| indent | 1. To notch; to jag; to cut into points like a row of teeth; as, to indent the edge of paper. 2. To dent; to stamp or to press in; to impress; as, indent a smooth surface with a hammer; to indent wax with a stamp. 3. [Cf. Indenture] To bind out by indenture or contract; to indenture; to apprentice; as, to indent a young man to a shoemaker; to indent a servant. 4. To begin (a line or lines) at a greater or less distance from the margin; as, to indent the first line of a paragraph one em; to indent the second paragraph two ems more than the first. See Indentation, and Indention. 5. To make an order upon; to draw upon, as for military stores. Origin: OE. Endenten to notch, fit in, OF. Endenter, LL. Indentare, fr. L. In + dens, dentis, tooth. See Tooth, and cf. Indenture. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| indentation | 1. The act of indenting or state of being indented. 2. A notch or recess, in the margin or border of anything; as, the indentations of a leaf, of the coast, etc. 3. A recess or sharp depression in any surface. 4. The act of beginning a line or series of lines at a little distance within the flush line of the column or page, as in the common way of beginning the first line of a paragraph. The measure of the distance; as, an indentation of one em, or of two ems. Hanging, or Reverse, indentation, indentation of all the lines of a paragraph except the first, which is a full line. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| indented | 1. Cut in the edge into points or inequalities, like teeth; jagged; notched; stamped in; dented on the surface. 2. Having an uneven, irregular border; sinuous; undulating. 3. Notched like the part of a saw consisting of the teeth; serrated; as, an indented border or ordinary. 4. Bound out by an indenture; apprenticed; indentured; as, an indented servant. 5. <ornithology, zoology> Notched along the margin with a different colour, as the feathers of some birds. Indented line, a line with alternate long and short faces, with salient and receding angles, each face giving a flanking fire along the front of the next. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| independence | 1. The relationship between two or more events in which no information about any combination of some of them contains any information about any combination of the others. 2. The state of mutual detachment between or among autonomous units. (05 Mar 2000) |
| independency | 1. Independence. ""Give me," I cried (enough for me), "My bread, and independency!"" (Pope) 2. Doctrine and polity of the Independents. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| independent | 1. One who believes that an organised Christian church is complete in itself, competent to self-government, and independent of all ecclesiastical authority. In England the name is often applied (commonly in the pl) to the Congregationalists. 2. One who does not acknowledge an obligation to support a party's candidate under all circumstances; one who exercises liberty in voting. 1. Not dependent; free; not subject to control by others; not relying on others; not subordinate; as, few men are wholly independent. "A dry, but independent crust." (Cowper) 2. Affording a comfortable livelihood; as, an independent property. 3. Not subject to bias or influence; not obsequious; self-directing; as, a man of an independent mind. 4. Expressing or indicating the feeling of independence; free; easy; bold; unconstrained; as, an independent air or manner. 5. Separate from; exclusive; irrespective. "That obligation in general, under which we conceive ourselves bound to obey a law, independent of those resources which the law provides for its own enforcement." (R. P. Ward) 6. Belonging or pertaining to, or holding to the doctrines or methods of, the Independents. 7. <mathematics> Not dependent upon another quantity in respect to value or rate of variation; said of quantities or functions. 8. Not bound by party; exercising a free choice in voting with either or any party. Independent company, one not incorporated in any regiment. Independent seconds watch, a stop watch having a second hand driven by a separate set of wheels, springs, etc, for timing to a fraction of a second. Independent variable. <mathematics> See Dependent variable, under Dependent. Synonym: Free, uncontrolled, separate, uncoerced, self-reliant, bold, unconstrained, unrestricted. Origin: Pref. In- not + dependent: cf. F. Independant. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| independent assortment | The pattern of transmission of unlinked loci. (05 Mar 2000) |
| independent power producer | A power production facility that is not part of a regulated utility. (05 Dec 1998) |
| independent practice associations | A partnership, corporation, association, or other legal entity that enters into an arrangement for the provision of services with persons who are licensed to practice medicine, osteopathy, and dentistry, and with other care personnel. Under an ipa arrangement, licensed professional persons provide services through the entity in accordance with a mutually accepted compensation arrangement, while retaining their private practices. Services under the ipa are marketed through a prepaid health plan. (12 Dec 1998) |
| independent variable | A characteristic being measured or observed that is hypothesised to influence another event or manifestation (the dependent variable) within a defined area of relationships under study; that is, the independent variable is not influenced by the event or manifestation, but may cause it or contribute to its variation. See: dependent variable. (05 Mar 2000) |
| indeterminable | Not determinable; impossible to be determined; not to be definitely known, ascertained, defined, or limited. Indeter"minably. Origin: L. Indeterminabilis: cf. F. Indeterminable. See In- not, and Determine. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| indeterminate | Of growth: the condition in which the terminal bud persists and produces successive lateral branches. (09 Oct 1997) |
| indeterminate cleavage | Cleavage resulting in blastomeres of similar developmental potencies, each capable, when isolated, of producing an entire embryonic body. (05 Mar 2000) |
| indeterminate leprosy | A transitory form of leprosy in which the immunologic status is not yet formed, and the histologic and clinical features are not yet characteristic of any of the major types of leprosy. (05 Mar 2000) |
| 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) |