approxROM /rɒm/ abbr read only memory imation of a number to a slightly larger or smaller one of lower precision 2. the procRoman numerals / rəυmən ess of giving graphics a smoother look nju mərəlz/ plural noun numbers represented using the symbols I, V, X, L, C, D rounding error /raυndŋ erə/, and M round-off error /raυnd ɒf erə/ noun an error in a result caused by rounding off the ROM BIOS /rɒm baɒs/ noun a code number which makes up the BIOS routines stored round robin /raυnd rɒbn/ noun a way in a ROM chip, normally executed autoof organising the use of a computer by sevmatically when the computer is switched eral users, who each use it for a time and on then pass it on the next in turn ROM cartridge /rɒm kɑ trd'/ noun route /ru t/ noun the path taken by a software stored in a ROM mounted in a message between a transmitter and receivcartridge which can easily be plugged into er in a network 쑗 The route taken was not a computer the most direct since a lot of nodes were romware /rɒmweə/ noun software busy. which is stored in ROM routed / ru t di / noun software that root /ru t/ noun 1. the starting node from manages the routes taken by traffic across which all paths branch in a data tree struca network. Full form route-daemon. 쒁 ture 2. a fractional power of a number gated root directory /ru t dərekt(ə)ri/ noun router /ru td/ noun 1. a communicathe topmost directory from which all other tions device that receives data packets in a directories branch 쑗 In DOS, the root diparticular protocol and forwards them to rectory on drive C: is called C:. their correct location via the most efficient rogue indicator

rot13





rotate

rogue value



rotate operation



role indicator



rotating helical aperture scanner



roll back

roll forward

rotation



rough copy

round

roll in

roll out

rollover

roll scroll

round brackets

rounding

ROM

Roman numerals

rounding error

ROM BIOS

round robin

ROM cartridge

route

romware

routed

root

root directory

router



Computing.fm Page 289 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

289 ruler route 2. (in a LAN) a device that connect RPG abbr report program generator two or more LANs that use the same proRS-232C noun an EIA approved standtocol and allows data to be transmitted beard used in serial data transmission, covertween each network. The router works at ing voltage and control signals the network-layer level of the OSI model. RS-422 noun an EIA approved standard 쒁 bridge, OSI that extends the RS-232’s 50ft limit routine /ru ti n/ noun a number of inRS-423 noun an EIA approved standard structions that perform a particular task, that extends the RS-232’s 50ft limit, introbut are not a complete program. They are duced at the same time as the RS-422 included as part of a program. 쑗 The roustandard, but less widely used tine copies the screen display onto a printCOMMENT: The RS232C has now been superseded by the RS423 and RS422 interface er. RPG

RS-232C

RS-422

routine

RS-423



‘Hewlett-Packard has announced software which aims to reduce PC-network downtime and cut support costs by automating housekeeping routines such as issuing alerts about potential problems.’ [Computing] COMMENT: Routines are usually called from a main program to perform a task. Control is then returned to the part of the main program from which the routine was called once that task is complete.

routing /ru tŋ/ noun the process of derouting

termining a suitable route for a message through a network

routing

routing information protocol

information

protocol

/ru tŋ nfəmeʃ(ə)n prəυtəkɒl/ noun

a protocol used on the Internet to calculate the best route by which to transfer information over the Internet. RIP bases its selection on the distance that each route takes. Abbr RIP routing overheads / raυtŋ əυvəhedz/ plural noun actions that have to be taken when routing messages 쑗 The information transfer rate is very much less once all routing overheads have been accommodated. routing page / raυtŋ ped'/ noun a videotext page describing the routes to other pages routing table /raυtŋ teb(ə)l/ noun a list of preferred choices for a route for a message stored within a router row /raυ/ noun 1. a line of printed or displayed characters 쑗 The figures are presented in rows, not in columns. 2. a horizontal line on a punched card 쑗 Each entry is separated by a row of dots. 3. a horizontal set of data elements in an array or matrix RPC / ɑ pi si / noun a method of communication between two programs running on two separate, but connected, computers. A software routine asks another computer on the network to process a problem and then displays the results. Full form remote procedure call routing overheads

routing page

routing table

row

RPC

standards, which are similar to the RS232 but allow higher transmission rates.

RS-485 noun a standard that defines how RS-485

serial devices are connected together for multipoint communications. This standard, approved by the EIA, supports higher rates of data transfer than the older RS232C standard and allows more connections to one line than the RS-422 standard. RSA noun a public-key cryptography system used to provide high-level of security (see) Full form Rivest, Shamir, Adleman. 쒁 public key cipher system RSI abbr repetitive strain injury RTDS abbr real-time data system RTE abbr real time execution RTF abbr rich text format RTFM abbreviation a euphemistic abbreviation used in messages as an instruction to someone to ‘read the manual’ RTP abbr real time transport protocol (see) RTS abbr request to send signal RTV / ɑ ti vi / noun real-time video compression used within DVI software to provide usable, but lower-quality, images that are compressed in real-time at 10 frames per second. Full form real-time RSA

RSI

RTDS

RTE

RTF

RTFM

RTP

RTS

RTV

video

rubber banding / rbə bndŋ/ noun rubber banding

쏡 elastic banding

rub out / rb aυt/ verb 쏡 erase rule /ru l/ noun 1. a set of conditions that rub out

rule

describe a function 쑗 The rule states that you wait for the clear signal before transmitting. 2. in printing, a thin line rule-based system / ru l best sstəm/ noun software that applies the rules and knowledge defined by experts in a particular field to a user’s data to solve a problem ruler /ru lə/ noun a bar displayed on screen that indicates a unit of measurement, often used in DTP or word-processor software to help with layout rule-based system

ruler

Computing.fm Page 290 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

ruler line 290 running head /rnŋ hed/ noun the tiruler line /ru lə lan/ noun same as tab tle line of each page in a document rack run phase /rn fez/ noun same as tarrules /ru lz/ noun a method of testing inget phase coming messages for certain conditions, e.g. the name of the sender or the contents, run-time, run duration noun 1. the peand acting upon them riod of a time that a program takes to run 2. the time during which a computer is exrun /rn/ noun the execution by a compuecuting a program 왘 also called run-durater of a set of instructions, programs or tion 쐽 adjective referring to an operation procedures 쑗 The next invoice run will be carried out only when a program is runon Friday. 쐽 verb to operate, or to make a ning device operate 쑗 The computer has been running ten hours a day. run-time error /rn tam erə/ noun a fault only detected when a program is run run around /rn əraυnd/ verb to fit run-time library /rn tam labrəri/ text around an image on a printed page noun a library of routines that are only acrun in /rn n/ verb to operate a system cessed by an application when it is running at a lower capacity for a time in case of run-time licence /rn tam any faults

las(ə)ns/ noun a licence granted to a user run on / rn ɒn/ verb to make text conto run an application tinue without a break 쑗 The line can run on to the next without any space. run-time system /rn tam sstəm/ noun software that is required in main runaway /rnə we/ noun an unconstorage while a program is running, to extrolled operation of a device or computer ecute instructions to peripherals, etc. that occurs as a result of a malfunction or run-time version /rn tam error

v '(ə)n/ noun 1. a program code that Run command /rn kə mɑ nd/ noun has been compiled and is in a form that can (in Windows) a command that lets the user be directly executed by the computer 2. a type in the name of a program that they commercial interpreter program that is want to run or a DOS command they want sold with an application developed in a to execute high-level language that allows it to run run-duration /rn djυ reʃ(ə)n/ noun, R/W abbr read/write adjective same as run-time R/W cycle / ɑ db(ə)l ju sa(ə)l/ run indicator /rn nd ketə/ noun an noun a sequence of events used to retrieve indicator bit or LED which shows that a or store data. Full form read/write cycle computer is currently executing a program R/W head / ɑ db(ə)l ju hed/ noun run length encoding / rn leŋθ en an electromagnetic device that allows data kəυdŋ/ noun full form of RLE to be read from or written to a storage medium. Full form read/write head run-length limited encoding / rn RX abbr receive 쑗 The RXed signal needs leŋθ lmtd enkəυdŋ/ noun full form of RLL encoding to be amplified. ruler line

running head

rules

run phase

run-time

run

run-time error



run-time library

run-time licence

run-time system

runaway



run-time version

Run command



run-duration

R/W



R/W cycle

run indicator



R/W head

run length encoding



run-length limited encoding

RX



Computing.fm Page 291 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

S S100 bus, S-100 bus noun an IEEE696 standard bus, a popular 8– and 16-bit microcomputer bus using 100 lines and a 100-pin connector. 쒁 bus (NOTE: say ‘S

COMMENT: Magnetic tape is a form of SAM. You have to go through the whole tape to access one item, while disks provide random access to stored data.

S100 bus

one hundred bus’)

SAA a trade name for a standard developed by IBM which defines the look and feel of an application regardless of the hardware platform. SAA defines which keystrokes carry out standard functions, the application’s display and how the application interacts with the operating system. Full form Systems Application ArSAA

chitecture

safe format /sef fɔ mt/ noun a forsafe format

mat operation that does not destroy the existing data and allows the data to be recovered in case the wrong disk was formatted safe mode / sef məυd/ noun a special operating mode of Windows 95 that is automatically selected if Windows 95 detects that there is a problem when starting safety margin /sefti mɑ d'n/ noun an extra amount of time or space provided so that errors can be absorbed safety measures /sefti me'əz/ plural noun actions taken to make sure that something is safe safety net /sefti net/ noun a software or hardware device that protects the system or files from excessive damage in the event of a system crash 쑗 If there is a power failure, we have a safety net in the form of a UPS. sag /s/ noun a short drop in the voltage level from a power supply salami technique /səlɑ mi tek ni k/ noun computer fraud involving many separate small transactions that are difficult to detect and trace SAM / es e em/ noun a type of storage in which a particular data item can only be accessed by reading through all the previous items in the list. Full form serial acsafe mode

safety margin

safety measures

safety net

sag

salami technique



SAM

cess memory



sample /sɑ mpəl/ noun a measurement sample

of a signal at a point in time 쑗 The sample at three seconds showed an increase. 쐽 verb to obtain a number of measurements of a signal which can be used to provide information about the signal sample and hold circuit / sɑ mpəl ən həυld s kt/ noun a circuit that freezes an analog input signal for long enough for an A/D converter to produce a stable output sample interval /sɑ mpəl ntəv(ə)l/ noun a time period between two consecutive samples sampler /sɑ mplə/ noun an electronic circuit that takes many samples of a signal and stores them for future analysis sample rate /sɑ mpəl ret/ noun a number of measurements of a signal that are recorded every second. A PC sound card normally supports one of the following three standard rates: 11,025, 22,050 and 44,100 samples per second, normally written as 11.025KHz, 22.05KHz and 44.1KHz. sample size /sɑ mpəl saz/ noun the size of the word used to measure the level of the signal when it is sampled sampling interval /sɑ mplŋ

ntəv(ə)l/ noun a time period between two consecutive samples sampling rate /sɑ mplŋ ret/ noun a number of measurements of a signal recorded every second SAR / es e ɑ / noun a register within the CPU that contains the address of the next location to be accessed. Full form store sample and hold circuit

sample interval

sampler

sample rate

sample size

sampling interval

sampling rate

SAR

address register SAS abbr single attachment station satellite /stə lat/ noun a small sysSAS

satellite



tem that is part of a larger system

Computing.fm Page 292 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

satellite computer

292 scalar /skelə/ noun a variable that has a single value assigned to it scalar data /skelə detə/ noun a data type containing single values that are presatellite computer / stəlat kəm dictable and follow a sequence pju tə/ noun a computer doing various scalar processor / skelə prəυsesə/ tasks under the control of another compunoun a processor designed to operate at ter high-speed on scalar values satellite terminal /stəlat Scalar Processor Architecture

t mn(ə)l/ noun a computer terminal / skelə prəυsesə ɑ ktektʃə/ full form that is outside the main network of SPARC saturated colour / stʃəretd klə/ scalar value /skelə vlju / noun a noun bright colours such as red and orange single value rather than a matrix or record that do not reproduce well on video and scalar variable / skelə veəriəb(ə)l/ can cause distortion or can spread over the noun a variable that can contain a single screen value rather than a complex data type such saturation / stʃəreʃ(ə)n/ noun a as an array or record point where a material cannot be further scale /skel/ noun the ratio of two values magnetized 쐽 verb 왍 to scale down, scale up to lower saturation noise / stʃəreʃ(ə)n or increase in proportion nɔz/ noun errors that occur as a result of scan /skn/ noun an examination of an saturation of a magnetic storage medium image or object or list of items to obtain saturation testing / stʃəreʃ(ə)n data describing it 쑗 The heat scan of the

testŋ/ noun the process of testing a comcomputer quickly showed which compomunications network by transmitting large nent was overheating. 쐽 verb to examine quantities of data and messages over it and produce data from the shape or state of save /sev/ verb to store data or a proan object or drawing or file or list of items gram on an auxiliary storage device 쑗 This 쑗 The facsimile machine scans the picture WP saves the text every 15 minutes in case and converts this to digital form before of a fault. transmission. save area /sev eəriə/ noun a temposcan area /skn eəriə/ noun a section rary storage area of main memory, used for of an image read by a scanner registers and control data scan code / skn kəυd/ noun a save as /sev əz/ noun an option in an number transmitted from the keyboard to application that allows the user to save the an IBM PC compatible computer to indicurrent work in a file with a different name cate that a key has been pressed and to SBC / es bi si / noun a computer whose identify the key main components such as processor, inscan conversion /skn kənv ʃ(ə)n/ put/output and memory are all contained noun the process of converting an interon one PCB. Full form single board laced video signal to a non-interlaced sigcomputer nal or a composite to a separated RGB signal SBM / es bi em/ noun an extension to the Red Book CD-Audio specification in ScanDisk /skndsk/ noun a utility which studio-quality 20-bit sound samples that will check the hard disk for any probare stored in the 16-bit data format used by lems and will try and correct problems that CD-Audio. Full form super bit mapping it finds scan head /skn hed/ noun a device scalable /skeləb(ə)l/ adjective 1. used used in scanners, photocopiers and fax to describe a computer, component or netmachines, which uses photo-electric cells work that can be expanded to meet future to turn an image into a pattern of pixels 쑗 needs 2. referring to fonts used for compuThis model uses a scan head that can dister graphics that can be made to appear in tinguish 256 different colours. a wide range of sizes scan length / skn leŋθ/ noun the scalable software / skeləb(ə)l number of items in a file or list that are exsɒftweə/ noun a groupware application amined in a scan that can easily accommodate more users scan line / skn lan/ noun one of the on a network without the need for investhorizontal lines of phosphor, or phosphor ment in new software COMMENT:

In a network the floppy disk units are called ‘satellites’ and the hard disk unit the ‘server’. In a star network each satellite is linked individually to a central server.

scalar

scalar data

satellite computer



scalar processor

satellite terminal

Scalar Processor Architecture

saturated colour

scalar value

scalar variable

saturation



scale

saturation noise



scan

saturation testing



save

save area

scan area

scan code

save as

SBC

scan conversion



SBM

ScanDisk

scalable

scan head

scalable software

scan length

scan line

Computing.fm Page 293 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

293 scratch dots, on the inside of a CRT or monitor. scavenging /skvnd'ŋ/ noun the The monitor’s picture beam sweeps along act of searching through and accessing daeach scan line to create the image on the tabase material without permission screen. schedule /ʃedju l/ noun the order in which tasks are to be done, or the order in scanner /sknə/ noun a device that which CPU time will be allocated to procconverts an image or document into graphesses in a multi-user system ical data which can be manipulated by a computer Schedule+ / ʃedju lpls/ noun a Microsoft Windows 95 software program that ‘Ricoh’s Fax 300L Computer Link is connected to a PC via a RS232C serial interface, and enables users provides personal information manageto send faxes from within Dos and Windows appliment features, including a diary cations without printing a hard copy: It can also act scheduled circuits / ʃed'u ld as a scanner for graphics, and a printer for documents.’ [Computing] s ktz/ noun telephone lines for data communications only scanner memory /sknə mem(ə)ri/ noun the memory area allocated to store scheduler /ʃedju lə/ noun 1. a proimages which have been scanned gram that organises the use of a CPU or of peripherals which are shared by several usscanning /sknŋ/ noun the action of ers 2. utility software that helps users orexamining and producing data from the ganise their meetings, appointments or the shape of an object or drawing use of a resource COMMENT: A modem with auto-baud scanning can automatically sense which baud rate to scheduling /ʃedju lŋ/ noun a method operate on and switches automatically to that of working that allows several users to baud rate. share the use of a CPU scanning error /sknŋ erə/ noun an schema /ski mə/ noun a graphical deerror introduced while scanning an image scription of a process or database structure scanning line /sknŋ lan/ noun a schematic /skimtk/ noun a diagram path traced on a CRT screen by the picture showing system components and how they beam are connected scanning rate /sknŋ ret/ noun the scissor /szə/ verb 1. to define an area time taken to scan one line of a CRT image of an image and then cut out this part of the image so it can then be pasted into another scanning resolution /sknŋ rezə image 2. to define an area of an image and

lu ʃ(ə)n/ noun the ability of a scanner to delete any information that is outside this distinguish between small points. The usuarea al resolution is 300 dpi. scope /skəυp/ noun the range of values scanning software /sknŋ that a variable can contain

sɒf(t)weə/ noun a dedicated program SCR abbr sequence control register that controls a scanner and allows certain scramble /skrmb(ə)l/ verb to code operations, e.g. rotate, edit or store, to be speech or data which is transmitted in such performed on a scanned image a way that it cannot be understood unless scanning speed /sknŋ spi d/ noun it is decoded the speed at which a line or image is scrambler /skrmblə/ noun a device scanned that codes a data stream into a pseudo-ranscan rate / skn ret/ noun the dom form before transmission to eliminate number of times every second that the imany series of ones or zeros or alternate age on a CRT is redrawn ones and zeros that would cause synchroSCART connector /skɑ t kə nektə/ nisation problems at the receiver noun a special connector normally used to scrapbook /skrp bυk/ noun a utility carry video or audio signals between video on an Apple Macintosh that stores freequipment quently used graphic images 쑗 We store scatter-load /sktə ləυd/ verb to load our logo in the scrapbook. sequential data into various non-continuscratch /skrtʃ/ noun an area of memous locations in memory ory or of a file used for the temporary storscatter-read /sktə ri d/ verb to acage of data 쐽 verb to delete or move an cess and read sequential data stored in vararea of memory to provide room for other ious non-continuous locations data scavenging

schedule

scanner

Schedule+



scheduled circuits

scanner memory

scheduler

scanning

scheduling

scanning error

schema

scanning line

schematic



scanning rate

scissor

scanning resolution



scope

scanning software

SCR

scramble

scanning speed

scrambler

scan rate

SCART connector



scrapbook



scatter-load

scratch

scatter-read

Computing.fm Page 294 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

scratch file 294 scratch file /skrtʃ fal/ noun same as screen flicker /skri n flkə/ noun (on work file a display) an image that moves slightly or whose brightness alternates due to a low scratchpad /skrtʃpd/ noun a image refresh rate or signal corruption workspace or area of high speed memory used for temporary storage of data currentscreen font / skri n fɒnt/ noun (in a ly in use GUI) typeface and size designed to be used ‘Mathcad is described as an easy-to-use ‘handy to display text on screen rather than be scratch pad for quick number crunching’, which is printed out 쑗 The screen font is displayed positioned as an alternative to popular spreadsheets.’ at 72dpi on a monitor, rather than printed [Computing] at 300dpi on this laser printer. scratchpad memory /skrtʃpd screen format /skri n fɔ mt/ noun a

mem(ə)ri/ noun cache memory used to way in which a screen is laid out buffer data being transferred between a screenful /skri nfυl/ noun a complete fast processor and a slow I/O device such frame of information displayed on a screen as a disk drive screen grab / skri n rb/ noun 1. the scratch tape /skrtʃ tep/ noun magprocess of digitising a single frame from a netic tape used for a scratch file display or television 2. the process of capscreen /skri n/ noun a display device turing what is displayed on a monitor and capable of showing a quantity of informastoring it as a graphics file tion, such as a CRT or VDU. 쒁 readout screen memory /skri n mem(ə)ri/ screen angle /skri n ŋ(ə)l/ noun noun in a memory-mapped screen, the the angle at which a screen is set before the area of memory representing the whole photograph is taken screen, usually with one byte representing screen attribute /skri n tr bju t/ one or a number of pixels noun a set of attribute bits which define screen notepad /skri n nəυt pd/ how each character will be displayed on noun the part of the screen used to store inscreen. They set background and foreformation even when the terminal is ground colour and bold, italic or underline. switched off screen border /skri n bɔ də/ noun a screen refresh /skri n rfreʃ/ verb to margin around text displayed on a screen update regularly the images on a CRT screen buffer /skri n bfə/ noun a screen by scanning each pixel with a pictemporary storage area for characters or ture beam to make sure the image is still graphics before they are displayed visible screen burn /skri n b n/ noun a screen saver /skri n sevə/ noun softproblem caused if a stationary image is ware which, after a pre-determined period displayed for too long on a monitor, burnof user inactivity, replaces the existing iming the phosphor. This problem was the age on screen and displays moving objects original reason why screen savers were deto protect against screen burn veloped. Now, screens are better made and screen shot / skri n ʃɒt/ noun 쏡 the phosphor is more resilient. As a result, screen capture it is very difficult to cause screen burn, but the screen savers look good and are still screen size / skri n saz/ noun 1. the used. number of characters a computer display can show horizontally and vertically 2. the screen capture /skri n kptʃə/ verb size of a monitor screen based on internato store the image currently displayed on tional paper sizes screen in a file script /skrpt/ noun a set of instructions screen cleaning kit /skri n kli nŋ which carry out a function, normally used

kt/ noun the liquids and cloth which rewith a macro language or batch language move any static and dirt from a VDU 쑗 I log in automatically using this script screen with my communications software. screen dump /skri n dmp/ noun the script channel /skrpt tʃn(ə)l/ noun process of outputting the text or graphics (in Movie Player ) one channel in a score displayed on a screen to a printer that contains instructions screen editor /skri n edtə/ noun software which allows the user to edit text script editor /skrpt edtə/ noun an on-screen, with one complete screen of ineditor that lets a user edit a script or proformation being displayed at a time gram in an authoring package scratch file

screen flicker

scratchpad

screen font

scratchpad memory

screen format

screenful

screen grab

scratch tape

screen

screen memory

screen angle

screen attribute



screen notepad



screen border

screen refresh



screen buffer

screen burn

screen saver

screen shot

screen size

screen capture

screen cleaning kit

script

screen dump

script channel

screen editor

script editor

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295 search engine scripting language /skrptŋ SCSI-2 /skzi tu / noun a standard that lŋwd'/ noun a simple programming provides a wider data bus and transfers language (normally proprietary to an apdata faster than the original SCSI specifiplication) that allows a user to automate cation that supports 16-bit data transfers the application’s functions 쑗 This commuand can control 15 devices nications software has a scripting lan‘The Tricord ES4000 is an entry-level superserver machine, with 525Mb of SCSI-2 fixed disk, 64Mb of guage that lets me dial and log in automatECC memory, and support for Raid levels 0, 1 and ically. 10.’ [Computing] script recorder /skrpt rkɔ də/ noun SD abbr single density a function of an authoring package that SDLC / es di el si / noun data transmisrecords the functions and actions a user sion protocol most often used in IBM’s carries out and converts these into comSystems Network Architecture (SNA). It mands in a script defines how synchronous data is transmitScriptX / skrpteks/ noun an authoring ted. Full form synchronous data link tool and utilities that allow a developer to control write multimedia applications that can be SDR / es di ɑ / noun the register in a played (unchanged) on a range of different CPU which holds data before it is procplatforms essed or moved to memory location. Full scroll /skrəυl/ verb to move displayed form store data register text vertically up or down the screen, one SDRAM / es di rm/ noun the enline or pixel at a time hanced memory component that is replacscroll arrows /skrəυl rəυz/ plural ing traditional DRAM; the memory access noun (in a GUI) arrows that when clicked, cycle is synchronised with the main procmove the contents of the window up or essor clock, eliminating wait time between down or sideways memory operations. Full form synchroscroll bar /skrəυl bɑ / noun (in a GUI) nised dynamic ram a bar displayed along the side of a window seamless integration / si mləs nt with a marker which indicates how far you reʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of including have scrolled 쑗 The marker is in the mida new device or software into a system dle of the scroll bar so I know I am in the without any problems 쑗 It took a lot of middle of the document. careful planning, but we succeeded in a Scroll Lock key /skrəυl lɒk ki / noun seamless integration of the new applicaa key on an IBM PC keyboard that changes tion. how the cursor control keys operate, their search /s tʃ/ noun the process of lookfunction being dependent on the applicaing for and identifying a character or word tion or section of data in a document or file 쐽 scroll mode / skrəυl məυd/ noun a verb to look for an item of data terminal mode which transmits every key ‘…a linear search of 1,000 items takes 500 comparpress and displays what is received isons to find the target, and 1,000 to report that it isn’t present. A binary search of the same set of items scrub /skrb/ verb to wipe information takes roughly ten divisions either to find or not to off a disk or remove data from store 쑗 find the target’ [Personal Computer World] Scrub all files with the .BAK extension. searchable adjective able to be acSCSI / es si es a/ noun a standard cessed by a search facility high-speed parallel interface used to consearch and replace / s tʃ ənd r nect computers to peripheral devices (such ples/ noun a feature on word-processors as disk drives and scanners). Full form which allows the user to find certain words small computer system interface or phrases, then replace them with another ‘…the system uses SCSI for connecting to the host word or phrase and ESDI for interconnecting among drives within a multidrive system’ [Byte] search directory /s tʃ da rekt(ə)ri/ COMMENT: SCSI is the current standard used noun a website in which links to informato interface high-capacity, high-performance tion are listed in categories or in alphabetdisk drives to computers. Smaller disk drives ical order are connected with an IDE interface, which is slower, but cheaper. SCSI replaced the older search engine /s tʃ end'n/ noun ESDI interface and allows several (normally (on the Internet) software that searches a eight) peripherals to be connected, in a daisydatabase (see also) 쒁 agent, Gopher chain, to one controller. scripting language

SCSI-2

script recorder



SD

SDLC

ScriptX



SDR

scroll

SDRAM

scroll arrows

scroll bar

seamless integration



Scroll Lock key

search

scroll mode

scrub

searchable

SCSI

search and replace



search directory



search engine

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searching storage 296 another manufacturer to produce an elecsearching storage /s tʃŋ tronic item or component when production

stɔ rd'/ noun a method of data retrieval capacity is not great enough to meet dethat uses part of the data rather than an admand dress to locate the data search key /s tʃ ki / noun 1. a word second user / sekənd ju zə/ adjective referring to old equipment which has or phrase that is to be found in a text 2. a field and other data used to select various already been used and is being sold again records in a database section /sekʃən/ noun part of a main search memory /s tʃ mem(ə)ri/ program which can be executed in its own noun a method of data retrieval that uses right, without the rest of the main program part of the data rather than an address to lobeing required cate the data sector /sektə/ noun the smallest area on SECAM / es i si e em/ noun a standa magnetic disk which can be addressed by ard for television transmission and recepa computer; the disk is divided into contion similar to PAL except that SECAM centric tracks, and each track is divided uses frequency modulation to transmit the into sectors which, typically, can store 512 chroma signal. SECAM is used in France bytes of data 쐽 verb to divide a disk into a and Eastern Europe. Full form Système series of sectors searching storage

second user

search key

section

search memory

sector

SECAM

Electronique Couleur Avec Mémoire secondary /sekənd(ə)ri/ adjective secondary

second in importance or less important than the first secondary channel / sekənd(ə)ri tʃn(ə)l/ noun a second channel containing control information transmitted at the same time as data secondary memory / sekənd(ə)ri mem(ə)ri/ noun a permanent storage device in a computer that is used for storing files and data. Compare main memory, secondary channel

secondary memory

RAM

secondary secondary service provider

service

provider

/ sekənd(ə)ri s vs prə vadə/ noun an 

organisation that provides Internet access for a particular region of a country secondary station / sekənd(ə)ri steʃ(ə)n/ noun the temporary status of a station receiving data secondary storage / sekənd(ə)ri stɔ rd'/ noun any data storage medium that is not the main, high-speed computer storage (RAM) secondary station

secondary storage

COMMENT:

This type of storage is usually of a higher capacity, lower cost and slower access time than main memory.

second

generation

second generation computers

computers

/ sekənd d'enəreʃ(ə)n kəm pju tə/ noun computers which used transistors in

stead of valves

second hand / sekənd hnd/ adjecsecond hand

tive same as second user

second-level addressing / sekənd second-level addressing

lev(ə)l ədresŋ/ noun an instruction that contains an address at which the operand is stored second sourcing / sekənd sɔ sŋ/ noun the process of granting a licence to 

second sourcing

COMMENT: A disk is divided into many tracks, each of which is then divided into a number of sectors which can hold a certain number of bits.

sectoring hole /sektərŋ həυl/ noun a hole in the edge of a disk to indicate where the first sector is located sector interleave / sektə ntəli v/ noun the ratio of sectors skipped between access operations on a hard disk; in a hard disk with an interleave of 3, the first sector is read, then three sectors are skipped and the next sector is read; this is used to allow hard disks with slow access time to store more data on the disk sector map /sektə mp/ noun a table which contains the addresses of unusable sectors on a hard disk secured /skjυəd/ adjective (of a file) protected against accidental writing or deletion or against unauthorised access Secure Digital Card /s kjυə

dd't(ə)l kɑ d/ noun same as MMC secure electronic transactions /s

kjυə elektrɒnk trnzkʃənz/ plural noun full form of SET sectoring hole

sector interleave

sector map

secured



Secure Digital Card



secure electronic transactions





secure encryption payment protocol /s kjυə n krpʃən pemənt secure encryption payment protocol





prəυtəkɒl/ noun full form of SEPP

secure hypertext transfer protocol /s kjυə hapətekst trnsf secure hypertext transfer protocol



prəυtəkɒl/ noun full form of S-HTTP

secure/multipurpose Internet mail extension /s kjυə

mltip pəs secure



ntənet mel k stenʃ(ə)n/ noun a method of providing secure electronic mail messages; the system encrypts the main message using a standard cipher such as DES then sends the key in encrypted 

Computing.fm Page 297 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

297 self-correcting codes ‘…you can also write in smaller program segments. form using a second, public-key encrypThis simplifies debugging and testing’ [Personal tion system. Abbr S/MIME Computer World] secure server /s kjυə s və/ noun an segmented address space /se Internet server that allows data to be en mentd ədres spes/ noun memory adcrypted and thus is suitable for use in edress space divided into areas called segcommerce ments; to address a particular location, the secure site /s kjυə sat/ noun a websegment and offset values must be specisite that includes features to ensure that fied any information transferred between the select /slekt/ verb to find and retrieve user and the website is encrypted and canspecific information from a database not be read by a hacker. Also called seselectable /slektəb(ə)l/ adjective cure website which can be selected 왍 this modem has COMMENT: A secure website is normally used user-selectable baud rates the receive in a shopping site to allow a customer to type and transmit baud rates of the modem can in their personal details (such as their creditcard number) without risk. Secure websites be chosen by the user, and are not preset almost always use a system called SSL (seselectable attributes /s lektəb(ə)l cure sockets layer) that creates a secure trbju tz/ plural noun the attributes of a channel when you visit the site; when you visit device which can be chosen by the user a secure site, the small padlock icon in the status bar at the bottom of your web browser selection handle /slekʃən is locked. If the padlock icon is open, this is

hnd(ə)l/ noun a small square displayed not a secure site and you should not type in on a frame around a selected area that alsensitive information, such as a credit-card number. lows the user to change the shape of the secure sockets layer /s kjυə area sɒkts leə/ noun full form of SSL selection tool /slekʃən tu l/ noun (in secure system /s kjυə sstəm/ noun a paint or drawing program) an icon in a a system that cannot be accessed without toolbar that allows a user to select an area authorisation of an image which can then be cut, copied or processed in some way secure transaction technology /s

kjυə trnzkʃən tek nɒləd'i/ noun selective dump /slektv dmp/ full form of STT noun a display or printout of a selected area of memory secure website /s kjυə websat/ noun same as secure site selective sort /slektv sɔ t/ noun the process of sorting a section of data items security backup /skjυərti bkp/ into order noun a copy of a disk, tape or file kept in a selector /slektə/ noun a mechanical safe place in case the working copy is lost device which allows a user to choose an or damaged option or function security check /skjυərti tʃek/ noun self- /self/ prefix oneself or itself identification of authorised users (by a password) before granting access self-adapting system / self ə

dptŋ sstəm/ noun a system which is seed /si d/ noun the starting value used able to adapt itself to various tasks when generating random or pseudorandom numbers self-checking code / self tʃekŋ kəυd/ noun a character coding system seek area /si k eəriə/ noun a section of which is able to detect an error or bad charmemory to be searched for a particular acter but not correct it item of data or a word self-checking system / self tʃekŋ seek time / si k tam/ noun the time sstəm/ noun a system which carries out taken by a read/write head to find the right diagnostic tests on itself usually at switch track on a disk 쑗 The new hard disk drive on has a seek time of just 35mS. self-correcting / selfkərektŋ/ adjecsegment /semənt/ noun a section of a tive referring to a word processor that aumain program which can be executed in its tomatically corrects any typing errors own right, without the rest of the main promade by the user as soon as he or she gram being required 쐽 verb to divide a makes them long program into shorter sections which self-correcting codes % /self kə can then be called up when required. 쒁 overlay

rektŋ kəυdz/ plural noun a character secure server

segmented address space







secure site



select



selectable



selectable attributes



selection handle



secure sockets layer



selection tool



secure system



secure transaction technology



selective dump







secure website



selective sort



security backup



selector



security check



self-

self-adapting system



seed

self-checking code

seek area

seek time

segment

self-checking system

self-correcting



self-correcting codes



Computing.fm Page 298 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

self-diagnostic 298 coding system which is able to detect and semiconductor / semikəndktə/ noun a material with conductive propercorrect an error or bad character ties between those of a conductor (such as self-diagnostic /self daənɒstk/ a metal) and an insulator noun a computer that runs a series of diagCOMMENT: Semiconductor material (such as nostic programs (usually when the compusilicon) is used as a base for manufacturing ter is switched on) to ensure that all cirintegrated circuits and other solid-state comcuits, memory and peripherals are working ponents, usually by depositing various types correctly of doping substances on or into its surface. self-documenting program / self semiconductor device

dɒkjυmentŋ prəυrm/ noun a com/ semikəndktə dvas/ noun an elecputer program providing the user with optronic component constructed on a small erating instructions as it runs piece of semiconductor (the components on the device are constructed using patself extracting archive / self k terns of insulator or conductor or semicon strktŋ ɑ kav/ noun a compressed ductor material whose properties can be file that includes the program to de-comchanged by doping) press the contents semiconductor memory self-learning /self l nŋ/ adjective re/ semikəndktə mem(ə)ri/ noun storage ferring to an expert system that adds each using capacitors (dynamic memory) or new piece of information or rule to its dalatches and bistables (static memory) contabase, improving its knowledge, expertise structed as a semiconductor device to store and performance as it is used bits of data self-refreshing RAM / self r freʃŋ semi-processed data / semi rm/ noun a dynamic RAM chip with

prəυsesd detə/ noun raw data which built-in circuitry to generate refresh sighas had some processing carried out, such nals, allowing data to be retained when the as sorting, recording, error detection, etc. power is off, using battery back-up self-relocating program /self ri ləυ sender /sendə/ noun a person who

ketŋ prəυrm/ noun a program that sends a message can be loaded into any part of memory send-only device / send əυnli d (that will modify its addresses depending

vas/ noun a device such as a terminal on the program origin address) which cannot receive data, but can only self-resetting loop / self ri setŋ transmit it lu p/ noun a loop that returns any locaSend To command /send tυ kə tions or registers accessed during its exe mɑ nd/ noun a menu command, available cution to the state they were in from the File menu of Windows applicaself-restoring loop / self r stɔ rŋ tions, that allows a user to send the file or lu p/ noun same as self-resetting loop data currently open in the application to another application semantic error /sə mntk erə/ noun an error due to use of an incorrect symbol sense /sens/ verb to examine the state of within a program instruction a device or electronic component 쑗 The condition of the switch was sensed by the semantics /smntks/ noun (in comprogram. puting) meanings of words or symbols used in programs sense recovery time / sens r kv(ə)ri tam/ noun the time that a semaphore /semə fɔ / noun coordinaRAM device takes to switch from read to tion of two jobs and appropriate handshakwrite mode ing to prevent lock-outs or other problems when both require a peripheral or function sense switch /sens swtʃ/ noun a switch on a computer front panel whose semi- /semi/ prefix half or partly state can by examined by the computer semicolon / semikəυlɒn/ noun a sensitive /senstv/ adjective which printed sign (;) which marks the end of a can sense even small changes 쑗 The comprogram line or statement in some lanputer is sensitive even to very slight changguages (such as C and Pascal) es in current. semicompiled / semikə-pald/ adjective (object code) program converted sensitivity / senstvti/ noun 1. being from a source code program, but not consensitive to something 쑗 The scanner’s sensitivity to small objects. 2. the minitaining the code for functions from librarmum power of a received signal that is ies, etc., that were used in the source code semiconductor



self-diagnostic



self-documenting program

semiconductor device



self extracting archive



semiconductor memory

self-learning

self-refreshing RAM



semi-processed data

self-relocating program

sender



send-only device



self-resetting loop



Send To command



self-restoring loop



semantic error



sense

semantics



sense recovery time



semaphore



sense switch

semi-

semicolon



sensitive

semicompiled



sensitivity



Computing.fm Page 299 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

299 sequential packet exchange called sequence register, instruction necessary for a receiver to distinguish the address register, instruction counter signal sequenced packet exchange sensor /sensə/ noun an electronic de/ si kwənsd pkt ks tʃend'/ noun vice which produces an output dependent full form of SPX upon the condition or physical state of a process 쑗 The sensor’s output varies with sequencer /si kwənsə/ noun a section temperature. 쒁 transducer within a bit-slice microprocessor which contains the next microprogram address sensor glove /sensə lv/ noun a sequence register /si kwəns glove, used with virtual reality applica red'stə/ noun same as sequence contions, that fits over a user’s hand and has trol register sensors that detect when the user moves his fingers or arm and so control an image sequential /skwenʃ(ə)l/ adjective aron screen ranged in an ordered manner sentinel /sentn(ə)l/ noun 1. a marker sequential access /s kwenʃ(ə)l or pointer to a special section of data 2. a kses/ noun a method of retrieving data from a storage device by starting at the beflag which reports the status of a register ginning of the medium and reading each after a mathematical or logical operation record until the required data is found separate channel signalling COMMENT: A tape storage system uses se/ sep(ə)rət tʃn(ə)l sn(ə)lŋ/ noun quential access, since the tape has to be the process of using independent commuplayed through until the section required is nications channels or bands in a mulfound. The access time of sequential access tichannel system to send the control data storage is dependent on the position in the file of the data, compared with random access and messages which has the same access time for any piece separated graphics / sepəretd of data in a list. rfks/ plural noun displayed characsequential access storage /s ters that do not take up the whole of a char kwenʃ(ə)l kses stɔ rd'/ noun a storacter matrix, resulting in spaces between age medium in which the data is accessed them sequentially separator /sepə retə/ noun a symbol sequential batch processing /s used to distinguish parts of an instruction

kwenʃ(ə)l btʃ prəυsesŋ/ noun the line in a program, such as command and process of completing one job in a batch argument. 쒁 delimiter before the next can be started SEPP / es i pi pi / noun a system desequential computer /s kwenʃ(ə)l veloped to provide a secure link between a kəmpju tə/ noun a type of computer, for user’s browser and a vendor’s Website to which each instruction must be completed allow the user to pay for goods over the Inbefore the next is started, and so cannot ternet. Full form secure encryption payhandle parallel processing ment protocol. 쒁 PGP, S-HTTP, SSL, sequential file /skwenʃ(ə)l fal/ STT noun a stored file whose records are accessed sequentially septet /septet/ noun a word made up of seven bits sequential logic /s kwenʃ(ə)l lɒd'k/ noun a logic circuit whose output sequence /si kwəns/ noun a number depends on the logic state of the previous of items or data arranged as a logical, orinputs dered list 쑗 The sequence of names is arranged alphabetically. 왍 the logon sesequentially /skwenʃəli/ adverb quence the order in which user number, (done) one after the other, in sequence password and other authorisation codes sequential mode /skwenʃ(ə)l are to be entered when attempting to acməυd/ noun a mode in which each incess a system struction in a program is stored in consecutive locations sequence check /si kwəns tʃek/ noun a check to ensure that sorted data is sequential operation /s kwenʃ(ə)l in the correct order

