| minus | <mathematics> Less; requiring to be subtracted; negative; as, a minus quantity. <mathematics> Minus sign, the sign denoting minus, or less, prefixed to negative quantities, or quantities to be subtracted. See Negative sign, under Negative. Origin: L. See Minor, and cf. Mis- pref. From the French. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| minus lens | A diverging minus power lens. Synonym: minus lens. (05 Mar 2000) |
| minus strand | See: replicative form. (05 Mar 2000) |
| minus-strand nucleic acid | <molecular biology> An RNA or DNA strand which has the opposite sense of (would be complementary to) the mRNA of a virus. (12 Jan 1998) |
| minuscule | 1. Any very small, minute object. 2. A small Roman letter which is neither capital nor uncial; a manuscript written in such letters. Of the size and style of minuscules; written in minuscules. "These minuscule letters are cursive forms of the earlier uncials." (I. Taylor (The Alphabet)) Origin: L. Minusculus rather small, fr. Minus less: cf. F. Minuscule. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| minute | 1. The sixtieth part of an hour; sixty seconds. (Abbrev. M.; as, 4 h. 30 m) "Four minutes, that is to say, minutes of an hour." (Chaucer) 2. The sixtieth part of a degree; sixty seconds (Marked thus ('); as, 10 deg 20') 3. A nautical or a geographic mile. 4. A coin; a half farthing. 5. A very small part of anything, or anything very small; a jot; a tittle. "Minutes and circumstances of his passion." (Jer. Taylor) 6. A point of time; a moment. "I go this minute to attend the king." (Dryden) 7. The memorandum; a record; a note to preserve the memory of anything; as, to take minutes of a contract; to take minutes of a conversation or debate. 8. A fixed part of a module. See Module. Different writers take as the minute one twelfth, one eighteenth, one thirtieth, or one sixtieth part of the module. Origin: LL. Minuta a small portion, small coin, fr. L. Minutus small: cf. F. Minute. See 4th Minute. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| minute mutant | <genetics, molecular biology> A class of recessive lethal mutants of Drosophila The heterozygotes grow more slowly, are smaller and less fertile than the wild type flies. There are about 40 loci that produce minute mutants. (18 Nov 1997) |
| minute output | A measurement of the blood flow through the heart to the systemic (and pulmonary) circulation. Cardiac output is expressed as volume of blood per unit time or litres/minute. Cardiac output can be calculated using the Fick method (oxygen consumption divided by arteriovenous oxygen difference) or by the thermodilution technique, using a Swan-Ganz catheter. (27 Sep 1997) |
| minute volume | The volume of any gas or fluid moved per minute; e.g., cardiac output or the respiratory minute volume. (05 Mar 2000) |
| minx | <zoology> The mink. Synonym: minx otter. See: Mink. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |