| plus | 1. <mathematics> More, required to be added; positive, as distinguished from negative; opposed to minus. 2. Hence, in a literary sense, additional; real; actual. "Success goes invariably with a certain plus or positive power." (Emerson) 3. <mathematics> Plus sign, the sign (+) which denotes addition, or a positive quantity. Origin: L, more; akin to Gr, and cf. Piu, Pleonasm. (11 Mar 1998) |
|---|---|
| plus lens | A converging lens. Synonym: plus lens. (05 Mar 2000) |
| plus strand | See: replicative form. (05 Mar 2000) |
| fluorescence plus Giemsa stain | <technique> A stain used to demonstrate sister chromatid exchange; cells are grown in 5-bromodeoxyuridine, followed by chromosome preparation, staining in Hoechst 33258, exposure to light, and staining in Giemsa; chromosomes exhibit a "harlequin" appearance. (05 Mar 2000) |
| relief | 1. The act of relieving, or the state of being relieved; the removal, or partial removal, of any evil, or of anything oppressive or burdensome, by which some ease is obtained; succor; alleviation; comfort; ease; redress. "He seec the dire contagion spread so fast, That, where it seizes, all relief is vain." (Dryden) 2. Release from a post, or from the performance of duty, by the intervention of others, by discharge, or by relay; as, a relief of a sentry. "For this relief much thanks;;tis bitter cold." (Shak) 3. That which removes or lessenc evil, pain, discomfort, uneasiness, etc.; that which gives succor, aid, or comfort; also, the person who relieves from performance of duty by taking the place of another; a relay. 4. A fine or composition which the heir of a deceased tenant paid to the lord for the privilege of taking up the estate, which, on strict feudal principles, had lapsed or fallen to the lord on the death of the tenant. 5. The projection of a figure above the ground or plane on wwhich it is formed. Relief is of three kinds, namely, high relief (altorilievo), low relief, (basso-rilievo), and demirelief (mezzo-rilievo). See these terms in the Vocabulary. 6. The appearance of projection given by shading, shadow, etc, to any figure. 7. The height to which works are raised above the bottom of the ditch. 8. <physics> The elevations and surface undulations of a country. Relief valve, a valve arranged for relieving pressure of steam, gas, or liquid; an escape valve. Synonym: Alleviation, mitigation, aid, help, succor, assistance, remedy, redress, indemnification. Origin: OE. Relef, F. Relief, properly, a lifting up, a standing out. See Relieve, and cf. Basrelief, Rilievi. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| relief area | In dentistry, the portion of the denture-bearing area over which the denture base is altered to reduce functional pressure. (05 Mar 2000) |
| relief chamber | A recess in the impression surface of a denture to reduce or eliminate pressure from that specific area of the mouth. (05 Mar 2000) |
| relief work | Assistance, such as money, food, or shelter, given to the needy, aged, or victims of disaster. It is usually granted on a temporary basis. (12 Dec 1998) |
| mucosal relief radiography | Radiographic technique showing fine detail of gastrointestinal mucosa after coating it with a barium suspension and distending the organ with air or gas released from an ingested powder. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Abbe test plate | <equipment> A long, wedge-shaped coverslip about 0.20 mm thick at one end and 0.10 to 0.12 mm at the other end coated chemically with a silver film on which are ruled horizontal lines. at each variation in thickness of 0.01 mm there are vertical lines. By means of oblique illumination and by focusing on different portions of the plate, it is possible to determine the optimum coverslip thickness for any objective and also, for microscopes with drawtubes, the tube length for best objective performance. The approximate freedom from spherical and chromatic aberrations can also be estimated. Small isolated bits of silver near the edges of the lines form good objects for the star test (05 Aug 1998) |
| acetone test | A test for ketonuria; the suspected urine is shaken up with a few drops of sodium nitroprusside, and strong ammonia water is then gently poured over the mixture; if acetone is present, a magenta ring forms at the line of contact; tablets containing sodium nitroprusside and alkali are now more commonly used. (05 Mar 2000) |
| achievement test | A standardised test used to measure acquired learning, e.g., competence in a specific subject area such as reading or arithmetic, in contrast to an intelligence test which is a useful index of potential ability or learning. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acidified serum test | Lysis of the patient's red cells in acidified fresh serum, specific for paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria. Synonym: Ham's test. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acid loading test | <nephrology> This is a test used in the diagnosis of renal tubular acidosis. The patient takes ammonium chloride capsules for 3 days to acidify the blood (lower blood pH). A sample of the urine and the blood is then collected and the results are interpreted. (27 Sep 1997) |
| acid perfusion test | <gastroenterology, investigation> A test used to diagnosis gastrooesophageal reflux disease. This investigation requires that the patient swallow 3 tiny tubes into the stomach. A mixture of hydrochloric acid (like stomach acid) and saline are alternatively injected into the tubes. The patient then reports any symptoms they may have. Some patients may vomit. (13 Nov 1997) |