ɒpəreʃ(ə)n/ noun operations executed one after the other sequence control register, sequence counter noun a CPU register sequential packet exchange /s

kwenʃ(ə)l pkt ks tʃend'/ noun a which contains the address of the next innetwork transport protocol developed by struction to be processed. Abbr SCR. Also sequenced packet exchange

sensor



sequencer

sensor glove

sequence register

sequential



sentinel

sequential access



separate channel signalling

separated graphics

sequential access storage



separator

sequential batch processing



SEPP



sequential computer





sequential file



septet



sequential logic



sequence

sequentially



sequential mode



sequence check

sequential operation





sequence control register

sequential packet exchange





Computing.fm Page 300 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

sequential processing 300 accessed in a serial way: locating one item Novell and used to carry IPX network trafrequires a search through every location fic. Abbr SPX sequential processing /s serial mouse / səriəl maυs/ noun a mouse that connects to the serial port of a

kwenʃ(ə)l prəυsesŋ/ noun data or inPC and transfers positional data via the sestructions processed sequentially, in the rial port (NOTE: the plural is serial mice) same order as they are accessed serial operation / səriəl ɒpə sequential search /s kwenʃ(ə)l reʃ(ə)n/ noun the working of a device on s tʃ/ noun a search where each item in a data in a sequential manner list (starting at the beginning) is checked until the required one is found serial port /səriəl pɔ t/ noun a connector and circuit used to convert the data serial /səriəl/ adjective referring to in a computer to and from a form in which data or instructions which are ordered seeach bit is transmitted one at a time over a quentially (one after the other) and not in single wire. Normally, data in a computer parallel is transferred around the computer in parserial access / səriəl kses/ noun allel form that is eight or 16 bits wide. If one item of the data accessed by reading you want to use a modem, you need to through all the data in a list until the corsend the modem serial data that it can conrect one is found (as on a tape) vert into sound signals that can be sent one serial-access memory / səriəl at a time over a telephone line.

kses mem(ə)ri/ noun full form of serial printer / səriəl prntə/ noun a SAM printer which prints characters one at a serial adder / səriəl də/ noun an adtime dition circuit which acts on one digit at a serial processing / səriəl time from a larger number prəυsesŋ/ noun data or instructions serial computer / səriəl kəmpju tə/ processed sequentially, in the same order noun a computer system which has a sinas they are retrieved gle ALU and carries out instructions one at serial storage / səriəl stɔ rd'/ noun a time storage which only allows sequential acserial data communications cess / səriəl detə kə mju n keʃ(ə)nz/ serial to parallel converter / səriəl noun same as serial data transmission tə prəlel kənv tə/ noun same as seserial data transmission / səriəl rial input/parallel output detə trnz mʃ(ə)n/ noun the transmisserial transmission / səriəl trnz sion of the separate bits that make up data mʃ(ə)n/ noun data transmitted one bit at words, one at a time down a single line a time (this is the normal method of transserial file / səriəl fal/ noun same as mission over long distances, since alsequential file though slower it uses fewer lines and so is serial input/output / səriəl npυt cheaper than parallel transmission) aυtpυt/ noun full form of SIO series /səri z/ noun a group of related serial input/parallel output / səriəl items ordered sequentially

npυt prəlel aυtpυt/ noun a device series circuit /səri z s kt/ noun a which can accept serial data and transmit circuit in which the components are conparallel data. Abbr SIPO. Also called senected serially rial to parallel converter COMMENT: In a series circuit the same current serial input/serial output / səriəl flows through each component; in a parallel

npυt səriəl aυtpυt/ noun full form of circuit the current flow is dependent upon the sequential processing

serial mouse



serial operation

sequential search





serial port

serial

serial access

serial-access memory

serial printer

serial adder

serial processing

serial computer



serial storage

serial data communications





serial to parallel converter

serial data transmission





serial transmission



serial file

serial input/output

series

serial input/parallel output

series circuit

serial input/serial output

SISO

serial line Internet protocol / səriəl serial line Internet protocol

lan ntənet prəυtəkɒl/ noun full form of SLIP serially /səriəli/ adverb one after the other or in a series 쑗 Their transmission rate is 64,000 bits per second through a parallel connection or 19,200 serially. serial memory / səriəl mem(ə)ri/ noun storage whose locations can only be serially

serial memory

component impedance.

server /s və/ noun a dedicated compuserver

ter which provides a function to a network

‘Sequent Computer Systems’ Platform division will focus on hardware and software manufacture, procurement and marketing, with the Enterprise division concentrating on services and server implementation.’ [Computing] COMMENT: In a network the hard disk machine is called the ‘server’ and the floppy disk units the ‘satellites’. In a star network each satellite is linked individually to a central server.

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301 shading session layer /seʃ(ə)n leə/ noun the server access log / s və kses lɒ/ server access log

session layer

noun same as access log (see)

fifth layer in the ISO/OSI standard model which makes the connection/disconnection between transmitter and receiver set /set/ noun a number of related data items 쐽 verb 1. to make one variable equal to a value 쑗 We set the right-hand margin at 80 characters. 2. to define a parameter value 3. to give a binary data bit the value of one SET /set/ plural noun the standards created by a group of banks and Internet companies that allow users to buy goods over the Internet without risk of hackers. Full form secure electronic transactions. Same as SSL set breakpoints /set brekpɔnts/ verb to define the position of breakpoints within a program being debugged set theory /set θəri/ noun mathematics related to numerical sets set up /set p/ verb to configure, initialize, define or start an application or system 쑗 The new computer worked well as soon as the engineer had set it up. setup option /setp ɒpʃ(ə)n/ noun the choices available when setting up a system setup program /setp prəυrm/ noun a utility program that helps a user configure their computer or new software application setup time /setp tam/ noun a period of time between a signal to start an operation and the start sexadecimal / seksədesməl/ noun 쏡

server-based application / s və server-based application

best plkeʃ(ə)n/ noun an application program, stored on a server’s hard disk, which can be accessed (and executed) by several users at one time server farm /s və fɑ m/ noun a business consisting of a group of Internet servers, all of which are linked to one another and are engaged in web hosting server message block / s və mesd' blɒk/ noun full form of SMB service /s vs/ verb to check or repair or maintain a system 쑗 The disk drives were serviced yesterday and are working well. service bit /s vs bt/ noun a transmitted bit used for control rather than data service bureau /s vs bjυərəυ/ noun a company which provides a specialist service, such as outputting DTP files to a typesetter, converting files or creating slides from graphics files service contract /s vs kɒntrkt/ noun an agreement that an engineer will service equipment if it goes wrong service program /s vs prəυrm/ noun a program used for routine activities such as file searching, copying, sorting, debugging, etc. service provider /s vs prə vadə/ noun a company that offers users a connection to the Internet; the service provider has a computer that acts as a domain name server and has a high-speed link to the Internet. It provides modem access to the Internet via point-of-presence telephone numbers. You connect to the Internet by setting up an account with the service provider then dialling into its point-ofpresence telephone number with a modem. services /s vsz/ plural noun 1. a set of functions provided by a device 2. (in an OSI network model ) a set of functions provided by one OSI layer for use by a higher layer service side includes / s vs sad nklu dz/ plural noun special extensions to a web server that allow the webpage, scripts and programs to access special features, such as a count of visitors to a site. Abbr SSI session /seʃ(ə)n/ noun the time during which a program or process is running or active 

server farm

server message block

service

service bit

service bureau

service contract

service program

service provider



services

service side includes



session

set

SET

set breakpoints

set theory

set up

setup option

setup program

setup time

sexadecimal



hex

sex changer /seks tʃend'ə/ noun a device for changing a female connection to a male or vice versa sextet / sekstet/ noun a byte made up of six bits sf signalling / es ef sn(ə)lŋ/ noun same as single frequency signalling SGML / es d'i emel/ noun a hardwareindependent standard which defines how documents should be marked up to indicate bolds, italics, margins and so on. Full form Standard Generalized Markup sex changer

sextet



sf signalling

SGML



Language shading /ʃedŋ/ noun a simple method shading

of applying shading to a three-dimensional scene using a single point of light and calculating the shade and highlights on each object; this type of shading is calculated for each polygon that makes up an object and can sometimes causes unwanted ef-

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shadowmask 302 fects as shading may differ on each polyshared network directory / ʃeəd gon netw k da rekt(ə)ri/ noun a directory (on a file server or workstation) which can shadowmask /ʃdəυmɑ sk/ noun a be accessed by several users connected to sheet with holes placed just behind the a network front of a colour monitor screen to sepashared resources system / ʃeəd r rate the three-colour picture beams zɔ sz sstəm/ noun a system where one shadow memory, shadow page noun peripheral or backing storage device or duplicate memory locations accessed by a other resource is used by a number of users special code share-level access / ʃeə lev(ə)l shadow page table /ʃdəυ ped' kses/ noun a method used to set up net teb(ə)l/ noun a conversion table which work security to protect local resources lists real memory locations with their share level security / ʃeə lev(ə)l s equivalent shadow memory locations kjυərti/ noun a network operating sysshadow RAM /ʃdəυ rm/ noun a tem which assigns passwords to resources method of improving the performance of a rather than setting up user accounts to limPC by copying the contents of a (slow) it access ROM chip to a faster RAM chip when the shareware /ʃeə weə/ noun software computer is first switched on which is available free to try, but if kept the shadow ROM /ʃdəυ rɒm/ noun user is expected to pay a fee to the writer read-only shadow memory (often confused with public domain softshannon /ʃnən/ noun a measure of ware which is completely free) the information content of a transmission ‘Bulletin board users know the dangers of ‘flaming’ (receiving hostile comments following a naive or riShannon’s Law /ʃnənz lɔ / noun a diculous assertion) and of being seen ‘troughing’ law defining the maximum information(grabbing every bit of shareware on the network).’ carrying capacity of a transmission line [Computing] COMMENT: Shannon’s Law is defined as B lg(1 sheet /ʃi t/ noun a large piece of paper + S/N) where B = Bandwidth, lg is logarithm to sheet feed /ʃi t fi d/ noun a device the base two and S/N is Signal to Noise ratio. which puts one sheet at a time into a printshared access /ʃeəd kses/ noun the er use of a computer or peripheral by more shell /ʃel/ noun software which operates than one person or system between the user and the operating system, shared bus / ʃeəd bs/ noun one bus often to try and make the operating system used (usually) for address and data transfer more friendly or easier to use between the CPU and a peripheral shell out / ʃel aυt/ verb (when running shared directory /ʃeəd dərekt(ə)ri/ an application) to exit to the operating sysnoun a directory (on a file server or worktem, whilst the original application is still station) which can be accessed by several in memory; the user then returns to the apusers connected to a network plication 쑗 I shelled out from the wordshared file / ʃeəd fal/ noun a stored processor to check which files were on the file which can be accessed by more than floppy, then went back to the program. one user or system shell script / ʃel skrpt/ noun a scriptshared folder /ʃeəd fəυldə/ noun a ing language (such as Perl) that is used to folder of files stored on a computer’s local create programs that can enhance a webhard disk drive that can be used (or shared) site, e.g. to search a site for a key word by other users on the network shell sort / ʃel sɔ t/ noun an algorithm shared logic system / ʃeəd lɒd'k for sorting data items, in which items can

sstəm/ noun one computer and backing be moved more than one position per sort storage device used by a number of people action in a network for an application shield /ʃi ld/ noun a metal screen conshared logic text processor / ʃeəd nected to earth, used to prevent harmful

lɒd'k tekst prəυsesə/ noun wordvoltages or interference reaching sensitive processing available to a number of users electronic equipment 쐽 verb to protect a of a shared logic system signal or device from external interference or harmful voltages shared memory /ʃeəd mem(ə)ri/ noun memory accessed by more than one shielded cable / ʃi ldd keb(ə)l/ noun a cable made up of a conductive core CPU shared network directory



shadowmask

shared resources system



shadow memory

share-level access

shadow page table

share level security



shadow RAM

shareware



shadow ROM

shannon

Shannon’s Law

sheet

sheet feed

shared access

shell

shared bus

shell out

shared directory



shared file

shell script

shared folder

shell sort

shared logic system

shield

shared logic text processor

shared memory

shielded cable

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303 sign surrounded by an insulator, then a conducshort card / ʃɔ t kɑ d/ noun an add-on tive layer to protect the transmitted signal expansion board which is shorter than a against interference standard size shielded twisted pair cable / ʃi ldd shortcut /ʃɔ t kt/ noun a feature of

twstd peə keb(ə)l/ noun a cable conWindows that allows a user to define an sisting of two insulated copper wires twisticon that links to another file or applicaed around each other (to reduce induction tion, e.g., you could place shortcut icons and so interference), then wrapped in an on the Windows Desktop to allow you to insulated shielding layer to further reduce start an application without using the interference. Also called STP cable menu commands. The shortcut has the same icon as the original file but has a tiny shift /ʃft/ verb 1. to move a bit or word arrow in the bottom left-hand corner. It is of data left or right by a certain amount not a duplicate of the original, rather it is a (usually one bit) 2. to change from one pointer to the original file. character set to another, allowing other characters (such as capitals) to be used short haul modem / ʃɔ t hɔ l shift character /ʃft krktə/ noun a məυdem/ noun a modem used to transtransmitted character code which indicates mit data over short distances (often within that the following code is to be shifted a building), usually without using a carrier shift code / ʃft kəυd/ noun a method short message service / ʃɔ t of increasing total possible bit combinamesd' s vs/ noun a system that altions by using a number of bits to indicate lows short text messages to be sent beif the following code is to be shifted tween and to mobile telephones; the service depends upon the telephone company. shift instruction /ʃft nstrkʃən/ noun a computer command to shift the Abbr SMS contents of a register to the left or right shout /ʃaυt/ verb to type a message or Shift key /ʃft ki / noun the key on a electronic mail in capital letters keyboard which switches on secondary S-HTTP /es etʃ ti ti pi / noun a sysfunctions for keys, such as another charactem developed to provide a secure link beter set, by changing the output to upper tween a user’s browser and a vendor’s case Website to allow the user to pay for goods shift left /ʃft left/ noun a left arithmeover the Internet. Full form secure hytic shift of data in a word (the number is pertext transfer protocol. 쒁 PGP, SEPP, doubled for each left shift) SET, SSL, STT shift register /ʃft red'stə/ noun shut down / ʃt daυn/ verb to switch temporary storage into which data can be off and stop the functions of a machine or shifted system shift right /ʃft rat/ noun a right arithShutDown /ʃtdaυn/ noun (in Winmetic shift of data in a word (the number is dows) a command that will close down halved for each right shift) Windows and, if the user has a compatible Shockwave /ʃɒkwev/ a trade name PC, will switch off the computer for a system developed by Macromedia shut-off mechanism /ʃt ɒf that allows web browsers to display com mekənz(ə)m/ noun a device which plex multimedia effects stops a process in case of fault shoot /ʃu t/ verb to take a picture or COMMENT: Most hard disks have an automatic record a video sequence with a camera shut-off mechanism to pull the head back from the read position when the power is turned off. shopping agent /ʃɒpŋ ed'ənt/ sideways ROM /sadwez rɒm/ noun noun a computer program used to browse software which allows selection of a parwebsites searching for a product or service ticular memory bank or ROM device shopping basket /ʃɒpŋ bɑ skt/, SIG /s/ noun a group within a larger shopping cart /ʃɒpŋ kɑ t/ noun softclub which is interested in a particular asware that runs on a web server and propect of software or hardware 쑗 Our local vides an electronic version of a real shopcomputer club has a SIG for comms and ping basket; the software allows a visitor networking. Full form special interest to the website to view items in the catagroup logue, add items to their shopping basket sign /san/ noun polarity of a number or and then pay for the goods at an electronic signal (whether it is positive or negative) 쐽 checkout. 쒁 real-time authorisation short card

shielded twisted pair cable

shortcut



shift

short haul modem

shift character

shift code

short message service

shift instruction



shout

Shift key

S-HTTP

shift left

shift register

shut down

shift right

ShutDown

Shockwave

shut-off mechanism

shoot

shopping agent

sideways ROM

shopping basket

SIG

sign

Computing.fm Page 304 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

signal 304 as the user’s name and address, that is used verb to identify oneself to a computer usas a signature at the end of e-mails and ing a personalised signature 왍 to sign off Usenet messages to log off a system 왍 to sign on to log on to a system sign bit / san bt/ noun a single bit signal /sn(ə)l/ noun 1. a generated anwhich indicates if a binary number is posalog or digital waveform used to carry initive or negative (usually 0 = positive, 1 = formation 쑗 The signal received from the negative) computer contained the answer. 2. a short sign digit /san dd't/ noun one digit message used to carry control codes 쐽 which indicates if a number is positive or verb to send a message to a computer 쑗 negative Signal to the network that we are busy. signed field / sand fi ld/ noun a storsignal conditioning /sn(ə)l kən age field which can contain a number and

dʃ(ə)nŋ/ noun the process of converting a sign bit or translating a signal into a form that is signed magnitude / sand accepted by a device mntju d/ noun same as sign and signal conversion /sn(ə)l kən magnitude

v ʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of processing, significance /snfkəns/ noun a changing or modulating a signal special meaning signal distance /sn(ə)l dstəns/ significant /snfkənt/ adjective noun a number of bit positions with differwhich has a special meaning ent contents in two data words significant digit codes /s nfkənt signal element /sn(ə)l elmənt/ dd't kəυdz/ plural noun codes which noun the smallest basic unit used when indicate various details of an item, by astransmitting digital data signing each one a value signalling /sn(ə)lŋ/ noun 1. a methsignify /sn fa/ verb to mean 쑗 A od used by a transmitter to warn a receiver carriage return code signifies the end of an that a message is to be sent 2. a communiinput line. cation to the transmitter about the state of sign indicator /san nd ketə/ noun the receiver 왍 in band signalling use of a same as sign bit normal voice grade channel for data transsign position /san pəzʃ(ə)n/ noun a mission digit or bit position which contains the signal processing /sn(ə)l sign bit or digit

prəυsesŋ/ noun processing of signals to silicon /slkən/ noun an element with extract the information contained 쑗 The semiconductor properties, used in crystal system is used by students doing research form as a base for IC manufacture on signal processing techniques. COMMENT: Silicon is used in the electronics insignal to noise ratio / sn(ə)l tə dustry as a base material for integrated cirnɔz reʃiəυ/ noun the difference becuits. It is grown as a long crystal which is then sliced into wafers before being etched or tween the power of the transmitted signal treated, producing several hundred chips per and the noise on the line. Abbr S/N wafer. Other materials, such as germanium or sign and magnitude / san ən gallium arsenide, are also used as a base for ICs. mntju d/ noun a number representasilicon chip /slkən tʃp/ noun a tion in which the most significant bit indismall piece of silicon in and on the surface cates the sign of the number, the rest of the of which a complete circuit or logic funcbits its value tion has been produced by depositing other sign and modulus / san ən substances or by doping mɒdjυləs/ noun a way of representing silicon disk /slkən dsk/ noun a secnumbers, where one bit shows if the tion of RAM made to look and behave like number is positive or negative (usually 0 = a high speed disk drive. Also called RAM positive, 1 = negative) disk signature /sntʃə/ noun a special ausilicon foundry /slkən faυndri/ thentication code, such as a password, noun a machine used to create crystals of which a user gives prior to access to a syssilicon, then slice them into silicon wafers tem or prior to the execution of a task (to prove identity) Silicon Valley / slkən vli/ noun an signature file /sntʃə fal/ noun a area in California where many US semishort text file, containing information such conductor device manufacturers are based sign bit

signal

sign digit

signed field

signal conditioning



signed magnitude

signal conversion



significance



signal distance

significant



significant digit codes



signal element

signalling

signify



sign indicator



sign position



signal processing

silicon

signal to noise ratio

sign and magnitude

silicon chip

sign and modulus

silicon disk

signature

silicon foundry

Silicon Valley

signature file

Computing.fm Page 305 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

305 single function software silicon wafer / slkən wefə/ noun a simultaneous processing silicon wafer

simultaneous processing

thin slice of a pure silicon crystal, usually around 4 inches in diameter on which integrated circuits are produced (these are then cut out of the wafer to produce individual chips) SIMD / es a em di / noun the architecture of a parallel computer which has a number of ALUs and data buses with one control unit. Full form single instruction

/ sm(ə)lteniəs prəυsesŋ/ noun two or

more processes executed at the same time COMMENT: True simultaneous processing requires two processors, but can be imitated by switching rapidly between two tasks with a single processor.

SIMD

stream multiple data stream SIMM / es a em em/ noun a small, comSIMM

pact circuit board with an edge connector along one edge that carries denselypacked memory chips 쑗 You can expand the main memory of your PC by plugging in two more SIMMs. Full form single in-

line memory module simple device / smp(ə)l dvas/ noun a multimedia device that does not resimple device



quire a data file for playback, such as a CD drive used to play audio CDs

simple

simple mail transfer protocol

mail

transfer

protocol

/ smpəl mel trnsf prəυtəkɒl/ noun full form of SMTP

simple network management protocol / smpəl netw k mnd'mənt simple network management protocol

prəυtəkɒl/ noun a network management system which defines how status data is sent from monitored nodes back to a control station; SNMP is able to work with virtually any type of network hardware and software. Abbr SNMP simple to use /smp(ə)l tə, tυ/ adjective (of a machine or software) easy to use and operate simplex /smpleks/ noun full form of SPX. opposite duplex simulate /smjυ let/ verb to copy the behaviour of a system or device with another 쑗 This software simulates the action of an aircraft. simulation / smjυleʃ(ə)n/ noun an operation where a computer is made to imitate a real life situation or a machine, and shows how something works or will work in the future 쑗 Simulation techniques have reached a high degree of sophistication. simulator /smjυ letə/ noun a device which simulates another system simultaneity / sm(ə)ltəni əti/ noun in which the CPU and the I/O sections of a computer can handle different data or tasks at the same time simultaneous / sm(ə)lteniəs/ adjective which takes place at the same time as something else simple to use

simplex

simulate



simulation



simulator



simultaneity



simultaneous



simultaneous

transmission

simultaneous transmission

/ sm(ə)lteniəs trnz mʃ(ə)n/ noun 

the transmission of data or control codes in two directions at the same time (NOTE: same as duplex)

single address code / sŋ(ə)l ə single address code



dres kəυd/ noun a machine code instruction which contains one operator and one address

single

address

single address instruction

instruction

/ sŋ(ə)l ə dres nstrkʃən/ noun same as single address code single address message / sŋ(ə)l ə dres mesd'/ noun a message with a sin



single address message



gle destination

single attachment station / sŋ(ə)l single attachment station

ə ttʃmənt steʃ(ə)n/ noun (in an FDDI network) a station with only one port through which to attach to the network; SAS stations are connected to the FDDI ring through a concentrator. Abbr SAS single board computer / sŋ(ə)l bɔ d kəmpju tə/ noun full form of SBC 

single board computer



single-board single-board microcomputer

microcomputer

/ sŋ(ə)l bɔ d makrəυkəm pju tə/ noun a microcomputer whose components 

are all contained on a single printed circuit board single chip computer / sŋ(ə)l tʃp kəmpju tə/ noun a complete simple computer including CPU, memory and input/output ports on one chip single chip computer



single-chip single-chip microcontroller

microcontroller

/ sŋ(ə)l tʃp makrəkən trəυlə/ noun 

one integrated circuit that contains a CPU, I/O ports, RAM and often a basic programming language single density disk / sŋ(ə)l

densti dsk/ noun a standard magnetic disk able to store data. Abbr SD single density disk

single

single frequency signalling

frequency

signalling

/ sŋ(ə)l fri kwənsi sn(ə)lŋ/ noun

the use of various frequency signals to represent different control codes. Also called sf signalling

single function software / sŋ(ə)l fŋkʃən sɒftweə/ noun an applications program used for one kind of task only single function software

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single in-line memory module 306 single in-line memory module single quotes /sŋ(ə)l kwəυtz/ plu/ sŋ(ə)l n lan mem(ə)ri mɒdju l/ ral noun single inverted commas noun full form of SIMM single sheet feed / sŋ(ə)l ʃi t fi d/ single in-line package / sŋ(ə)l n noun a paper feed system which puts sinlan pkd'/ noun an electronic compogle sheets of paper into a printer, one at a nent which has all its leads on one side of time its package. Abbr SIP single-sided disk / sŋ(ə)l sadd single instruction stream multiple dsk/ noun a floppy disk that can only data stream / sŋ(ə)l n strkʃən store data on one side, because of the way stri m mltp(ə)l detə stri m/ noun it is manufactured or formatted. Abbr SSD full form of SIMD single speed /sŋ(ə)l spi d/ noun the single instruction stream single speed at which a CD-ROM is spun by a data stream / sŋ(ə)l n strkʃən drive, usually 230rpm stri m sŋ(ə)l detə stri m / noun full single step /sŋ(ə)l step/ noun the form of SISD process of executing a computer program single key response / sŋ(ə)l ki r one instruction at a time, used for debug spɒns/ noun software which requires ging only one key to be pressed to select an opsingle-strike ribbon / sŋ(ə)l strak tion rbən/ noun a printer ribbon which can single length precision / sŋ(ə)l only be used once leŋθ prs'(ə)n/ noun a number stored in single-system image / sŋ(ə)l one word

sstəm md'/ noun an operational view single length working / sŋ(ə)l leŋθ of multiple networks, distributed databasw kŋ/ noun the process of using numes or multiple computer systems as if they bers that can be stored within a single were one system word single-user system / sŋ(ə)l ju zə single line display / sŋ(ə)l lan ds sstəm/ noun a computer system which ple/ noun a small screen which displays can only be used by a single user at a time a single line of characters at a time (as opposed to a multi-user system) single mode fibre / sŋ(ə)l məυd sink /sŋk/ noun the receiving end of a fabə/ noun an optic fibre that has a very communications line. Opposite source narrow diameter (of 10 microns or less) sink tree / sŋk tri / noun a description and is designed to transmit a single light in a routing table of all the paths in a netsignal over a long distance; this type of fiwork to a destination bre has a bandwidth of 5Gbits/second and SIO abbr serial input/output is normally used for long distance teleSIP abbr single in-line package phone networks SIPO abbr serial input/parallel output single operand instruction SISD / es a es di / noun the architecture / sŋ(ə)l ɒpərnd nstrkʃən/ noun of a serial computer, which has one ALU same as single address code and data bus, with one control unit. Full single operation / sŋ(ə)l ɒpə form single instruction stream single reʃ(ə)n/ noun a communications system data stream which allows data to travel in only one diSISO abbr serial input/serial output rection at a time (controlled by codes S/O site /sat/ noun a place where something = send only, R/O = receive only, S/R = is based send or receive) site licence /sat las(ə)ns/ noun a lisingle-pass assembler / sŋ(ə)l cence between a software publisher and a pɑ s əsemblə/ noun an object code prouser which allows any number of users in duced in one run through the assembler of that site to use the software 쑗 We have nethe source program gotiated a good deal for the site licence for single pass operation / sŋ(ə)l the 1200 employees in our HQ. pɑ s ɒpəreʃ(ə)n/ noun software which site poll / sat pəυl/ verb to poll all the produces the required result or carries out terminals or devices in a particular locaa task after one run tion or area. 쒁 polling single precision / sŋ(ə)l pr s'(ə)n/ noun a number stored in one 6 degrees of freedom / sks d ri z word əv fri dəm/ noun (in virtual reality) a desingle in-line memory module

single quotes

single sheet feed

single in-line package

single-sided disk

single instruction stream multiple data stream



single speed

single instruction stream single data stream



single step

single key response



single-strike ribbon

single length precision

single-system image



single length working

single-user system

single line display



single mode fibre

sink

sink tree

SIO

SIP

SIPO

single operand instruction

SISD



single operation



SISO

site

site licence

single-pass assembler



single pass operation



site poll

single precision



6 degrees of freedom



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307 SLIS gramming, e.g. to separate off certain secscription of the movements and vision that tions of an Internet address a user can interpret: normally three visual dimensions together with movement slashed zero /slʃd zərəυ/ noun a 16-bit /sksti n bt/ data that is transprinted or written sign (Ø) ferred sixteen bits at a time along sixteen slave /slev/ noun a remote secondary parallel conductors; in a processor this recomputer or terminal controlled by a cenfers to its ability to manipulate data that is tral computer sixteen bits wide representing numbers up slave cache / slev kʃ/ noun a secto 65,536 tion of high-speed memory which stores sixteen-bit / sksti n bt/ adjective (of data that the CPU can access quickly a microcomputer system or CPU) which slave processor /slev prəυ sesə/ handles data in sixteen bit words, providnoun a dedicated processor controlled by a ing much faster operation than older eightmaster processor bit systems slave store /slev stɔ / noun same as 16-bit sample / sksti n bt slave cache sɑ mp(ə)l/ noun single sample of an anaslave terminal /slev t mn(ə)l/ log signal which is stored as a 16-bit noun a terminal controlled by a main comnumber, meaning that there are 65,536 puter or terminal possible levels. A ‘16-bit sound card’ can slave tube / slev tju b/ noun a second sometimes mean that the card generates CRT display connected to another so that 16-bit samples, but it can also mean that it it shows exactly the same information generates 8-bit samples, but fits into a 16sleep /sli p/ noun the state of a system bit expansion slot. 쒁 8-bit sample, 24-bit that is waiting for a signal (log-on) before sample doing anything size /saz/ noun the physical dimensions sleeve /sli v/ noun a paper or plastic of an image, object or page 쐽 verb to calcover for a magnetic disk culate the resources available, and those slew /slu / noun a rapid movement of parequired, to carry out a particular job per in a printer, ignoring the normal line skeletal code /skelt(ə)l kəυd/ noun a advance program which is not complete, with the slide /slad/ noun one image in a presenbasic structure coded tation or a single frame of positive photoskew /skju / noun the amount by which graphic film something is not correctly aligned 쐽 verb slide show /slad ʃəυ/ noun a feature to align something incorrectly 쑗 This page of a presentation graphics software in is badly skewed. which slides (static images) are displayed skin /skn/ noun 1. a piece of software in a sequence under the control of the prethat changes the appearance of images senter produced by existing software without SLIP /slp/ noun a method of sending changing their function 2. the changed imTCP/IP network traffic over a serial line, age that is produced by a piece of skin softsuch as a telephone modem connection ware 쐽 verb to change the appearance of (normally used to connect a user’s compuimages produced by existing software, ter to the Internet via a modem link). Full without changing their function form serial line internet protocol skip /skp/ verb to ignore an instruction slot /slɒt/ verb to insert an object into a in a sequence of instructions 쑗 The printer hole 쑗 The disk slots into one of the floppy skipped the next three lines of text. drive apertures. skip capability /skp kepəbləti/ slow peripheral /sləυ pərf(ə)rəl/ noun a feature of certain word-processors noun a peripheral in which mechanical to allow the user to jump backwards or formovement determines speed wards by a quantity of text in a document slow scan TV / sləυ skn ti vi / skip instruction /skp nstrkʃən/ noun a system used to transmit still video noun a null computer command which diframes over a telephone line rects the CPU to the next instruction SLSI abbr super large scale integration slash /slʃ/ noun a punctuation mark (/) small computer systems interface that is used to separate optional items in a / smɔ l kəm pju tə sstəmz ntəfes/ list and to express fractions or ratios, and noun full form of SCSI that has various uses in computer proslashed zero

16-bit

slave

slave cache

sixteen-bit



slave processor



slave store

16-bit sample

slave terminal

slave tube

sleep

size

sleeve

slew

skeletal code

slide

skew

slide show

skin

SLIP

skip

slot

skip capability



slow peripheral



slow scan TV

skip instruction



slash

SLSI

SLIS



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small-scale 308 ard SMPTE division types are 24, 25 and small-scale /smɔ l skel/ adjective 30 frames per second working with small amounts of data. Compare large-scale SMPTE offset / es em pi ti i ɒfset/ noun a MIDI event that defines when a small scale integration / smɔ l skel MIDI file is to be played back

ntreʃ(ə)n/ noun an integrated circuit with 1 to 10 components. Abbr SSI SMPTE time code / es em pi ti i tam kəυd/ noun a method of assigning Smalltalk /smɔ ltɔ k/ an object-orienta unique identifying number to each frame ed programming language developed by in a video sequence Xerox SMS abbr short message service smart card /smɑ t kɑ d/ noun a plastic card with a memory and microprocessor SMT / es em ti / noun a method of mandevice embedded in it, so that it can be ufacturing circuit boards in which the elecused for electronic funds transfer or for tronic components are bonded directly identification of the user onto the surface of the board rather than being inserted into holes and soldered into smart terminal /smɑ t t mn(ə)l/ place 쑗 Surface-mount technology is fastnoun a computer terminal which can procer and more space-efficient than solderess information. Compare dumb termiing. Full form surface-mount technolonal gy smart wiring hub / smɑ t waərŋ SMTP / es em ti pi / noun a standard

hb/ noun a network hub or concentrator protocol which allows electronic mail which can transmit status information messages to be transferred from one sysback to a managing station and allows tem to another, normally used as the methmanagement software to configure each od of transferring mail from one Internet port remotely 쑗 Using this management server to another or to send mail from a software, I can shut down Tom’s port on computer to a server. Full form simple the remote smart wiring hub. mail transfer protocol. Compare POP 3 SMB / es em bi / noun a system develS/N abbr signal to noise ratio oped by Microsoft which allows a user to SNA / es en e/ noun design methods deaccess another computer’s files and peveloped by IBM which define how comripherals over a network as if they were lomunications in a network should occur and cal resources. Full form server message allow different hardware to communicate. block Full form systems network architecsmiley /smali/ noun a face created with ture text characters, used to provide the real snail mail /snel mel/ noun a slang meaning to an email message; e.g., :-) term used to refer to the normal (slow) means laughter or a joke, and :-( means sad postal delivery rather than (near instant) S/MIME abbr secure/multipurpose Interelectronic mail delivery net mail extension snapshot /snp ʃɒt/ noun 1. a recordsmooth scroll / smu ð skrəυl/ noun ing of all the states of a computer at a partext which is moved up a screen pixel by ticular instant 2. the process of storing in pixel rather than line by line, which gives main memory the contents of a screen full a smoother movement of information at an instant SMPTE / es em pi ti i / noun an orsnapshot dump /snp ʃɒt dmp/ ganisation that defines standards for telenoun a printout of all the registers and a vision production systems; e.g., the section of memory at a particular instant, SMPTE time code standard is widely used used when debugging a program to synchronise audio and video equipment snd /saυnd/ noun a filename extension using hours, minutes, seconds, frame data used to indicate a file that contains digithat is stored in an 80-bit word. Full form tised sound data. Full form SouND Society for Motion Picture and TV Engineers sniffer /snfə/ noun a device or program that monitors and analyses network traffic, SMPTE division type / es em pi ti in order to detect bottlenecks and prob i dv'(ə)n tap/ noun a timing format lems which specifies the number of frames per SNMP abbr simple network management second used, and in which time is shown protocol as hours, minutes, seconds, frames; standsmall-scale

SMPTE offset

small scale integration



SMPTE time code

Smalltalk

SMS

smart card

SMT

smart terminal

smart wiring hub

SMTP

SMB

S/N

SNA

smiley

snail mail

S/MIME

snapshot

smooth scroll



SMPTE

snapshot dump



snd

sniffer

SMPTE division type



SNMP

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309 software life cycle soft reset /sɒft ri set/ noun an inSNOBOL /snəυbɒl/ noun a high-level SNOBOL

soft reset

programming language which uses string processing methods. Full form string ori-

struction that terminates any program execution and returns the user to the monitor or BIOS soft-sectored disk / sɒft sektəd dsk/ noun a disk where the sectors are described by an address and start code data written onto it when the disk is formatted software /sɒftweə/ noun any program or group of programs which instructs the hardware on how it should perform, including operating systems, word processors and applications programs software compatible / sɒftweə kəm ptb(ə)l/ adjective referring to a computer which will load and run programs written for another computer software developer /sɒftweə d

veləpə/ noun a person or company which writes software software development /sɒftweə d

veləpmənt/ noun the processes required to produce working programs from an initial idea software documentation / sɒftweə

dɒkjυmenteʃ(ə)n/ noun information, notes and diagrams describing the function, use and operation of a piece of software software engineer /sɒftweə

end'nə/ noun a person who can write working software to fit an application software engineering /sɒftweə

end'nərŋ/ noun a field of study covering all software-related subjects software house /sɒftweə haυs/ noun a company which develops and sells computer programs software interrupt / sɒftweə ntərpt/ noun a high priority programgenerated signal, requesting the use of the central processor software library /sɒftweə labrəri/ noun a number of specially written routines, stored in a library file which can be inserted into a program, saving time and effort. Abbr H software licence /sɒftweə

las(ə)ns/ noun an agreement between a user and a software house, giving details of the rights of the user to use or copy the software software life cycle / sɒftweə laf

sak(ə)l/ noun the period of time when a piece of software exists, from its initial design to the moment when it becomes out of date



entated symbolic language

snow /snəυ/ noun interference displayed snow

as flickering white flecks on a monitor soak /səυk/ verb to run a program or device continuously for a period of time to make sure it functions correctly soak

Society for Motion Picture and TV Engineers /sə saəti fə məυʃ(ə)n Society for Motion Picture and TV Engineers



pktʃə ən ti vi / noun full form of SMPTE

socket /sɒkt/ noun a device with a set socket

of holes, into which a plug fits socket driver /sɒkt dravə/ noun same as Winsock SOCKS /sɒks/ noun a network protocol developed to support the transfer of TCP/IP (Internet) traffic through a proxy server. It is commonly used to provide a way for users on a local area network to access the Internet via a single shared connection. soft /sɒft/ adjective 1. referring to material which loses its magnetic effects when removed from a magnetic field 2. referring to data which is not permanently stored in hardware. Soft usually refers to data stored on magnetic medium. soft copy /sɒft kɒpi/ noun text listed on screen (as opposed to hard copy on paper) soft error /sɒft erə/ noun a random error caused by software or data errors which is very difficult to trace and identify since it only appears under certain conditions soft-fail /sɒft fel/ adjective referring to a system which is still partly operational even after a part of the system has failed soft font / sɒft fɒnt/ noun fonts or typefaces stored on a disk, which can be downloaded or sent to a printer and stored in temporary memory or RAM soft goods /sɒft υdz/ plural noun software that can be purchased and paid for in an online shop, and which is then downloaded directly onto a computer instead of receiving a CD-ROM sent by post soft keyboard /sɒft ki bɔ d/ noun a keyboard where the functions of the keys can be changed by programs soft keys / sɒft ki z/ plural noun keys which can be changed by means of a program socket driver

SOCKS

soft

soft copy

soft error

soft-fail

soft font

soft goods

soft keyboard



soft keys

soft-sectored disk

software

software compatible



software developer



software development



software documentation



software engineer

software engineering

software house

software interrupt

software library

software licence

software life cycle

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software maintenance 310 solid error / sɒld erə/ noun an error software maintenance /sɒftweə that is always present when certain equip mentənəns/ noun the process of carryment is used ing out updates and modifications to a solid font printer / sɒld fɒnt prntə/ software package to make sure the pronoun a printer which uses a whole characgram is up to date ter shape to print in one movement, such as software modem /sɒftweə a daisy wheel printer

məυdem/ noun a modem that uses the solid modelling / sɒld mɒd(ə)lŋ/ main computer’s processor to carry out all noun a function in a graphics program that the signal processing required to modulate creates three-dimensional solid-looking and demodulate data signals that can be objects by shading sent to a dedicated serial port. New PCs solid-state /sɒld stet/ adjective reare often fitted with a software modem (offerring to semiconductor devices ten called a WinModem) that takes advansolid-state device / sɒld stet d tage of the powerful processors to provide vas/ noun an electronic device which opa very cheap way of adding a modem funcerates by using the effects of electrical or tion and providing dial-up Internet access magnetic signals in a solid semiconductor to a computer. material software-only video playback solid state disk / sɒld stet dsk/ / sɒftweə əυnli vdiəυ plebk/ noun noun a mass storage device that uses electhe ability to display full-motion video tronic memory components with a backup standard on any multimedia computer, battery to store data rather than a magnetic without requiring special hardware medium (such as a magnetic disk used in a software package /sɒftweə hard disk drive)

pkd'/ noun computer programs and solid-state memory device / sɒld manuals designed for a special purpose stet mem(ə)ri d vas/ noun a solidsoftware piracy /sɒftweə parəsi/ state memory storage device (usually in noun the illegal copying of software for the form of RAM or ROM chips) sale son file /sn fal/ noun the latest worksoftware quality assurance ing version of a file. Compare father file, / sɒftweə kwɒlti əʃυərəns/ noun the grandfather file process of making sure that software will song key /sɒŋ ki / noun a musical key perform as intended. Abbr SQA used to play a MIDI song Sony /səυni/ an electronics company software reliability / sɒftweə r that has developed a wide range of con laəblti/ noun the ability of a piece of sumer and computer electronic products software to perform the task required correctly sophisticated /səfstketd/ adjective technically advanced 쑗 A sophisticatsoftware specification / sɒftweə ed desktop publishing program.

spesfkeʃ(ə)n/ noun detailed informasophistication /sə fstkeʃ(ə)n/ tion about a piece of software’s abilities, noun the state of being technically adfunctions and methods vanced 쑗 The sophistication of the new software system /sɒftweə sstəm/ package is remarkable. noun all the programs required for one or sort /sɔ t/ verb to put data in order, acmore tasks cording to a system, on the instructions of software tool /sɒftweə tu l/ noun a the user 쑗 To sort addresses into alphabetprogram used in the development of other ical order. programs sorting pass / sɔ tŋ pɑ s/ noun a sinsoft zone / sɒft zəυn/ noun a text area gle run through a list of items to put them to the left of the right margin in a wordinto order processed document, where if a word does sortkey /sɔ tki /, sort field /sɔ t fi ld/ not fit completely, a hyphen is automatinoun a field in a stored file which is used cally inserted to sort the file 쑗 The orders were sorted according to dates by assigning the date solid colour / sɒld klə/ noun a colfield as the sortkey. our that can be displayed on a screen or sort/merge / sɔ t m d'/ noun a proprinted on a colour printer without dithergram which allows new files to be sorted ing software maintenance

solid error

solid font printer

software modem

solid modelling

solid-state

solid-state device



software-only video playback

solid state disk

software package

solid-state memory device



software piracy

son file

software quality assurance



song key

software reliability

Sony



sophisticated



software specification



sophistication



software system

sort

software tool

sorting pass

soft zone

sortkey

solid colour

sort/merge



Computing.fm Page 311 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

311 space and then merged in correct order into exsource code / sɔ s kəυd/ noun a set of isting files codes (as a program) written by the programmer which cannot be directly executsound /saυnd/ noun 1. in a PC, a filenaed by the computer, but have to be translatme extension used to indicate a file that ed into an object code program by a comcontains digitised sound data 2. in a Macpiler, assembler or interpreter intosh, the resource that contains sound information 왘 abbr snd source deck / sɔ s dek/ noun a set of sound bandwidth /saυnd bnd punched cards which contain the source

wdθ/ noun the range of frequencies that code for a program a human ear can register, normally from source document /sɔ s dɒkjυ ment/ 20Hz to 20KHz noun a form or document from which data Sound Blaster /saυnd blɑ stə/ a is extracted prior to entering it into a datatrade name for a type of sound card for PC base compatibles developed by Creative Labs source editor /sɔ s edtə/ noun softthat allows sounds to be recorded to disk ware which allows the user to alter, delete (using a microphone) and played back or add instructions in a program source file sound capture /saυnd kptʃə/ noun source file / sɔ s fal/ noun a program the conversion of an analog sound into a written in source language, which is then digital form that can be used by a compuconverted to machine code by a compiler ter source language /sɔ s lŋwd'/ sound card / saυnd kɑ d/ noun an exnoun 1. a language in which a program is pansion card which produces analog originally written 2. a language of a prosound signals under the control of a comgram prior to translation. Opposite object puter 쑗 This software lets you create allanguage, target language most any sound – but you can only hear source listing /sɔ s lstŋ/ noun 1. them if you have a sound card fitted. listing of a text in its original form 2. listsound chip / saυnd tʃp/ noun a deing of a source program vice that will generate a sound or tune source machine /sɔ s məʃi n/ noun a sound file / saυnd fal/ noun a file computer which can compile source code stored on disk that contains sound data source object /sɔ s ɒbd'ekt/ noun (in sound hood / saυnd hυd/ noun a covWindows) the object within a drag and er which cuts down the noise from a noisy drop operation that is first clicked on and printer then dragged sound pressure level / saυnd preʃə source pack /sɔ s pk/ noun same as

lev(ə)l/ noun full form of SPL source deck Sound Recorder /saυnd r kɔ də/ a source program /sɔ s prəυrm/ utility included with Microsoft Windows noun a program, prior to translation, writthat allows a user to play back digitised ten in a programming language by a prosound files or record sound onto disk and grammer carry out very basic editing source routing / sɔ s raυtŋ/ noun a sound waves / saυnd wevz/ plural method, originally developed by IBM for noun pressure waves produced by vibraits Token Ring networks, of moving data tions, which are transmitted through air (or between two networks, which examines a solid) and detected by the human ear or a the data within the token and passes the microphone (in which they are converted data to the correct station to electrical signals) source transparent routing / sɔ s source /sɔ s/ noun a point where a transtrns prənt ru tŋ/ noun a standard mitted signal enters a network. Opposite developed by IBM and the IEEE, allowing sink IBM networks and non-IBM Token Ring source address filtering /sɔ s ə networks to be bridged and so exchange

dres fltərŋ/ noun a feature of some data. Abbr SRT bridges which detects a particular address SP abbr stack pointer in the received packet and either rejects or forwards the data space /spes/ noun a gap between charsource book / sɔ s bυk/ noun a library acters or lines 쐽 verb to spread out text 쑗 The line of characters was evenly spaced file from which elements or objects are out across the page. copied and used source code

sound

source deck

sound bandwidth



source document



Sound Blaster

source editor

sound capture

source file

source language

sound card

source listing

sound chip

source machine



sound file

source object

sound hood

sound pressure level

source pack

Sound Recorder



source program

source routing

sound waves

source transparent routing

source



source address filtering



SP

space

source book

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space bar 312 special purpose / speʃ(ə)l p pəs/ space bar /spes bɑ / noun a long bar noun a system designed for a specific or at the bottom of a keyboard, which inserts limited range of applications a space into the text when pressed special sort /speʃ(ə)l sɔ t/ noun an space character /spes krktə/ extra printing character not in the standard noun a character code which prints a space font range spacing /spesŋ/ noun the process of specific address /spə sfk ədres/ putting spaces between characters or lines noun a storage address which directly, of printed text 쑗 The spacing on some without any modification, accesses a localines is very uneven. tion or device spam /spm/ noun an article that has specification / spesfkeʃ(ə)n/ noun been posted to more than one newsgroup, detailed information about what is to be so is likely to contain commercial messagsupplied or about a job to be done. Also es (slang) called spec 왍 to work to standard specspam killer /spm klə/ noun a piece ifications to work to specifications which of software that automatically identifies are accepted anywhere in the same indusand deals with spam in incoming e-mail try 왍 the work is not up to specification span /spn/ noun a set of allowed values or does not meet the customer’s specifibetween a maximum and minimum cations the product was not manufactured spanning tree /spnŋ tri / noun a in the way which was detailed in the specmethod of creating a network topology ifications that does not contain any loops and prospecific code /spəsfk kəυd/ noun a vides redundancy in case of a network binary code which directly operates the fault or problem central processing unit, using only absoSPARC /spɑ k/ noun a RISC processor lute addresses and values designed by Sun Microsystems which is specific coding /spəsfk kɒdŋ/ used in its range of workstations. Full form noun a program code which has been writScalar Processor Architecture ten so that it only uses absolute addresses spare part / speə pɑ t/ noun a small and values piece of a machine which is needed to respecificity / spesfsəti/ noun the ratio place a piece which is broken or missing of non-relevant entries not retrieved to the spark printer /spɑ k prntə/ noun a total number of non-relevant entries conthermal printer which produces characters tained in a file, database or library on thermal paper by electric sparks speech chip / spi tʃ tʃp/ noun an insparse array /spɑ s əre/ noun a data tegrated circuit which generates sounds matrix structure containing mainly zero or (usually phonemes) which when played null entries together sound like human speech spatial measurement / speʃ(ə)l speech quality /spi tʃ kwɒlti/ noun me'əmənt/ noun a method of allowing a a sound recorded at a low bandwidth with computer to determine the position of a a small sample size; e.g., in CD-i it is Levpointer within three dimensions (often usel C with 4-bit samples and a rate of ing a sensitive glove) 18.9KHz spec /spek/ noun same as specification speech recognition /spi tʃ rekə (informal ) nʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of analysing special character / speʃ(ə)l krktə/ spoken words in such a way that a compunoun a character which is not a standard ter can recognize spoken words and comone in a certain font (such as a certain acmands cent or a symbol) speech synthesis /spi tʃ snθəss/ special interest group / speʃ(ə)l noun the production of spoken words by a ntrəst ru p/ noun full form of SIG speech synthesiser specialise /speʃəlaz/ verb to study speech synthesiser /spi tʃ and be an expert in a subject 쑗 He special snθəsazə/ noun a device which takes ises in the design of CAD systems. data from a computer and outputs it as spoken words specialist /speʃəlst/ noun an expert in speed /spi d/ noun the time taken for a a certain field of study 쑗 You need a specialist programmer to help devise a new movement divided by the distance travword-processing program. elled space bar

special purpose

space character

special sort

spacing

specific address





spam

specification



spam killer

span

spanning tree

specific code



SPARC

specific coding



spare part

specificity



spark printer

speech chip

sparse array



spatial measurement

speech quality

spec

speech recognition



special character

speech synthesis

special interest group

specialise

speech synthesiser

specialist

speed

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313 spyware or more independent areas, to display two speed of loop / spi d əv lu p/ noun a speed of loop

method of benchmarking a computer by measuring the number of loops executed in a certain time spellcheck /speltʃek/ verb to check the spelling in a text by comparing it with a dictionary held in the computer spellchecker /speltʃekə/, spelling checker noun a dictionary of correctly spelled words, held in a computer, and used to check the spelling of a text 쑗 The program will be upgraded with a wordprocessor and a spelling checker. spherisation / sfərazeʃ(ə)n/ noun a special effect provided by a computer graphics program that converts an image into a sphere, or ‘wraps’ the image over a spherical shape spider /spadə/ noun a program that searches through the millions of pages that make up the world wide web for new information, changes or pages that have been deleted. These changes are then added to a search engine index to ensure that it is always up to date. spike /spak/ noun a very short duration voltage pulse spillage /spld'/ noun a situation when too much data is being processed and cannot be contained in a buffer spindle /spnd(ə)l/ noun an object which grips and spins a disk in the centre hole spindling /spndlŋ/ noun the process of turning a disk by hand SPL / es pi el/ noun a measure of loudness, in decibels (dB). Full form sound spellcheck

spellchecker

spherisation



spider

spike

spillage

spindle

spindling

SPL

pressure level

splash screen /splʃ skri n/ noun splash screen

the initial screen that is displayed for a few seconds when a program is started 쑗 The splash screen normally displays the product logo and gives basic copyright information. splice /splas/ verb to join two lengths of magnetic tape, forming a continuous length splicing tape /splasŋ tep/ noun a non-magnetic tape which is applied to the back of the two ends of tape to be spliced split baud rate / splt bɔ d ret/ noun a feature of a modem which receives data at one baud rate but transmits data at another 쑗 The viewdata modem uses a 1200/75 split baud rate. split screen /splt skri n/ noun software which can divide the display into two splice

splicing tape

split baud rate

split screen

text files or a graph and a text file 쑗 We use split screen mode to show the text being worked on and another text from memory for comparison. spoof /spu f/ verb to send e-mail using a false name or e-mail address spool /spu l/ noun a reel on which a tape or printer ribbon is wound 쐽 verb to transfer data from a disk to a tape spooler noun a device which holds a tape and which receives information from a disk for storage spooling /spu lŋ/ noun the process of transferring data to a disk from which it can be printed at the normal speed of the printer, leaving the computer available to do something else sporadic fault /spərdk fɔ lt/ noun an error which occurs occasionally spreadsheet /spred ʃi t/ noun 1. a program which allows calculations to be carried out on several columns of numbers 2. a printout of calculations on wide computer stationery sprite /sprat/ noun an object which moves round the screen in computer graphics sprocket noun a wheel with teeth round it which fit into holes in continuous stationery or punched tape sprocket feed /sprɒkt fi d/ noun a paper feed where the printer pulls the paper by turning sprocket wheels which fit into a series of holes along each edge of the sheet. 쒁 tractor feed sprocket holes /sprɒkt həυlz/ plural noun a series of small holes on each edge of continuous stationery, which allow the sheet to be pulled through the printer spurious data / spjυəriəs detə/ noun unexpected or unwanted data or an error in a signal, often due to noise SPX / es pi eks/ a trade name for a network transport protocol developed by Novell and used to carry IPX network traffic. Full form sequenced packet exchange 쐽 noun data transmission in only one direction. Full form simplex. Opposite duplex spyware /spaweə/ noun a type of software that can be installed on someone’s hard disk without that person’s knowledge. It is designed to send back encoded information about the computer owner’s identity and the way he or she uses the Internet to the person who installed it. spoof

spool

spooler

spooling

sporadic fault



spreadsheet



sprite

sprocket

sprocket feed

sprocket holes

spurious data

SPX

spyware

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SQA 314 stack base /stk bes/ noun the adSQA abbr software quality assurance dress of the origin or base of a stack SQL / es kju el/ noun a simple, comstacked job control / stkt d'ɒb monly used standard, database programkən trəυl/ noun a queue of job control inming language that is only used to create structions that are processed in the order in queries to retrieve data from the database. which they were received Full form structured query language stack job processing / stk d'ɒb square brackets /skweə brkts/ prəυsesŋ/ noun the process of storing a plural noun brackets with straight sides ( [ number of jobs to be processed in a stack ]) and automatically executing one after the square measure /skweə me'ə/ noun other an area in square feet or square metres, calstack overflow /stk əυvəfləυ/ culated by multiplying width and length noun an error message that is sometimes square root /skweə ru t/ noun a displayed when there is not enough free number raised to the power one half 쑗 The memory on a computer for a program’s square root of 25 is 5. needs square wave / skweə wev/ noun a stack pointer /stk pɔntə/ noun the pulse that rises vertically, levels off, then address register containing the location of drops vertically; the ideal shape for a digthe most recently stored item of data or the ital signal location of the next item of data to be reSRAM /es rm/ noun RAM which retrieved. Abbr SP tains data for as long as the power supply stackware /stkweə/ noun an applicais on, and where the data does not have to tion developed using the Apple Macintosh be refreshed. Full form static RAM HyperCard system S-registers /es red'stəz/ plural noun stage /sted'/ noun one of several points memory storage locations in a modem that in a process 쑗 The text is ready for the contain the current configuration details printing stage. for the way the modem operates. 쒁 AT staged /sted'd/ adjective carried out in command set stages, one after the other SRT abbr source transparent routing staged change-over / std SSD abbr single-sided disk tʃend'/ noun a change between an old SSI abbr small scale integration and a new system in a series of stages SSL / es es el/ noun a protocol designed stage window / sted' wndəυ/ noun by Netscape that provides secure commua window in which a video or animation nications over the Internet. Full form sesequence is viewed (normally refers to a cure sockets layer. 쒁 PGP, SEPP, SET, window in which a Movie Player sequence STT is played) ST506 standard / es ti fav əυ sks stand-alone, standalone adjective re stndəd/ noun (old ) a disk interface ferring to a device or system that can operstandard used in early IBM PCs, develate without the need of any other devices 쑗 oped by Seagate, now replaced by IDE and The workstations have been networked toSCSI gether rather than used as stand-alone stable state /steb(ə)l stet/ noun the systems. state of a system when no external signals stand-alone system /stnd ə ləυn are applied

sstəm/ noun a system which can operate stack /stk/ noun temporary storage for independently data, registers or tasks where items are stand-alone terminal /stnd ə ləυn added and retrieved from the same end of

t mn(ə)l/ noun a computer terminal the list. 쒁 LIFO with a processor and memory which can stackable hub / stkəb(ə)l hb/ be directly connected to a modem, without noun a hub device that has an external being a member of a network or cluster connector to allow several devices to be standard /stndəd/ noun the normal connected together so that network inforquality or normal conditions which are mation can pass from one network ring to used to judge other things another COMMENT: Modem standards are set by the stack address /stk ədres/ noun a CCITT in the UK, the Commonwealth and location pointed to by the stack pointer most of Europe, while the USA and part of SQA

stack base

SQL

stacked job control



stack job processing

square brackets

square measure

stack overflow



square root

square wave

stack pointer

SRAM

stackware

S-registers

stage

staged

SRT

staged change-over

SSD

SSI

SSL

stage window

ST506 standard

stand-alone

stable state

stand-alone system



stack

stand-alone terminal



stackable hub

standard

stack address



Computing.fm Page 315 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

315 statement identical to the main system, to be used if the main system breaks down standard colours / stndəd kləz/ star network /stɑ netw k/ noun a plural noun the range of colours that are network of several machines where each available on a particular system and can be node is linked individually to a central shared by all applications hub. Compare bus network standard document / stndəd star program /stɑ prəυrm/ noun a dɒkjυmənt/, standard form noun a perfect program which runs (first time) printed document or form which is used without any errors or bugs many times (with different names and adstart /stɑ t/ noun the beginning or first dresses often inserted – as in a form letter) part standard function / stndəd start bit /stɑ t bt/ noun a transmitted fŋkʃən/ noun a special feature included bit used (in asynchronous communicaas normal in a computer system tions) to indicate the start of a character. Opposite stop bit Standard Generalized Markup Language / stndəd d'en(ə)rəlazd Start button /stɑ t bt(ə)n/ noun a mɑ kp lŋwd'/ noun full form of button that is normally in the bottom leftSGML hand corner of a Windows 95 Desktop screen and provides a convenient route to standard interface / stndəd the programs and files on the computer ntəfes/ noun an interface between two start element /stɑ t elmənt/ noun or more systems which conforms to presame as start bit defined standards starting point /stɑ tŋ pɔnt/ noun a standardise /stndədaz/ verb to place where something starts make a series of things conform to a standstart of header / stɑ t əv hedə/ noun ard 쑗 to standardize control of transmisa transmitted code indicating the start of sion links header (address or destination) informastandard letter / stndəd letə/ noun tion for a following message a letter which is sent without any change to start of text / stɑ t əv tekst/ noun a the main text, but which is personalised by transmitted code indicating the end of coninserting the names and addresses of diftrol or address information and the start of ferent people the message. Abbr SOT, STX standard memory / stndəd star topology /stɑ tə pɒləd'i/ noun a mem(ə)ri/ noun the first 1Mb of memory network topology in which all devices are in a PC connected by individual cable to a single standard paragraph / stndəd central hub 쑗 If one workstation cable prərɑ f/ noun a printed paragraph snaps in a star topology, the rest continue, which is used many times (with different unlike a bus topology. names and addresses often inserted – as in start page /stɑ t ped'/ noun 1. the a form letter) page to which a user is automatically taken standards converter /stndədz kən first whenever he or she goes online 2. the

v tə/ noun a device to convert received webpage to which a visitor to a website is signals conforming to one standard into a automatically taken first different standard startup disk /stɑ tp dsk/ noun a standard subroutine / stndəd floppy disk which holds the operating syssbru ti n/ noun a routine which carries tem and system configuration files which out an often used function, such as keycan, in case of hard disk failure, be used to board input or screen display boot the computer standard text / stndəd tekst/ noun Startup folder /stɑ tp fəυldə/ noun a printed text which is used many times a special folder on a hard disk that contains (with different names and addresses often programs that will be run automatically inserted – as in a form letter) when the user next starts Windows standby /stndba/ adjective referring startup screen /stɑ tp skri n/ noun to a device or program that is ready for use text or graphics displayed when an appliin case of failure cation or multimedia book is run standby equipment /stndba  statement /stetmənt/ noun 1. an ex kwpmənt/ noun a secondary system pression used to convey an instruction or South America use modem standards set by Bell.

standard colours

star network

standard document

star program

start

standard function

start bit

Standard Generalized Markup Language

Start button

standard interface

start element

starting point

standardise

start of header

standard letter

start of text

standard memory

star topology



standard paragraph

start page

standards converter



startup disk

standard subroutine

standard text

Startup folder

standby

startup screen

standby equipment

statement



Computing.fm Page 316 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

statement number 316 define a process 2. an instruction in a statistics /stətstks/ noun the study source language which is translated into of facts in the form of figures several machine code instructions status bar /stetəs bɑ / noun a line at the top or bottom of a screen which gives statement number /stetmənt information about the task currently being

nmbə/ noun a number assigned (in a seworked on, e.g. position of cursor, number quential way) to a series of instruction statements of lines, filename, time status bit /stetəs bt/ noun a single bit state-of-the-art / stet əv ði ɑ t/ adin a word used to provide information jective very modern or technically as adabout the state or result of an operation vanced as possible ‘…the main PCB is decidedly non-state-of-the-art’ status line /stetəs lan/ noun same as statistics



status bar

statement number

status bit

state-of-the-art

status line

[Personal Computer World]

status bar

static /sttk/ adjective 1. referring to static

COMMENT: Static RAM uses bistable devices such as flip-flops to store data; these take up more space on a chip than the capacitative storage method of dynamic RAM but do not require refreshing.

status register

ST connector

static colours / sttk kləz/ plural static colours

noun 쏡 default palette static dump /sttk dmp/ noun a printout of the state of a system when it has finished a process static electricity / sttk lektrsti/ noun an electrical charge that can build up in a person or electronic component static memory / sttk mem(ə)ri/ noun nonvolatile memory that does not require refreshing static object / sttk ɒbd'ekt/ noun an object in an animation or video that does not move within the frame static RAM / sttk rm/ noun full form of SRAM static relocation / sttk ri ləυ keʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of moving data or coding or assigning absolute locations before a program is run static storage / sttk stɔ rd'/ noun nonvolatile memory which does not require refreshing static subroutine / sttk sbru ti n/ noun a subroutine which uses no variables apart from the operand addresses station /steʃ(ə)n/ noun a point in a network or communications system which contains devices to control the input and output of messages, allowing it to be used as a sink or source station management / steʃ(ə)n mnd'mənt/ noun software and hardware within the FDDI specification which provides control information. Abbr SMT statistical /stətstk(ə)l/ adjective based on statistics static dump

static electricity



static memory

static object

static RAM

static relocation



static storage

static subroutine

station

station management

statistical



status poll /stetəs pəυl/ noun a signal from a computer requesting information on the current status of a terminal status register /stetəs red'stə/ noun a register containing information on the status of a peripheral device ST connector / es ti kənektə/ noun a connector used to terminate optical fibres steady state /stedi stet/ noun a circuit, device or program state in which no action is occurring but an input can be accepted steep learning curve / sti p l nŋ

k v/ adjective referring to a product that is very difficult to use steg analysis /ste ə nləss/ noun the process of searching through computerised graphics or music files to find slight changes in the normal patterns that may show the presence of hidden messages steganography / steənɒrəfi/ noun the practice of placing secret messages in computerised graphics and music files. These messages are so small that they can only be detected by special software. step /step/ noun a single unit 쐽 verb to move forward or backwards by one unit 쑗 We stepped forward through the file one record at a time. step frame /step frem/ verb to capture a video sequence one frame at a time, used when the computer is not powerful or fast enough to capture real-time full-motion video stepper motor, stepping motor noun a motor which turns in small steps as instructed by a computer (used in printers, disk drives and robots) step through /step θru / noun a function of a debugger that allows a developer to execute a program one instruction at a time to see where the fault lies stereo /steriəυ/, stereophonic / steriə fɒnk/ adjective referring to sound restatus poll

data that does not change with time 2. referring to a system that is not dynamic



steady state

steep learning curve

steg analysis



steganography



step

step frame

stepper motor

step through

stereo



Computing.fm Page 317 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

317 STP corded onto two separate channels from storage density /stɔ rd' densti/ two separate microphone elements and noun the number of bits which can be replayed back through a pair of headphones corded per unit area of storage medium or two speakers storage device /stɔ rd' d vas/ stickiness /stkinəs/ noun the ability noun any device which can store data and of a website to attract visitors and to keep then allow it to retrieved when required them interested for a long time storage disk /stɔ rd' dsk/ noun a stick model /stk mɒd(ə)l/ noun same disk used to store data as wire frame model (see) storage dump /stɔ rd' dmp/ noun sticky /stki/ adjective used to describe a printout of all the contents of an area of an Internet site that attracts visitors, espestorage space cially one that keeps them interested for a storage medium /stɔ rd' mi diəm/ long time noun any physical material that can be still /stl/ noun a single image or frame used to store data for a computer applicawithin a video or film sequence tion stochastic model /stəkstk storage tube /stɔ rd' tju b/ noun a

mɒd(ə)l/ noun a mathematical represenspecial CRT used for computer graphics, tation of a system which includes the efwhich retains an image on screen without fects of random actions the need for refresh actions stock control program / stɒk kən store /stɔ / noun memory or the part of a trəυl prəυrm / noun software decomputer system in which data or prosigned to help manage stock in a business grams are kept for further use 쐽 verb to stop and wait protocol / stɒp ən save data, which can then be used again as wet prəυtəkɑl/ noun communications necessary 쑗 Storing a page of high resoluprotocol in which the transmitter waits for tion graphics can require 3Mb. a signal from the receiver that the message COMMENT: Storage devices include hard and floppy disk, RAM, punched paper tape and was correctly received before transmitting magnetic tape. further data store address register / stɔ ədres stop bit /stɒp bt/ noun a transmitted bit

red'stə/ noun full form of SAR used in asynchronous communications to store and forward / stɔ ən fəɔwəd/ indicate the end of a character. Opposite noun an electronic mail communications start bit system which stores a number of messages stop code /stɒp kəυd/ noun an instrucbefore retransmitting them tion which temporarily stops a process to store cell /stɔ sel/ noun same as store allow the user to enter data location stop element /stɒp elmənt/ noun store data register / stɔ detə same as stop bit

red'stə/ noun full form of SDR stop instruction /stɒp nstrkʃən/ noun a computer programming instruction stored program /stɔ d prəυrm/ noun a computer program which is stored which stops program execution in memory. If it is stored in dynamic RAM stop list /stɒp lst/ noun a list of words it will be lost when the machine is which are not to be used or are not signifiswitched off, if stored on disk or tape cant for a file or library search (backing store) it will be permanently restop time /stɒp tam/ noun the time tained. taken for a spinning disk to come to a stop stored program signalling / stɔ d after it is no longer powered

prəυrm sn(ə)lŋ/ noun a system of storage /stɔ rd'/ noun memory or the storing communications control signals on part of a computer system in which data or computer in the form of a program programs are kept for further use store location /stɔ ləυkeʃ(ə)n/ storage allocation /stɔ rd' noun a unit in a computer system which

ləkeʃ(ə)n/ noun a method by which can store information memory is allocated for different uses, e.g. story board /stɔ ri bɔ d/ noun a series programs, variables, data of pictures or drawings that show how a storage capacity /stɔ rd' kə video or animation progresses

psti/ noun the amount of space availaSTP abbr shielded twisted pair ble for storage of data storage density

storage device



stickiness

storage disk

stick model

storage dump

sticky

storage medium

still

stochastic model

storage tube



stock control program

store



stop and wait protocol

store address register

stop bit



store and forward

stop code

store cell

stop element

store data register

stop instruction



stored program

stop list

stop time

stored program signalling

storage

store location

storage allocation



story board

storage capacity



STP

Computing.fm Page 318 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

straight-line coding 318 string array /strŋ əre/ noun an array straight-line coding / stret lan n whose elements can be strings (of alphakəυdŋ/ noun a program written to avoid numeric characters) the use of loops and branches, providing a faster execution time string concatenation /strŋ kən

ktəneʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of linkstream /stri m/ noun a long flow of seing a series of strings together rial data string function /strŋ fŋkʃən/ noun streaming audio / stri mŋ ɔ diəυ/ a program operation which can act on noun digital audio data that is continuousstrings ly transmitted (normally over the Internet) using a streaming protocol to provide sterstring length /strŋ leŋθ/ noun the eo sound number of characters in a string streaming data, streaming protocol string name /strŋ nem/ noun identinoun a method of sending a continuous fication label assigned to a string stream of data over the Internet to provide string orientated symbolic lanlive video or sound transmission guage / strŋ ɔ riəntetd sm bɒlk COMMENT: Older methods of sending continulŋwd'/ noun full form of SNOBOL ous live data used a standard web server (an string type /strŋ tap/ noun a variable HTTP server) to transmit the data. However, that can contain alphanumeric characters an HTTP server is designed to send data when it is ready rather than sending a regular only stream of data that is required by multimedia. string variable /strŋ veəriəb(ə)l/ If you have ever tried to view a video clip over noun a variable used in a computer lanthe Internet, you will have encountered this burst-transmission problem: when traffic or guage that can contain alphanumeric charserver load lightens, you can watch 20 frames acters as well as numbers per second, when the server is busy, you can stringy floppy / strŋi flɒpi/ noun watch one frame per minute. To provide a good multimedia server, the data delivery same as tape streamer must be regulated and ideally synchronised. strip /strp/ verb to remove the control There are many different standards used to data from a received message, leaving deliver sound and video over the Internet including Progressive Network’s RealAudio, Mionly the relevant information crosoft’s NetShow server (that supports both strip window /strp wndəυ/ noun a audio and video) and Netscape’s MediaServdisplay which shows a single line of text er. Each of these streaming data technologies allows the user or publisher to limit the delivstrobe /strəυb/ verb to send a pulse, usuery of data to a maximum data rate. There are ally on the selection line, of an electronic several standard formats used including Micircuit 쐽 noun the pulse of an electric circrosoft’s multimedia delivery format, ASF (accuit tive streaming format) and other standards developed by Macromedia, VDOnet, Vivo, stroke /strəυk/ noun 1. the width (in and VXtreme. pixels) of a pen or brush used to draw onstreaming tape drive / stri mŋ tep screen 2. the thickness of a printed charac drav/ noun same as tape streamer ter streaming video / stri mŋ vdiəυ/ structure /strktʃə/ noun a way in noun video image data that is continuouswhich something is organized or formed 쐽 ly transmitted (normally over the Internet) verb to organise or to arrange in a certain using a streaming protocol to provide way 쑗 You first structure a document to smooth moving images meet your requirements and then fill in the STRESS /stres/ abbr structural engiblanks. 왍 structured programming wellneering system solver ordered and logical technique of assemstrikethrough noun a horizontal line bling programs used for indicating deleted text structured cabling / strktʃəd string /strŋ/ noun any series of conseckeb(ə)lŋ/ noun a method of cabling usutive alphanumeric characters or words ing UTP cable feeding into hubs designed that are manipulated and treated as a single in such a way that it is easy to trace and reunit by the computer 왍 alphanumeric or pair cable faults and also to add new stacharacter string storage allocated for a tions or more cable series of alphanumeric characters structured design / strktʃəd d string area /strŋ eəriə/ noun a section zan/ noun a number of interconnected of memory in which strings of alphanumodules which are intended to solve probmeric characters are stored lems straight-line coding

string array





string concatenation



stream



streaming audio

string function

string length

streaming data

string name

string orientated symbolic language



string type

string variable

stringy floppy

strip

strip window

strobe

stroke

streaming tape drive

streaming video

structure

STRESS

strikethrough

structured cabling

string

structured design



string area

Computing.fm Page 319 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

319 subroutine sub-domain /sb dəυmen/ noun a programming

structured structured programming

sub-domain



/ strktʃəd prəυrmŋ/ noun a style

of computer programming in which a program consists of a hierarchy of simple subroutines

structured structured query language

query

language

/ strktʃəd kwəri lŋwd'/ noun full form of SQL structured wiring / strktʃəd waərŋ/ noun the planned installation of structured wiring

all the cables that will be required in an office or building for computer networks and telephone STT / es ti ti / noun a system developed to provide a secure link between a user’s browser and a vendor’s Website to allow the user to pay for goods over the Internet. Full form secure transaction technology. 쒁 PGP, SEPP, SET, S-HTTP, SSL stub /stb/ noun a short program routine which contains comments to describe the executable code that will, eventually, be inserted into the routine stuck beacon /stk bi kən/ noun an error condition in which a station continuously transmits beacon frames STX abbr start of text style /stal/ noun the typeface, font, point size, colour, spacing and margins of text in a formatted document style sheet /stal ʃi t/ noun a template which can be preformatted to generate automatically the style or layout of a document such as a manual, book or newsletter stylus /staləs/ noun a pen-like device which is used in computer graphics systems to dictate cursor position on the screen stylus printer /staləs prntə/ noun 쏡 STT

stub

stuck beacon

STX

style

style sheet

stylus

stylus printer

dot-matrix printer sub- /sb/ prefix less than, less important sub-

than or lower than subaddress /sbə dres/ noun a peripheral identification code, used to access one peripheral. This is then followed by address data to access a location within the peripheral’s memory. subclass /sbklɑ s/ noun a number of data items related to one item in a master class subdirectory /sbd rekt(ə)ri/ noun a directory of disk or tape contents contained within the main directory subaddress



subclass

subdirectory



‘…if you delete a file and then delete the subdirectory where it was located, you cannot restore the file because the directory does not exist’ [Personal Computer World]

second level of addressing on the Internet that normally refers to a department name within a larger organisation subdomain name / sbdəmen

nem/ noun an organisational name consisting of two or three letters, e.g. ac or .com, that precedes the two-letter country domain name in an Internet address, as in ‘.com.au’, the address for Australian commercial sites. subject line /sbd'kt lan/ noun a line in an e-mail that indicates the subject of the message submenu /sbmenju / noun a secondary menu displayed as a choice from a menu submit button /səb mt bt(ə)n/ noun a button displayed on a webpage that sends information entered by a user on a web form to a program running on a web server for processing, e.g., the submit button could be used to start a search query subnet /sbnet/ noun a self-contained part of a large network, normally referring to one, independently-managed part of the Internet subnet address /sbnet ə dres/, subnet number /sbnet nmbə/ noun the part of an IP address that identifies a subnet that is connected to a larger network. The first part of the IP address identifies the network, the next part of the IP address identifies the subnet and the last part of the IP address identifies a single host server. 쒁 IP address subnet mask /sbnet mɑ sk/ noun a filter that is used to select the portion of an IP address that contains the subnet address subnotebook /sbnəυtbυk/ noun a very small portable computer, smaller and lighter than a standard full-size notebook or laptop computer. A subnotebook often has a smaller keyboard and display and often only includes a hard disk drive with any floppy disk drive or CD-ROM drive in a separate, external unit that can be plugged in when needed. subprogram /sbprəυrm/ noun 1. a subroutine in a program 2. a program called up by a main program subroutine /sbru ti n/ noun a section of a program which performs a required function and can be called upon at any time from inside the main program 왍 closed or linked subroutine a number of computer instructions in a program which subdomain name



subject line

submenu

submit button



subnet

subnet address



subnet mask

subnotebook



subprogram

subroutine



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subroutine call 320 can be called at any time, with control besubtrahend /sbtrəhend/ noun in a ing returned on completion to the next insubtraction operation, the number to be struction after the call subtracted from the minuend COMMENT: A subroutine is executed by a call sub-woofer /sb wυfə/ noun a large instruction which directs the processor to its loudspeaker that can reproduce very low address; when finished it returns to the infrequency sounds, normally with frequenstruction after the call instruction in the main cies between 20 to 100Hz, used with norprogram. mal loudspeakers to enhance the overall subroutine call /sbru ti n kɔ l/ sound quality noun a computer programming instruction suffix notation / sfks nəυteʃ(ə)n/ which directs control to a subroutine noun mathematical operations written in a subscribe /səbskrab/ verb to add logical way, so that the symbol appears afyour name to a mailing list or listserv list ter the numbers to be acted upon. 쒁 postfix so that you will receive any messages for notation the group suitcase /su tkes/ noun (in the Apple subscriber /səbskrabə/ noun 1. a Macintosh environment) an icon which person who has a telephone 2. a person contains a screen font and allows fonts to who pays for access to a service such as a be easily installed onto the system BBS suite of programs / swi t əv subscript /sbskrpt/ noun a small prəυrmz/ noun 1. a group of procharacter which is printed below the line grams which run one after the other 쑗 The of other characters. 쒁 superscript (NOTE: word-processing system uses a suite of used in chemical formulae: CO2) three programs, editor, spelling checker subscripted variable / sbskrptd and printing controller. 2. a number of veəriəb(ə)l/ noun an element in an array, programs used for a particular task which is identified by a subscript sum /sɒm/ noun total of a number of items added together subsegment /sbsemənt/ noun a small section of a segment summation check /smeʃ(ə)n tʃek/ noun an error detection check performed subset /sb set/ noun a small set of by adding together the characters received data items which forms part of a another and comparing with the required total larger set Sun Microsystems / sn substitute /sbsttju t/ verb to put makrəυsstəmz/ a company that develsomething in the place of something else oped the Java programming system used to (NOTE: you substitute one thing for anextend webpages other) super- /su pə/ prefix very good or very substitute character / sbsttju t powerful krktə/ noun a character which is dissuper bit mapping / su pə bt played if a received character is not recog mpŋ/ noun full form of SBM nized supercomputer / su pəkəmpju tə/ substitution error / sbsttju ʃ(ə)n noun a very powerful mainframe compu erə/ noun an error made by a scanner ter used for high speed mathematical tasks which mistakes one character or letter for superimpose / su pərmpəυz/ verb another to place something on top of something substitution table / sbsttju ʃ(ə)n else

teb(ə)l/ noun a list of characters or codes superior number /sυ pəriə nmbə/ which are to be inserted instead of renoun a superscript figure ceived codes super large scale integration substrate /sbstret/ noun a base ma/ su pə lɑ d' skel ntreʃ(ə)n/ noun terial on which an integrated circuit is conan integrated circuit with more than structed. 쒁 integrated circuit 100,000 components. Abbr SLSI subsystem /sbsstəm/ noun one superscript /su pə skrpt/ noun a smaller part of a large system small character printed higher than the subtraction /səbtrkʃən/ noun the normal line of characters. Compare subscript (NOTE: used often in mathematics: process of taking one number away from 105 say: ten to the power five) another subtrahend

sub-woofer

subroutine call



suffix notation



subscribe



suitcase

subscriber



suite of programs

subscript

subscripted variable

sum

subsegment

summation check



subset



Sun Microsystems

substitute

super-

substitute character

super bit mapping

supercomputer

substitution error





superimpose



substitution table



superior number



super large scale integration

substrate



subsystem

superscript



subtraction



Computing.fm Page 321 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

321 switch but simply moving between pages using supersede / su pəsi d/ verb to take the supersede



place of something which is older or less useful 쑗 The new program supersedes the earlier one, and is much faster. super VGA / su pə vi d'i e/ noun full form of SVGA supervisor /su pə vazə/ noun 1. a person who makes sure that equipment is always working correctly 2. a section of a computer operating system that regulates the use of peripherals and the operations undertaken by the CPU supervisor program /su pəvazə

prəυrm/ noun same as supervisory super VGA

supervisor



supervisor program

program

supervisory /su pəvazəri/ adjective supervisory

as a supervisor

surface-mount technology / s fs maυnt teknɒləd'i/ noun full form of surface-mount technology



SMT

surge /s d'/ noun a sudden increase in electrical power in a system, due to a fault, noise or component failure surge

COMMENT: Power surges can burn out circuits before you have time to pull the plug. A surge protector between your computer and the wall outlet will help prevent damage.

surge protector /s d' prətektə/ surge protector



noun an electronic device which cuts off the power supply to sensitive equipment if it detects a power surge that could cause damage suspend /səspend/ noun a command that is used when running Windows on a battery-powered laptop computer to shut down almost all of the electronic components of the laptop SVGA / es vi d'i e/ noun an enhancement to the standard VGA graphics display system which allows resolutions of up to 800x600pixels with 16million colours. Full form super VGA S-Video / es vdiəυ/ noun a method of transmitting a video signal in which the luminance and colour components (the luma, Y, and chroma, C) are transmitted over separate wires to improve the quality of the video, used in Hi8, S-VHS and other video formats to provide better quality than composite video. Also called Y/C video swap /swɒp/ noun same as swapping 쐽 verb to stop using one program, put it into store temporarily, run another program, and when that is finished, return to the first one swap file /swɒp fal/ noun a file stored on the hard disk used as a temporary storage area for data held in RAM, to provide virtual memory swapping /swɒpŋ/ noun (in a virtual memory system) an activity in which program data is moved from main memory to disk, while another program is loaded or run. 쒁 virtual memory. Also called swap swim /swm/ noun computer graphics which move slightly due to a faulty display unit switch /swtʃ/ noun 1. (in some command-line operating systems) an additional character entered on the same line as the program command, which affects how the program runs 2. a point in a computer suspend

supervisory

instruction

supervisory instruction

/ su pəvazəri n strkʃən/ noun an in

struction used to control and execute programs under the control of an operating system supervisory program / su pəvazəri prəυrm/ noun a master program in a computer system that controls the execution of other programs supervisory program

supervisory

sequence

supervisory sequence

/su pəvazəri si kwəns/ noun a combi-

nation of control codes that perform a controlling function in a data communications network supervisory signal / su pəvazəri sn(ə)l/ noun 1. a signal that indicates if a circuit is busy 2. a signal which provides an indication of the state of a device supplier /səplaə/ noun a company which supplies something 쑗 a supplier of computer parts supply /səpla/ noun the process of providing goods, products or services 쑗 The electricity supply has failed. 쐽 verb to provide something which is needed and for which someone will pay 쑗 The computer was supplied by a recognised dealer. support /səpɔ t/ verb to give help to or to help to run 쑗 The main computer supports six workstations. support chip /səpɔ t tʃp/ noun a dedicated IC which works with a CPU and carries out an additional function or a standard function very rapidly, so speeding up the processing time 쑗 The maths support chip can be plugged in here. suppressor /səpresə/ noun a device which suppresses interference surf /s f/ verb to explore a website looking at the webpages in no particular order, supervisory signal

supplier



supply



support



support chip



suppressor



surf

the links



SVGA

S-Video

swap

swap file

swapping

swim

switch

Computing.fm Page 322 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

switched network backup 322 program where control can be passed to symbolic instruction /sm bɒlk n one of a number of choices 3. a mechanistrkʃən/ noun same as symbolic code cal or solid state device that can electricalsymbolic language /sm bɒlk ly connect or isolate two or more lines 쐽 lŋwd'/ noun 1. any computer lanverb 1. to connect or disconnect two lines guage where locations are represented by by activating a switch 왍 to switch on to names 2. any language used to write start to provide power to a system by using source code a switch to connect the power supply lines symbolic logic /sm bɒlk lɒd'k/ to the circuit 2. 왍 to switch over to start noun the study of reasoning and thought using an alternative device when the pri(formal logic) mary one becomes faulty symbolic name /sm bɒlk nem/ switched network backup / swtʃ noun a name used as a label for a variable netw k bkp/ noun a user’s choice of or location a secondary route through a network if the first is busy symbolic programming /sm bɒlk prəυrmŋ/ noun the process of writswitching /swtʃŋ/ noun a constant ing a program in a source language update of connections between changing sinks and sources in a network symbolic table /sm bɒlk teb(ə)l/ noun a list of labels or names in a compiler switching centre /swtʃŋ sentə/ or assembler, which relate to their addressnoun a point in a communications network es in the machine code program where messages can be switched to and from the various lines and circuits that end symmetrical compression /s there

metrk(ə)l kəmpreʃ(ə)n/ noun a comswitching circuit /swtʃŋ s kt/ pression system that requires the same noun an electronic circuit that can direct processing power and time scale to commessages from one line or circuit to anothpress and decompress an image er in a switching centre symmetric difference /s metrk SX / es eks/ noun a type of processor dfrəns/ noun a logical function whose chip derived from the basic 80386 or output is true if either of 2 inputs is true, 80486 processor that is slightly cheaper to and false if both inputs are the same manufacture and buy sync /sŋk/ noun same as synchronisasymbol /smbəl/ noun a sign or picture tion (informal ) 왍 in sync synchronised 왍 which represents something 쑗 This lanthe two devices are out of sync the two guage uses the symbol ? to represent the devices are not properly synchronised print command. sync bit /sŋk bt/ noun a transmitted bit Symbol font /smb(ə)l fɒnt/ noun a used to synchronise devices TrueType font that is included with Winsync character /sŋk krktə/ noun a dows and includes all sorts of symbols and transmitted character used to synchronise Greek characters. 쒁 TrueType devices symbolic /smbɒlk/ adjective which synchronisation / sŋkrəna acts as a symbol or which uses a symbol zeʃ(ə)n/ noun the action of synchronisname or label ing two or more devices symbolic address /sm bɒlk ədres/ synchronisation pulses / sŋkrəna noun the address represented by a symbol zeʃ(ə)n plsz/ plural noun transmitted or name pulses used to make sure that the receiver symbolic code /sm bɒlk kəυd/ is synchronised with the transmitter noun an instruction that is in mnemonic synchronise /sŋkrə naz/ verb to form rather than a binary number make sure that two or more devices or symbolic-coding format /sm bɒlk processes are coordinated in time or action kəυdŋ fɔ mt/ noun assembly lansynchronised dynamic RAM guage instruction syntax, using a label, op/ sŋkrənazd da nmk rm/ noun eration and operand fields full form of SDRAM symbolic debugger /sm bɒlk di bə/ noun a debugger that allows symsynchroniser /sŋkrənazə/ noun a bolic representation of variables or locadevice that will perform a function when it tions receives a signal from another device symbolic instruction





symbolic language



symbolic logic



symbolic name

switched network backup



symbolic programming



switching

symbolic table



switching centre

symmetrical compression





switching circuit

symmetric difference



SX

sync

symbol

sync bit

Symbol font

sync character

symbolic



synchronisation



symbolic address





synchronisation pulses



symbolic code



synchronise



symbolic-coding format



synchronised dynamic RAM



symbolic debugger





synchroniser

Computing.fm Page 323 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

323 system clock synchronous /sŋkrənəs/ adjective syntax analysis /sntks ə nləss/ synchronous

syntax analysis

which runs in sync with something else (such as a main clock) synchronous cache /sŋkrənəs kʃ/ noun a high-speed secondary cache system used in many computers that use the Pentium processor chip synchronous computer / sŋkrənəs kəmpju tə/ noun a computer in which each action can only take place when a timing pulse arrives

noun a stage in compilation where statements are checked to see if they obey the rules of syntax syntax error /sntks erə/ noun an error resulting from incorrect use of programming language syntax synthesis /snθəss/ noun the process of producing something artificially from a number of smaller elements synthesise /snθəsaz/ verb to produce something artificially from a number of smaller elements



synchronous cache

synchronous computer



synchronous data link control synchronous data link control

/ sŋkrənəs detə lŋk kən trəυl/ noun full form of SDLC 

synchronous

data

synchronous data network

network

/ sŋkrənəs detə netw k/ noun a communications network in which all the actions throughout the network are controlled by a single timing signal synchronous DRAM /sŋkrənəs drm/ noun new high-speed memory technology in which the memory components work from the same clock signal as the main processor, so are synchronised synchronous DRAM

synchronous

idle

synchronous idle character

character

/ sŋkrənəs ad(ə)l krktə/ noun a

character transmitted by a DTE to ensure correct synchronisation when no other character is being transmitted synchronous mode /sŋkrənəs məυd/ noun a system mode in which operations and events are synchronised with a clock signal synchronous network / sŋkrənəs netw k/ noun a network in which all the links are synchronised with a single timing signal synchronous system / sŋkrənəs sstəm/ noun a system in which all devices are synchronised to a main clock signal synchronous mode

synchronous network

synchronous system

synchronous

transmission

synchronous transmission

/ sŋkrənəs trnz mʃ(ə)n/ noun the 

transmission of data from one device to another, where both devices are controlled by the same clock, and the transmitted data is synchronised with the clock signal sync pulses /sŋk plsz/ plural noun transmitted pulses used to make sure that the receiver is synchronised with the transmitter syntactic error /sn tktk erə/ noun a programming error in which the program statement does not follow the syntax of the language syntax /sntks/ noun grammatical rules which apply to a programming language sync pulses

syntactic error



syntax

syntax error

synthesis

synthesise

‘…despite the fact that speech can now be synthesized with very acceptable quality, all it conveys is linguistic information’ [Personal Computer World]

synthesised voice / snθəsazd vɔs/ noun speech created by an electronic device that uses phonemes synthesiser /snθəsazə/ noun a device which generates signals, sound or speech synthetic address /sn θetk ədres/ noun a location used by a program produced by instructions within the program synthetic language /sn θetk lŋwd'/ noun programming language in which the source program is written SyQuest /sakwest/ a manufacturer of storage devices, including a range of removable hard disk drives and backup units. 쒁 Zip disk sysgen /ssd'en/ noun same as syssynthesised voice

synthesiser

synthetic address





synthetic language



SyQuest

sysgen

tem generation sysop /ss ɒp/ noun a person who sysop



maintains a bulletin board system or network system /sstəm/ noun any group of hardware or software or peripherals, etc., which work together system administrator / sstəm əd mnstretə/ noun 쏡 network adminissystem

system administrator



trator

system attribute / sstəm trbju t/ system attribute

noun a special attribute attached to a file used by the operating system, the file being hidden from normal users system backup / sstəm bkp/ noun a copy of all the data stored on a computer, server or network system board /sstəm bɔ d/ noun 쏡 motherboard system check /sstəm tʃek/ noun the process of running diagnostic routines to ensure that there are no problems system clock /sstəm klɒk/ noun an electronic component that generates a regsystem backup

system board

system check

system clock

Computing.fm Page 324 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

system colours 324 ular signal that is used to synchronise all system manager / sstəm mnd'ə/ noun a person responsible for the computthe components in the computer ers or network in a company system colours / sstəm kləz/ pluSystem Monitor /sstəm mɒntə/ ral noun same as default palette noun a Windows utility that allows a user system console / sstəm kɒnsəυl/ to view how the resources on their PC are noun the main terminal or control centre performing and, if they have shared the defor a computer which includes status lights vice, who else on the network is using the and control switches resources system control panel / sstəm kən system operator / sstəm ɒpəretə/ trəυl pn(ə)l/ noun main computer sysnoun a person who manages an online bultem control switches and status indicators letin board or maintains a computer netsystem crash /sstəm krʃ/ noun a work situation where the operating system stops system palette / sstəm plət/ noun working and has to be restarted the range of colours that are available on a system design / sstəm dzan/ noun particular operating system and can be the process of identifying and investigatshared by all applications ing possible solutions to a problem, and system prompt /sstəm prɒmpt/ deciding upon the most appropriate sysnoun a prompt which indicates the operattem to solve the problem ing system is ready and waiting for the system diagnostics / sstəm daə user to enter a system command nɒstks/ noun tests, features and messagsystems analysis /sstəmz ə es that help find hardware or software

nləss/ noun 1. the process of analysing faults a process or system to see if it could be system disk /sstəm dsk/ noun a disk more efficiently carried out by a computer which holds the system software 2. the process of examining an existing Système Electronique Couleur system with the aim of improving or reAvec Mémoire noun full form of SEplacing it CAM systems analyst /sstəmz nəlst/ system exclusive data / sstəm k noun a person who specialises in systems

sklu sv detə/ noun MIDI messages analysis that can only be understood by a MIDI deSystems Application Architecture vice from a particular manufacturer / sstəmz plkeʃ(ə)n ɑ ktektʃə/ system firmware / sstəm f mweə/ noun full form of SAA noun basic operating system functions and system security / sstəm skjυərti/ routines in a ROM device noun measures, such as password, priority system flowchart /sstəm fləυtʃɑ t/ protection, authorisation codes, designed noun a diagram which shows each step of to stop browsers and hackers the computer procedures needed in a syssystems integration / sstəmz nt tem reʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of combining system folder /sstəm fəυldə/ noun different products from different manufac(in the Apple Macintosh environment) a turers to create a system folder that contains the program files for Systems Network Architecture the operating system and Finder / sstəmz netw k ɑ ktektʃə/ noun system generation / sstəm d'enə full form of SNA reʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of producing system software / sstəm sɒftweə/ an optimum operating system for a particnoun programs which direct the basic ular task. Also called sysgen functions, input-output control, etc., of a system library / sstəm labrəri/ computer noun stored files that hold the various system specifications / sstəm parts of a computer’s operating system

spesfkeʃ(ə)nz/ plural noun details of system life cycle / sstəm laf hardware and software required to perform

sak(ə)l/ noun the time when a system certain tasks exists, between its initial design and its besystems program /sstəmz coming out of date

prəυrm/ noun a program which consystem log /sstəm lɒ/ noun a record trols the way in which a computer system of computer processor operations works system manager

system colours

System Monitor

system console

system control panel



system operator

system crash

system palette

system design



system prompt

system diagnostics



systems analysis



system disk

Système Electronique Couleur Avec Mémoire

systems analyst

system exclusive data



Systems Application Architecture

system firmware

system security



system flowchart

systems integration



system folder

Systems Network Architecture

system generation



system software

system library

system specifications



system life cycle

systems program

system log

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325 table lookup grams were run automatically when Windows started and are now running in the prəυrmə/ noun a programmer who background. specialises in writing systems software system unit /sstəm ju nt/ noun the system support / sstəm səpɔ t/ main terminal or control centre for a comnoun a group of people who maintain and puter which includes status lights and conoperate a system trol switches system tray /sstəm tre/ noun (in system variable / sstəm Windows) an area of the taskbar normally in the bottom right-hand corner next to the veəriəb(ə)l/ noun a variable that contains data generated by the system software that clock. The system tray displays tiny icons can be used by applications that show which system software pro-

systems systems programmer

/ sstəmz

programmer

system unit

system support



system tray

system variable

T T abbr teraT1 / ti wn/ noun a term that refers to a T

T1

leased line connection that transfers data at 1.544Mbits per second in the US (in the UK and Europe, the transfer rate is 2.048Mbits per second) and can carry either data or 24 voice channels. If the link uses only part of this capacity, it is called a fractional T1 link. These links are normally used to connect ISPs together or to connect offices of a large organisation. 쒁 ADSL, leased line

T1 committee / ti wn kə mti/ noun T1 committee



an ANSI committee which sets digital communications standards for the US, particularly ISDN services T1 link / ti wn lŋk/ noun (in the US) a high speed, long distance data transmission link not related to the T1 committee, that can carry data at 1.544Mbits per second T2 link / ti tu lŋk/ noun (in the US) a high speed, long distance data transmission link equivalent to four T1 lines that can carry data at 6.3Mbits per second T3 link / ti θri lŋk/ noun (in the US) a high speed, long distance data transmission link equivalent to 28 T1 lines that can carry data at 44.736Mbits per second tab /tb/ verb to tabulate or to arrange text in columns with the cursor automatiT1 link

T2 link

T3 link

tab

cally running from one column to the next in keyboarding 쑗 The list was neatly lined up by tabbing to column 10 at the start of each new line. TAB abbr tabulate tabbing /tbŋ/ noun the movement of the cursor in a word-processing program from one tab stop to the next 쑗 Tabbing can be done from inside the program. tabbing order /tbŋ ɔ də/ noun the order in which the focus moves from one button or field to the next as the user presses the tab key tab character /tb krktə/ noun the ASCII character 09hex which is used to align text at a preset tab stop tab key /tb ki / noun a key on a keyboard, normally positioned on the far left, beside the ‘Q’ key, with two arrows pointing in opposite horizontal directions, used to insert a tab character into text and so align the text at a preset tab stop table /teb(ə)l/ noun 1. a list of data in columns and rows on a printed page or on the screen 2. (in a relational database) a structure which shows how records and data items are linked by relations between the rows and columns of the table table lookup /teb(ə)l lυkp/ noun the process of using one known value to TAB

tabbing

tabbing order

tab character

tab key

table

table lookup

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table of contents 326 select one entry in a table, providing a sectag image file format / t md' ondary value fal fɔ mt/ noun full form of TIFF table of contents / teb(ə)l əv tail /tel/ noun 1. data recognised as the kɒntents/ noun 1. a list of the contents of end of a list of data 2. a control code used a book, usually printed at the beginning 2. to signal the end of a message data at the start of a disc that describes how takedown /tekdaυn/ verb to remove many tracks are on the CD, their position something such as paper or disks from a and length peripheral after one job and prepare it for tablet /tblət/ noun a graphics pad or the next flat device which allows a user to input takedown time /tekdaυn tam/ noun graphical information into a computer by the amount of time required to takedown a drawing on its surface peripheral ready for another job tab memory /tb mem(ə)ri/ noun the take-up reel /tek p ri l/ noun a reel ability of an editing program, usually a onto which magnetic tape is collected word-processor, to store details about varTaligent /tld'ənt/ noun an operating ious tab settings system developed by IBM and Apple that tab rack /tb rk/ noun a graduated can be used on both PC and Macintosh scale, displayed on the screen, showing the platforms position of tabulation columns 쑗 The tab tandem processors / tndəm rack shows you the left and right margins. prəυsesəz/ plural noun two processors tab settings /tb setŋz/, tab stops connected so that if one fails, the second /tb stɒpz/ plural noun preset points takes over along a line, where the printing head or cursor will stop for each tabulation comtape archive /tep ɑ kav/ noun 쏡 tar mand tape backup /tep bkp/ noun the tabular /tbjυlə/ adjective 왍 in tabuprocess of using (usually magnetic) tape as lar form arranged in a table a medium for storing back-ups from faster tabulate /tbjυ let/ verb to arrange main or secondary storage, such as RAM text in columns, with the cursor moving to or hard disk each new column automatically as the text tape cable /tep keb(ə)l/ noun a is keyboarded number of insulated conductors arranged tabulating /tbjυletŋ/ noun the acnext to each other forming a flat cable tion of processing punched cards, such as tape cartridge /tep kɑ trd'/ noun a a sorting operation cassette box containing magnetic tape (on tabulation / tbjυleʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. ara reel) rangement of a table of figures 2. the proctape cassette /tep kəset/ noun a ess of moving a printing head or cursor a small box containing a reel of magnetic preset distance along a line tape and a pickup reel tabulation markers / tbjuleʃ(ə)n tape code /tep kəυd/ noun a coding

mɑ kəz/ plural noun symbols displayed system used for punched data representato indicate the position of tabulation stops tion on paper tape tabulation stops / tbjuleʃ(ə)n tape deck /tep dek/ noun a device stɒpz/ plural noun preset points along a which plays back and records data onto line at which a printing head or cursor will magnetic tape stop for each tabulation command tape drive /tep drav/ noun a mechatabulator /tbjυletə/ noun part of a nism which controls magnetic tape moveword-processor which automatically sets ment over the tape heads 쑗 Our new prodwords or figures into columns uct has a 96Mb streaming tape drive. tactile keyboard / tktal ki bɔ d/ tape format /tep fɔ mt/ noun a way noun a keyboard that provides some indiin which blocks of data, control codes and cation that a key has been pressed, such as location data is stored on tape a beep tag /t/ noun 1. one section of a computape guide /tep ad/ noun a method ter instruction 2. a set of identifying charby which the tape is correctly positioned acters attached to a file or item (of data) 쑗 over the tape head 쑗 The tape is out of Each file has a three letter tag for rapid alignment because one of the tape guides identification. has broken. tag image file format

table of contents

tail

takedown

tablet

takedown time

tab memory

take-up reel

Taligent

tab rack

tandem processors

tab settings

tape archive

tape backup

tabular

tabulate



tape cable

tabulating

tape cartridge

tabulation



tape cassette



tabulation markers



tape code



tape deck

tabulation stops

tape drive

tabulator

tactile keyboard

tape format

tag

tape guide

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327 T carrier target computer /

tɑ t kəm pju tə/ tape head /tep hed/ noun a head which noun a computer on which software is to reads or writes signals on a magnetic tape be run tape header /tep hedə/ noun identifitarget disk /tɑ t dsk/ noun a disk cation information at the beginning of a onto which a file is to be copied tape target language /tɑ t lŋwd'/ tape label /tep leb(ə)l/ noun a tape noun a language into which a language header and trailer containing information will be translated from its source language about the contents of a tape 쑗 The target language for this PASCAL tape library /tep labrəri/ noun 1. a program is machine code. Opposite secure area for the storage of computer source language data tapes 2. a series of computer tapes target level /tɑ t lev(ə)l/ noun an kept in store for reference interpretative processing mode for protape loadpoint /tep ləυdpɔnt/ gram execution noun the position on a magnetic tape at target phase /tɑ t fez/ noun the pewhich reading should commence to load a riod of time during which the target profile gram is run tape punch /tep pntʃ/ noun a matarget program / tɑ t prəυrm/ chine that punches holes into paper tape noun an object program or computer protape reader /tep ri də/ noun a magram in object code form, produced by a chine which reads punched holes in paper compiler tape or signals on magnetic tape target window /tɑ t wndəυ/ noun a window in which text or graphics will be tape streamer /tep stri mə/ noun a displayed device containing a continuous loop of tape, used as backing storage. Also called tariff /trf/ noun a charge incurred by a stringy floppy user of a communications or computer system 쑗 There is a set tariff for logging tape to card converter /tep tə, tυ on, then a rate for every minute of compukɑ d/ noun a device which reads data ter time used. from magnetic tape and stores it on task /tɑ sk/ noun a job which is to carpunched cards ried out by a computer tape trailer /tep trelə/ noun identifitaskbar /tɑ sk bɑ / noun a bar that norcation information at the beginning of a mally runs along the bottom of the screen tape in Windows and displays the Start button tape transmitter /tep trnzmtə/ and a list of other programs or windows noun a device which reads data from paper that are currently active tape and transmits it to another point task management /tɑ sk tape transport /tep trnspɔ t/ noun mnd'mənt/ noun system software a method by which the tape in a magnetic which controls the use and allocation of tape recorder is moved smoothly from reel resources to programs to reel over the magnetic heads task queue /tɑ sk kju / noun tempoTAPI abbr telephony application prorary storage of jobs waiting to be procgramming interface essed tar /tɑ / noun a file compression system task swapping /tɑ sk swɒpŋ/ noun used on a computer running the Unix operthe process of exchanging one program in ating system. Full form tape archive memory for another which is temporarily stored on disk. Task switching is not the Targa /tɑ ə/ noun 1. a graphics file forsame as multitasking which can execute mat which uses the .TGA extension on a several programs at once. PC, developed by Truevision to store task switching /tɑ sk swtʃŋ/ noun raster graphic images in 16–, 24– and 32same as task swapping bit colour. 2. a high-resolution colour graphics adapter made by Truevision TAT abbr turnaround time targetcast /tɑ tkɑ st/ verb to broadT carrier /ti kriə/ noun a US standcast a website only to a group of people ard for digital data transmission lines, such who are known to be potentially interested as T1, T1C, and corresponding signal in it, and not to everyone on the Internet standards DS1, DS1C tape head

target computer



tape header

target disk

target language

tape label

tape library

target level

tape loadpoint

target phase

tape punch

target program

tape reader

target window

tape streamer

tariff

tape to card converter

task

tape trailer

taskbar



tape transmitter



task management

tape transport

task queue

TAPI

tar

task swapping

Targa

task switching

TAT

targetcast

T carrier

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T-commerce 328 dustrial methods by introducing new techT-commerce / ti kɒm s/ noun a nology business conducted by means of interactive television technology /teknɒləd'i/ noun the T connector /ti kənektə/ noun a coprocess of applying scientific knowledge axial connector, shaped like the letter ‘T’, to industrial processes 왍 the introduction which connects two thin coaxial cables usof new technology the process of putting ing BNC plugs and provides a third connew electronic equipment into a business nection for another cable or network interor industry face card tele- /teli/ prefix long distance TCP / ti si pi / noun standard data telecommunications / telikəmju n transmission protocol that provides full keʃ(ə)nz/ noun the technology of passduplex transmission, bundles data into ing and receiving messages over a dispackets and checks for errors. Full form tance, as in radio, telephone, telegram, sattransmission control protocol ellite broadcast, etc. TCP/IP / ti si pi a pi / noun a data telecommuting /telikəmju tŋ/ noun transfer protocol used in networks and the practice of working on a computer in communications systems, often used in one place (normally from home) that is Unix-based networks. This protocol is linked by modem to the company’s central used for all communications over the inoffice allowing messages and data to be ternet. Full form transmission control transferred protocol/interface program teleconferencing /teli TDM / ti di em/ noun a method of com kɒnf(ə)rənsŋ/ noun the process of linkbining several signals into one high-speed ing video, audio and computer signals transmission carrier, each input signal befrom different locations so that distant ing sampled in turn and the result transmitpeople can talk and see each other, as if in ted to a the receiver which re-constructs a conference room the signals. Full form time division multeleinformatic services /telin tiplexing

