| dependent personality disorder | An individual who fears separation and engaging othhers to assume responsibility (27 Sep 1997) |
|---|---|
| dependent variable | In experiments, a variable that is influenced by or dependent upon changes in the independent variable; e.g., the amount of a written passage retained (dependent variable) as a function of the different numbers of minutes (independent variable) allowed to study the passage. (05 Mar 2000) |
| dependovirus | <virology> A genus of viruses in the family Parvoviridae which are all defective viruses (unable to replicate by themselves) and depend on the co-infection of their host cell by other, nondefective viruses to help them replicate. (09 Oct 1997) |
| depersonalisation | <psychiatry> Alteration in the perception of the self so that the usual sense of one's own reality is lost, manifested in a sense of unreality or self estrangement, in changes of body image or in a feeling that one does not control his own actions and speech, seen in depersonalisation disorder, schizophrenic disorders and schizotypal personality disorder. Some do not draw a distinction between depersonalisation and derealisation, using depersonalisation to include both. (18 Nov 1997) |
| depersonalization | An alteration in the perception of the self so that the usual sense of one's own reality is lost, manifested in a sense of unreality or self-estrangement, in changes of body image, or in a feeling that one does not control his own actions and speech. (12 Dec 1998) |
| depersonalization disorder | <psychiatry> A mental disorder or heterogeneous group of disorders (the schizophrenias or schizophrenic disorders) comprising most major psychotic disorders and characterised by disturbances in form and content of thought (loosening of associations, delusions and hallucinations) mood (blunted, flattened or inappropriate affect), sense of self and relationship to the external world (loss of ego boundaries, dereistic thinking and autistic withdrawal) and behaviour (bizarre, apparently purposeless and stereotyped activity or inactivity). The definition and clinical application of the concept of the concept of schizophrenia have varied greatly. The DSM III R criteria emphasise marked disorder of thought (delusions, hallucinations or other thought disorder accompanied by disordered affect or behaviour), deterioration from a previous level of functioning and chronicity (duration of more than 6 months), thus excluding from this classification conditions referred to by others as acute, borderline, simple or latent schizophrenia. Originally called dementia praecox and characterised as a psychosis with adolescent onset and a chronic course ending in deterioration. The term schizophrenia was introduced by Bleuler because neither early onset nor terminal deterioration is an essential feature, he emphasised the splitting and lack of personality integration seen in the disorder. Origin: Gr. Phren = mind (18 Nov 1997) |
| depersonalization syndrome | An alteration in the perception of the self so that the usual sense of one's own reality is lost, manifested in a sense of unreality or self-estrangement, in changes of body image, or in a feeling that one does not control his own actions and speech. (12 Dec 1998) |
| dephasing | In the magnetic resonance, following alignment by a radiofrequency pulse, the gradual loss of orientation of the magnetic atomic nuclei due to random molecular energy transfer or relaxation. (05 Mar 2000) |
| dephlegm | <chemistry> To rid of phlegm or water; to dephlegmate. Origin: Pref. De- + phlegm water; cf. F. Dephlegmer, deflegmer. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| dephlegmate | <chemistry> To deprive of superabundant water, as by evaporation or distillation; to clear of aqueous matter; to rectify; used of spirits and acids. Origin: See Dephlegm. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| dephlegmation | <chemistry> The operation of separating water from spirits and acids, by evaporation or repeated distillation; called also concentration, especially when acids are the subject of it. Origin: Cf. F. Deflegmation. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| dephlogisticcate | <chemistry> To deprive of phlogiston, or the supposed principle of inflammability. Dephlogisticated air, oxygen gas; so called by Dr. Priestly and others of his time. Dephlogistica"tion. Origin: Pref. De- + phlosticate: cf. F. Dephlogistiguer. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| dephosphorylation | <biochemistry> Removal of a phosphate group. (18 Nov 1997) |
| depigmentation | <dermatology> The removal or loss of pigment, especially melanin. (18 Nov 1997) |
| depilate | To remove hair by any means. Compare: epilate. Origin: L. De-pilo, pp. -atus, to deprive of hair, fr. De-neg. + pilo, to grow hair (05 Mar 2000) |