| positive, false | A result that is erroneously positive when a situation is normal. An example of a false positive: a particular test designed to detect cancer of the toenail is positive but the person does not have toenail cancer. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| negative, false | A result that appears negative but fails to reveal a situation. An example of a false negative: a particular test designed to detect cancer of the toenail is negative but the person has toenail cancer. (12 Dec 1998) |
| false | 1. Uttering falsehood; unveracious; given to deceit; dishnest; as, a false witness. 2. Not faithful or loyal, as to obligations, allegiance, vows, etc.; untrue; treacherous; perfidious; as, a false friend, lover, or subject; false to promises. "I to myself was false, ere thou to me." (Milton) 3. Not according with truth or reality; not true; fitted or likely to deceive or disappoint; as, a false statement. 4. Not genuine or real; assumed or designed to deceive; counterfeit; hypocritical; as, false tears; false modesty; false colours; false jewelry. "False face must hide what the false heart doth know." (Shak) 5. Not well founded; not firm or trustworthy; erroneous; as, a false claim; a false conclusion; a false construction in grammar. "Whose false foundation waves have swept away." (Spenser) 6. Not essential or permanent, as parts of a structure which are temporary or supplemental. 7. Not in tune. False arch, construction works to facilitate the erection of the main work, as scaffolding, bridge centering, etc. Origin: L. Falsus, p.p. Of fallere to deceive; cf. OF. Faus, fals, F. Faux, and AS. Fals fraud. See Fail, Fall. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| false agglutination | 1. Agglomeration of particles in solution which does not involve antigen-antibody combination. Synonym: false agglutination. Synonym: rouleaux formation. (05 Mar 2000) |
| false albuminuria | Albuminuria resulting from the presence of blood escaping somewhere in the urinary tract, of chyle, or of some other albuminous fluid, not caused by filtration of albumin from the blood through the kidneys. Synonym: false albuminuria. (05 Mar 2000) |
| false anaemia | Pallor of the skin and mucous membranes without the blood changes of anaemia. Synonym: false anaemia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| false aneurysm | <surgery> Pulsating, encapsulated haematoma in communication with the lumen of a ruptured vessel, ventricular pseudoaneurysm, a cardiac rupture contained and loculated by pericardium, which forms its external wall. An aneurysm whose walls consist of adventitia and periarterial fibrous tissue and haematoma. (05 Mar 2000) |
| false angina | <symptom> Angina-like sensation in absence of myocardial ischemia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| false ankylosis | Stiffening of a joint due to the presence of fibrous bands between and about the bones forming the joint. Synonym: false ankylosis, pseudankylosis. Intracapsular ankylosis, stiffness of a joint due to the presence of bony or fibrous adhesions between the articular surfaces of the joint. (05 Mar 2000) |
| false Becke line | <microscopy> A second bright line which moves in the direction opposite to the Becke line. It is usually observed with thick particles or when the refractive index difference between particles and mountant is large. It appears as a concentration of reflected light at the high index side of the interface. (05 Aug 1998) |
| false blepharoptosis | A condition resembling an inability to elevate the eyelid, due to blepharophimosis, blepharochalasis, or some other affection. Synonym: false blepharoptosis. Origin: pseudo-+ G. Ptosis, a falling (05 Mar 2000) |
| false branching | <microbiology> In bacteriology, the appearance of branching produced when a cell is pushed out of the general line of growth and develops a new line of growth while the remaining cells continue to develop along the original line of growth. (05 Mar 2000) |
| false cast | <nephrology> An elongated, ribbon-like mucous thread with poorly defined edges and pointed or split ends, often confused with a true urinary cast. Synonym: cylindroid, mucous cast, pseudocast, spurious cast. (05 Mar 2000) |
| false conjugate | The anteroposterior dimension of the inlet that measures the clinical distance from the promontory of the sacrum to the lower margin of the symphysis pubica. Synonym: conjugata diagonalis, diagonal conjugate diameter, false conjugate. (05 Mar 2000) |
| false coxa vara | <orthopaedics> Approximation of the head of the femur to the shaft, due not to deformity of the neck of the femur, but to curvature of the shaft. Coxa magna, enlargement and often deformation of femoral head; usually refers to a sequela of Legg-Calve-Perthes disease or osteoarthritis. (05 Mar 2000) |