fɔ mətk s vsz/ plural noun any of TDR / ti di ɑ / noun a test that identivarious data only services, such as telex, fies where cable faults lie by sending a sigfacsimile, which use telecommunications nal down the cable and measuring how telematics / telmtks/ noun the inlong it takes for the reflection to come teraction of all data processing and comback. Full form time domain reflectommunications devices etry telephone /telfəυn/ noun a machine TDS / ti di es/ noun a computer system used for speaking to someone or commuthat will normally run batch processing nicating with another computer (using motasks until interrupted by a new transacdems) over a long distance tion, at which point it allocates resources to the new transaction. Full form transactelephone line /telfəυn lan/ noun a tion-driven system cable used to connect a telephone handset with a central exchange technical /teknk(ə)l/ adjective referring to a particular machine or process 쑗 telephony /təlefəni/ noun a series of The document gives all the technical destandards that define the way in which tails on the new computer. computers can work with a telephone system to provide voice-mail, telephone antechnical support / teknk(ə)l sə swering, and fax services pɔ t/ noun technical advice to a user to explain how to use software or hardware or telephony application programexplain why it might not work ming interface /tə lefəni technician /teknʃ(ə)n/ noun a person

plkeʃ(ə)n prəυrmŋ ntəfes/ who is specialised in industrial work noun a system developed by Microsoft and Intel that allows a PC to control a sintechnique /tekni k/ noun a skilled way gle telephone. Abbr TAPI of doing a job 쑗 The company has developed a new technique for processing custelephony services application tomers’ disks. programming interface /tə lefəni technological / teknəlɒd'k(ə)l/ ad s vsz plkeʃ(ə)n prəυrmŋ jective referring to technology 왍 the tech ntəfes/ noun a system developed by nological revolution the changing of inNovell and AT&T that allows a PC to conT-commerce

technology



T connector



tele-

TCP

telecommunications



TCP/IP

telecommuting

teleconferencing



TDM

teleinformatic services



TDR

telematics



telephone

TDS

telephone line

technical

telephony



technical support



telephony application programming interface



technician



technique



telephony



technological



Computing.fm Page 329 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

329 terabyte trol a PBX telephone exchange. Abbr telnet /telnet/ noun a TCP/IP protocol TSAPI that allows a user to connect to and control via the Internet a remote computer as if teleprinter /teli prntə/ noun a device they were there and type in commands as that is capable of sending and receiving if they were sitting in front of the computer data from a distant point by means of a telegraphic circuit, and printing out the mestemplate /tem plet/ noun 1. a plastic sage on a printer 쑗 You can drive a teleor metal sheet with cut-out symbols to printer from this modified serial port. help in the drawing of flowcharts and circuit diagrams 2. (in text processing) teleprinter interface /teliprntə standard text, such as a standard letter or

ntəfes/ noun a terminal interface or invoice, into which specific details can be hardware and software combination readded quired to control the functions of a terminal template command /templet kə

mɑ nd/ noun a command which allows teleprinter roll /teliprntə rəυl/ noun functions or other commands to be easily a roll of paper onto which messages are set 쑗 A template paragraph command enprinted ables the user to specify the number of teleprocessing /teli prəυsesŋ/ noun spaces each paragraph should be indentthe processing of data at a distance (as on ed. a central computer from outside termitempo /tempəυ/ noun 1. (in MIDI or nals). Abbr TP music) the speed at which the notes are telesoftware /teli sɒftweə/ noun softplayed, measured in beats per minute 쑗 A ware which is received from a viewdata or typical MIDI tempo is 120bpm. 2. (in a teletext service. Abbr TSW multimedia title) the speed at which frames teletext /teli tekst/ noun a method of are displayed transmitting text and information with a temporary adjective not permanent normal television signal, usually as a serial temporary register / temp(ə)rəri bit stream which can be displayed using a red'stə/ noun a register used for tempospecial decoder rary storage for the results of an ALU opteletype /telitap/ noun a term used for eration teleprinter equipment. Abbr TTY temporary storage / temp(ə)rəri teletypewriter / teltapratə/ noun a stɔ rd'/ noun storage which is not perkeyboard and printer attached to a compumanent ter system which can input data either ditemporary swap file / temp(ə)rəri rect or by making punched paper tape swɒp fal/ noun a file on a hard disk television / telv'(ə)n/ noun a device which is used by software to store data which can receive (modulated) video sigtemporarily or for software that implenals from a computer or broadcast signals ments virtual memory, such as Microsoft’s with an aerial and display images on a Windows CRT screen with sound. Abbr TV 10Base2 / ten bes tu / IEEE standard television monitor / telv'(ə)n specification for running Ethernet over

mɒntə/ noun a device able to display thin coaxial cable signals from a computer without sound, 10Base5 / ten bes fav/ IEEE standbut is not able to broadcast signals, usually ard specification for running Ethernet over because there is no demodulator thick coaxial cable television receiver/monitor 10BaseT / ten bes ti / IEEE standard / telv'(ə)n r si və mɒntə/ noun a despecification for running Ethernet over unvice able to act as a TV receiver or monitor shielded twisted pair cable television scan /tel v'(ə)n skn/ ten’s complement /tenz noun a horizontal movement of the picture

kɒmplmənt/ noun formed by adding beam over the screen, producing one line one to the nine’s complement of a decimal of an image number television tube /tel v'(ə)n tju b/ tera- /terə/ prefix 1012; one million milnoun a CRT with electronic devices which lion. Abbr T provide the line by line horizontal and verterabyte /terə bat/ noun one thousand tical scanning movement of the picture gigabytes or one million megabytes of data beam telnet

teleprinter



template



teleprinter interface

template command



teleprinter roll

teleprocessing



tempo

telesoftware



teletext



temporary

temporary register

teletype

temporary storage

teletypewriter



temporary swap file

television



10Base2

television monitor



10Base5

television receiver/monitor

10BaseT



television scan



ten’s complement

television tube



tera-

terabyte



Computing.fm Page 330 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

teraflop 330 teraflop /terəflɒp/ noun one million terminal identity / t mn(ə)l a dentti/ noun a unique code transmitted million floating-point operations per secby a viewdata terminal to provide identifiond, a measure of computer speed cation and authorisation of a user terminal /t mn(ə)l/ noun 1. a device usually made up of a display unit and a terminal interface /t mn(ə)l keyboard which allows entry and display

ntəfes/ noun a hardware and software of information when on-line to a central combination required to control the funccomputer system 왍 intelligent terminal, tions of a terminal from a computer 쑗 The smart terminal a computer terminal network controller has 16 terminal interwhich contains a CPU and memory, allowfaces. ing basic data processing to be carried out, terminal keyboard / t mn(ə)l usually with the facility to allow the user to ki bɔ d/ noun a standard QWERTY or program it independently of the host comspecial keyboard allowing input at a termiputer 쑗 The new intelligent terminal has a nal built-in text editor. 2. an electrical connecterminal session /t mn(ə)l tion point 3. a point in a network where a

seʃ(ə)n/ noun a period of time when a message can be transmitted or received. 쒁 terminal is on-line or in use source, sink 쐽 adjective fatal or which terminal strip /t mn(ə)l strp/ noun cannot be repaired 쑗 The computer has a a row of electrical connectors that allow terminal fault. pairs of wires to be electrically connected terminal adapter /t mn(ə)l ə using a screw-down metal plate

dptə/ noun a device that connects a terminate /t m net/ verb to end computer to a digital communications terminate and stay resident proline; e.g., to link a PC to an ISDN line. A gram / t mnet ən ste rezd(ə)nt terminal adapter transfers digital signals

prəυrm/ noun a program which loads from the computer to the line, whereas a itself into main memory and carries out a modem is used to connect a computer to an function when activated 쑗 When you hit analogue communications line, such as a Ctrl-F5, you will activate the TSR protelephone line, and needs to convert digital gram and it will display your day’s diary. signals to and from an analogue form. Also called TSR program terminal area /t mn(ə)l eəriə/ noun terminate and stay resident softpart of a printed circuit board at which ware / t mnet ən ste rezd(ə)nt edge connectors can be connected

sɒftweə/ noun a program that is started terminal character set / t mn(ə)l from the command line, then loads itself krktə set/ noun the range of characinto memory, ready to be activated by an ters available for a particular type of termiaction, and passes control back to the comnal, which might include graphics or cusmand line. Abbr TSR tomized characters termination / t mneʃ(ə)n/ noun the terminal controller /t mn(ə)l kən process of ending or stopping

trəυlə/ noun a hardware device or IC terminator /t mnetə/ noun 1. (in a which controls a terminal including data LAN) a resistor that fits onto each end of a communications and display coaxial cable in a bus network to create an terminal emulation /t mn(ə)l electrical circuit 2. (in a SCSI installation) emju leʃ(ə)n/ noun the ability of a termia resistor that fits onto the last SCSI device nal to emulate the functions of another in the daisy-chain, creating an electrical type of terminal so that display codes can circuit 3. same as rogue value be correctly decoded and displayed and ternary /t nəri/ adjective referring to a keystrokes correctly coded and transmitnumber system with three possible states ted tessellate /tesəlet/ verb to reduce a terminal emulation software complex shape into a collection of simple / t mn(ə)l emjυleʃ(ə)n sɒftweə/ shapes, often triangles noun a software program that is used to altest /test/ noun the action carried out on low a computer to interpret the special disa device or program to establish whether it play codes used to control a specialist is working correctly, and if not, which workstation, normally used with a modem component or instruction is not working 쐽 to allow you to connect to a remote mainverb to carry out an examination of a deframe computer system teraflop

terminal identity



terminal

terminal interface

terminal keyboard

terminal session

terminal strip

terminal adapter



terminate



terminate and stay resident program

terminal area

terminate and stay resident software

terminal character set

termination

terminal controller





terminator

terminal emulation



ternary

tessellate

terminal emulation software



test

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331 TFT screen vice or program to see if it is working cortext manager /tekst mnd'ə/ noun rectly facilities that allow text to be written, stored, retrieved, edited and printed test bed /test bed/ noun an environment text manipulation /tekst mə npjυ used to test programs leʃ(ə)n/ noun facilities which allow text test data /test detə/ noun data with editing, changing, inserting and deleting known results prepared to allow a new protext message /tekst mesd'/ noun a gram to be tested message sent in the form of text, especially test equipment /test kwpmənt/ one that appears on the viewing screen of noun special equipment which tests harda mobile phone or pager ware or software text mode /tekst məυd/ noun an opertest numeric /test nju merk/ noun a ating mode of a computer or display check to ensure that numerical informascreen that will only display pre-defined tion is numerical characters and will not allow graphic imtest run /test rn/ noun a program run ages to be displayed with test data to ensure that the software is text processing /tekst prəυsesŋ/ working correctly 쑗 A test run will soon noun the use of a computer to create, store, show up any errors. edit and print or display text texel /teksəl/ noun a collection of pixels text register /tekst red'stə/ noun a that are treated as a single unit when aptemporary computer storage register for plying a texture map over an object text characters only text /tekst/ noun a set of alphanumeric text retrieval /tekst rtri v(ə)l/ noun characters that convey information 왍 text an information retrieval system that allows processing word-processing or the practhe user to examine complete documents tice of using a computer to keyboard, edit rather than just a reference to a document and output text, in the forms of letters, latext screen /tekst skri n/ noun the area bels, etc. of a computer screen set up to display text text compression /tekst kəm text-to-speech converter /tekst tə, preʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of reducing tυ spi tʃ/ noun an electronic device which the space required by a section of text, ususes a speech synthesiser to produce the ing one code to represent more than one spoken equivalent of a piece of text that character, and removing spaces and punchas been entered tuation marks, etc. texture /tekstʃə/ noun a surface detail text-editing facilities /tekst edtŋ that is added to basic shapes fə sltiz/ plural noun a word-processing texture mapping /tekstʃə mpŋ/ system which allows the user to add, denoun 1. a special computer graphics effect lete, move, insert and correct sections of using algorithms to produce an image that text looks like the surface of something such as text-editing function /tekst edtŋ marble, brick, stone or water 2. the process

fŋkʃ(ə)n/ noun an option in a program of covering one image with another to give which provides text-editing facilities 쑗 the first a texture The program includes a built-in text-edittext window /tekst wndəυ/ noun a ing function. window in a graphics system, where the text editor /tekst edtə/ noun same as text is held in a small space on the screen screen editor before being allocated to a final area text file /tekst fal/ noun a file that conTFTP / ti ef ti pi / noun a simple form tains text rather than digits or data of the standard FTP (file transfer protocol) text formatter /tekst fɔ mtə/ noun system, commonly used to load the operata program that converts text to a new form ing system software onto a diskless workor layout according to parameters or emstation from a server when the workstation bedded codes such as line width, page boots up when it is switched on. Full form size, justification, etc. trivial file transfer protocol. 쒁 FTP text management /tekst TFT screen / ti ef ti skri n/ noun a mnd'mənt/ noun facilities which almethod of creating a high-quality LCD low text to be written, stored, retrieved, eddisplay often used in laptop computers. ited and printed Full form thin film transistor screen text manager

test bed

text manipulation



test data

text message

test equipment



text mode

test numeric



test run

text processing

texel

text register

text

text retrieval



text screen

text compression



text-to-speech converter

texture

text-editing facilities



texture mapping

text-editing function

text window

text editor

text file

TFTP

text formatter

text management

TFT screen



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thermal dye diffusion 332 thin film /θn flm/ noun a method of thermal dye diffusion / θ m(ə)l da constructing integrated circuits by depositdfju '(ə)n/ noun a method of printing ing in a vacuum very thin patterns of varisimilar to thermal wax transfer, except that ous materials onto a substrate to form the a dye is used instead of coloured wax. required interconnected components Thermal dye diffusion can print continuous colour to produce a near-photographic thin-film memory / θn flm output. mem(ə)ri/ noun a high-speed access RAM device using a matrix of magnetic thermal inkjet printer / θ m(ə)l cells and a matrix of read/write heads to

nkd'et prntə/ noun a computer printaccess them er which produces characters by sending a thin-film transistor screen / θn stream of tiny drops of electrically charged flm trnzstə skri n/ noun full form of ink onto the paper, the movement of the TFT screen ink drops being controlled by an electric field. This is a non-impact printer with few thin window /θn wndəυ/ noun a sinmoving parts. gle line display window COMMENT: This type of printer is very quiet in third generation / θ d d'enə operation since the printing head does not reʃ(ə)n/ noun the latest specification for strike the paper. mobile communication systems, including thermal paper / θ m(ə)l pepə/ noun mobile telephones. Abbr 3G a special paper whose coating turns black COMMENT: The third generation includes very when heated, allowing characters to be fast data transfer rates of between 128 Kbps and 2 Mbps, depending on whether the perprinted by using a matrix of small heating son is walking, in a car or at his or her base elements station. This will allow high-speed Internet acthermal printer / θ m(ə)l prntə/ cess and even live video links, to a portable telephone. The first generation of mobile telenoun a printer where the character is phones were analog cellular telephones, the formed on thermal paper with a printhead second generation were digital PCS. containing a matrix of small heating elethird generation computer / θ d ments

d'enəreʃ(ə)n kəmpju tə/ noun a comthermal transfer, thermal wax, therputer in which integrated circuits were mal wax transfer printer noun a method used instead of transistors of printing where the colours are produced third party / θ d pɑ ti/ noun a compaby melting coloured wax onto the paper 쑗 ny which supplies items or services for a Thermal wax transfer technology still prosystem sold by one party, the seller, to anvides the best colour representation on paother, the buyer per for PC output. thermal dye diffusion

thin film



thin-film memory

thermal inkjet printer

thin-film transistor screen



thin window

third generation



thermal paper

thermal printer

third generation computer



thermal transfer

third party

thesaurus /θsɔ rəs/ noun a file which contains synonyms that are displayed as alternatives to a misspelt word during a spell-check thick-Ethernet /θk i θə net/ noun a network implemented using thick coaxial cable and transceivers to connect branch cables. 쒁 Ethernet, thin-Ethernet thick film /θk flm/ noun a miniature electronic circuit design in which miniature components are mounted on an insulating base, then connected as required thimble printer /θmb(ə)l prntə/ noun a computer printer using a printing head similar to a daisy wheel but shaped like a thimble thin-Ethernet /θn i θə net/ noun the most popular type of Ethernet network implemented using thin coaxial cable and BNC connectors. 쒁 Ethernet, thickthesaurus



thick-Ethernet



thick film

thimble printer

thin-Ethernet



Ethernet (NOTE: It is limited to distances of around 1000 m)

COMMENT: A third party might supply computer maintenance or write programs, for example.

32-bit /θ ti tu bt/ data that is transferred thirty-two bits at a time along thirtytwo parallel conductors; in a processor this refers to its ability to manipulate numbers that are thirty-two bits long thirty-two bit system / θ ti tu bt sstəm/, 32-bit system noun a microcomputer system or CPU that handles data in 32 bit words thrashing /θrʃŋ/ noun 1. excessive disk activity 2. a configuration or program fault in a virtual memory system that results in a CPU wasting time moving pages of data between main memory and disk or backing store thread /θred/ noun a program which consists of many independent smaller sections or beads 32-bit

thirty-two bit system

thrashing

thread

‘WigWam makes it easier for a user to follow a thread in a bulletin-board conference topic by ordering responses using a hierarchical indent similar to that found in outline processor.’ [Computing]

Computing.fm Page 333 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

333 time-sharing threaded file / θredd fal/ noun a file tile /tal/ verb (in a GUI) to arrange a threaded file

tile

in which an entry contains data and an address to the next entry that contains the same data, allowing rapid retrieval of all identical entries threaded language / θredd lŋwd'/ noun a programming language which allows many small sections of code to be written then used by a main program threaded tree / θredd tri / noun a structure in which each node contains a pointer to other nodes three-address instruction / θri ə dres n strkʃən/ noun an instruction which contains the addresses of two operands and the location where the result is to be stored 3D / θri di / adjective referring to an image which has three dimensions (width, breadth and depth), and therefore gives the impression of being solid. Full form

group of windows so that they are displayed side by side without overlapping

threaded language

threaded tree

three-address instruction





3D

three-dimensional / θri da menʃ(ə)nəl/ adjective full form of 3D three-dimensional array /θri da

menʃ(ə)nəl əre/ noun an array made up of a number of two-dimensional arrays, arranged in parallel, giving rows, columns and depth 3G / θri d'i / noun 쏡 third generation three input adder / θri npυt də/ noun 쏡 full adder three state logic / θri stet lɒd'k/ noun a logic gate or IC which has three possible output states, logic high, logic low and high impedance (NOTE: Most logic

three-dimensional three-dimensional



three-dimensional array





3G

three input adder

three state logic

gates and ICs have only two possible output states.) threshold /θreʃhəυld/ noun a preset threshold

level which causes an action if a signal exceeds or drops below it throughput /θru pυt/ noun the rate of production by a machine or system, measured as total useful information processed in a set period of time 쑗 For this machine throughput is 1.3 inches per second scanning speed. thumbnail /θm nel/ noun a miniature graphical representation of an image, used as a quick and convenient method of viewing the contents of graphics or DTP files before they are retrieved TIFF /tf/ noun standard file format used to store graphic images. Full form tag imthroughput



thumbnail



TIFF

age file format

(NOTE: tiles – tiling – tiled) tilt and swivel / tlt ən swv(ə)l/ adjective referring to a monitor which is tilt and swivel

mounted on a pivot so that it can be moved to point in the most convenient direction for the operator timbre /tmbə/ noun the shape of a particular sound that can be identified by the human ear (NOTE: The same musical note timbre

played on two different musical instruments will not sound the same.) time /tam/ verb to measure the time taktime

en by an operation time base /tam bes/ noun 1. a signal used as a basis for timing purposes 2. a regular sawtooth signal used in an oscilloscope to sweep the beam across the screen time bomb /tam bɒm/ noun a computer virus that is designed to take effect on a particular date or when a computer application is used for a particular length of time time code /tam kəυd/ noun a sequence of timing information recorded on an audio track in a videotape timed backup /tamd bkp/ noun a backup which occurs automatically after a period of time or at a particular time each day time division multiplexing / tam d

v'(ə)n mltpleksŋ/ noun full form of time base

time bomb

time code

timed backup

time division multiplexing



TDM

time domain reflectometry / tam time domain reflectometry

dəυ men r flektɒmətri/ noun full form of TDR time of peak demand / tam əv pi k dmɑ nd/ noun the time when something is being used most timeout /tamaυt/ noun 1. a logoff procedure carried out if no data is entered on an online terminal 2. a period of time reserved for an operation timer /tamə/ noun a device which records the time taken for an operation to be completed time-sharing /tam ʃeərŋ/ noun an arrangement which allows several independent users to use a computer system or be online at the same time 



time of peak demand



timeout

timer

time-sharing

COMMENT: In time-sharing, each user appears to be using the computer all the time, when in fact each is using the CPU for a short time slice only. The CPU processes one user for a short time then moves on to the next.

Computing.fm Page 334 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

time slice 334 tion to the next in a ring network 쑗 Token time slice /tam slas/ noun a period of time allocated for a user or program or job Ring networks are very democratic and retain performance against increasing load. within a multitasking system (NOTE: A workstation can only transmit time stamp /tam stmp/ noun a MIDI data if it captures the token. Token Ring message that is tagged with a time so that networks, although logically rings, are ofa sequencer can play it at the correct moten physically wired in a star topology.) ment timing loop /tamŋ lu p/ noun a comtone dialling /təυn daəlŋ/ noun a puter program loop which is repeated a method of dialling a telephone number usnumber of times to produce a certain time ing sounds to represent the digits of the delay number (NOTE: This method of dialling is the current standard method of dialling timing master /tamŋ mɑ stə/ noun numbers and has generally replaced the a clock signal which synchronises all the older pulse dialling system. A Hayescomponents in a system compatible modem can dial the number tint /tnt/ noun 쏡 hue ‘123’ using tone dialling with the AT comtiny model / tani mɒd(ə)l/ noun a mand ‘ATDT123’ or using pulse dialling memory model of the Intel 80x86 proceswith the AT command ‘ATDP123’) sor family that allows a combined total of toner /təυnə/ noun a finely powdered 64 Kb for data and code ink, usually black, that is used in laser title /tat(ə)l/ noun an identification printers 쑗 If you get toner on your hands, name given to a file or program or disk you can only wash it off with cold water. title bar /tat(ə)l bɑ / noun a horizontal (NOTE: The toner is transferred onto the bar at the top of a window which displays paper by electrical charge, then fixed the title of the window or application permanently to the paper by heating.) T junction /ti d'ŋkʃ(ə)n/ noun a toner cartridge /təυnə kɑ trd'/ connection at right angles to a cable carrynoun a plastic container which holds powing the main signal or power dered toner for use in a laser printer TMSF time format / ti em es ef tam

fɔ mt/ noun a time format used mainly tool /tu l/ noun (in a graphical front end ) by audio CD devices to measure time in a function accessed from an icon in a toolframes and tracks. Full form tracks, minbar, e.g. a circle-draw option utes, seconds, frames time format toolbar /tu l bɑ / noun a window that toggle /tɒ(ə)l/ verb to switch somecontains a range of icons that access tools thing between two states (NOTE: toggles – Toolbook /tu lbυk/ noun a multimedia toggling – toggled) authoring tool developed by Asymetrix toggle switch /tɒ(ə)l swtʃ/ noun an which uses the OpenScript script language electrical switch which has only two posito control objects and actions tions toolbox /tu lbɒks/ noun 1. a box contoken /təυkən/ noun 1. an internal code taining instruments needed to repair or which replaces a reserved word or promaintain or install equipment 2. a set of gram statement in a high-level language 2. predefined routines or functions that are (in a local area network) a control packet used when writing a program which is passed between workstations to Toolbox /tu lbɒks/ noun (in an Apple control access to the network Mac) a set of utility programs stored in token bus network / təυkən bs ROM to provide graphic functions

netw k/ noun an IEEE 802.4 standard toolkit /tu lkt/ noun a series of funcfor a local area network formed with a bustions which help a programmer to write or topology cable, in which workstations debug programs transfer data by passing a token tools /tu lz/ noun a set of utility protoken-passing /təυkən pɑ sŋ/ noun grams such as backup and format in a a method of controlling access to a local computer system area network by using a token (NOTE: A workstation cannot transmit data until it ToolTips /tu ltps/ noun a feature of receives the token.) applications that work under Windows Token Ring network /təυkən rŋ that display a line of descriptive text under

netw k/ noun an IEEE 802.5 standard an icon when the user moves the pointer that uses a token passed from one workstaover the icon time slice

time stamp

timing loop

tone dialling

timing master

tint

tiny model

toner

title

title bar

T junction

toner cartridge

TMSF time format

tool

toolbar



toggle

Toolbook

toggle switch

toolbox

token

Toolbox

token bus network

toolkit

tools

token-passing

ToolTips

Token Ring network

Computing.fm Page 335 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

335 top down programming / tɒp daυn top down programming

prəυrmŋ/ noun same as structured programming top-level domain / tɒp lev(ə)l dəυ men/ noun the part of an Internet address top-level domain



that identifies an Internet domain, e.g. a two-letter country code or a three-letter code such as .edu for education or .com for commercial when used without a country code. topology /tɒpɒləd'i/ noun a way in which the various elements in a network are interconnected (NOTE: The plural is topology



topologies.)

TOPS /tɒps/ noun software that allows TOPS

IBM PCs and Apple Macs to share files on a network touch pad /ttʃ pd/ noun a flat device which can sense where on its surface and when it is touched, used to control a cursor position or switch a device on or off touch screen /ttʃ skri n/ noun a computer display which has a grid of infrared transmitters and receivers, positioned on either side of the screen used to control a cursor position (NOTE: When a touch pad

touch screen

user wants to make a selection or move the cursor, he or she points to the screen, breaking two of the beams, which gives the position of the pointing finger.) touch-sensitive keyboard / ttʃ

sensətv ki bɔ d/ noun a thin, flat memtouch-sensitive keyboard

brane type keyboard whose keys are activated by touching and operate without movement (NOTE: It is often used in heavy duty or dirty environments where normal keys would not function correctly.) TP abbr teleprocessing TPI abbr tracks per inch trace /tres/ noun a method of verifying TP

TPI

trace

that a program is functioning correctly, in which the current status and contents of the registers and variables used are displayed after each instruction step trace program /tres prəυrm/ noun a diagnostic program which executes a program that is being debugged, one instruction at a time, displaying the states and registers traceroute /tresru t/ noun a software utility that finds and displays the route taken for data travelling between a computer and a distant server on the Internet trace program

traceroute

COMMENT:

The display shows the different servers that the data travels through, together with the time taken to travel between each server (called a hop). Traceroute works by sending out a time-to-live (TTL) query data

tractor feed packet to the distant server. It starts by sending out packets with a very low time-to-live, then gradually increases the length of time that the packet can survive until one is returned by the host – this then provides the shortest time it will take to reach the host. If you are trying to view a website you can use traceroute to check which section of the link to the website’s server is the slowest. Windows includes a traceroute utility ‘tracert’. Click the Start button and select the Run option then type in ‘tracert’ followed by the domain name of the distant web server, e.g. tracert ‘www.bloomsbury.com’’

trace trap /tres trp/ noun a selective breakpoint where a tracing program stops, allowing registers to be examined tracing /tresŋ/ noun a function of a graphics program that takes a bitmap image and processes it to find the edges of the shapes and so convert these into a vector line image that can be more easily manipulated track /trk/ noun any one of a series of thin concentric rings on a magnetic disk which the read/write head accesses and along which the data is stored in separate sectors 쐽 verb to follow a path or track correctly 쑗 The read head is not tracking the recorded track correctly. trace trap

tracing

track

COMMENT: The first track on a tape is along the edge and the tape may have up to nine different tracks on it, while a disk has many concentric tracks around the central hub. The track and sector addresses are set up during formatting.

track address /trk ədres/ noun the track address



location of a particular track on a magnetic disk trackball /trk bɔ l/ noun a device used to move a cursor on-screen which is controlled by turning a ball contained in a case tracking /trkŋ/ noun 1. the correct alignment of a read head and the tape in a tape player 2. degradation of a video clip because the action moves too fast to be accurately captured by the camera trackball



tracking

tracks, minutes, seconds, frames time format / trks mnəts sekəndz tracks, minutes, seconds, frames time format

fremz tam fɔ mt/ noun full form of TMSF time format

tracks per inch / trks p r ntʃ/ tracks per inch

noun a measure of the number of concentric data tracks on a disk surface per inch. Abbr TPI tractor feed /trktə fi d/ noun a method of feeding paper into a printer, in which sprocket wheels on the printer connect with the sprocket holes on either edge of the paper to pull the paper through tractor feed

Computing.fm Page 336 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

traffic 336 pressure transducer converts physical traffic /trfk/ noun the totality of mespressure signals into electrical signals sages and other signals processed by a system or carried by a communications link 쑗 transfer /trnsf / verb 1. to change Our Ethernet network begins to slow down command or control of something 쑗 All if the traffic reaches 60 per cent of the processing activities have been transbandwidth. ferred to the mainframe. 2. to copy a section of memory to another location (NOTE: traffic analysis /trfk ə nləss/ transferring – transferred) 쐽 noun the noun the study of the times, types and process of changing command or control quantities of messages and signals being processed by a system transfer check /trnsf tʃek/ noun a check that a data transfer is correct accordtraffic density /trfk densti/ noun ing to a set of rules the number of messages and data transmittransfer command /trnsf kə ted over a network or system in a period of

mɑ nd/ noun an instruction that directs time processor control from one part of a protraffic intensity /trfk n tensti/ gram to another noun the ratio of messages entering a transfer control /trnsf kən trəυl/ queue to those leaving the queue within a noun a change in the command or control certain time of something, e.g. to another point in the trailer /trelə/ noun the final byte of a program when a branch or jump instrucfile containing control or file characteristion within a program is executed tics transfer rate /trnsf ret/ noun the trailer record /trelə rekɔ d/ noun the speed at which data is transferred from last record in a file containing control or backing store to main memory or from one file characteristics device to another 쑗 With a good telephone transaction /trnzkʃən/ noun a sinline, this pair of modems can achieve a gle action which affects a database, e.g. a transfer rate of 14.4Kbps. sale, a change of address or a new customtransfer time /trnsf tam/ noun er the time taken to transfer data between detransaction-driven system /trn vices or locations zkʃən drv(ə)n sstəm/ noun full transform /trnsfɔ m/ verb to change form of TDS something from one state to another transaction file /trnzkʃən fal/ transformational rules /trnzfə noun same as update file meʃ(ə)n(ə)l ru lz/ noun a set of rules transaction processing /trn applied to data which is to be transformed zkʃən prəυsesŋ/ noun interactive into coded form processing in which a user enters comtransient /trnziənt/ adjective refermands and data on a terminal which is ring to a state or signal which is present for linked to a central computer, with results a short period of time 쐽 noun something being displayed on-screen. Abbr TP which is present for a short period ‘At present, users implementing client-server stratetransient area / trnziənt eəriə/ gies are focusing on decision support systems before noun a section of memory for user proimplementing online transaction processing and other mission-critical applications.’ [Computing] grams and data transaction record /trnzkʃən transient error / trnziənt erə/ noun

rekɔ d/ noun same as change record a temporary error which occurs for a short period of time transceiver /trnsi və/ noun a transmitter and receiver, or a device which can transient read error / trnziənt ri d both transmit and receive signals, e.g. a

erə/ noun an error, caused by bad data reterminal or modem cording, from which a program can recover transcribe /trnskrab/ verb to copy data from one backing storage unit or metransient suppressor / trnziənt sə dium to another (NOTE: transcribes – presə/ noun a device which suppresses transcribing – transcribed) voltage transients transducer /trnzdju sə/ noun an transistor /trnzstə/ noun an elecelectronic device which converts signals in tronic semiconductor device which can one form into signals in another 쑗 the control the current flow in a circuit (NOTE: traffic

transfer

traffic analysis



transfer check



traffic density

transfer command



traffic intensity



transfer control



trailer

transfer rate

trailer record

transaction



transfer time



transaction-driven system



transform



transaction file



transformational rules



transaction processing



transient

transient area

transaction record

transient error



transceiver



transient read error

transcribe



transient suppressor



transducer

transistor





Computing.fm Page 337 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

337 trapdoor transmitter /trnzmtə/ noun a device which will take an input signal, process it , e.g. to modulate or convert it to sound, then transmit it by a medium such as radio or light. Abbr TX transparency /trnsprənsi/ noun (in graphics) the degree to which one ima transition occurs age shows another image beneath it translate /trnslet/ verb to convert transparent /trnsprənt/ adjective data from one form into another (NOTE: referring to a computer program which is translates – translating – translated) not obvious to the user or which cannot be seen by the user when it is running translation tables /trnsleʃ(ə)n

teb(ə)lz/ plural noun same as convertransparent GIF /trns prənt d'i sion tables a ef/ noun a graphic image stored in the translator /trnsletə/, translator GIF file format with one colour from the program /trnsletə prəυrm/ noun palette assigned as a transparent colour a program which translates a high level (NOTE: When the image is displayed, any language program into another language, part of the image in this colour will be usually machine code. 쒁 interpreter, transparent to allow any image beneath There are two main types of transistor, bipolar and unipolar.) transistor-transistor logic /trn

zstə trn zstə lɒd'k/ noun full form of TTL transition point /trnzʃ(ə)n pɔnt/ noun a point in a program or system where

transmitter

translate

transparent



transistor-transistor logic





transition point

transparency









translation tables



transparent GIF



translator





compiler

transmission /trnzmʃ(ə)n/ noun transmission



the process of sending signals from one device to another transmission channel /trnz mʃ(ə)n tʃn(ə)l/ noun a physical connection between two points which allows data to be transmitted, e.g. a link between a CPU and a peripheral transmission channel



transmission

control

transmission control protocol

protocol

/trnz mʃ(ə)n kəntrəυl prəυtəkɒl/ noun full form of TCP 



transmission control protocol/interface program /trnz mʃ(ə)n kən transmission control protocol/interface program





trəυl prəυtəυkɒl ntəfes prəυrm/ noun full form of TCP/IP transmission error /trnz mʃ(ə)n erə/ plural noun an error due to noise on the line transmission medium /trnz mʃ(ə)n mi diəm/ noun a means by which data can be transmitted, e.g. radio or light transmission rate /trnzmʃ(ə)n ret/ noun a measure of the amount of data transmitted in a certain time 쑗 Their average transmission is 64,000 bits per second (bps) through a parallel connection or 19,200 bps through a serial connection. transmissive disk /trnzmsv dsk/ noun an optical data storage disk in which the reading laser beam shines through the disk to a detector below transmit /trnzmt/ verb to send information from one device to another, using any medium such as radio, cable or wire link (NOTE: transmitting – transmitted) transmission error



to show through. This feature is used a lot in webpages to place images on a patterned background.) transparent interrupt /trns prənt ntərpt/ noun a mode in which if an intransparent interrupt



terrupt occurs, all machine and program states are saved, the interrupt is serviced, then the system restores all previous states and continues normally transparent paging /trns prənt ped'ŋ/ noun software which allows the user to access any memory location in a paged memory system as if it were not paged transphasor /trnzfezə/ noun an optical transistor constructed from a crystal which is able to switch a main beam of light according to a smaller input signal transparent paging



transphasor



COMMENT: This is used in the latest research for an optical computer that could run at the speed of light.

