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19-letter words containing p, e, d

  • differential backup — (operating system)   A kind of backup that copies all files that have changed since the last full backup. Each differential backup will include all files in previous differential backups since the full backup so to restore a version of a file, you only need to search the full backup and the relevant differential backup. Some systems support differential backup by associating an "Archive" flag with each file and setting this flag whenever the file is modified to indicate that it should be included in the next backup. A differential backup does not change this flag, whereas an incremental backup resets it.
  • diffraction pattern — the phenomenon exhibited by wave fronts that, passing the edge of an opaque body, are modulated, thereby causing a redistribution of energy within the front: it is detectable in light waves by the presence of a pattern of closely spaced dark and light bands (diffraction pattern) at the edge of a shadow.
  • digital linear tape — (storage)   (DLT) A kind of magnetic tape drive originally developed by DEC and now marketed by Quantum. DLT drives implement the Digital Lempel Ziv 1 (DLZ1) compression algorithm in a combination of hardware and firmware. They use a popular chip by Stac (now hi/fn) to do the string searching. Counting, sorting and Huffman coding are done in firmware (with hardware support for the Huffman algorithm?). In April 1997 DLT drives can transfer 5 megabytes per second and can store 35 gigabytes on a single cartridge. Compression might roughly double these figures.
  • dihydrostreptomycin — an antibiotic, C 21 H 41 N 7 O 12 , derived by organic synthesis from and believed to be less toxic than streptomycin: used in the form of its sulfate chiefly in the treatment of tuberculosis.
  • dimetric projection — a type of axonometric projection in which the object is shown with two of its three principal axes tilted equally from the plane of viewing
  • direct mapped cache — (architecture)   A cache where the cache location for a given address is determined from the middle address bits. If the cache line size is 2^n then the bottom n address bits correspond to an offset within a cache entry. If the cache can hold 2^m entries then the next m address bits give the cache location. The remaining top address bits are stored as a "tag" along with the entry. In this scheme, there is no choice of which block to flush on a cache miss since there is only one place for any block to go. This simple scheme has the disadvantage that if the program alternately accesses different addresses which map to the same cache location then it will suffer a cache miss on every access to these locations. This kind of cache conflict is quite likely on a multi-processor. See also fully associative cache, set associative cache.
  • direct-vision prism — Amici prism.
  • directional coupler — (communications)   (tap) A passive device used in cable systems to divide and combine radio frequency signals. A directional coupler has at least three ports: line in, line out, and the tap. The signal passes between line in and line out ports with loss referred to as the insertion loss. A small portion of the signal power applied to the line in port passes to the tap port. A signal applied to the tap port is passed to the line in port less the tap attenuation value. The tap signals are isolated from the line out port to prevent reflections. A signal applied to the line out port passes to the line in port and is isolated from the tap port. Some devices provide more than one tap output line (multi-taps).
  • diriment impediment — a fact or circumstance that renders a marriage void from the beginning.
  • disambiguation page — a page on a website that lists various websites or web pages that have or could have the same title. The user is able to select from the list that page, site etc that he or she actually wants
  • disaster capitalism — the practice (by a government, regime, etc) of taking advantage of a major disaster to adopt liberal economic policies that the population would be less likely to accept under normal circumstances
  • disciples of christ — a Christian denomination, founded in the U.S. by Alexander Campbell in the early part of the 19th century, that rejects all creeds, holds the Bible as a sufficient rule of faith and practice, administers baptism by immersion, celebrates the Lord's Supper every Sunday, and has a congregational polity.
  • discovery procedure — any rigorous method by the application of which a grammar might be constructed from a corpus of utterances in a language; an algorithm leading from data to a formulation.
  • disjunctive pronoun — an inflection of pronouns in some languages that is used alone or after a preposition, such as moi in French
  • dispatch department — the department of an organization responsible for the dispatch of orders
  • dispersion relation — the relationship between the angular frequency (ω;) of a wave and the magnitude of its wave vector (k). Thus the wave's speed is ω/k
  • displaced homemaker — a woman recently divorced, separated, or widowed after many years as a homemaker.
  • displacement engine — any engine employing the rectilinear motion of one or more pistons in cylinders.
  • display advertising — display ads taken collectively.
  • diversional therapy — the structured use of leisure time in recreation and play as a form of or supplement to conventional therapy
  • dobsonian telescope — a relatively inexpensive Newtonian telescope, suitable for visual but not photographic use, in which the tube assembly slips freely in the lower base.
  • dose-response curve — a curve plotting the relationship between the dose of a drug administered and its pharmacological effect.
  • double counterpoint — invertible counterpoint using two transposable voices.
  • drop the other shoe — an external covering for the human foot, usually of leather and consisting of a more or less stiff or heavy sole and a lighter upper part ending a short distance above, at, or below the ankle.
  • duplicating machine — a duplicator, especially one for making identical copies of documents, letters, etc.
  • early purple orchid — a Eurasian orchid, Orchis mascula, with purplish-crimson flowers and stems marked with blackish-purple spots
  • ecatepec de morelos — a city in S central Mexico, a suburb of Mexico City: on a 12th-century Aztec site.
  • electrocardiographs — Plural form of electrocardiograph.
  • electrocardiography — The measurement of electrical activity in the heart and the recording of such activity as a visual trace (on paper or on an oscilloscope screen), using electrodes placed on the skin of the limbs and chest.
  • electrode potential — the potential difference developed when an electrode of an element is placed in a solution containing ions of that element
  • empty-nest syndrome — a condition, often involving depression, loneliness, etc, experienced by parents living in a home from which the children have grown up and left
  • executive president — a president in certain systems of government who possesses wide powers
  • expeditionary force — An expeditionary force is a group of soldiers who are sent to fight in a foreign country.
  • expert systems ltd. — (company)   (ESL) Distributors of ESLPDPRO. Adderss: Magdalen Centre, Oxford Science Park, Oxford, OX4 4GA. Telephone +44 (865) 784474.
  • extendible compiler — (language)   (ETC) A Fortran-like compiler that can be extended with macros.
  • family-sized packet — a large packet
  • feynman, richard p. — Richard P. Feynman
  • first world problem — a fairly minor problem, frustrating situation, or complaint associated with a relatively high standard of living, as opposed to the more serious problems associated with poverty: I’m bored with all my electronic gadgets—such a first world problem!
  • floppy (disk) drive — the controller and mechanism for reading and writing data on floppy disks
  • fluoride toothpaste — toothpaste containing a small amount of fluoride as protection against tooth decay
  • free alongside ship — (of a shipment of goods) delivered to the dock without charge to the buyer, but excluding the cost of loading onto the vessel
  • front-end processor — a small computer or other dedicated device that performs preliminary processing of data for a host computer.
  • gedanken experiment — thought experiment.
  • germander speedwell — a speedwell, Veronica chamaedrys, having blue flowers.
  • get one's dander up — to become or to cause someone to become annoyed or angry
  • gigabits per second — (unit)   (Gbps) A unit of information transfer rate equal to one billion bits per second. Note that, while a gigabit is defined as a power of two (2^30 bits), a gigabit per second is defined as a power of ten (10^9 bits per second, which is slightly less) than 2^30).
  • gloucester old spot — a hardy rare breed of pig, white with a few black markings, that originally lived off windfalls in orchards in the Severn valley
  • go off the deep end — final or ultimate: the end result.
  • grade point average — a measure of scholastic attainment computed by dividing the total number of grade points received by the total number of credits or hours of course work taken.
  • grievance procedure — the established series of steps to be taken in dealing with a grievance raised with an employer by an employee
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