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19-letter words containing p, t, e, r

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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.
  • ecatepec de morelos — a city in S central Mexico, a suburb of Mexico City: on a 12th-century Aztec site.
  • electric typewriter — typewriting machine: uses electricity
  • 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
  • electron micrograph — a photograph or image of a specimen taken using an electron microscope
  • electron microscope — An electron microscope is a type of very powerful microscope that uses electrons instead of light to produce a magnified image of something.
  • electron multiplier — a device for amplifying and measuring a flux of electrons. Each electron hits an anode surface and releases secondary electrons that are accelerated to a second surface; after several such stages a measurable pulse of current is obtained
  • electronic graphics — (on television) the production of graphic designs and text by electronic means
  • electropalatography — the study of the movements of the tongue during speech using touch-sensitive electrodes in the mouth linked to a computer
  • electrophoretically — By means of electrophoresis.
  • electrophotographic — Of or pertaining to electrophotography.
  • electrophysiologist — A physiologist whose speciality is electrophysiology.
  • electrotherapeutics — (medicine) the use of electricity in therapeutics.
  • elementary particle — any of several entities, such as electrons, neutrons, or protons, that are less complex than atoms and are regarded as the constituents of all matter
  • emergency telephone — a public telephone intended for use in emergencies: for example, at the side of a motorway
  • employment tribunal — (in England, Scotland, and Wales) a tribunal that rules on disputes between employers and employees regarding unfair dismissal, redundancy, etc
  • 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
  • entitlement program — a government program providing defined sectors of the population with social benefits
  • equal opportunities — Equal opportunities refers to the policy of giving everyone the same opportunities for employment, pay and promotion, without discriminating against particular groups.
  • european parliament — law: assembly in Strasbourg
  • evaporative cooling — a method of reducing temperature that uses evaporation
  • executive president — a president in certain systems of government who possesses wide powers
  • executive privilege — Executive privilege is the right that a member of the executive branch of government has to withhold information about matters that they consider to be confidential.
  • exophthalmic goiter — a disease of unknown cause characterized by enlargement of the thyroid gland, overproduction of the thyroid hormone, and abnormal protrusion of the eyeballs
  • exophthalmic goitre — a form of hyperthyroidism characterized by enlargement of the thyroid gland, protrusion of the eyeballs, increased basal metabolic rate, and weight loss
  • expeditionary force — An expeditionary force is a group of soldiers who are sent to fight in a foreign country.
  • experimenter effect — the influence of an experimenter's expectations on his results
  • expert systems ltd. — (company)   (ESL) Distributors of ESLPDPRO. Adderss: Magdalen Centre, Oxford Science Park, Oxford, OX4 4GA. Telephone +44 (865) 784474.
  • expressionistically — In an expressionistic manner.
  • extendible compiler — (language)   (ETC) A Fortran-like compiler that can be extended with macros.
  • extreme programming — a discipline of software engineering following a specific structure, designed to simplify and speed up the development process
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