transmission medium



transmission rate



transmissive disk



transmit



transportable /trnspɔ təb(ə)l/ adjective which can be carried, though perhaps requiring a vehicle 쑗 A transportable computer is not as small as a portable or a laptop. transport layer /trnspɔ t leə/ noun the fourth layer in the ISO/OSI network model that provides a reliable connection and checks and controls the quality of the connection trap /trp/ noun a device or piece of software or hardware that will catch something such as a variable, fault or value trapdoor /trp dɔ / noun a way of getting into a system to change data, browse or hack transportable



transport layer



trap

trapdoor



Computing.fm Page 338 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

trapezoidal distortion 338 trapezoidal distortion / trpzɔdəl true /tru / adjective referring to a logical dstɔ ʃ(ə)n/ noun same as keystone condition representing a non-zero value. distortion Compare false trap handler /trp hndlə/ noun a TrueType /tru tap/ a trade name for an piece of software that accepts interrupt outline font technology introduced by Apsignals and acts on them, e.g. running a ple and Microsoft as a means of printing special routine or sending data to a periphexactly what is displayed on screen eral truncate /trŋket/ verb 1. to cut sometrashcan /trʃkn/ noun (in a GUI) an thing short 2. to give an approximate value icon which looks like a dustbin that deletes to a number by reducing it to a certain any file that is dragged onto it number of digits 쑗 3.5678 truncated to tree and branch network system 3.56 (NOTE: truncates – truncating – truncated) / tri ən brɑ ntʃ netw k sstəm/ noun a system of networking in which data is truncation /trŋkeʃ(ə)n/ noun retransmitted along a single output line, moval of digits from a number so that it is from which other lines branch out, forma particular length ing a tree structure that feeds individual truncation error /trŋkeʃ(ə)n erə/ stations noun an error caused when a number is tree of folders / tri əv fəυldəz/ noun truncated a view of all the folders stored on a disk artrunk /trŋk/ noun a bus or communicaranged to show folders and subfolders tion link consisting of wires or leads which tree selection sort / tri slekʃən connect different parts of a hardware sys pɔ t/ noun a rapid form of selection in tem which the information from the first sort truth table /tru θ teb(ə)l/ noun a pass is used in the second pass to speed up method of defining a logic function as the selection output state for all possible inputs trellis coding /trels kɒdŋ/ noun a truth value /tru θ vlju / noun each of method of modulating a signal that uses two values, true or false, T or F, 1 or 0, both amplitude and phase modulation to used in Boolean algebra give a greater throughput and lower error rates for data transmission speeds of over TSAPI abbr telephony services applica9,600 bits per second tion programming interface triad /trad/ noun 1. a group of three Tseng Labs /seŋ lbz/ a manufacturer elements, characters or bits 2. a triangular of chipsets used in graphics adapters shaped grouping of the red, green and blue TSR abbr terminate and stay resident colour phosphor spots at each pixel locaTSW abbr telesoftware tion on the screen of a colour RGB moniTTL / ti ti el/ noun the most common tor family of logic gates and high-speed trantrichromatic / trakrəυmtk/ adjecsistor circuit designs in which the bipolar tive 쏡 RGB transistors are directly connected, usually trivial file transfer protocol / trviəl collector to base. Full form transistorfal trnsf prəυtəkɒl/ noun full transistor logic form of TFTP TTL-compatible / ti ti el kəm Trojan Horse /trəυd'(ə)n hɔ s/ noun pɒtb(ə)l/ adjective referring to MOS or a program inserted into a system by a other electronic circuits or components hacker that will perform a harmless functhat can directly connect to and drive TTL tion while copying information held in a circuits classified file into a file with a low priority, TTL logic / ti ti el lɒd'k/ noun the which the hacker can then access without use of TTL design and components to imthe authorised user’s knowledge plement logic circuits and gates troubleshoot /trb(ə)lʃu t/ verb 1. to TTL monitor / ti ti el mɒntə/ noun debug computer software 2. to locate and a monitor which can only accept digital repair faults in hardware signals, so can only display monochrome troubleshooter /trb(ə)lʃu tə/ noun images or a limited range of colours a person who troubleshoots hardware or TTY abbr teletype software (NOTE: troubleshot) trapezoidal distortion

true



trap handler

TrueType

truncate



trashcan

tree and branch network system

truncation



truncation error



tree of folders

trunk

tree selection sort



truth table

trellis coding

truth value

TSAPI

triad

Tseng Labs

TSR

TSW

TTL

trichromatic



trivial file transfer protocol

TTL-compatible

Trojan Horse



TTL logic

troubleshoot

TTL monitor

troubleshooter

TTY

Computing.fm Page 339 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

339 2D tweak / twi k / verb to make small adjusttune /tju n/ verb to set a system at its opments to a program or hardware to imtimum point by careful adjustment (NOTE: prove performance tunes – tuning – tuned) tweening /twi nŋ/ noun (in computer tunnelling /tn(ə)lŋ/ noun a method graphics) the process of calculating the inof enclosing a packet of data from one type termediate images that lead from a starting of network within another packet so that it image to a different finished image 쑗 Uscan be sent over a different, incompatible ing tweening, we can show how a frog network turns into a princess in five steps. Turing machine /tjυrŋ mə ʃi n/ 24/96 / twenti fɔ nanti sks/ popular noun a mathematical model of a device standard for high-performance digital auwhich could read and write data to a condio equipment that provides 24-bit samtrollable tape storage while altering its inples and a sample rate of 96KHz ternal states 24-bit sample / twenti fɔ bt Turing test /tjυrŋ test/ noun a test to sɑ mp(ə)l/ noun single sample of an anadecide if a computer is ‘intelligent’ logue signal which is stored as three bytes turnaround document /t nə raυnd (a 24-bit digital number), meaning that

dɒkjυmənt/ noun a document which is there are 16,777,216 possible levels. 쒁 8printed out from a computer, sent to a user bit sample, 16-bit sample and returned by the user with new notes or twisted-pair cable / twstd peə information written on it, which can be keb(ə)l/ noun a cable which consists of read by a document reader two insulated copper wires twisted around turnaround time /t nəraυnd tam/ each other, to reduce induction and so innoun 1. the length of time it takes to terference switch data flow direction in a half duplex COMMENT: The EIA specifies five levels of casystem 2. the time taken to activate a proble for different purposes. The Category 1 standard defines an older-style unshielded gram and produce the result which the user twisted-pair cable that is formed by loosely has asked for (US) 왘 abbr TAT twisting two insulated wires together to reduce turnkey system /t nki sstəm/ noise and interference; this type of cable is not suitable for data transmission. The Catenoun a complete system which is designed gory 2 (part of the EIA/TIA 568 specification) to a customer’s needs and is ready to use tune

tweak

tunnelling

tweening

Turing machine



24/96

24-bit sample

Turing test

turnaround document



twisted-pair cable

turnaround time

turnkey system

standard defines a type of unshielded twistedpair cable that can be used to transmit data at rates up to 4MHz. The Category 3 (part of the EIA/TIA 568 specification) standard defines a type of unshielded twisted-pair cable that can be used to transmit data at rates up to 10MHz; this type of cable is the minimum standard of cable required for a 10BaseT network. The standard suggests that the cable should have three twists per foot of cable. The Category 4 (part of the EIA/TIA 568 specification) standard defines a type of unshielded twisted-pair cable that is the minimum standard of cable required for data transmission rates up to 16Mbit/second on a Token Ring network. The Category 5 (part of the EIA/TIA 568 specification) standard defines a type of cable that can carry data transmitted at up to 100MHz and is suitable for FDDI over copper wire, 100BaseT or other high-speed networks.

(NOTE: To operate it, the user only has to switch it on or turn a key.) turtle /t t(ə)l/ noun a device whose turtle

movements and position are controllable, used to draw graphics with instructions in the computer language LOGO (NOTE: It is

either a device which works on a flat surface (floor turtle) or one which draws on a VDU screen (screen turtle), and is often used as a teaching aid.) turtle graphics /t t(ə)l rfks/ plural noun graphic images created using a turtle graphics

turtle and a series of commands 쑗 The charts were prepared using turtle graphics. TV / ti vi / abbr television TV-out / ti vi aυt/ noun a connector on a computer or graphics adapter that provides a modulated signal that can be displayed on a standard television or recorded on a video recorder TWAIN /twen/ noun an application programming interface standard developed by Hewlett-Packard, Logitech, Eastman Kodak, Aldus, and Caere that allows software to control image hardware TV

TV-out

TWAIN

twisted-pair Ethernet / twstd peə i θənet/ noun a star-topology network that uses twisted-pair cable and transmits data at 10 Mbps;. Also called 10BaseT two-address instruction / tu ədres n strkʃən/ noun an instruction format containing the location of two operands, the result being stored in one of the operand locations 2D / tu di / object in a graphic image that has only the appearance of width and twisted-pair Ethernet

two-address instruction





2D

Computing.fm Page 340 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

two-dimensional 340 height, not depth, so does not look like a type /tap/ noun 1. printed characters on solid object a page 쑗 they switched to italic type for the heading 2. the definition of the processes two-dimensional / tu da or sorts of data which a variable in a commenʃən(ə)l/ adjective which has two diputer can contain 쐽 verb to enter informamensions, i.e. flat, with no depth tion via a keyboard 쑗 I typed in the comtwo-dimensional array /tu da mand again, but it still didn’t work. (NOTE:

menʃ(ə)nəl əre/ noun an ordered structypes – typing – typed) ture whose elements are arranged as a table of rows and columns Type 1 /tap wn/ noun a set of four wires arranged as two pairs of solid wires two-input adder / tu npυt də/ adsurrounded by a braided shield to reduce jective 쏡 half adder interference two-level subroutine / tu lev(ə)l Type 2 /tap tu / noun a set of twelve sbru ti n/ noun a subroutine containing another subroutine wires arranged as six pairs of wire, used for voice transmission two-part /tu pɑ t/ noun referring to paper with a top sheet for the original and a Type 3 /tap θri / noun a twisted pair of second sheet for a copy 쑗 two-part invoicwires, used for telephone wire es Type 5 /tap fav/ noun 100–140 mitwo-pass assembler / tu pɑ s ə cron diameter fibre optic cable semblə/ noun an assembler which conType 6 / tap sx/ noun a set of four sepverts an assembly language program into arate wires arranged as two pairs, with machine code in two passes (NOTE: The each wire made up of strands of fine wire first pass stores symbolic addresses, the Type 8 /tap et/ noun a set of four sepsecond converts them to absolute adarate wires arranged as two pairs, forming dresses.) shielded cable with no twists two-phase commit / tu fez kəmt/ Type cable /tap keb(ə)l/ noun a noun (in a database) a function that enspecification for cables defined by IBM sures that each step of a transaction is cortypeface /tap fes/ noun a set of charrect and valid before committing the acters in a particular design and particular changes to the database weight 쑗 Most of this book is set in the two-plus-one-address instruction Times typeface. /tu pls wn ədres/, two-plus-one intypesetter /tap setə/ noun a machine struction /tu pls wn/ noun an instrucwhich produces very high-quality text outtion containing locations of two operands put using a laser to create an image on phoand an address for the storage of the result tosensitive paper, usually at a resolution of two’s complement /tu z 1275 or 2450 dpi

kɒmplmənt/ noun a complement type size /tap saz/ noun the size of a formed by adding one to the one’s complefont, measured in points ment of a binary number, often used to represent negative binary numbers type style /tap stal/ noun the weight TX abbr transmitter and angle of a font, e.g. bold or italic type

two-dimensional



two-dimensional array





Type 1

two-input adder

two-level subroutine

Type 2

two-part

Type 3

Type 5

two-pass assembler



Type 6

Type 8

two-phase commit



Type cable

typeface



two-plus-one-address instruction



typesetter



two’s complement

type size

type style

TX

Computing.fm Page 341 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

U UA / ju e/ noun (in an X.400 email UA

system) software that ensures a mail message has the correct header information and then delivers it to the message transfer agent which sends the message to its destination. Full form user agent UART /ju ɑ t/ noun a chip which converts asynchronous serial bit streams to a parallel form or parallel data to a serial bit stream. Full form universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter UART controller /ju ɑ t kən trəυlə/ noun a circuit that uses a UART to convert serial data from a terminal into a parallel form, then transmits it over a network UBC abbr universal block channel UDP / ju di pi / noun a protocol that is part of TCP/IP that is often used in network management and SNMP applications. Full form user datagram protocol UHF / ju etʃ ef/ noun a range of frequencies normally used to transmit television signals. Full form ultra high frequency ULA / ju el e/ noun a chip containing a number of unconnected logic circuits and gates which can then be connected by a customer to provide a required function. Full form uncommitted logic array ulaw /ju lɔ / noun a method of encoding digital sound samples so that an 8-bit word can store a 14-bit sound sample Ultimedia / ltimidiə/ a trade name for a multimedia concept developed by IBM that combines sound, video, images and text, and defines the hardware required to run it ultra- /ltrə/ prefix very large Ultra-2 SCSI / ltrə tu es si es a/ noun an extension to the SCSI hard disk interface that supports either 8-bit data transfers at a rate of 40 Mbits/second or 16-bit data transfers at a rate of 80 Mbits/second (NOTE: This standard can support 15 devices.) UART

UART controller



UBC

UDP

UHF

ULA

ulaw

Ultimedia



ultra-

Ultra-2 SCSI

Ultra ATA / ltrə e ti e/ noun a version of the AT Attachment hard disk drive interface standard that can support a data transfer rate of up to 33 MBps (NOTE: To Ultra ATA

manage this high-speed data transfer from the hard disk interface to the rest of your PC, it needs to have a high-speed version of DMA.) ultra high frequency / ltrə ha fri kwənsi/ noun full form of UHF Ultra SCSI / ltrə es si es a/ noun an ultra high frequency

Ultra SCSI

extension to the SCSI hard disk interface that supports either 8-bit data transfers at a rate of 20 Mbits/second or 16-bit data transfers at a rate of 40 Mbits/second

(NOTE: This standard can support 15 devices.) ultraviolet erasable PROM /ltrə

vaələt  rezəb(ə)l pi rɒm/ noun an ultraviolet erasable PROM





EPROM whose contents are erased by exposing to UV light ultraviolet light / ltrəvaələt lat/ noun full form of UV light UMTS / ju em ti es/ noun a third generation mobile communication system that supports voice data, and video signals to the handset. Full form universal mobile ultraviolet light

UMTS

telecommunications system unallowable digit /nə laυəb(ə)l dd't/ noun an illegal combination of unallowable digit



bits in a word, according to predefined rules unarchive /nɑ kav/ verb to retrieve a computer file from an archive where it has been stored (NOTE: unarchives – unarunarchive



chiving – unarchived)

operation / ju nəri ɒpə reʃ(ə)n/ noun a computing operation on only one operand, e.g. the logical NOT operation unattended operation / nətendd

ɒpəreʃ(ə)n/ noun an operation that can proceed without the need for a person to supervise unary unary operation

unattended operation





Computing.fm Page 342 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

unauthorised 342 you can undo it from the option in the Edit unauthorised /nɔ θərazd/, unauthorized adjective which has not been aumenu. (NOTE: undoes – undoing – undid) thorised 쑗 The use of a password is to prevent unauthorised access to the data. unedited /nedtd/ adjective which unbundled software /n bnd(ə)ld has not been edited sɒftweə/ noun software which is not inunformatted /nfɔ mtd/ adjective cluded in the price of the equipment 1. referring to a text file which contains no unclocked /nklɒkd/ adjective referformatting commands, margins or typoring to an electronic circuit or flip-flop graphical commands 쑗 It is impossible to which changes state as soon as an input copy to an unformatted disk. 2. referring to changes, not with a clock signal a disk which has not been formatted 쑗 The uncommitted logic array cartridge drive provides 12.7Mbyte of un/ nkəmtd lɒd'k ə re/ noun full form formatted storage. of ULA unformatted capacity /n fɔ mtd uncommitted storage list kəpsti/ noun the capacity of a magnet/ nkəmtd stɔ rd' lst/ noun a table ic disk before it has been formatted of the areas of memory in a system that are unformatted disk /n fɔ mtd free or have not been allocated  dsk/ noun a magnetic disk which has unconditional / nkəndʃ(ə)nəl/ adnot been formatted (NOTE: Disks must be jective which does not depend on any conformatted before use.) dition being met ungroup /nru p/ verb to convert a unconditional branch / nkən single complex object back into a series of dʃ(ə)nəl brɑ ntʃ/, unconditional separate objects jump / nkəndʃ(ə)nəl d'mp/, ununi- /ju ni/ prefix one or single conditional transfer noun an instruction unicast /ju nikɑ st/ noun a transmiswhich transfers control from one point in sion from a single computing terminal to the program to another, without depending one other terminal on any condition being met uniform resource locator uncorrupted / nkərptd/ adjective / ju nfɔ m rzɔ s ləυ keitə/ noun full referring to a computer file or database form of URL that is free of errors or viruses uninstall / nnstɑ l/ verb to remove a undelete /ndi t/ verb to restore depiece of software from a computer leted information or a deleted file 쑗 Don’t uninterruptible power supply worry, this function will undelete your cuts / nntərptb(ə)l paυə sə pla/ noun to the letter. (NOTE: undeletes – undeletfull form of UPS ing – undeleted) union /ju njən/ noun a logical function underflow /ndəfləυ/ noun the result which produces a true output if any input of a numerical operation that is too small is true to be represented with the given accuracy unipolar / ju nipəυlə/ adjective 1. (reof a computer ferring to a transistor ) which can act as a underline noun a line drawn or printed variable current flow control (NOTE: An under a piece of text. Also called underexternal signal varies the resistance of score 쐽 verb to print or write a line under the device.) 2. referring to a transmission a piece of text (NOTE: underlines – unsystem in which a positive voltage pulse derlining – underlined) and zero volts represents the binary bits 1 underlining / ndəlanŋ/ noun a and 0 word-processing command which underunipolar signal /ju n pəυlə sn(ə)l/ lines text noun a signal that uses only positive voltunderscore /ndəskɔ / noun, verb age levels same as underline (NOTE: underscores – underscoring – underscored) unique identifier /ju ni k a dentfaə/ noun a set of characters used undetected error / ndtektd erə/ to distinguish between different resources noun an error which is not detected by a in a multimedia book coding system undo /ndu / verb to reverse the previunit /ju nt/ noun 1. the smallest eleous action, normally an editing command ment 2. a single machine, possibly with 쑗 You’ve just deleted the paragraph, but many different parts unauthorised



unedited



unbundled software



unformatted



unclocked



uncommitted logic array



unformatted capacity



uncommitted storage list



unformatted disk



unconditional



ungroup



unconditional branch



uni-



unicast

uniform resource locator

uncorrupted







uninstall

undelete



uninterruptible power supply



union

underflow

unipolar



underline

underlining



unipolar signal



underscore

unique identifier



undetected error

unit

undo





Computing.fm Page 343 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

343 unprotected oped by AT&T Bell Laboratories to run on unit buffer /ju nt bfə/ noun a buffer unit buffer

which is one character long (NOTE: Usually used to mean that there are no buffering facilities) unit record /ju nt rekɔ d/ noun a

almost any computer, from PCs to minicomputers and large mainframes

universal / ju nv s(ə)l/ adjective

copy / ju nks tə

ju nks kɒpi/ noun a software utility that helps make it easier for a user to copy data from one computer running UNIX via a serial link to another computer running UNIX. Abbr UUCP unjustified /nd'stfad/ adjective referring to text which has not been justified unjustified tape /nd'st fad tep/ noun a tape containing unformatted text, which cannot be printed until formatting data such as justification, line width and page size has been added by a computer unlock /nlɒk/ verb to make it possible for other users to write to a file or access a system unmoderated list /n mɒdəretd lst/ noun a mailing list that sends any material submitted to the listserv on to all the subscribers without a person reading or checking the content unmodified instruction /n

mɒdfad nstrkʃən/ noun a program instruction which is directly processed without modification to obtain the operation to be performed unmodulated /nmɒdjυletd/ adjective referring to a signal which has not been modulated unmount /nmaυnt/ verb 1. to remove a disk from a disk drive 2. to inform the operating system that a disk drive is no longer in active use unpack /npk/ verb to remove packed data from storage and expand it to its former state 쑗 This routine unpacks the archived file. unplug /npl/ verb to take a plug out of a socket 쑗 Do not move the system without unplugging it. (NOTE: unplugging –

unit record

single record of information

universal

UNIX-to-UNIX UNIX-to-UNIX copy



which applies everywhere or which can be used everywhere or used for a number of tasks

universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter / ju nv səl universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter

esŋkrənəs r si və trnzmtə/ noun full form of UART 



universal

block

universal block channel

channel

/ ju nv s(ə)l blɒk tʃn(ə)l/ noun a

communications channel allowing high speed transfer of blocks of data to and from high speed peripherals. Abbr UBC universal device / ju nv s(ə)l d vas/ noun 1. same as UART 2. same as USRT 3. same as USART universal device



universal mobile telecommunications system / ju nv s(ə)l məυbal universal mobile telecommunications system

telikəmju n keʃ(ə)nz sstəm/ noun full form of UMTS 

universal

product

universal product code

code

/ ju nv s(ə)l prɒdkt kəυd/ noun a

standard printed bar coding system used to identify products in a shop using a bar code reader or at a EPOS. Abbr UPC

universal

resource

locator

universal serial bus

universal set



conform to a set of rules 쑗 The universal set of prime numbers less than 10 and greater than 2 is 3,5,7.

universal synchronous asynchronous receiver/transmitter universal synchronous asynchronous receiver/transmitter





universal synchronous receiver/transmitter / ju nv s(ə)l universal synchronous receiver/transmitter

sŋkrənəs r si və trnsmtə/ noun full form of USRT UNIX /ju nks/ noun a popular multiuser, multitasking operating system devel

UNIX





unlock



unmoderated list







/ ju nv səl sŋkrənəs esŋkrənəs r

si və trnzmtə/ noun full form of USART



unmodulated

/ ju nv s(ə)l rzɔ s ləυ keitə/ noun full form of URL universal serial bus / ju nv s(ə)l səriəl bs/ noun full form of USB universal set / ju nv s(ə)l set/ noun a complete set of elements which 

unjustified tape



writing of a program which is not specific to one machine, so that it can run on several machines

universal





/ ju nv s(ə)l prəυrmŋ/ noun the

universal resource locator

unjustified

unmodified instruction

programming

universal programming

‘Hampshire fire brigade is investing £2 million in a command and control system based on the new SeriesFT fault-tolerant Unix machine from Motorola.’ [Computing]

unmount



unpack



unplug



unplugged)

unpopulated /npɒpjυletd/ adjecunpopulated



tive referring to a printed circuit board which does not yet contain any components or whose sockets are empty unprotected / nprətektd/ adjective referring to data which can be modified and is not protected by a security measure unprotected



Computing.fm Page 344 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

unprotected field 344 update file /pdet fal/ noun a file unprotected field / nprətektd containing recent changes or transactions fi l*d/ noun a section of a computer disto records which is used to update the masplay that a user can modify ter file. Also called detail file, transacunrecoverable error /nr tion file

kvərəb(ə)l erə/ noun a computer hardup/down counter /p daυn kaυntə/ ware or software error which causes a pronoun an electronic counter which can ingram to crash crement or decrement a counter with each unshielded twisted-pair cable input pulse / nʃi ldd twstd peə keb(ə)l/ noun upgrade /pred/ verb to make a sysfull form of UTP cable tem more powerful or more up -to date by unsigned /nsand/ adjective referring adding new equipment or facilities 쑗 They to a number system which does not reprecan upgrade the printer. (NOTE: upgrades sent negative numbers – upgrading – upgraded) unsolicited mail / nsəlstd mel/ upkeep /pki p/ noun the process of noun an advertising email message that keeping data up-to-date 쑗 The upkeep of has not been requested. 쒁 spam (NOTE: Do the files means reviewing them every six not send out unsolicited mail to unknown months. email addresses unless you want to anuplink /plŋk/ noun a transmission noy the recipients and damage your link from an earth station to a satellite company’s reputation) upload /p ləυd/ verb 1. to transfer data unsorted /nsɔ td/ adjective referring files or programs from a small computer to to data which has not been sorted 쑗 It took a main CPU 쑗 The user can upload PC four times as long to search the unsorted data to update mainframe applications. 2. file. to transfer a file from one computer to a unsubscribe / nsəbskrab/ verb to BBS or host computer 쑗 The image can be cancel a subscription to or registration manipulated before it is uploaded to the with something, especially an email mailhost computer. 왘 opposite download ing list (NOTE: unsubscribes – unsubuppercase / pəkes/ noun the style of scribing – unsubscribed) capital letters and other symbols on a key‘All commercial messages will have to include full board which are accessed by pressing the details of the sender’s name and physical address, as shift key well as an unsubscribe option allowing recipients to stop any further messages.’ [The Guardian] upper memory / pə mem(ə)ri/ noun unsupported / nsəpɔ td/ adjective (in an IBM PC) 384 Kb of memory located having no technical support system between the 640 Kb and 1 Mb limits, after the 640 Kb conventional memory but beunzip /nzp/ verb to restore a comfore the high memory areas above the 1 pressed computer file to its original size Mb range (NOTE: unzipping – unzipped) UPS / ju pi es/ noun a power supply up /p/ adverb referring to a computer or which can continue to provide a regulated program that is working or running 쑗 They supply to equipment even after a mains must have found the fault – the computer is power failure, using a battery. Full form finally up and running. uninterruptible power supply UPC abbr universal product code ‘Magnum Power Systems has launched a new UPS up conversion /p kənv ʃ(ə)n/ for PCs. The BI-UPS prevents loss of data due to noun same as scan conversion power dips or ‘brown-outs’ – voltage drops because of circuit overload.’ [Computing] update noun /pdet/ 1. a master file uptime, up time noun the time during which has been made up -to date by adding which a device is operational and errornew material 2. a piece of printed informafree. Opposite downtime tion which is an up-to-date revision of earupward compatible, upwards comlier information 3. a new version of a syspatible adjective referring to hardware or tem which is sent to users of the existing software designed to be compatible either system 쐽 verb /pdet/ to change or add with earlier models or with future models to specific data in a master file so as to which have not yet been developed make the information up -to date 쑗 He has URL / ju ɑ el/ noun an Internet system the original and updated documents on used to standardise the way in which disks. (NOTE: updates – updating – updated) World Wide Web addresses are written; unprotected field

update file





unrecoverable error



up/down counter

unshielded twisted-pair cable

upgrade



unsigned



unsolicited mail



upkeep

uplink

upload

unsorted





unsubscribe



uppercase



upper memory

unsupported



unzip



UPS

up

UPC

up conversion



update

uptime

upward compatible



URL

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345 user-operated language made up of three parts: the first is the prouser-definable /ju zə d fanəb(ə)l/ tocol (such as HTTP or FTP), then the doadjective referring to a feature or section main name of the service and finally the of a program that a user can customise as directory or file name 쑗 The URL of the required 쑗 The style sheet contains 125 Bloomsbury Publishing home page is ‘htuser-definable symbols. tp://www.bloomsbury.com’. Full form uniuser-defined character / ju zə d form resource locator

fand krktə/ plural noun a character COMMENT: It is made up of three parts: the first which is created by the user and added to is the protocol, e.g. HTTP or FTP, then the dothe standard character set main name of the service and finally the directory or file name – ‘http://www.bloomsbury. user documentation / ju zə dɒkjυ com/index.html’ menteʃ(ə)n/ noun documentation prousability / ju zəblti/ noun the ease vided with a program which helps the user with which hardware or software can be run it 쑗 Using the package was easy with used 쑗 We have studied usability tests and the excellent user documentation. found that a GUI is easier for new users user-friendly / ju zə frendli/ adjecthan a command line. tive referring to a language, system or proUSART /ju zɑ t/ noun a chip which can gram which is easy to use and interact with be instructed by a CPU to communicate ‘ModelMaker saves researchers a great deal of time with asynchronous or synchronous bit and effort, and provides a highly user-friendly environment using menus and ‘buttons’, instant output, streams or parallel data lines. Full form user-definable



user-defined character



user documentation



usability



user-friendly

USART

universal synchronous asynchronous receiver-transmitter USASCII / ju es ski / abbr USA USASCII

standard code for information interchange. 쏡 ASCII

USB / ju es bi / noun a standard definUSB

ing a high-speed serial interface that transfers data at up to 12Mbps and allows up to 127 compatible peripherals to be connected to a computer. Full form universal serial bus. 쒁 Firewire Usenet /ju z net/ noun a section of the Internet that provides forums, called newsgroups, in which any user can add a message or comment on any other message user /ju zə/ noun 1. a person who uses a computer, machine or software 2. a keyboard operator Usenet



user

‘…the user’s guides are designed for people who have never seen a computer, but some sections have been spoiled by careless checking’ [PC User]

user account /ju zə ə kaυnt/ noun (in user account



a network or multiuser system) a record which identifies a user, contains his or her password and holds his or her rights to use resources 쑗 I have a new user account on this LAN but I cannot remember my password. user agent /ju zə ed'ənt/ noun full form of UA user area /ju zə eəriə/ noun a part of memory which is available for the user, and does not contain the operating system user datagram protocol / ju zə detərm prəυtəkɒl/ noun full form of UDP user agent

user area

user datagram protocol

and instant access to a wide variety of mathematical techniques built into the system.’ [Computing]

software / ju zə

frendli sɒftweə/ noun a program which is easy for a nonexpert to use and interact with user group /ju zə ru p/ noun an association or club of users of a particular system or computer 쑗 I found how to solve the problem by asking people at the user group meeting. user guide /ju zə ad/ noun a manual describing how to use a software package or system user ID / ju zə a di / noun a unique identification code which allows a computer to recognise a user 쑗 If you forget your user ID, you will not be able to log on. user interface /ju zə ntəfes/ noun hardware or software designed to make it easier for a user to communicate with a machine user level /ju zə lev(ə)l/ noun (in authoring software) one of two modes that allows a user to run and interact with a multimedia application but not to modify it in any way user name /ju zə nem/ noun (in a network or multi-user system) a name by which a user is known to the system and which opens the correct user account user-operated language / ju zə

ɒpəretd lŋwd'/ noun a high-level programming language which allows certain problems or procedures to be easily expressed user-friendly user-friendly software

user group

user guide

user ID

user interface

user level

user name

user-operated language

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user port 346 user port /ju zə pɔ t/ noun a socket such routine activities as file searching, which allows peripherals to be connected copying files, file directories, sorting and debugging and various mathematical functo a computer tions user program /ju zə prəυrm/ noun a program written by a user, often in UTP cable / ju ti pi keb(ə)l/ noun a high-level language a cable consisting of two insulated copper user-selectable / ju zə slektəb(ə)l/ wires twisted around each other, to reduce adjective which can be chosen or selected induction and so interference. Full form by the user unshielded twisted-pair cable user’s manual /ju zəz mnjυəl/ COMMENT: UTP is normally used for telephone cabling, but is also the cabling used in the noun a booklet showing how a device or IEEE 802.3 (10BaseT) standard that defines system should be used Ethernet running over UTP at rates of up to 10 user’s program /ju zəz prəυrm/ Mbits per second. Unlike STP cable, the pair noun a computer software written by a of wires are not wrapped in any other layer. user rather than a manufacturer UUCP abbr Unix-to-Unix copy USRT / ju es ɑ ti / noun a single inteUuencoding / ju ju nkəυdŋ/ noun grated circuit which can carry out all the a method of converting documents and serial to parallel and interfacing operations files to a pseudo-text format that allows required between a computer and transthem to be transmitted as an email mesmission line. Full form universal synsage user port

user program

UTP cable

user-selectable



user’s manual

user’s program

UUCP

USRT

Uuencoding



chronous receiver/transmitter utility program /ju tlti prəυrm/ noun a program which is concerned with

COMMENT: This gets around the Internet’s inability to transfer messages that are not text. It has now been largely replaced by MIME.

utility program



V V abbr voltage V20 noun a range of processor chips V

V20

made by NEC, which are compatible with the Intel 8088 and 8086. Also called V30 V.21 noun an outdated full duplex communications standard at 300 baud (NOTE: V.21

In the USA, the Bell 103 standard was used instead.) V.22 noun a half-duplex communication standard at 1,200 bps (NOTE: In the USA, the Bell 212A standard was more commonly used.) V.22bis noun a full-duplex modem comV.22

V.22bis

munication standard transferring data at up to 2,400 bps V.29 noun a half-duplex modem communication standard transferring data at up to 9,600 bps (NOTE: This standard is generV.29

ally used by fax modems.)

