0%

29-letter words containing i, s, t, a

  • esoteric programming language — (language, humour)   (esolang) An intentionally unconventional computer programming language designed not for practical use but, rather, to experiment with weird ideas, to be hard to program in or as a joke.
  • expanded memory specification — (storage)   (EMS) An IBM PC memory paging scheme enabling access to memory other than conventional memory in real mode. In 8086 or 8088 based systems this is the only way to use memory beyond conventional memory. In systems based on 80286 or later, XMS and HMA provide alternative methods. EMS was developed jointly by Lotus, Intel, and Microsoft prior to 1988. Accordingly, this specification is sometimes referred to as LIM EMS. A complete discussion of EMS and programming examples can be found in ["PC System Programming for developers", 1989, ISBN 1-55755-035-2 (Book only) and ISBN 1-55755-036-0 (Book and diskette)]. See also upper memory block.
  • extended memory specification — (storage)   (XMS) The specification describing the use of IBM PC extended memory in real mode for storing data (but not executable code). Memory is made available by extended memory manager (XMM) software. The XMM functions are accessible through interrupt 2FH.
  • extended video graphics array — (hardware, graphics)   (EVGA) A display standard introduced by VESA in 1991. It offers a maximum resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels (non-interlaced) and a 70 Hz refresh rate. EVGA should not be confused with the older EGA (Enhanced Graphics Array) or XGA (eXtended Graphics Array).
  • extensible firmware interface — (specification)   (EFI) A specification originating from Intel Corporation, defining the interface between an operating system and platform firmware, and aiming to reduce OS dependence on details of the firmware implementation.
  • familial hypercholesterolemia — an inherited metabolic disorder caused by a lack or malfunction of receptors for the low-density lipoproteins that activate removal of cholesterol from the blood. Abbreviation: FH.
  • federation of the west indies — West Indies (def 2).
  • filesystem hierarchy standard — (storage, standard)   (FHS) A standard designed to be used by Unix distribution developers, package developers, and system implementors. FHS consists of a set of requirements and guidelines for file and directory placement under UNIX-like operating systems. The guidelines are intended to support interoperability of applications, system administration tools, development tools, and scripts. These systems should also be supported with greater documentation uniformity. The standard is primarily intended to be a reference and is not a tutorial on how to manage a Unix filesystem or directory hierarchy.
  • floating-point representation — the representation of numbers by two sets of digits (a, b), the set a indicating the significant digits, the set b giving the position of the radix point. The number is the product arb, where r is the base of the number system used
  • general purpose interface bus — IEEE 488
  • generic routing encapsulation — (networking, protocol)   (GRE) A protocol which allows an arbitrary network protocol A to be transmitted over any other arbitrary network protocol B, by encapsulating the packets of A within GRE packets, which in turn are contained within packets of B. Defined in RFC 1701 and RFC 1702 (GRE over IP).
  • genetically modified organism — genetically modified organism: an organism or microorganism whose genetic material has been altered by means of genetic engineering.
  • geographic information system — (application)   (GIS) A computer system for capturing, storing, checking, integrating, manipulating, analysing and displaying data related to positions on the Earth's surface. Typically, a GIS is used for handling maps of one kind or another. These might be represented as several different layers where each layer holds data about a particular kind of feature (e.g. roads). Each feature is linked to a position on the graphical image of a map. Layers of data are organised to be studied and to perform statistical analysis (i.e. a layer of customer locations could include fields for Name, Address, Contact, Number, Area). Uses are primarily government related, town planning, local authority and public utility management, environmental, resource management, engineering, business, marketing, and distribution.
  • get one's knickers in a twist — Also, knickerbockers [nik-er-bok-erz] /ˈnɪk ərˌbɒk ərz/ (Show IPA). loose-fitting short trousers gathered in at the knees.
  • give a bad account of oneself — to perform badly
  • gorno-altai autonomous region — an autonomous region in the Russian Federation, in the Altai territory bordering China and Mongolia. 92,000; 35,753 sq. mi. (92,600 sq. km). Capital: Gorno–Altaisk.
  • hand, foot, and mouth disease — a usually mild disease, mainly affecting children under seven, in which the sufferers develop mouth ulcers accompanied by blisters or rashes on their hands and feet. Caused by the Coxsackie virus A16, it has no known cure
  • hardware description language — (language)   (HDL) A kind of language used for the conceptual design of integrated circuits. Examples are VHDL and Verilog.
  • have mixed feelings about sth — If you have mixed feelings about something or someone, you feel uncertain about them because you can see both good and bad points about them.
  • have one's head in the clouds — If you say that someone has their head in the clouds, you are criticizing them because they are ignoring or are unaware of the problems associated with a situation.
