| index | Origin: L., cf. F. Index. See Indicate, Diction. 1. That which points out; that which shows, indicates, manifests, or discloses. "Tastes are the indexes of the different qualities of plants." (Arbuthnot) 2. That which guides, points out, informs, or directs; a pointer or a hand that directs to anything, as the hand of a watch, a movable finger on a gauge, scale, or other graduated instrument. In printing, a sign used to direct particular attention to a note or paragraph; called also fist. 3. A table for facilitating reference to topics, names, and the like, in a book; usually alphabetical in arrangement, and printed at the end of the volume. 4. A prologue indicating what follows. 5. <anatomy> The second digit, that next pollex, in the manus, or hand; the forefinger; index finger. 6. <mathematics> The figure or letter which shows the power or root of a quantity; the exponent. [In this sense the plural is always indices] Index error, the error in the reading of a mathematical instrument arising from the zero of the index not being in complete adjustment with that of the limb, or with its theoretically perfect position in the instrument; a correction to be applied to the instrument readings equal to the error of the zero adjustment. Index expurgatorius. [L] See Index prohibitorius (below). Index finger. See Index. Index glass, the mirror on the index of a quadrant, sextant, etc. Index hand, the pointer or hand of a clock, watch, or other registering machine; a hand that points to something. <mathematics> Index of a logarithm, a catalogue of books which are forbidden by the church to be read; the index expurgatorius [L], or expurgatory index, is a catalogue of books from which passages marked as against faith or morals must be removed before Catholics can read them. These catalogues are published with additions, from time to time, by the Congregation of the Index, composed of cardinals, theologians, etc, under the sanction of the pope. Index rerum [L], a tabulated and alphabetized notebook, for systematic preservation of items, quotations, etc. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| index ametropia | That resulting from alteration in the refractive index of the lens of the eye. (05 Mar 2000) |
| index case | A person who first draws attention to their family. For example, if my eye doctor discovers i have glaucoma and subsequently other cases of glaucoma are found in my family, i am the index case. Also called the propositus (if male) or proposita (if female). (12 Dec 1998) |
| index extensor muscle | extensor indicis muscle |
| index finger | The second finger (the thumb being counted as the first). Synonym: digitus secundus, forefinger, index, second finger. (05 Mar 2000) |
| index fossils | Fossils (or groups of fossils) which are used by geologists and paleontologists to help correlate different events or processes in different parts of the world which happened at the same time. Species which make good index fossils are able to tolerate a wide range of ecological conditions, are geographically widespread, common, easy to find, and evolutionarily short-lived (that is, they speciated and then quickly became extinct). In general, they are also planktonic and very small. (09 Oct 1997) |
| index hypermetropia | Hypermetropia arising from decreased refractivity of the lens. Origin: hyper-+ G. Metron, measure, + ops, eye (05 Mar 2000) |
| index myopia | Myopia arising from increased refractivity of the lens, as in nuclear sclerosis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| index of refraction | <physics> For a given wavelength, this is the ratio of the velocity of light in vacuum (c) to the velocity of light in a refractive material (for example, glass, plasma, etc.). (09 Oct 1997) |
| indexical signs | Sign's that acquire their function through a causal connection with what they signify; e.g., smoke as a sign of fire. (05 Mar 2000) |
| absorbancy index | Absorbance (of light) per unit path length (usually the centimeter) and per unit of mass concentration. Compare: molar absorption coefficient. Synonym: absorbancy index, absorptivity, extinction coefficient, specific extinction. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| alveolar index | Relation between the basialveolar (basion to alveolar point) and basinasal (basion to nasion) lengths: (basialveolar length × 100)/basinasal length; the result indicates the degree of projection of the maxilla or upper jaw. Synonym: alveolar index. (05 Mar 2000) |
| anaesthetic index | Ratio of the number of units of anaesthetic required for anaesthesia to the number of units of anaesthetic required to produce respiratory or cardiovascular failure. (05 Mar 2000) |
| antitryptic index | An obsolete term for the relative retardation in loss of viscosity of a solution of casein incubated with trypsin, to which a drop of abnormal blood serum (as from a cancerous patient) has been added, compared with that in a similar solution to which normal serum has been added; if the former drips through the tube of the viscosimeter in 100 seconds, and the latter in 104 seconds, the antitryptic index is 4. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Arneth index | An expression based on adding the percentages of polymorphonuclear neutrophils with 1 or 2 lobes in their nuclei, plus one-half the percentage with 3 lobes; the normal value is 60%. See: Arneth formula, Arneth count. (05 Mar 2000) |
| auricular index | Relation of the width to the height of the auricle or pinna: (width of pinna × 100)/length of pinna. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Ayala's index | The cerebrospinal index when 10 ml of cerebrospinal fluid have been removed. Synonym: Ayala's quotient, spinal quotient. (05 Mar 2000) |
| basilar index | Ratio between the basialveolar line and the maximum length of the cranium, according to the formula: (basialveolar line × 100)/length of cranium. Synonym: alveolar index. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Bodecker index | A modification of the DMF caries index. (05 Mar 2000) |
| body mass index | One of the anthropometric measures of body mass; it has the highest correlation with skinfold thickness or body density. (12 Dec 1998) |
| buffer index | The power of a substance in solution to absorb acid or alkali without change in pH; this is highest at a pH value equal to the pKa value of the acid of the buffer pair. See: buffer capacity. Synonym: buffer index. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Calculus Surface Index | An index that measures only dental calculus, used for evaluating new calculus formation within a large group of test subjects. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardiac index | The amount of blood ejected by the heart in a unit of time divided by the body surface area; usually expressed in liters per minute per square meter. (05 Mar 2000) |
| radial index artery | <anatomy, artery> Origin, radial; distribution, radial side of index finger. Synonym: arteria radialis indicis, arteria volaris indicis radialis, radial index artery. (05 Mar 2000) |
| palatal index | Relation of the palatomaxillary width, measured between the outer borders of the alveolar arch just above the middle of the second molar tooth, and the palatomaxillary length, measured from the alveolar point to the middle of a transverse line touching the posterior borders of the two maxillae: (palatomaxillary width × 100)/palatomaxillary length; it notes the varying forms of the dental arcade and palate. Synonym: palatal index, palatine index. (05 Mar 2000) |