V30 noun 쏡 V20 V.32 noun a full-duplex modem commuV30

V.32

nication standard that can transfer data at up to 9,600 bps but can also automatically adjust its speed based on the quality of the telephone line, in order to avoid errors V.32bis noun a protocol similar to the V.32 protocol but able to transfer data at rates up to 14,400 bps. V.42 noun an error-detection system that can be used to reduce errors due to poor telephone line quality. 쒁 MNP V.42bis noun a data compression system that increases the data transfer rate up to 34,000 bps V.90 noun a full-duplex modem data communication standard at up to 56,600 bps V.32bis

V.42

V.42bis

V.90

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347 VCR age location which can contain any vaccine /vksi n/ noun a software utilvaccine

ity used to check a system to see if any viruses are present, and remove any that are found valid /vld/ adjective correct, according to a set of rules validate /vl det/ verb to check that an input or data is correct according to a set of rules (NOTE: validates – validating valid

validate



– validated)

validation / vldeʃ(ə)n/ noun a check performed to validate data. 쒁 verifivalidation



cation

validity /vəldti/ noun the correctness validity



of an instruction or password validity check /vəldəti tʃek/ noun a check that data or results are realistic valid memory address / vld mem(ə)ri ə dres/ noun a signal on a control bus indicating that an address is available on the address bus value /vlju / noun what something is worth, either in money or as a quantity value-added / vlju dd/ adjective (with extra benefit for a user value-added network / vlju dd netw k/ noun a commercial network which offers information services, e.g. stock prices, weather, email or advice, as well as basic file transfer. Abbr VAN value-added reseller / vlju dd ri selə/ noun a company that buys hardware or software and adds another feature, customises or offers an extra service to attract customers. Abbr VAR VAN /vn/ abbr value-added network V & V / vi ənd vi / noun the process of testing a system to check that it is functioning correctly and that it is suitable for the tasks intended. Full form verification validity check



valid memory address



value

value-added

value-added network

value-added reseller

number or characters and which may vary during the program run. Opposite constant

variable data / veəriəb(ə)l detə/ variable data

noun data which can be modified, and is not write protected

variable variable data rate video

data

rate

video

/ veəriəb(ə)l detə ret vdiəυ/ noun full form of VDRV variable data type / veəriəb(ə)l detə tap/ noun a variable that can convariable data type

tain any sort of data, e.g. numerical or text variable format / veəriəb(ə)l fɔ mt/ noun a changing method of arranging data or text within an area variable length record / veəriəb(ə)l leŋθ rekɔ d/ noun a record which can be of any length variable name /veəriəb(ə)l nem/ noun a word used to identify a variable in a program variable format

variable length record

variable name

variable word length computer variable word length computer

/ veəriəb(ə)l w d leŋθ kəmpju tə/ noun a computer in which the number of 

bits which make up a word is variable, and varies according to the type of data VB abbr Visual Basic VBA abbr Visual Basic for Applications Vbox /vi bɒks/ noun a device that allows several VCRs, videodiscs and camcorders to be attached and controlled by one unit, developed by Sony. Full form VB

VBA

Vbox

video box

VBScript /vi bi skrpt/ abbr Visual VBScript

VAN

Basic Script. Compare JavaScript

V & V

VBX

and validation

vanishing vanishing point perspective

point

perspective

/vnʃŋ pɔnt pə spektv/ noun graph

ics displayed in two dimensions that have the appearance of depth as all lines converge at a vanishing point and objects appear smaller as they are further from the user vapourware /vepəweə/ noun products which exist in name only (informal ) vapourware

‘Rivals dismissed the initiative as IBM vapourware, designed to protect its installed base of machines running under widely differing operating systems.’ [Computing]

VAR abbr value-added reseller variable /veəriəb(ə)l/ adjective which VAR

variable

is able to change 쐽 noun a register or stor-

VBX abbr Visual Basic Extension (NOTE: Originally developed as a way of adding extra programming features to the Microsoft VB programming language, it is now a standard that can be used by many Windows programming tools; a VBX can be used in 16-bit or 32-bit Windows (versions 3.x or 95) whereas an OCX control will only work with 32-bit Windows (version 95 and later).) VCR / vi si ɑ / noun a machine that can VCR

record analog video signals onto a magnetic cassette tape and play back the tape to display video on a monitor. Full form vid-

eo cassette recorder COMMENT: The most popular formats are: 1inch tape, used for studio-quality mastering; 3/4-inch tape, which was widely used but has now been mostly replaced by 1/2-inch tape; 1/2-inch VHS format tape, which was first used only in the home but has now mostly replaced 3/4-inch tape; 1/2-inch Beta format

Computing.fm Page 348 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

VDRV

348 verification / verfkeʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of checking that data has been keyboarded correctly or that data transVDRV / vi di ɑ vi / noun a digital vidferred from one medium to another has eo system that can adjust the amount of been transferred correctly data used to represent each different frame verification and validation and so adjust image quality or stay within / verfkeʃ(ə)n ən vl deʃ(ə)n/ noun bandwidth limits. Full form variable data full form of V & V rate video verifier /verfaə/ noun a special device VDU / vi di ju / noun a terminal with a for verifying input data screen and a keyboard, on which text or verify /ver fa/ verb to check that data graphics can be viewed and information recorded or entered is correct (NOTE: verientered. Full form visual display unit tape, which was the first home VCR format but is no longer used. Some VCRs can be used to store digital data for data backup.

verification



VDRV

verification and validation



verifier

VDU

verify



fies – verifying – verifies)

vector /vektə/ noun 1. the address vector

vectored interrupt

vector font

vector graphics

vector scan The images are described by line length and direction from an origin to plot lines and so build up an image rather than a description of each pixel, as in a bitmap. A vector image can be easily and accurately resized with no loss of detail.

version

version control



version number

vertical

vertical application



vector processor /vektə prəυsesə/ vector processor

noun a coprocessor that operates on one row or column of an array at a time Veitch diagram /vatʃ daərm/ noun a graphical representation of a truth table vendor /vendə/ noun a person who manufactures, sells or supplies hardware or software products vendor-independent / vendə nd pendənt/ adjective referring to hardware or software that will work with hardware and software manufactured by other vendors Veitch diagram

vendor

vendor-independent



vendor-independent



with Gopher to help a user find information or files on the World Wide Web version /v ʃ(ə)n/ noun a copy or program or statement which is slightly different from others 쑗 The latest version of the software includes an improved graphics routine. version control /v ʃ(ə)n kən trəυl/ noun a utility software that allows several programmers to work on a source file and monitors the changes that have been made by each programmer version number /v ʃ(ə)n nmbə/ noun the number of the version of a product vertex /v teks/ noun a point in space defined by the three coordinates x, y and z vertical /v tk(ə)l/ adjective at right angles to the horizontal vertical application / v tk(ə)l pl keʃ(ə)n/ noun application software that has been designed for a specific use, rather than for general use 쑗 Your new software to manage a florist’s is a good vertical application. vertical axis / v tk(ə)l kss/ noun a reference line used for vertical coordinates on a graph vertex

COMMENT:

vendor-independent messaging

Veronica /vərɒnkə/ a tool that works Veronica

which directs a computer to a new memory location 2. a coordinate that consists of a magnitude and direction vectored interrupt / vektəd ntərpt/ noun an interrupt signal which directs the processor to a routine at a particular address vector font /vektə fɒnt/ noun the shape of characters within a font that are drawn vector graphics, allowing the characters to be scaled to almost any size without changing the quality vector graphics /vektə rfks/, vector image noun a system of drawing objects using curves and lines. Also called

messaging

/ vendə ndpendənt mesd'ŋ/ noun full form of VIM Venn diagram /ven daərm/ noun Venn diagram

a graphical representation of the relationships between the states in a system or circuit

vertical axis

vertical

blanking

vertical blanking interval

interval

/ v tk(ə)l blŋkŋ ntəvəl/ noun 쏡 raster vertical format unit / v tk(ə)l fɔ mt ju nt/ noun a part of the control vertical format unit

system of a printer which governs the vertical format of the document to be printed, e.g. vertical spacing or page length. Abbr VFU

vertical

interval

vertical interval time code

time

code

/ v tk(ə)l ntəv(ə)l tam kəυd/ noun full form of VITC vertical justification / v tk(ə)l

d'stfkeʃ(ə)n/ noun the adjustment vertical justification



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349 video controller of the spacing between lines of text to fit a via /vaə/ preposition going through section of text into a page something or using something to get to a destination 쑗 The signals have reached us vertically /v tkli/ adverb from top to via satellite. bottom or going up and down at right anVidCap /vdkp/ noun a utility progles to the horizontal 쑗 The page has been gram used in the Microsoft VFW system justified vertically. to capture a video sequence vertical parity check / v tk(ə)l video /vdiəυ/ noun text or images or prti tʃek/ noun an error detection test graphics viewed on television or a monitor in which the bits of a word are added and compared with a correct total video adapter /vdiəυ ə dptə/ noun an add-in board which converts data into vertical portal / v tk(ə)l pɔ t(ə)l/ electrical signals to drive a monitor and noun full form of VORTAL display text and graphics. Also called vidvertical redundancy check eo board, video controller / v tk(ə)l rdndənsi tʃek/ noun full video bandwidth / vdiəυ form of VRC bndwdθ/ noun the maximum display vertical scan frequency / v tk(ə)l resolution, measured in MHz, and calcuskn fri kwənsi/ noun the number of lated by horizontal x vertical resolution x times a picture beam in a monitor moves refreshes/sec (NOTE: TV studio recording from the last line back up to the first is limited to 5 MHz; TV broadcasting is vertical scrolling / v tk(ə)l limited to 3.58 MHz) skrəυlŋ/ noun displayed text which video board /vdiəυ bɔ d/ noun same moves up or down the computer screen as video adapter one line at a time video buffer /vdiəυ bfə/ noun vertical sync signal / v tk(ə)l sŋk memory in a video adapter that is used to

sn(ə)l/ noun (in a video signal ) a signal store the bitmap of the image being diswhich indicates the end of the last trace at played the bottom of the display video capture board / vdiəυ vertical tab / v tk(ə)l tb/ noun the kptʃə bɔ d/ noun a board that plugs number of lines that should be skipped beinto an expansion socket inside a PC and fore printing starts again lets a user capture a TV picture and store it very large scale integration / veri in memory so that it can then be processed lɑ d' skel ntreʃ(ə)n/ noun full by a computer form of VLSI video cassette recorder / vdiəυ kə VESA abbr Video Electronics Standards set r kɔ də/ noun full form of VCR Association video-CD / vdiəυ si di / noun a CDVESA local bus / vi i es e ləυk(ə)l ROM that stores digital video data conbs/ noun full form of VL-bus forming to the Philips White Book standvestigial side band /ves td'iəl sad ard and uses MPEG compression for the

bnd/ noun full form of VSB full-motion video data V format /vi fɔ mt/ noun data organvideo clip noun a short video sequence isation, in which variable length records video codec / vdiəυ kəυdek/ noun are stored with a header which contains an electronic device to convert a video sigtheir length nal to or from a digital form VFU abbr vertical format unit video compression / vdiəυ kəm VFW abbr Video for Windows preʃ(ə)n/ noun algorithms used to compress analog television signals so that they VGA / vi d'i e/ noun (in an IBM PC) can be efficiently broadcast over a digital a standard of video adapter developed by channel IBM that can support a display with a resolution up to 640 x 480 pixels in up to 256 video conferencing /vdiəυ colours, superseded by SVGA

kɒnf(ə)rənsŋ/ noun the linking of video, audio and computer signals from difVGA feature connector / vi d'i e ferent locations so that distant people can fi tʃə kə nektə/ noun a 26-pin edge contalk and see each other, as if in a confernector or port of a VGA display adapter, ence room usually at the top edge, that allows another video controller / vdiəυ kəntrəυlə/ device to access its palette information and noun same as video adapter clock signals via

vertically

VidCap

vertical parity check

video

video adapter



vertical portal

vertical redundancy check



video bandwidth

vertical scan frequency

vertical scrolling

video board

video buffer

vertical sync signal

video capture board

vertical tab

very large scale integration



video cassette recorder



VESA



video-CD

VESA local bus

vestigial side band



V format

video clip

video codec

VFU

video compression



VFW

VGA

video conferencing

VGA feature connector



video controller



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video digitiser 350 trols a video display allowing information video digitiser / vdiəυ dd'tazə/ such as text or graphics stored in a compunoun a high-speed digital sampling circuit ter to be displayed which stores a TV picture in memory so that it can then be processed by a computer video lookup table / vdiəυ lυkp videodisc /vdiəυdsk/ noun a read teb(ə)l/ noun a collection of precalculatonly optical disc that can store up to two ed values of the different colours that are hours of video data, usually used either to stored in memory and can be examined store a complete film, as a rival to video very quickly to produce an answer without cassette, or to use in an interactive system the need to recalculate with text, video and still images (NOTE: video memory / vdiəυ mem(ə)ri/ For interactive use, a videodisc can store noun a high speed random access memory 54,000 frames of information. If the videused to store computer-generated or digiodisc contains a complete film, the data tised images is recorded using a constant linear velocvideo monitor /vdiəυ mɒntə/ noun ity format; if it is used to store interactive a device able to display, without sound, data, it is stored in a constant angular vesignals from a computer locity format.) video random access memory video display /vdiəυ d sple/ noun a / vdiəυ rndəm kses mem(ə)ri/, device which can display text or graphical video RAM / vdiəυ rm/ noun full information, e.g. a CRT form of VRAM. same as video memory video editing / vdiəυ edtŋ/ noun a video scanner /vdiəυ sknə/ noun method of editing a video sequence in a device which allows images of objects or which the video is digitised and stored in a pictures to be entered into a computer 쑗 computer New video scanners are designed to scan video editor /vdiəυ edtə/ noun a three-dimensional objects. computer that controls two videotape revideo server /vdiəυ s və/ noun a corders to allow an operator to play back dedicated computer on a network used to sequences from one and record these on store video sequences the second machine video signal /vdiəυ sn(ə)l/ noun a Video Electronics Standards Assignal which provides line picture inforsociation / vdiəυ elek trɒnks mation and synchronisation pulses stndədz ə səυsieʃ(ə)n/ noun full (informal ) form of VESA video system control architecture Video for Windows / vdiəυ fə / vdiəυ sstəm kəntrəυl ɑ ktektʃə/ wndəυz/ a trade name for a set of softnoun full form of ViSCA ware drivers and utilities for Microsoft video tape recorder / vdiəυ tep r Windows 3.1, developed by Microsoft,

kɔ də/ noun full form of VTR that allows AVI-format video files to be played back in a window. Abbr VFW video teleconferencing / vdiəυ video game /vdiəυ em/ noun a teli kɒnf(ə)rənsŋ/ noun the linking of game played on a computer, with action computers that can capture and display shown on a video display video so that distant people can talk to and see each other, as if in a conference room video graphics array / vdiəυ rfks ə re/ noun (in an IBM PC) a video terminal /vdiəυ t mn(ə)l/ standard of video adapter developed by noun a keyboard with a monitor IBM that can support a display with a resvideotext /vdiəυtekst/, videotex olution up to 640 x 480 pixels in up to 256 /vdiəυteks/ noun a system for transmitcolours, superseded by SVGA. Abbr VGA ting text and displaying it on a screen video graphics card / vdiəυ COMMENT: This covers information transmitted rfks kɑ d/ noun an expansion card either by TV signals (teletext) or by signals sent down telephone lines (viewdata). that fits into an expansion slot inside a PC video window /vdiəυ wndəυ/ noun and that allows a computer to display both a window that displays a moving video imgenerated text and graphics and moving age, independent of other displayed matevideo images from an external camera or rial VCR. Also called overlay card video interface chip / vdiəυ view /vju / verb to look at something, esntəfes tʃp/ noun a chip which conpecially something displayed on a screen video digitiser

video lookup table

videodisc

video memory

video monitor

video random access memory

video display



video editing

video scanner

video editor

video server

video signal

Video Electronics Standards Association





video system control architecture

Video for Windows



video tape recorder



video teleconferencing

video game



video graphics array

video terminal



videotext

video graphics card

video window

video interface chip

view

Computing.fm Page 351 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

351 virus cal limits of the monitor, and which can contain text, images, windows and other pages on a bulletin board. facilities. Also called virtual screen viewdata /vju detə/ noun an interacvirtual disk / v tʃuəl dsk/ noun a tive system for transmitting text or graphsection of RAM used with a short controlics from a database to a user’s terminal by ling program as if it were a fast disk stortelephone lines, providing facilities for inage system formation retrieval, transactions, education, games and recreation virtual image / v tʃuəl md'/ noun COMMENT: The user calls up the page of infora complete image stored in memory rather mation required, using the telephone and a than the part of it that is displayed modem, as opposed to teletext, where the virtual machine / v tʃuəl məʃi n/ pages of information are repeated one after the other automatically. noun a piece of software that allows a Java viewer /vju ə/ noun a utility that allows application to run on a computer. Abbr VM COMMENT: When a developer writes a proa user to see what is contained in an image gram in Java, it is compiled to a file format or formatted document file without having called bytecode (or pseudocode). This file can to start the program that created it then be run using another application (the virVIM /vm/ noun a set of standards develtual machine) that is specific to the particular computer platform – there are virtual machine oped by IBM, Borland, Novell and Apple applications for PCs, Apple Macs and Sun that provides a way of sending email mescomputers, and each can run the same Java sages between applications. Full form bytecode file, making Java a platform-indevendor-independent messaging. pendent language. Compare MAPI virtual memory / v tʃuəl mem(ə)ri/ viral /varəl/ adjective referring to unsonoun a system of providing extra main licited emails that automatically forward memory by using a disk drive as if it were themselves from one user to another, or to RAM. Also called virtual storage activities that use such emails virtual memory stack / v tʃuəl viral marketing /varəl mɑ ktŋ/ mem(ə)ri stk/ noun a temporary store noun a form of marketing in which an orfor pages in a virtual memory system ganisation’s customers act as advertisers virtual reality / v tʃυəl rilti/ noun for its products by spreading knowledge of full form of VR 쑗 This new virtual reality them to other people, especially over the software can create a three-dimensional Internet room that you can navigate around. virgin /v d'n/ adjective referring to a ‘Autodesk suggests that anyone wishing to build Virtual Reality applications with the Cyberspace Demedium that has not been recorded on beveloper’s Kit should have solid knowledge of profore gramming in C++ along with general knowledge of virtual /v tʃuəl/ adjective referring to computer graphics.’ [Computing] a feature or device which does not actually virtual reality modelling language exist but which is simulated by a computer / v tʃuəl ri lti mɒd(ə)lŋ and can be used by a user as if it did exist

lŋwd'/ noun full form of VRML virtual address / v tʃuəl ədres/ virtual screen / v tʃuəl skri n/ noun noun an address referring to virtual memsame as virtual desktop ory virtual storage / v tʃuəl stɔ rd'/ virtual assistant / v tʃuəl ə noun abbr VS. same as virtual memory sst(ə)nt/ noun an employee who works virtual terminal / v tʃuəl as a personal assistant to somebody but t mn(ə)l/ noun a set of ideal terminal does the job from another place solely by specifications used as a model by a real using computer and phone links terminal virtual circuit / v tʃuəl s kt/ noun virus /varəs/ noun a program which a link established between a source and adds itself to an executable file and copies sink in a packet-switching network for the itself to other executable files each time an duration of the call infected file is run 쑗 If your PC is infected virtual community / v tʃuəl kə with a virus, your data is at risk. mju nti/ noun a group of people who COMMENT: Viruses can corrupt data, display a message or do nothing. They are spread by communicate with each other via the Interdownloading unchecked files from a bulletin net board system or via unregulated networks or virtual desktop / v tʃυəl desktɒp/ by inserting an unchecked floppy disk into noun an area that is bigger than the physiyour PC – always use a virus detector. 쑗 The user has to pay a charge for viewing viewdata

virtual disk

virtual image

virtual machine



viewer

VIM

virtual memory

viral

virtual memory stack

viral marketing

virtual reality



virgin

virtual

virtual reality modelling language



virtual address

virtual screen



virtual storage

virtual assistant



virtual terminal

virtual circuit

virus

virtual community



virtual desktop

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virus checker 352 VL-bus, VL local bus noun a standard virus checker /varəs tʃekə/ noun a defined by the Video Electronics Standpiece of software that is used to try and deards Association which allows up to three tect and remove unwanted virus programs special expansion slots that provide direct, from the hard disk of a computer bus-master control of the central processor virus detector /varəs d tektə/ noun and allow very high speed data transfers a utility software which checks executable between main memory and the expansion files to see if they contain a known virus card without using the processor 쑗 For a ViSCA /vskə/ noun a protocol used to high-performance PC, choose one with a synchronise multiple video devices, develVL-bus. Full form VESA local bus oped by Sony. Full form video system VLSI / vi el es a/ noun a system with control architecture between 10,000 and 100,000 components visual /v'υəl/ adjective which can be on a single IC. Full form very large scale seen or which is used by sight integration Visual Basic / v'υəl besk/ a trade VM abbr virtual machine name for a programming tool, developed v-mail /vi mel/ noun an email mesby Microsoft, that allows users to create sage with a video clip as an attachment Windows applications very easily. Abbr VME bus / vi em i bs/ noun an exVB pansion bus standard that supports 32-bit Visual Basic Extension / v'υəl data transfer, mostly used in industrial and

besk kstenʃ(ə)n/ a trade name for a test equipment. Full form versamodule Windows custom software module that eurocard bus adds functionality to another application, voice answer back / vɔs ɑ nsə similar to the OCX control. Abbr VBX

bk/ noun a computerised response servVisual Basic for Applications ice using a synthesised voice to answer en/ v'υəl besk fər plkeʃ(ə)nz/ a quiries trade name for a complex macro language voice coil /vɔs kɔl/ noun 1. an eledeveloped by Microsoft from its VB proment in a dynamic microphone which vigramming tool. Abbr VBA brates when sound waves strike it and Visual Basic Script / v'υəl besk cause variations in an electrical signal 2. skrpt/ a trade name for a set of programan element in a loudspeaker that vibrates ming commands that can be included according to a signal and so produces within a normal webpage, written using sound waves HTML commands. Abbr VBScript voice data entry / vɔs detə entri/, Visual C / v'υəl si / a trade name for a voice data input / vɔs detə npυt/ development product by Microsoft that alnoun the input of information into a comlows Windows applications to be created puter using a speech recognition system by drawing the user interface and attaching and the user’s voice C code voicemail /vɔsmel/ noun a computer visualisation / v'uəlazeʃ(ə)n/, vislinked to a telephone exchange that anualization noun the conversion of numswers a person’s telephone when no one is bers or data into a graphical format that there and allows messages to be recorded, can be more easily understood in digital form 쑗 I checked my voice mail visual programming / v'υəl prəυ to see if anyone had left me a message. rmŋ/ noun a method of programming voice output /vɔs aυt pυt/ noun the a computer by dragging icons into a flowproduction of sounds which sound like huchart that describes the program’s actions man speech, made as a result of voice synrather than by writing a series of instructhesis tions ‘…the technology of voice output is reasonably difficult, but the technology of voice recognition is VITC / vi a ti si / noun a time code remuch more complex’ [Personal Computer World] corded onto tape between video frames. voice over Internet protocol / vɔs Full form vertical interval time code əυvə ntənet prəυtəkɒl/ noun full form COMMENT: This is preferred to LTC because it of VoIP does not use the audio track and can be read at slow playback speeds. voice-over-the-Net / vɔs əυvə ðə Vivo /vi vəυ/ data format used to deliver net/ adjective used to describe voice video over the Internet communication using VoIP technology virus checker

VL-bus

virus detector



ViSCA

VLSI

visual

Visual Basic

VM

v-mail

VME bus

Visual Basic Extension



voice answer back

Visual Basic for Applications



voice coil

Visual Basic Script

voice data entry

Visual C

voicemail

visualisation



visual programming



voice output



VITC

voice over Internet protocol

voice-over-the-Net

Vivo

Computing.fm Page 353 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

353 V series which provides news and resources for the

rekə construction industry. nʃ(ə)n/ noun the ability of a computer to voxel /vɒksəl/ noun the smallest unit of recognise certain words in a human voice three-dimensional space in a computer imand provide a suitable response age, equivalent to a three-dimensional pixvoice synthesis /vɔs snθəss/ noun el the reproduction of sounds similar to those VR / vi ɑ / noun a simulation of a realof the human voice life scene or environment by computer. voice synthesiser /vɔs snθəsazə/ Full form virtual reality noun a device which generates sounds VRAM /vi rm/ noun high speed ranwhich are similar to the human voice dom access memory used to store compuVoIP /vɔp/ noun a technology that enater-generated or digitised images. Full bles voice messages to be sent over the Inform video random access memory. ternet, often at the same time as data in text Also called video RAM or other forms. Full form voice over InVRC / vi ɑ si / noun an odd parity ternet protocol check on each character of a block revolatile memory / vɒlə tal ceived, to detect any errors. Full form vermem(ə)ri/, volatile store, volatile dytical redundancy check namic storage noun memory or storage medium which loses data stored in it when VRML / vi ɑ r em el/ noun a system the power supply is switched off that allows developers to create three-dimensional worlds within a webpage. Full volatility / vɒlətlti/ noun the number form virtual reality modelling lanof records that are added or deleted from a guage computer system compared to the total number in store VS abbr virtual storage volt /vəυlt/ noun an SI unit of electrical VSB / vi es bi / noun a method of transpotential, defined as voltage across a one ferring data over coaxial cable, used to ohm resistance when one amp is flowing modulate and transmit digital television signals. Full form vestigial side band voltage /vəυltd'/ noun an electromotive force expressed in volts. Abbr V V series /vi səri z/ noun a series of COMMENT: Electricity supply can have peaks CCITT standards for data transmission usand troughs of current, depending on the using a modem, used in the UK and Europe ers in the area. Fluctuations in voltage can af-

voice voice recognition

recognition

/vɔs



voxel

voice synthesis

VR

voice synthesiser

VRAM

VoIP

VRC

volatile memory



VRML

volatility



VS

volt

VSB

voltage

V series

fect computers; a voltage regulator will provide a steady supply of electricity.

regulator /vəυltd'

rejυletə/ noun a device which provides a steady output voltage even if the input supply varies voltage transient / vəυltd' trnziənt/ noun a spike of voltage which is caused by a time delay in two devices switching or by noise on the line volume /vɒlju m/ noun 1. a disk or storage device 2. the total space occupied by data in a storage system volume label /vɒlju m leb(ə)l/, volume name /vɒlju m nem/ noun a name assigned to identify a particular disk VORTAL /vɔ təl/ noun a portal website that contains information for just one particular industry or interest group. Full form vertical portal voltage voltage regulator

voltage transient

volume

volume label

VORTAL

COMMENT: General-interest portals such as AOL, Yahoo! and Excite provide a whole range of general-interest information for users, including news, weather, sports and financial information. An example of a vertical portal is Buzzsaw (www.buzzsaw.com),

COMMENT: V.21 = 300 bits/second transmit and receive; full duplex V.22 = 1200 bits/second transmit and receive; half duplex V.22 BIS = 1200 bits/second transmit and receive; full duplex V.23 = 75 bits/second transmit, 1.200 bits/second receive; half duplex V.24 = interchange circuits between a DTE and a DCE; V.25 BIS = automatic calling and answering equipment on a PSTN; V.26 = 2,400 bits/second transmission over leased lines; V.26 BIS = 2,400 bits/second transmit, 1,200 bits/second receive, half duplex for use on a PSTN; V.26 TER = 2,400 bits/second transmit, 1,200 bits/second receive, full duplex for use on a PSTN ; V.27 = 4,800 bits/second modem for use on a leased line; V.27 BIS = 4,800 bits/second transmit, 2,400 bits/second receive for use on a leased line ; V.27 TER = 4,800 bits/second transmit, 2,400 bits/second receive for use on a PSTN; V.29 = 9,600 bits/second modem for use on a PSTN or leased line; V.32 = data transmission rate 9,600 bits/second; V.32BIS = data transmission rate 14,400 bits/second; V.34 = full-duplex modem communication standard that can transfer data at up to 28,800 bps (like V.32, the V.34 standard allows the modem to automatically adjust its speed based on the quality of the telephone line to avoid errors); V.42 = error control and correction protocol; V.42 BIS = data compression used with V.42 error control.

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VT-52 354 Equipment Corporation to control how VT-52 / vi ti ffti tu / noun a popular standard of a terminal that defines the text and graphics are displayed on its range codes used to display text and graphics of terminals VTR / vi ti ɑ / noun a machine used to VxD / vi eks di / noun a device driver record and play back video signals that are used to control one part of the Windows stored on open reels of magnetic tape rathoperating system or to link a peripheral to er than on the sealed, enclosed cassette the Windows operating system. Full form used by a VCR. Full form video tape reVT-52

VTR

VxD

corder

/ vi ti t mn(ə)l emju leʃ(ə)n/ noun a stand-

VT-terminal VT-terminal emulation

emulation 

ard set of codes developed by Digital

virtual device driver Vxtreme / vi ekstri m/ noun a format Vxtreme



used to deliver streaming video sequences over the Internet

W W3 abbr World Wide Web W3C / db(ə)l ju θri si / noun a group W3

W3C

of international industry members that work together to develop common standards for the World Wide Web. Full form world wide web consortium COMMENT: Visit the www.w3.org website for new standards and developments.

wafer /wefə/ noun a thin round slice of wafer

a large single crystal of silicon onto which hundreds of individual integrated circuits are constructed, before being cut into individual chips wafer scale integration / wefə skel

ntreʃ(ə)n/ noun one large chip, the size of a wafer, made up of smaller integrated circuits connected together (NOTE: wafer scale integration



These are still in the research stage.) WAIS / db(ə)l e a es/ noun a system WAIS

that allows a user to search for information stored on the Internet. Full form wide

area information server wait condition /wet kən dʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. a state in which a processor is not wait condition



active, but waiting for input from peripherals 2. a null instruction which is used to slow down a processor so that slower memory or a peripheral can keep up 왘 also called wait state waiting list /wetŋ lst/ noun 쏡 queue waiting list

waiting state /wetŋ stet/ noun a waiting state

computer state in which a program requires an input or signal before continuing execution wait loop /wet lu p/ noun a processor that repeats one loop of program until some action occurs wait state /wet stet/ noun same as wait loop

wait state

wait condition wait time /wet tam/ noun a time delay wait time

between the moment when an instruction is given and the execution of the instruction or return of a result, e.g. the delay between a request for data and the transfer of the data from memory wake-on-LAN /wek ɒn/ noun technology that allows a personal computer or workstation to be switched on automatically by sending it a signal over a local area network connection (NOTE: The syswake-on-LAN

tem is built into the network interface card fitted to the computer and allows a network manager or network server software to manage the computers linked to the network.) wake-up code /wek p kəυd/ noun a wake-up code

code entered at a remote terminal to indicate to the central computer that someone is trying to log on at that location

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355 waveform synthesiser ter the main system fails. Compare cold wallpaper /wɔ l pepə/ noun (in a wallpaper



GUI) an image or pattern used as a background in a window WAN /wn/ noun a network in which the various terminals are far apart and linked by radio or satellite. Full form wide area network. Opposite LAN wand /wɒnd/ noun a bar-code reader or optical device which is held in the hand to read bar codes on products in a store WAP /wp/ noun 1. a system that allows a user to access information on an Internet server using a wireless handheld device such as a mobile telephone. Full form Wireless Application Protocol 2. a device that connects to a LAN and allows a computer to access the network using a wireless data transmission 쑗 The WAP has an aerial and a built-in hub. Full form wireless access point WAN

wand

WAP

COMMENT: WAP can be used over almost all of the current wireless networks, including the popular GSM mobile telephone standard, and can run on almost any operating system or hardware device. A device that supports WAP provides a very simple browser that can display basic graphics and text-based pages of information on a small, monochrome, 6–10 line display, similar to a tiny, simple web page. The user can navigate between pages using two or three buttons on the handheld device or mobile telephone. The arrival of WAP allows users to access email and news-based websites from a mobile telephone, but users have been put off by the very slow speed (no more than 9,600bps) at which data can be transferred over current wireless telephone systems.

WAP browser /wp braυzə/ noun a WAP browser

simple web browser that works on a handheld WAP device COMMENT: A WAP browser supports the HTML and XML webpage markup standards, but also supports its own markup system, WML (WAP markup language) that allows designers to create simple pages that can be transferred efficiently over the often slow wireless link (normally at a maximum of 9,600 bps) and navigated using two or three buttons on the handheld device or mobile telephone.

markup language / wp mɑ kp lŋwd'/ noun full form of

WAP

WAP markup language

WML

WAP markup language script WAP markup language script

/ wp mɑ kp lŋwd' skrpt/ noun same as WMLScript warm boot / wɔ m bu t/ noun the act warm boot

of restarting a computer without switching it off. Compare cold boot warm standby /wɔ m stndba/ noun a secondary backup device which can be switched into action a short time afwarm standby

standby, hot standby warm start /wɔ m stɑ t/ noun the procwarm start

ess of restarting a program which has stopped, without losing any data. Compare cold start warn /wɔ n/ verb to say that something warn

dangerous is about to happen or that there is a possible danger 쑗 He warned the keyboarders that the system might become overloaded. (NOTE: You warn someone of something, or that something may happen) warning light /wɔ nŋ lat/ noun a warning light

small light which lights up to show that something dangerous may happen 쑗 When the warning light on the front panel comes on, switch off the system. waste instruction /west n strkʃən/ noun an instruction that does not carry out any action other than increasing the program counter to the location of next instruction watermark /wɔ təmɑ k/ noun a pattern of bits that is digitally embedded in a data file in order to make it possible to detect unauthorised copies watt /wɒt/ noun an SI unit of measurement of electrical power, defined as power produced when one amp of current flows through a load that has one volt of voltage across it wave /wev/ noun a signal motion which rises and falls periodically as it travels through a medium WAVE /wev/ noun a standard method of storing an analog signal in digital form under Microsoft Windows. Also called WAV waste instruction



watermark

watt

wave

WAVE

file (NOTE: Files have the .WAV extension.) waveform /wevfɔ m/ noun the shape waveform

of a wave

waveform audio /wevfɔ m ɔ diəυ/ waveform audio

noun a method of storing analog audio signals as digital data waveform digitisation / wevfɔ m

dd'tazeʃ(ə)n/ noun the conversion and storing a waveform in numerical form using an A/D converter waveform editor /wevfɔ m edtə/ noun a software program that displays a graphical representation of a sound wave and allows a user to edit, adjust levels and frequencies or add special effects waveform synthesiser /wevfɔ m

snθəsazə/ noun a musical device that creates sounds of an instrument by using waveform digitisation



waveform editor

waveform synthesiser

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waveform table 356 recorded samples of the original waveform web crawler /web krɔ lə/ noun softproduced by the instrument ware that moves over every new webpage on the Internet and produces an index waveform table /wevfɔ m teb(ə)l/ based on the content of the webpages noun a set of data that describes a sound clip web designer /web ði zanə/ noun a wavelength /wev leŋθ/ noun the disperson who designs websites tance between two adjacent peaks of a webmaster /webmɑ stə/ noun a perwave, equal to the speed divided by the son in charge of a website frequency webpage /webped'/ noun a single file wavelength division multiplexing stored on a web server that contains for/ wevleŋθ d v'(ə)n mltpleksŋ/ matted text, graphics and hypertext links noun a method of increasing the data cato other pages on the Internet or within a pacity of an optic fibre by transmitting website several light signals at different wavewebpage design software lengths along the same fibre. Abbr WDM / webped' d zan sɒftweə/ noun softwavetable /wevteb(ə)l/ noun memoware that provides features that make it ry in a sound card that contains a recording easier for a user to create webpages of a real musical instrument that is played COMMENT: The design software is similar to back desktop publishing software and allows you to drag text and images onto a page, create taWAV file /wev fal/ noun same as web crawler

waveform table

web designer



wavelength



webmaster

webpage

wavelength division multiplexing



webpage design software



wavetable

WAV file

WAVE

WDM abbr wavelength division multiWDM

plexing

wearable wearable computer

bles and change the style of text from menu options, without having to edit complex HTML commands.

web portal /web pɔ t(ə)l/ noun a webweb portal

computer

/ weərəb(ə)l

kəmpju tə/ noun a battery-powered computer small enough to be worn on the body web /web/ noun same as World Wide 

site that provides a wide range of information and resources that include everything a particular user might want from the Internet, on one site

web

Web

web application /web plkeʃ(ə)n/ web application



noun a software program that works behind the scenes at a website, runs on a web server and uses the HTTP protocol to deliver information to a user (NOTE: An example is a database of information that can be searched from a webpage or a method of ordering and paying for a product using a webpage.) WebBot /webbɒt/ a trade name for a utility used in Microsoft Internet software that helps a user create a particular function in a webpage web browser /web braυzə/ noun same as browser web cam /web km/ noun a video camera linked to a website that allows visitors to see live video images of a scene WebBot

web browser

web cam

COMMENT: These devices have become very popular and have been used to display the inside of an office, the view over a city, an office coffee machine, the inside of a bedroom and many other scenes.

webcast /webkɑ st/ noun a broadcast made on the World Wide Web webcast

‘It is spending $450m on a community support programme for developers: webcasts, free on-site training, seminars, roadshows and 125 new books.’ [The Guardian]

COMMENT: The biggest web portals include AOL, MSN, Yahoo! and Excite, which offer a wide range of general services including news, sports, email, weather, shopping and a search engine.

web ring /web rŋ/ noun a series of web ring

linked websites that are designed to be visited one after the other until the visitor reaches the first website again web server /web s və/ noun a computer that stores the collection of webpages that make up a website website /websat/ noun a collection of webpages that are linked and related and can be accessed by a user with a web browser 쑗 The Bloomsbury website, http://www.bloomsbury.com, contains information about all the books Bloomsbury publish. WebTV / web ti vi / a trade name for a television that also lets a user view webpages web server

website

WebTV

COMMENT: Some TVs include a computer and modem, other systems use an external box that links to the TV and a telephone socket. Some interactive television and cable television installations do not use a telephone socket but instead download and display webpages via the television cable.

webzine /webzi n/ noun same as ewebzine

zine

Computing.fm Page 357 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

357 window widescreen display /

wadskri n d weighted average / wetd sple/ noun a film, video or TV display v(ə)rd'/ noun an average which is calwith an aspect ratio greater than 1.37, or culated taking several factors into account, the same as the full size of a 35 mm film giving some more value than others image weighted bit /wetd bt/ noun each Wide-SCSI /wad skzi/ noun a develbit having a different value depending on opment that provides a wider data bus than its position in a word the original SCSI specification, so can weighting /wetŋ/ noun the sorting of transfer more data at a time users, programs or data by their imporwidow /wdəυ/ noun the first line of a tance or priority paragraph which is printed by itself at the well-behaved / wel bhevd/ adjecbottom of a column. Compare orphan tive referring to a program which does not wild card /waldkɑ d/, wild card make any nonstandard system calls, using character /waldkɑ d krktə/ noun a only the standard BIOS input/output calls symbol used when searching for files or rather than directly addressing peripherals data which represents all files 쑗 A wild or memory card can be used to find all files names beCOMMENT: If well-behaved, the software ginning DIC. should work on all machines using the same weighted average

widescreen display



weighted bit

Wide-SCSI

weighting

widow

well-behaved



wild card

operating system.

COMMENT: In DOS, UNIX and PC operating systems, the wild card character ‘?’ will match any single character in this position; the wild card character ’ or ’ means match any number of any characters.

wetware /wet weə/ noun the human wetware



brain, intelligence which writes software to be used with hardware (informal; US) What-You-See-Is-All-You-Get / wɒt ju si z ɔ l ju et/ noun full form of What-You-See-Is-All-You-Get

WYSIAYG

What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get

/ wɒt ju si z wɒt ju et/ noun full form of WYSIWYG while-loop /wal lu p/ noun a condiwhile-loop

tional program instructions that carries out a loop while a condition is true White Book /wat bυk/ noun a formal video-CD standard published by Philips and JVC that defines how digital video can be stored on a CD-ROM white pages /wat ped'z/ plural noun a database of users and their email address stored on the Internet to help other users find an email address white writer /wat ratə/ noun a laser printer which directs its laser beam on the points that are not printed. Opposite black White Book

white pages

white writer

writer COMMENT: With a white writer, the black areas are printed evenly but edges and borders are not so sharp.

whois /hu z/ noun an Internet utility that displays information about the owner of a particular domain name whois

wide

area

wide area information server

information

server

/ wad eəriə nfəmeʃ(ə)n s və/ noun full form of WAIS wide area network / wad eəriə netw k/ noun full form of WAN wideband /wadbnd/ noun same as broadband 

wide area network

wideband

WIMP /wmp/ noun a program display WIMP

which uses graphics or icons to control the software and make it easier to use. Full form window, icon, mouse, pointers. 쒁 environment, GUI. Compare command line interface COMMENT: WIMPs normally use a combination of windows, icons and a mouse to control the operating system. In many GUIs, such as Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac System 7 and DR-GEM, you can control all the functions of the operating system just using the mouse. Icons represent programs and files; instead of entering the file name, you select it by moving a pointer with a mouse.