  • hawaii-aleutian standard time — a standard time used in the zone which includes Hawaii and the western Aleutian Islands, corresponding to the mean solar time of the 150th meridian west of Greenwich, England: it is ten hours behind Greenwich time
  • hewlett-packard interface bus — IEEE 488
  • hot swapable routing protocol — (spelling)   Incorrect spelling of incorrect expansion of HSRP - Hot Standby Routing Protocol.
  • incremental constraint solver — A system in which a constraint solver is given constraints one at a time by an inference engine (as is found in Prolog). The solver adds the new constraint to an initially empty set of solved constraints. If the new constraint is consistent with the solved constraints it will be added to the set. If it was inconsistent, the inference engine backtracks. This is the basis of Constraint Logic Programming.
  • information management system — (database)   (IMS, IMS/VS, IMS/ESA) A database system from IBM consisting of IMS/Data Base and IMS/Data Communications.
  • integrated systems laboratory — (company)   A joint project of Control Data Corporation and NCR Corporation, established in 1973 and dissolved in 1976. Integrated Systems Laboratory developed Software Writer's Language. Address: Escondidio, California, USA.
  • international code of signals — a system of maritime signals adopted by many of the maritime nations of the world, using flag, semaphore, and Morse codes in which letters or letter combinations are given arbitrary designations readily understood without requiring translation.
  • international system of units — an internationally accepted coherent system of physical units, derived from the MKSA (meter-kilogram-second-ampere) system, using the meter, kilogram, second, ampere, kelvin, mole, and candela as the basic units (SI units) respectively of the fundamental quantities of length, mass, time, electric current, temperature, amount of substance, and luminous intensity. Abbreviation: SI.
  • juvenile rheumatoid arthritis — rheumatoid arthritis that begins before puberty, often preceded by such symptoms as fever, patchy rash, and weight loss.
  • keep several balls in the air — If you keep several balls in the air, you try to do several different things at once.
  • keep something/someone at bay — If you keep something or someone at bay, or hold them at bay, you prevent them from reaching, attacking, or affecting you.
  • kernel user interface package — (tool)   (KUIP) The human interface to Physics Analysis Workbench (PAW).
  • lassen volcanic national park — a national park in N California, in the S Cascade Range, including Lassen Peak. 163 sq. mi. (422 sq. km).
  • law of independent assortment — the principle, originated by Gregor Mendel, stating that when two or more characteristics are inherited, individual hereditary factors assort independently during gamete production, giving different traits an equal opportunity of occurring together.
  • length between perpendiculars — the length of a hull between the forward and after perpendicular. Compare perpendicular (def 11).
  • like bees to/round a honeypot — If something attracts people like bees to a honeypot or like bees round a honeypot, it attracts people in large numbers.
  • link access protocol balanced — (protocol)   (LAPB) X.25 layer 2 (data link layer) protocol.
  • long day's journey into night — a play (1956) by Eugene O'Neill.
  • lotus development corporation — (company)   A software company who produced Lotus 1-2-3, the Symphony spreadsheet and Lotus Notes for the IBM PC. Disliked by the League for Programming Freedom on account of their lawsuits. Quarterly sales $224M, profits $10M (Aug 1994). Telephone: +1 (617) 225 1284.
  • make a pitch/make one's pitch — If someone makes a pitch for something, they try to persuade people to do or buy it.
  • make an exhibition of oneself — to behave so foolishly in public that one excites notice or ridicule
  • make hay while the sun shines — grass, clover, alfalfa, etc., cut and dried for use as forage.
  • management information system — a computerized information-processing system designed to support the activities and functions of company management. Abbreviation: MIS.
  • mark-sweep garbage collection — Each cell has a bit reserved for marking which is clear initially. During garbage collection all active cells are traced from the root and marked. Then all cells are examined. Unmarked cells are freed.
  • maximum likelihood estimation — a method of estimating population characteristics from a sample by choosing the values of the parameters that will maximize the probability of getting the particular sample actually obtained from the population.
  • mecklenburg-western pomerania — a state in NE Germany. 8842 sq. mi. (22,900 sq. km). Capital: Schwerin.
  • metadata information partners — The Metadata Company
  • microelectromechanical system — (hardware)   (MEMS) The integration of mechanical structures (moving parts) with microelectronics. MEMS devices are "custom" designed for a purpose which requires a mechanical action to be controlled by a computer. Applications include sensors, medical devices, process controls. See also nanotechnology.
  • monobasic potassium phosphate — potassium diphosphate. See under potassium phosphate.
  • mordovian autonomous republic — an autonomous republic in the Russian Federation in Europe. 9843 sq. mi. (25,493 sq. km). Capital: Saransk.
Was this page helpful?
Yes No
Thank you for your feedback! Tell your friends about this page
Tell us why?