| aliasing | <microscopy> A pattern of image sampling error in digital systems. Aliasing forces spatial frequency components higher than a critical value (the Nyquist frequency) to be displayed at progressively lower frequencies. Aliasing introduces an undesirable moire pattern when the spatial frequency of the signal exceeds the sampling rate in a digitiser. (05 Aug 1998) |
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| alible | Synonym: nutritive. Origin: L. Alibilis, nutritive, fr. Alo, to nourish (05 Mar 2000) |
| Alice in Wonderland syndrome | <syndrome> The illusion of dreams, feelings of levitation, and alteration in the sense of the passage of time, sometimes associated with migraine, epilepsy, and various diseases of the parietal lobe of the brain. (05 Mar 2000) |
| alicyclic | <chemistry> This refers to any aliphatic compound that contains a ring of carbon atoms. (13 Nov 1997) |
| alicyclic compounds | See: cyclic compound. (05 Mar 2000) |
| alidade | The portion of a graduated instrument, as a quadrant or astrolabe, carrying the sights or telescope, and showing the degrees cut off on the arc of the instrument Origin: LL. Alidada, alhidada, fr. Ar. Al-'idada a sort of rule: cf. F. Alidade. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| alienability | Capability of being alienated. "The alienability of the domain." Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| alienation | 1. The act of alienating, or the state of being alienated. 2. A transfer of title, or a legal conveyance of property to another. 3. A withdrawing or estrangement, as of the affections. "The alienation of his heart from the king." (Bacon) 4. Mental alienation; derangement of the mental faculties; insanity; as, alienation of mind. Synonym: Insanity, lunacy, madness, derangement, aberration, mania, delirium, frenzy, dementia, monomania. See Insanity. Origin: F. Alienation, L. Alienatio, fr. Alienare, fr. Alienare. See Alienate. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| alienia | <embryology> The congenital absence of the spleen. (27 Sep 1997) |
| alienism | 1. The status or legal condition of an alien; alienage. "The law was very gentle in the construction of the disability of alienism." (Kent) 2. The study or treatment of diseases of the mind. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| alienist | One who treats diseases of the mind. Origin: F. Alieniste. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| aliethmoidal | <anatomy> Pertaining to expansions of the ethmoid bone or artilage. Origin: L. Ala wing + E. Ethomoid. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| aliform | Wing-shaped. Origin: L. Ala, + forma, shape (05 Mar 2000) |
| alight | 1. To spring down, get down, or descend, as from on horseback or from a carriage; to dismount. 2. To descend and settle, lodge, rest, or stop; as, a flying bird alights on a tree; snow alights on a roof. 3. To come or chance (upon). Origin: OE. Alihten, fr. AS. Alihtan; pref. A- (cf. Goth. Us-, G. Er-, orig. Meaning out) + lihtan, to alight, orig. To render light, to remove a burden from, fr. Liht, leoht, light. See Light. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| alignment | 1. The longitudinal position of a bone or limb. 2. The act of bringing into line. 3. In dentistry, the arrangement of the teeth in relation to the supporting structures and the adjacent and opposing dentitions. Synonym: alinement. Origin: Fr. Aligner, to line up, fr. L. Linea, line (05 Mar 2000) |