| incest | Sexual activity between individuals so closely related that marriage is prohibited. Incest involving a child is a form of child abuse. (12 Dec 1998) |
|---|---|
| incest barrier | In psychoanalysis, the learning or internalization of parental and social prohibitions against incest. (05 Mar 2000) |
| incestuous | 1. Pertaining to incest. 2. Guilty of incest. (05 Mar 2000) |
| inch | 1. A measure of length, the twelfth part of a foot, commonly subdivided into halves, quarters, eights, sixteenths, etc, as among mechanics. It was also formerly divided into twelve parts, called lines, and originally into three parts, called barleycorns, its length supposed to have been determined from three grains of barley placed end to end lengthwise. It is also sometimes called a prime ('), composed of twelve seconds (''), as in the duodecimal system of arithmetic. "12 seconds ('') make 1 inch or prime. 12 inches or primes (') make 1 foot." (B. Greenleaf) The meter, the accepted scientific standard of length, equals 39.37 inches; the inch is equal to 2.54 centimeters. See Metric system, and Meter. 2. A small distance or degree, whether or time space; hence, a critical moment. "Beldame, I think we watched you at an inch." (Shak) By inches, by slow degrees, gradually. Inch of candle. See Candle. Inches of pressure, usually, the pressure indicated by so many inches of a mercury column, as on a steam gauge. Inch of water. See Water. <physics> Miner's inch,, a unit for the measurement of water. See Inch of water, under Water. Origin: OE. Inche, unche, AS. Ynce, L. Uncia the twelfth part, inch, ounce. See Ounce a weight. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| inchworm | <zoology> The larva of any geometrid moth. See Geometrid. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| incide | To cut; to separate and remove; to resolve or break up, as by medicines. Origin: L. Incidere; pref. In- in + caedere to cut. See Concise, and cf. Incise. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| incidence | 1. An act or the fact or manner of falling upon or affecting. 2. <statistics> Rate, range or amount of occurrence or influence. (18 Nov 1997) |
| incidence density | The person-time incidence rate. (05 Mar 2000) |
| incidence rate | The rate at which new events occur in a population. The numerator is the number of new events occurring in a defined period; the denominator is the population at risk of experiencing the event during this period. (05 Mar 2000) |
| incident | Going toward; impinging upon, as incident rays. Origin: L. Incido, pp. -casus, to fall into, to meet with (05 Mar 2000) |
| incident angle | <optics> The angle that a ray entering a refracting medium makes with a line drawn perpendicular to the surface of this medium, the angle that a ray striking a reflecting surface makes with a line perpendicular to this surface. Synonym: incident angle. (05 Mar 2000) |
| incident light | <microscopy> Sometimes denotes any over-stage lighting not included by methods of vertical illumination. (05 Aug 1998) |
| incident pain | <symptom> A type of breakthrough pain that is related to specific activity, such as eating, defecation, socialising or walking. Also referred to as incident pain. (16 Dec 1997) |
| incident point | The point at which a light ray enters an optical system. (05 Mar 2000) |
| incident ray | The ray that strikes the surface before reflection. (05 Mar 2000) |