Winchester disk /drav/, Winchester drive noun a compact high-capacity hard Winchester disk

disk which is usually built into a computer system and cannot be removed window /wndəυ/ noun 1. a reserved section of screen used to display special information, which can be selected and looked at at any time and which overwrites information already on the screen 쑗 Several remote stations are connected to the network and each has its own window onto the hard disk. 2. a part of a document currently displayed on a screen 쑗 The operating system will allow other programs to be displayed on-screen at the same time in different windows. 3. an area of memory or access to a storage device 쐽 verb to set up a section of screen by defining the coordinates of its corners, allowing information to be temporarily displayed and overwriting previous information without altering information in the workspace window

Computing.fm Page 358 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

window, icon, mouse, pointer

358 dows operating system from a programming language Windows CE / wndəυz si i / a trade window, icon, mouse, pointer name for a software operating system de/ wndəυ akɒn maυs pɔntə/ noun veloped by Microsoft and designed to run full form of WIMP on small PDA or palmtop computers that windowing /wndəυŋ/ noun 1. the acuse either a pen input or a keyboard intion of setting up a window to show inforstead of a mouse mation on the screen 쑗 The network sysWindows Explorer / wndəυz k tem uses the latest windowing techniques. splɔ rə/ a trade name for a software utili2. the process of displaying or accessing ty included with Windows that lets a user information via a window view the folders and files on the hard disk, ‘…windowing facilities make use of virtual screens as well as physical screens’ [Byte] floppy disk, CD-ROM and any shared net‘…the network system uses the latest windowing work drives techniques’ [Desktop Publishing] Windows for Workgroups ‘…the functions are integrated via a windowing sys/ wndəυz fə w kru ps/ a trade name tem with pull-down menus used to select different operations’ [Byte] for a version of Windows that includes basic peer-to-peer file-sharing functions and Windows /wndəυz/ a trade name for a email, fax and scheduler utilities. Also family of operating systems developed by called Windows 3.11 Microsoft that interacts with users through a Graphical User Interface. Windows is the Windows GDI / wndəυz d'i di a/ a operating system used by most of the trade name for a set of standard functions, world’s PCs. Also called Microsoft Windefined by Microsoft, that allow a prodows, MS-Windows grammer to draw images in windows withWindows 3.1 / wndəυz θri pɔnt in the Windows operating system wn/ a trade name for the first of the new Windows Internet Naming Service generation of Windows which provided / wndəυz ntənet nemŋ s vs/ full features including OLE and drag and drop form of WINS Windows 3.1x / wndəυz θri pɔnt Windows ME / wndəυz em i / a trade wn eks/ a trade name for any version of name for a version of the Windows operatWindows after version 3, including 3.1 ing system designed for home users and 3.11 Windows NT / wndəυz en ti / a trade Windows 3.11 / wndəυz θri pɔnt name for a high-performance GUI derived wn wn/ same as Windows for Workfrom Windows that does not use DOS as groups an operating system and features 32-bit Windows 95 / wndəυz nanti fav/ a code trade name for a version of Windows that Windows NT file system / wndəυz provides support for long filenames, an inen ti fal sstəm/ full form of NTFS terface that is easier to use and better supWindows SDK / wndəυz es di ke / port for networks and the Internet a trade name for a set of software tools, inWindows 98 / wndəυz nanti et/ a cluding definitions of the Windows API, trade name for an enhanced version of that make it easier for a programmer to Windows 95 that provides more communiwrite applications that will work under the cations and Internet features and is easier Windows operating system to use and configure Windows XP / wndəυz eks pi / a Windows 2000 / wndəυz tu trade name for a version of the Windows θaυzənd/ a trade name for a version of operating system designed for home and the Windows operating system that imbusiness users that provides a 32-bit multiproves on the speed and features of Wintasking operating system with the standard dows 98, providing closer integration with Windows graphical user interface together the Internet, information sources and netwith improved network and Internet conworks and better support for plug-andnectivity play and error-detection and prevention Windows API / wndəυz e pi a/ a WINS /wns/ noun a system that works trade name for a set of standard functions with a network of computers running Winand commands, defined by Microsoft, that dows and provides a database of the IP adallow a programmer to control the Windresses of each computer on the network. ‘…when an output window overlaps another, the interpreter does not save the contents of the obscured window’ [Personal Computer World]

Windows CE

window, icon, mouse, pointer

windowing

Windows Explorer



Windows for Workgroups

Windows

Windows GDI

Windows 3.1

Windows Internet Naming Service

Windows 3.1x

Windows ME

Windows NT

Windows 3.11

Windows 95

Windows NT file system

Windows SDK

Windows 98

Windows 2000

Windows API

Windows XP

WINS

Computing.fm Page 359 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

359 word length Full form Windows Internet Naming wire wrap /waə rp/ noun a simple Service method of electrically connecting compoCOMMENT: This is more difficult than it sounds, nent terminals together using thin insulatsince a computer is usually given a different ed wire wrapped around each terminal, IP address every time it is switched on. The which is then soldered into place, usually WINS service provides ’name resolution’ for used for prototype systems Windows networks, DNS provides a similar service for networks with fixed IP addresses, wiring /waərŋ/ noun a series of wires including the public Internet. 쑗 The wiring in the system had to be reWinsock /wnsɒk/ noun a utility softplaced. ware that is required to control the modem wiring closet /waərŋ klɒzt/ noun a when connecting to the Internet and allows box in which the cabling for a network or the computer to communicate using the part of network is terminated and interconTCP/IP protocol. Also called socket drivnected er wiring frame /waərŋ frem/ noun a wipe /wap/ verb to clean data from a metal structure used to support incoming disk 쑗 By reformatting you will wipe the cables and provide connectors to allow cadisk clean. (NOTE: wipes – wiping – bles to be interconnected wiped) WISC /wsk/ noun a CPU design that alwire /waə/ noun a thin metal conductor lows a programmer to add extra machine 쐽 verb to install wiring in something code instructions using microcode, to cus(NOTE: wires – wiring – wired) tomise the instruction set. Full form writawire frame model / waə frem ble instruction set computer mɒd(ə)l/ noun (in graphics and CAD) a wizard /wzəd/ noun a software utility method of displaying objects using lines that helps you create something and arcs rather than filled areas. Also called wire mesh model, stick model WML / db(ə)l ju em el/ noun a webpage formatting language that is similar to wireless access point / waələs a very simple version of the standard kses pɔnt/ noun full form of WAP 2 HTML webpage coding system, but does Wireless Application Protocol not include many of the extra features that / waələs plkeʃ(ə)n prəυtəυkɒl/ cannot be displayed on the small screen of noun full form of WAP 1 a WAP handheld device or navigated with wireless markup language two or three buttons. Full form WAP / waələs mɑ kp lŋwd'/ noun a markup language standardised system, based on XML, that WMLScript / db(ə)l ju em el is used for tagging text files and that spec skrpt/ noun a scripting language similar ifies the interfaces of narrowband wireless to a very simple version of JavaScript that devices allows WML webpages to include scriptwireless modem / waələs məυdem/ ing functions. Full form WAP markup noun a modem that can be used with a language script wireless mobile telephone system (NOTE: word /w d/ noun 1. a separate item of A wireless modem normally includes the language, which is used with others to telephone hardware and an aerial, so form speech or writing which can be undoes not need to be plugged into a sepderstood 2. a separate item of data on a arate mobile telephone.) computer, formed of a group of bits, stored wireless network / waələs in a single location in a memory netw k/, wireless LAN /ln/ noun a word break /w d brek/ noun the dinetwork that does not use cable to transmit vision of a word at the end of a line, where data between computers, but instead uses part of the word is left on one line with a radio signals to transmit signals, normally hyphen and the rest of the word is taken using the 802.11b or 802.11a transmission over to begin the next line protocol. Also called wireless LAN word count /w d kaυnt/ noun the wire mesh model / waə meʃ number of words in a file or text mɒd(ə)l/ noun same as wire frame model word length /w d leŋθ/ noun the wire printer /waə prntə/ noun same length of a computer word, counted as the as dot-matrix printer number of bits wire wrap

wiring

Winsock

wiring closet

wiring frame

wipe

WISC

wire

wire frame model

wizard

WML

wireless access point

Wireless Application Protocol



wireless markup language

WMLScript

wireless modem

word

wireless network

word break

wire mesh model

word count

word length

wire printer

Computing.fm Page 360 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

word mark 360 work area /w k eəriə/ noun the word mark /w d mɑ k/ noun a symmemory space which is being used by an bol indicating the start of a word in a varioperator able word length machine workaround /w kə raυnd/ noun a word marker /w d mɑ kə/ noun a technique that enables a user to continue symbol indicating the start of a word in a using a computer program or system that variable word length machine has a fault or defect in it without actually WordPad /w dpd/ a software utility putting the fault or defect right included with versions of Microsoft Win‘This is a known bug… the workaround is to get Outdows later than Windows 95 that provides look Express to prompt you to select an identity the basic functions of Microsoft Word 6 when you run it.’ [The Guardian] work disk /w k dsk/ noun a disk on WordPerfect / w dp fekt/ a trade which current work is stored name for a popular word-processing application developed by WordPerfect Corp. to work file /w k fal/ noun a temporary run on a wide range of hardware platforms work area which is being used for current and operating systems. work. Also called scratch file workflow /w kfləυ/ noun software deword-process /w d prəυses/ verb to signed to improve the flow of electronic edit, store and manipulate text using a documents around an office network, from computer 쑗 It is quite easy to read worduser to user processed files. workgroup /w kru p/ noun a small word-processing / w d prəυsesŋ/ group of users who are working on a noun the process of using a computer to project or connected with a local area netkeyboard, edit and output text, in forms work such as letters, labels and address lists 쑗 workgroup enabled / w kru p n Load the word-processing program before eb(ə)ld/ adjective referring to a feature you start keyboarding. Abbr WP added to standard software package to give word-processing bureau / w d it more appeal to a group of networked usprəυsesŋ bjυərəυ/ noun an office ers 쑗 This word-processor is workgroup which specialises in word-processing for enabled which adds an email gateway other companies from the standard menus. word-processor /w d prəυ sesə/ workgroup software /w kru p noun 1. a small computer used for word sɒftweə/ noun an application designed processing text and documents 2. a wordto be used by many users in a group to improcessing package or program for a comprove productivity, e.g. a diary or schedulputer which allows the editing and maniper ulation and output of text, in forms such as working /w kŋ/ adjective operating letters, labels and address lists correctly word serial /w d səriəl/ noun a set of working in tandem / w kŋ n data words transmitted one after the other, tndəm/ noun a situation in which two along a parallel bus devices are working together words per minute / w dz p mnt/ working store /w kŋ stɔ / noun an noun full form of WPM area of high-speed memory used for temWordStar /w dstɑ / a trade name for porary storage of data in current use an outdated word-processing application workload /w k ləυd/ noun the amount developed by MicroPro International for of work which a person or computer has to CP/M and IBM PC computers do word time /w d tam/ noun the time worksheet /w k ʃi t/ noun (in a taken to transfer a word from one memory spreadsheet program) a two-dimensional area or device to another matrix of rows and columns that contains cells which can, themselves, contain equaword wrap /w d rp/ noun a system tions in word-processing in which the operator workspace /w kspes/ noun a space does not have to indicate the line endings, on memory which is available for use or is but can keyboard continuously, leaving the being used currently by an operator program to insert word breaks and to conworkstation /w k steʃ(ə)n/ noun a tinue the text on the next line. Also called wraparound place where a computer user works, with word mark

work area

workaround

word marker



WordPad

work disk

WordPerfect



work file

workflow

word-process

workgroup

word-processing

workgroup enabled



word-processing bureau

word-processor



workgroup software

working

word serial

working in tandem

words per minute

working store

WordStar

workload



word time

worksheet



word wrap

workspace

workstation



Computing.fm Page 361 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

361 WYSIWYG equipment such as a terminal, VDU, print(NOTE: writes – writing – wrote – written. You write data to a file.) er and modem 쑗 The system includes five workstations linked together in a ring netwrite-back cache /rat bk kʃ/, work. write-behind cache / rat bhand ‘…an image processing workstation must provide

kʃ/ noun same as write cache three basic facilities: the means to digitize, display write black printer / rat blk and manipulate the image data’ [Byte]

prntə/ noun a printer in which toner world /w ld/ noun a three-dimensional sticks to the points hit by the laser beam scene that is displayed on a website and alwhen the image drum is scanned. Comlows a user to move around the scene expare white writer ploring the objects visible COMMENT: A write black printer produces World Wide Web / w ld wad web/ sharp edges and graphics, but large areas of black are muddy. noun a collection of the millions of webwrite cache /rat kʃ/ noun temporary sites and webpages that together form the storage used to hold data intended for a part of the Internet that is most often seen storage device until the device is ready. by users. Abbr www, W3. Also called Also called write-back cache web write error /rat erə/ noun an error reCOMMENT: Each website is a collection of webpages containing text, graphics and links to ported when a user is trying to save data other websites. Each page is created using onto a magnetic storage medium the HTML language and is viewed by a user write head /rat hed/ noun same as with a web browser. Navigating between webwrite-back cache



write black printer

world

World Wide Web

write cache

write error

write head

pages and websites is called surfing; this requires a computer with a link to the Internet (usually using a modem) and a web browser to view the webpages stored on the remote web servers. The Internet itself includes email, Usenet and newsgroups as well as websites and webpages.

World

World Wide Web Consortium

Wide

Web

Consortium

/ w ld wad web kən sɔ tiəm/ noun full form of W3C WORM /w m/ noun an optical disk stor

WORM

age system that allows the user to write data to the disk once, but the user can then read the data from the disk many times. Full form write once read many times memory WP abbr word-processing WPM, wpm noun a method of measuring WP

WPM

the speed of a printer, the number of words printed in a minute. Full form words per minute

wraparound /rpə raυnd/ noun same wraparound



as word wrap wrapper /rpə/ noun special software that is used to provide a single, convenient file that can be distributed over the Internet wrapper

COMMENT: Wrapper software often includes security features, to prevent unauthorised copying, and compression to reduce the size of the files. A user double-clicks the file and it automatically installs the software enclosed in the wrapper on the computer.

writable instruction set computer writable instruction set computer

/ ratəb(ə)l n strkʃən set kə-pju tə/ noun full form of WISC write /rat/ verb to put text or data onto a 



write

disk 쑗 Access time is the time taken to read from or write to a location in memory.

record head

write once, read many times memory / rat wns ri d meni tamz write once, read many times memory

mem(ə)ri/ noun full form of WORM write-permit ring / rat pəmt rŋ/ noun a ring on a reel of magnetic tape which allows the tape to be overwritten or erased write protect /rat prətekt/ verb to make it impossible to write to a floppy disk or tape by moving a special write-protect tab write-protect tab / rat prətekt tb/ noun a tab on a floppy disk which if moved prevents any writing to or erasing from the disk writer /ratə/ noun 쏡 black writer, write-permit ring



write protect



write-protect tab



writer

white writer write time /rat tam/ noun the time bewrite time

tween requesting data transfer to a storage location and it being written writing pad /ratŋ pd/ noun a special device which allows a computer to read in handwritten characters which have been written onto a special pad www abbr World Wide Web WYSIAYG /wzi e/ noun a program in which the output on screen cannot be printed out in any other form, as it contains no hidden print or formatting commands. Full form What-You-See-Is-All-You-Get WYSIWYG /wzi w/ noun a program in which the output on the screen is exactly the same as the output on printout, including graphics and special fonts. Full form writing pad

www

WYSIAYG

WYSIWYG

What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get

Computing.fm Page 362 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

XYZ X1 /eks/ noun same as X-Window System X

‘X is the underlying technology which allows Unix applications to run under a multi-user, multitasking GUI. It has been adopted as the standard for the Common Open Software Environment, proposed recently by top Unix vendors including Digital, IBM and Sun.’ [Computing]

X2 /eks/ abbr extension X2 noun a communications standard deX

X2

veloped by US Robotics for its range of high-speed modems that can transfer data at 56,000 bits per second. 쒁 V series X.25 noun a CCITT standard that defines the connection between a terminal and a packet-switching network X.400 noun a CCITT standard that defines an email transfer method X.500 noun a CCITT standard that defines a method of global naming that allows every user to have a unique identity and allows any user to address an email message to any other user. 쒁 directory

portant products including the mouse and GUI XGA / eks d'i e/ noun a standard for colour video graphics adapter for PCs, developed by IBM, which has a resolution of 1,024 x 768 pixels with 256 colours on an interlaced display. Full form extended XGA

graphics array XHTML / eks etʃ ti em el/ noun a XHTML

combination of the HTML and XML webpage markup languages. Full form exten-

sible hypertext markup language COMMENT: XHTML is actually written using the XML language and provides a simpler way of creating webpages that will be displayed in the same way over a wide range of web browser platforms.

X.25

X.400

X.500

services XA 쏡 CD-ROM Extended Architecture (see) x-axis / eks aυt kss/ noun the horiXA

x-axis

zontal axis of a graph x-coordinate /eks kəυɔ dnət/ noun a horizontal axis position coordinate x direction / eks aυt drekʃ(ə)n/ noun a movement horizontally x distance / eks aυt dstəns/ noun the distance along an x-axis from an origin xerographic printer / zərərfk prntə/ noun a printer such as a photocopier in which charged ink is attracted to areas of a charged picture Xerox Network System / zərɒks netw k sstəm/ a network protocol developed by Xerox that has provided the basis for the Novell IPX network protocols. Abbr XNS Xerox PARC a Xerox development centre that has developed a wide range of imx-coordinate



x direction



x distance

xerographic printer

Xerox Network System

Xerox PARC

XML / eks em el/ noun a webpage XML

markup language that is a simplified version of the SGML system and allows a designer to create his or her own customised markup tags to improve flexibility. Full form extensible markup language XMODEM /eks məυdem/ noun a standard file transfer and error-detecting protocol used in asynchronous, modem data transmissions XMODEM 1K noun a version of XMODEM that transfers 1024-byte blocks of data XMODEM CRC noun an enhanced version of XMODEM that includes error checking XMS / eks em es/ noun a set of rules that define how an MS-DOS program should access extended memory fitted in a PC. Full form extended memory specificaXMODEM

XMODEM 1K

XMODEM CRC

XMS

tion

XNS abbr Xerox Network System XON/XOFF /eks ɒn eks ɒf/ noun an XNS

XON/XOFF

asynchronous transmission protocol in which each end can regulate the data flow by transmitting special codes X/OPEN /eksəυpən/ noun a group of vendors that are responsible for promoting open systems X/OPEN



Computing.fm Page 363 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

363 zero insertion force socket Yellow Book /jeləυ bυk/ noun a forXP abbr Windows XP mal specification for CD-ROM published x punch /eks pntʃ/ noun a card punch XP

Yellow Book

x punch

for column 11, often used to represent a negative number X-series / eks aυt səri z/ noun a set of recommendations for data communications over public data networks XT / eks ti / noun a trade name for a version of the original IBM PC, developed by IBM, that used an 8088 processor and included a hard disk XT keyboard / eks ti ki bɔ d/ noun a keyboard used with the IBM PC which had ten function keys running in two columns along the left-hand side of the keyboard X-Window System, X-Windows a graphical interface, usually used on Unix workstation computers, made up of a set of API commands and display handling routines that provide a hardware-independent programming interface for applications X-series

XT

XT keyboard

X-Window System

‘X is the underlying technology which allows Unix applications to run under a multi-user, multitasking GUI. It has been adopted as the standard for the Common Open Software Environment, proposed recently by top Unix vendors including Digital, IBM and Sun.’ [Computing] COMMENT: Originally developed for UNIX workstations, it can also run on a PC or minicomputer terminals. The Open Software Foundation has a version of X-Windows called Motif; Sun and Hewlett Packard have a version called OpenLook.

x-y / eks aυt wa/ noun the set of coorx-y

dinates for drawing a graph, where x is the horizontal and y the vertical value x-y plotter / eks wa plɒtə/ noun a plotter which plots to coordinates supplied, by moving the pen in two planes while the paper remains stationary y-axis /wa kss/ noun the vertical axis of a graph Y/C / wa si / noun two parts of a video signal representing the luminance (Y) and the chrominance (C) parts of the image Y/C delay / wa si d le/ noun an error caused by wrong synchronisation between the luma and chroma signals in a video transmission, seen as a colour halo around objects on the screen y-coordinate /wa kəυɔ dnət/ noun the vertical axis position coordinate Y/C video / wa si vdiəυ/ noun same as S-Video y-direction /wa darekʃən/ noun a vertical movement y-distance /wa dstəns/ noun the distance along a y-axis from an origin x-y plotter

y-axis

Y/C

Y/C delay



y-coordinate



Y/C video

y-direction



y-distance

by Philips, which includes data storage formats and has an extension to cover the CD-ROM XA standard YMCK / wa em si ke/ noun colour definition based on the four colours used in DTP software when creating separate colour film to use for printing. Full form YMCK

yellow, magenta, cyan, black YMODEM /wa məυdem/ noun a variYMODEM

ation of the XMODEM file transfer protocol that uses 1024-byte blocks and can send multiple files y punch /wa pntʃ/ noun a card punch for column 12, often used to indicate a positive number YUV encoding / wa ju vi n kaəυdŋ/ noun a video encoding system in which the video luminance (Y) signal is recorded at full bandwidth but the chrominance signals (U&V) are recorded at half their bandwidth Z symbol impedance Z80 / zed eti/ noun an 8-bit processor developed by Zilog, used in many early popular computers zap /zp/ verb to wipe off all data currently in the workspace 쑗 He pressed CONTROL Z and zapped all the text. y punch

YUV encoding



Z

Z80

zap

(NOTE: zapping – zapped) z-axis /zed kss/ noun an axis for z-axis

depth in a three-dimensional graph or plot z buffer /zed bfə/ noun an area of memory used to store the z-axis information for a graphics object displayed on screen zero /zərəυ/ noun 1. the digit 0 쑗 The code for international calls is zero one zero (010). 2. the equivalent of logical off or false state (NOTE: The plural is zeros or zeroes.) 쐽 verb to erase or clear a file or the contents of a programmable device zero compression / zərəυ kəm preʃ(ə)n/ noun the shortening of a file by the removal of unnecessary zeros. Also called zero suppression zerofill /zərəυfl/ verb to fill empty storage space on a computer with zeros zero flag /zərəυ fl/ noun an indicator that the contents of a register or result is zero zero insertion force socket / zərəυ n s ʃ(ə)n fɔ s sɒkt/ noun a chip socket that has movable connection terminals, allowing the chip to be inserted without using any force, then a small lever is z buffer

zero

zero compression



zerofill

zero flag

zero insertion force socket



Computing.fm Page 364 Friday, December 19, 2003 7:16 PM

zero-level address 364 turned to grip the legs of the chip. Also Zip disk /zp dsk/ noun a proprietary called ZIF socket type of removable storage device, similar to a removable hard disk drive, manufaczero-level address / zərəυ lev(ə)l ə tured by Iomega Corp. to provide a condres/ noun an instruction in which the advenient backup and storage medium with dress is the operand 100 Mb or 1Gb disk capacity. zero slot LAN / zərəυ slɒt ln/ noun zip file /zp fal/ noun a computer file a local area network that does not use inwith the extension .zip containing data that ternal expansion adapters, but instead the has been compressed for storage or transserial port or, sometimes, an external mission. pocket network adapters connected to the ZMODEM /zed məυdem/ noun an enprinter port hanced version of the XMODEM file zero suppression / zərəυ sə transfer protocol that includes error detecpreʃ(ə)n/ noun same as zero comprestion and the ability to restart a transfer sion where it left off if the connection is cut zero wait state / zərəυ wet stet/ zone /zəυn/ noun a region or part of a noun the state of a device (normally procscreen defined for specialised printing essor or memory chips) that is fast enough zoom /zu m/ verb to enlarge an area of to run at the same speed as the other comtext or graphics to make it easier to work ponents in a computer, so does not have to on be artificially slowed down by inserting ‘…any window can be zoomed to full-screen size by wait states pressing the F-5 function key’ [Byte] zooming /zu mŋ/ noun the process of zettabyte /zetəbat/ noun a unit of enlarging an area of text or graphics 쑗 Varcomputer memory or disk storage space iable zooming from 25% to 400% of actual equal to one sextillion bytes or 1,024 exasize. bytes ZV Port / zed vi pɔ t/ noun an interZIF socket /zf sɒkt/ noun same as face port that allows data to be transferred zero insertion force socket from a PC Card directly to the computer’s zine /zi n/ noun a paper, Internet magavideo controller without passing through zine or other periodical published by its the computer’s central processor. Full author, issued at irregular intervals and form zoomed video port (NOTE: It is usually aimed at specialist readers used to allow a laptop computer to display live images from a video camera ZIP /zp/ noun a filename extension given plugged into the computer’s PC Card to files that contain compressed data, ususocket.) ally generated by the PKZIP shareware utility program Zip disk

zero-level address



zero slot LAN

zip file

ZMODEM

zero suppression



zero wait state

zone

zoom

zettabyte

zooming

ZV Port

ZIF socket

zine

ZIP

SUPPLEMENT

HTML codes

HTML codes The following is a list of the basic HTML codes (or tags) used to format webpages. ... creates a hyperlink target or source. For example, link to Bloomsbury will create a hyperlink to the Bloomsbury Publishing Plc webpage. ... enclosed text is formatted in smaller typeface as an address ... defines an applet within the document

defines the area of a graphic image that will respond to a mouse click using a client-side imagemap ... formats enclosed text in a bold typeface

defines the URL that is added in front of all relative URLs used within the document

defines the point size of the font used to format for the following text

defines the audio file that is played as a background sound to the document (used in MS-IE) ... formats enclosed text in a bigger typeface ... formats the enclosed text as a quotation ... defines the start and finish of this document’s body text; also used to define a graphic image used as a background, and to set the default colour of the text, hyperlinks and margins for the document
inserts a line break in the text; the

code also inserts a carriage return ... defines the caption for a table ... formats enclosed text to be centered across the line ... formats enclosed text as a citation ... formats enclosed text as program code, normally using the Courier typeface

HTML codes defines the properties for a column that has been defined using

defines a column ... defines the enclosed text to be a comment; only works in MS IE, with any other browser you should use the comment tag format ... defines one element of a definition list ... formats enclosed text as a definition ... creates a directory list using the

to create entries ... divides the text within a document and formats each division ... creates a definition list using the and tags to create entries ... defines the definition part of an entry within a definition list ... formats enclosed text with emphasis (similar to bold typeface) ... points to an object to embed in a document ... defines the size, colour and typeface of the font to use for the enclosed text ... defines the following tags to be treated as one form; also defines how to process the form and where to send the encoded information ... defines a frame, including its border, colour, name and text ... defines a collection of frames ... defines a pre-set font size, such as for a large headings, for small headings

breaks the current line of text and inserts a horizontal rule across the page ... defines the start and end of the entire html document ... formats enclosed text using an italic typeface ... defines a floating frame

HTML codes includes an image within a document, also defines a border for the image, size, alternative caption text and whether the image is a video clip

defines a checkbox button within a form

defines a file-selection list within a form

defines an image input element within a form

defines a text input that displays an asterisk when text is entered

defines a radio button within a form

defines a button to reset the form’s contents

defines a button to submit the form’s contents to the named process

defines a text input element to allow users to enter a line of text

defines the html document to be searchable by a defined search engine ... formats enclosed text as a keyboard input

...

defines an item in a list; the list can be ordered using or unordered using

defines a link within a document header ... an old tag that is the same as the tag ... defines an image map that contains hotspots ... creates an animated scrolling text line, used in MS-IE ... defines a menu that has items created using the
• tag
  
  allows the programmer to include extra information about the document ... defines multiple columns within the document; only used in Netscape Navigator
  
  used by automated html document generators as a reference point within a file
  
  HTML codes ... prevents the browser adding breaks within the enclosed text ... defines content that should be displayed if the browser does not support frames ... defines content that should be used if the browser does not support Java; only used in Netscape Navigator ... defines an object, applet or OLE object to be inserted into the document ... defines the start and end of a numbered list; items are inserted using the
• tag ... defines one option within a tag

  ...

  defines the start and end of a paragraph ... defines the parameters to be passed to an applet or object
  
  formats the rest of the document as plain text with spaces and breaks ... formats the enclosed text as plaintext with spaces and breaks ... formats enclosed text with a strikethrough (horizontal line) ... defines enclosed text as an example (sample)
  
  defines the start and end of a script written in a language such as JavaScript or VBScript ... defines a list of options within a form, each created using the tag ... formats enclosed text in a small type size
  
  inserts a character space within a line of text; only used in Netscape Navigator ... define a style sheet that formats text over several tags ... formats enclosed text with a strikethrough (horizontal line) ... formats enclosed text with emphasis, similar to bold typeface
  
  defines a collection of text formatting commands that can be referred to with this style command
  
  HTML codes ... formats enclosed text as subscript ... formats enclosed text as superscript ... defines a table including border, colour, size and width; columns are added with and rows with
  
  a group of rows within a table ... defines a cell within a table, effectively adds a column to the table ... defines a multiple line text input element for a form
  
  defines rows within a table that are formatted as a footer to the table ... defines the header to each column in a table
  
  defines rows within a table that are formatted as a header to the table ... defines the title of an html document ... defines a row of cells within a table ... formats enclosed text in a monospaced typewriter-style font
  ...
  defines the start and end of a bulleted list of elements; each element is added using
• ... enclosed text is the name of a variable
  
  defines a possible point for a word break within a line ... an old tag that formats enclosed text, similar to
  
  Decimal Conversion Table
  
  Prefixes T G M k d c m m n p f a
  
  teragigamegakilodecicentimillimicronanopicofemtoatto-
  
  Symbols 12
  
  10 9 10 6 10 3 10 -1 10 -2 10 -3 10 -6 10 10-9 -12 10 10-15 -18 10
  
  % = » ¹ < > + ¸ x \ &
  
  per cent equals is approximately equal to is not equal to is less than is more than plus minus divided by multiplied by therefore and
  
  Decimal Conversion Table base
  
  Decimal 10 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15
  
  BCD 2 0000 0000 0000 0001 0000 0010 0000 0011 0000 0100 0000 0101 0000 0110 0000 0111 0000 1000 0000 1001 0001 0000 0001 0001 0001 0010 0001 0011 0001 0100 0001 0101
  
  Binary 2 0000 0001 0010 0011 0100 0101 0110 0111 1000 1001 1010 1011 1100 1101 1110 1111
  
  Octal 8 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
  
  Hexadecimal 16 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F
  
  Unicode Characters 0 - 255 in Decimal and Hexadecimal
  
  Unicode Characters 0 - 255 in Decimal and Hexadecimal dec 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51
  
  hex 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0A 0B 0C 0D 0E 0F 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 1A 1B 1C 1D 1E 1F 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 2A 2B 2C 2D 2E 2F 30 31 32 33
  
  char NUL SOH STX ETX EOT ENQ ACK BEL BS HT LF VT FF CR SO SI DLE DC1 DC2 DC3 DC4 NAK SYN ETB CAN EM SUB ESC FS GS RS US SP ! “ # $ % & ‘ ( ) * + , . / 0 1 2 3
  
  dec 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103
  
  hex 34 35 36 37 38 39 3A 3B 3C 3D 3E 3F 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 4A 4B 4C 4D 4E 4F 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 5A 5B 5C 5D 5E 5F 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67
  
  char 4 5 6 7 8 9 : ; < = > ? @ A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z [ \ ] ^ _ a b c d e f g
  
  dec 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155
  
  hex 68 69 6A 6B 6C 6D 6E 6F 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 7A 7B 7C 7D 7E 7F 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 8A 8B 8C 8D 8E 8F 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 9A 9B
  
  char h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z { | } ~ DEL xxx xxx BPH NBH IND NEL SSA ESA HTS HTJ VTS PLD PLU RI SS2 SS3 DCS PU1 PU2 STS CCH MW SPA EPA SOS xxx SCI CSI
  
  dec 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207
  
  hex 9C 9D 9E 9F A0 A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8 A9 AA AB AC AD AE AF B0 B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8 B9 BA BB BC BD BE BF C0 C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 CA CB CC CD CE CF
  
  char ST OSC PM APC NBSP ¡ ¢ £ ¤ ¥ ¦ § ¨ © ª « ¬ SHY ® ¯ ° ± ² ³ ´ µ ¶ · ¸ ¹ º » ¼ ½ ¾ ¿ À Á Â Ã Ä Å Æ Ç È É Ê Ë Ì Í Î Ï
  
  Unicode CO and CI controls dec 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219
  
  hex D0 D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 D8 D9 DA DB
  
  char Ð Ñ Ò Ó Ô Õ Ö × Ø Ù Ú Û
  
  dec 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231
  
  hex DC DD DE DF E0 E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7
  
  char Ü Ý Þ ß à á â ã ä å æ ç
  
  dec 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243
  
  hex E8 E9 EA EB EC ED EE EF F0 F1 F2 F3
  
  char è é ê ë ì í î ï ð ñ ò ó
  
  dec 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255
  
  hex F4 F5 F6 F7 F8 F9 FA FB FC FD FE FF
  
  char ô õ ö ÷ ø ù ú û ü ý þ ÿ
  
  Notes: 1. Characters 0 - 127 form the ASCII character set. 2. Characters 32 - 127 and 160 - 255 are the same in the ANSI character set.
  
  Unicode CO and CI controls NUL SOH SOT ETX EOT ENQ ACK BEL BS HT LF VT FF CR SO SI DLE DC NAK SYN ETB
  
  null start of heading start of text end of text end of transmission enquiry acknowledge bell backspace horizontal tab line feed vertical tab form feed carriage return shift out shift in data link escape device control negative ack. synchronous idle end of transmission block CAN cancel
  
  EM SUB ESC FS GS RS US SP DEL BPH NBH IND NEL SSA OSC ESA HTS HTJ VTS PLD PLU
  
  end of medium substitute esape file separator group separator record separator unit separator space delete break permitted here no break here indent next line start of selected area operating system command end of selected area character tabulation set character tabulation with justification line tabulation set partial line forward partial line backward
  
  RI SS2 SS3 DCS PU1 PU2 STS CCH MW SPA EPA SOS SCI
  
  reverse line feed single shift two single shift three device control string private use one private use two set tranmit state cancel character message waiting start of guarded area end of guarded area start of string single character introducer CSI control sequence introducer ST string terminator PM privacy message APC application program command NBSP no-break space SHY soft hyphen
  
  Logic Function Tables
  
  Logic Function Tables
  
  Programming Languages
  
  Programming Languages The following samples demonstrate the differences in programming languages for a similar function: an input, n, is requested from the user (defining the number of entries in a list); the program loop repeats itself n times, asking for an entry and comparing it with the current biggest number entered. The biggest entry entered is then displayed on screen.
  
  BASIC 5 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
  
  BIG=0 INPUT "How many numbers ";N FOR I=1 TO N INPUT X IF X>BIG THEN BIG=X NEXT I PRINT BIG END
  
  FORTRAN
  
  2
  
  INTEGER BIG BIG=0 READ, N DO 2 I=1, N READ, C IF (X.GT.BIG)BIG=X PRINT, BIG STOP END
  
  C
  
  C++
  
  #include main() { int n, i, x, big; big=0; scanf("%d", &n); for (i=0; ibig) big=x; } printf("%d", big); }
  
  #include using namespace std; main() { int n, x; int big = 0; cin >> n; for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) { cin >> x; if (x > big) big = x; } cout