| Robison, Robert | <person> English chemist, 1884-1941. See: Robison ester, Robison ester dehydrogenase, Robison-Embden ester. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| Robison-Embden ester | A key intermediate in glycolysis, glycogenolysis, pentose phosphate shunt, etc.; elevated levels inhibit brain hexokinase and glycolysis. Synonym: Robison ester, Robison-Embden ester. (05 Mar 2000) |
| roborant | <medicine> A strengthening medicine; a tonic. Origin: L. Roborans, p. Pr. See Roborate. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| robotic | Pertaining to or characteristic of a robot, an automatic mechanical device designed to duplicate a human function without direct human operation. Origin: Czech robot, robot, fr. Robota, drudgery, + -ic (05 Mar 2000) |
| robotics | The application of electronic, computerised control systems to mechanical devices designed to perform human functions. Formerly restricted to industry, but nowadays applied to artificial organs controlled by bionic (bioelectronic) devices, like automated insulin pumps and other prostheses. (12 Dec 1998) |
| robust | 1. Evincing strength; indicating vigorous health; strong; sinewy; muscular; vigorous; sound; as, a robust body; robust youth; robust health. 2. Violent; rough; rude. "While romp-loving miss Is hauled about in gallantry robust." (Thomson) 3. Requiring strength or vigor; as, robust employment. Synonym: Strong, lusty, sinewy, sturdy, muscular, hale, hearty, vigorous, forceful, sound. Robust, Strong. Robust means, literally, made of oak, and hence implies great compactness and toughness of muscle, connected with a thick-set frame and great powers of endurance. Strong denotes the power of exerting great physical force. The robust man can bear heat or cold, excess or privation, and toil on through every kind of hardship; the strong man can lift a great weight, can give a heavy blow, and a hard gripe. "Robust, tough sinews bred to toil." . "Then 'gan the villain wax so fierce and strong, That nothing may sustain his furious force." (Spenser) Origin: L. Robustus oaken, hard, strong, fr. Robur strength, a very hard kind of oak; cf. Skr. Rabhas violence: cf. F. Robuste. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| robustness | In statistics, the degree to which the probability of drawing a wrong conclusion from the test result is not seriously affected by moderate departures from the assumptions implicit in the model on which the test is based. Origin: L. Robustus, hale, strong, fr. Robur, oak, hard (05 Mar 2000) |
| roc | A monstrous bird of Arabian mythology. Alternative forms: rock, and rukh. Origin: Ar. & Per. Rokh or rukh. Cf. Rook a castle. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| roc curve | A graphic means for assessing the ability of a screening test to discriminate between healthy and diseased persons; may also be used in other studies, e.g., distinguishing stimuli responses as to a faint stimuli or nonstimuli. (12 Dec 1998) |
| rocambole | <botany> A name of Allium Scorodoprasum and A. Ascalonium, two kinds of garlic, the latter of which is also called shallot. Origin: F Alternative forms: rokambole. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| roccellic | <chemistry> Pertaining to, or designating, a dibasic acid of the oxalic series found in archil (Roccella tinctoria, etc), and other lichens, and extracted as a white crystalline substance C17H32O4. Origin: F. Roccellique, fr. Roccelle archil, It. & NL. Roccella, fr. It. Rocca a rock, because archil grows on rock. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| roccellin | 1. A violet dye obtained from several species of lichen (Roccella tinctoria, etc), which grow on maritime rocks in the Canary and Cape Verd Islands, etc. 2. The plant from which the dye is obtained. Alternative forms: orchal and orchil. Origin: OF. Orchel, orcheil, It. Orcella, oricello, or OSp. Orchillo. Cf. Orchil. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| Rochalimaea | Former name for a genus of bacteria (family Rickettsiaceae) closely resembling Rickettsia in staining properties, morphology, and mode of transmission between hosts. They usually reside in the extracellular environment in the arthropod host and can be cultivated in cell-free media. Related bacterium causes bacillary angiomatosis in immunocompromised humans, especially those with AIDS. The type species was Rochalimaea quintana. This genus has been recently reclassified bartonella. Origin: da Rocha-Lima, Brazilian microbiologist (05 Mar 2000) |
| roche alum | <chemistry> A kind of alum occuring in small fragments; so called from Rocca, in Syria, whence alum is said to have been obtained; also called rock alum. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| roche moutonnee | <geology> See Sheepback. Origin: F, sheep-shaped rock. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |