| acquisition | In psychology, the empirical demonstration of an increase in the strength of the conditioned response in successive trials of pairing the conditioned and unconditioned stimulus. (05 Mar 2000) |
|---|---|
| slab | 1. A thin piece of anything, especially of marble or other stone, having plane surfaces. 2. An outside piece taken from a log or timber in sawing it into boards, planks, etc. 3. <zoology> The wry neck. 4. The slack part of a sail. Slab line, a line or small rope by which seamen haul up the foot of the mainsail or foresail. Origin: OE. Slabbe, of uncertain origin; perhaps originally meaning, a smooth piece, and akin to slape, Icel. Sleipr slippery, and E. Slip, v. I. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| slab-off | A process by which prism base-up is produced in the reading field of a spectacle lens through bicentric grinding. (05 Mar 2000) |
| slab-off lens | A spectacle lens with a base-up prism below; used in unequal myopia to equalise image displacement when reading. (05 Mar 2000) |
| genes, overlapping | Genes whose nucleotide sequences overlap to some degree. The overlapped sequences may involve structural or regulatory genes of eukaryotic or prokaryotic cells. (12 Dec 1998) |
| overlapping | <cell biology> In cell locomotion situation in which the leading lamella of one cell moves actively over the dorsal surface of another cell should be distinguished from underlapping. (18 Nov 1997) |
| overlapping gene | <molecular biology> Different genes whose nucleotide coding sequences overlap to some extent. The common nucleotide sequence is read in two or three different reading frames thus specifying different polypeptides. (18 Nov 1997) |
| overlapping reading frame | <molecular biology> Start codons in different reading frames which generate different polypeptides from the same DNA sequence. (09 Oct 1997) |
| chromatography, thin layer | Chromatography on thin layers of adsorbents rather than in columns. The adsorbent can be alumina, silica gel, silicates, charcoals, or cellulose. (12 Dec 1998) |
| thin | Not thickly or closely; in a seattered state; as, seed sown thin. "Spain is thin sown of people." (Bacon) 1. Having little thickness or extent from one surface to its opposite; as, a thin plate of metal; thin paper; a thin board; a thin covering. 2. Rare; not dense or thick; applied to fluids or soft mixtures; as, thin blood; thin broth; thin air. "In the day, when the air is more thin." (Bacon) "Satan, bowing low His gray dissimulation, disappeared, Into thin air diffused." (Milton) 3. Not close; not crowded; not filling the space; not having the individuals of which the thing is composed in a close or compact state; hence, not abundant; as, the trees of a forest are thin; the corn or grass is thin. "Ferrara is very large, but extremely thin of people." (Addison) 4. Not full or well grown; wanting in plumpness. "Seven thin ears . . . Blasted with the east wind." (Gen. Xli. 6) 5. Not stout; slim; slender; lean; gaunt; as, a person becomes thin by disease. 6. Wanting in body or volume; small; feeble; not full. "Thin, hollow sounds, and lamentable screams." (Dryden) 7. Slight; small; slender; flimsy; wanting substance or depth or force; superficial; inadequate; not sufficient for a covering; as, a thin disguise. "My tale is done, for my wit is but thin." (Chaucer) Thin is used in the formation of compounds which are mostly self-explaining; as, thin-faced, thin-lipped, thin-peopled, thin-shelled, and the like. Thin section. See Section. Origin: OE. Thinne, thenne, thunne, AS. Thynne; akin to D. Dun, G. Dunn, OHG. Dunni, Icel. Thunnr, Sw. Tunn, Dan. Tynd, Gael. & Ir. Tana, W. Teneu, L. Tenuis, Gr. (in comp) stretched out, stretched, stretched out, long, Skr. Tanu thin, slender; also to AS. Enian to extend, G. Dehnen, Icel. Enja, Goth. Anjan (in comp), L. Tendere to stretch, tenere to hold, Gr. To stretch, Skr. Tan. 51 & 237. Cf. Attenuate, Dance, Tempt, Tenable, Tend to move, Tenous, Thunder, Tone. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| thin filament | Filaments 7-9nm diameter attached to the Z discs of striated muscle, have opposite polarity in each half sarcomere. Built of F actin with associated tropomyosin and troponin. (18 Nov 1997) |
| thin film | <radiobiology> Plasmas are often used to deposit thin-film coatings on various materials. (09 Oct 1997) |
| thin layer chromatography | <technique> Chromatography using a thin layer of powdered medium on an inert sheet to support the stationary phase. Faster than paper chromatography, gives higher resolution and requires smaller samples. (18 Nov 1997) |
| thin-layer chromatography | Chromatography through a thin layer of cellulose or similar inert material supported on a glass or plastic plate. (05 Mar 2000) |
| thin-layer electrophoresis | Electrophoretic migrations (separations) through a thin layer of inert material, such as cellulose, supported on a glass or plastic plate. (05 Mar 2000) |