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29-letter words containing r, i, m

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • extraordinary general meeting — a meeting specially called to discuss a particular item of a company's business, usually one of some importance. The meeting may be called by a group of shareholders or by the directors
  • 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.
  • field-programmable gate array — (hardware)   (FPGA) A gate array where the logic network can be programmed into the device after its manufacture. An FPGA consists of an array of logic elements, either gates or lookup table RAMs, flip-flops and programmable interconnect wiring. Most FPGAs are reprogrammable, since their logic functions and interconnect are defined by RAM cells. The Xilinx LCA, Altera FLEX and AT&T ORCA devices are examples. Others can only be programmed once, by closing "antifuses". These retain their programming permanently. The Actel FPGAs are the leading example of such devices. Atmel FPGAs are currently (July 1997) the only ones in which part of the array can be reprogrammed while other parts are active. As of 1994, FPGAs have logic capacity up to 10K to 20K 2-input-NAND-equivalent gates, up to about 200 I/O pins and can run at clock rates of 50 MHz or more. FPGA designs must be prepared using CAD software tools, usually provided by the chip vendor, to do technology mapping, partitioning and placement, routing, and binary output. The resulting binary can be programmed into a ROM connected to the FPGA or downloaded to the FPGA from a connected computer. In addition to ordinary logic applications, FPGAs have enabled the development of logic emulators. There is also research on using FPGAs as computing devices, taking direct advantage of their reconfigurability into problem-specific hardware processors.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • give (or get) the bum's rush — to eject (or be ejected) forcibly
  • give something your best shot — If you give something your best shot, you do it as well as you possibly can.
  • 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.
  • hang it (or them or 'em) up — to retire or quit
  • 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
  • in a majority/in the majority — If a group is in a majority or in the majority, they form more than half of a larger group.
  • 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.
  • individual retirement account — a savings plan that offers tax advantages to an individual depositor to set aside money for retirement. Abbreviation: IRA.
  • 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.
  • intermedia interchange format — A Standard Hypertext Interchange format from IRIS.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • like taking candy from a baby — very easy to accomplish
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • modified frequency modulation — (storage)   (MFM, Modified FM, or sometimes "Multiple Frequency Modulation") A modification to the original frequency modulation scheme for encoding data on magnetic disks. MFM allows more than 1 symbol per flux transition (up to 3), giving greater density of data. It is used with a data rate of between 250-500 kbit/s on industry standard 3.5" and 5.25" low and high density diskettes, and up to 5 Mbit/s on ST-506 hard disks. Except for 1.44 MB floppy disks, this encoding is obsolete. Other data encoding schemes include GCR, FM, RLL. See also: PRML.
  • monday-morning quarterbacking — wisdom after the event, esp by spectators
  • mordovian autonomous republic — an autonomous republic in the Russian Federation in Europe. 9843 sq. mi. (25,493 sq. km). Capital: Saransk.
  • more trouble than it is worth — If you say that someone or something is more trouble than they are worth, you mean that they cause you a lot of problems or take a lot of time and effort and you do not achieve or gain very much in return.
  • moving pictures experts group — (spelling)   Incorrect expansion of MPEG, which stands for Moving Picture Experts Group.
  • multics relational data store — (database)   (MRDS) The first commercial relational database, implemented as part of Multics by Jim Weeldreyer and Oris Friesen of Honeywell Phoenix in about 1977. MRDS included a report writer called LINUS written by Jim Falksen.
  • multimedia messaging services — (messaging)   (MMS) A feature of some mobile telephones that allows them to send messages including text, sound, images and video.
  • multiple personality disorder — psychiatric illness: split personality
  • multiprotocol label switching — (networking)   (MPLS) A packet switching protocol developed by the IETF. Initially developed to improve switching speed, other benefits are now seen as being more important. MPLS adds a 32-bit label to each packet to improve network efficiency and to enable routers to direct packets along predefined routes in accordance with the required quality of service. The label is added when the packet enters the MPLS network, and is based on an analysis of the packet header. The label contains information on the route along which the packet may travel, and the forwarding equivalence class (FEC) of the packet. Packets with the same FEC are routed through the network in the same way. Routers make forwarding decisions based purely on the contents of the label. This simplifies the work done by the router, leading to an increase in speed. At each router, the label is replaced with a new label, which tells the next router how to forward the packet. The label is removed when the packet leaves the MPLS network. Modern ASIC-based routers can look up routes fast enough to make the speed increase less important. However, MPLS still has some benefits. The use of FECs allows QoS levels to be guaranteed, and MPLS allows IP tunnels to be created through a network, so that VPNs can be implemented without encryption.
  • ningxia hui autonomous region — an administrative division in N China. 25,640 sq. mi. (66,400 sq. km). Capital: Yinchuan.
  • non-governmental organization — activism: independent group
  • non-uniform rational b spline — (graphics, mathematics)   (nurbs) A common term in Mechanical CAD. The NURBS has excellent continuity characteristics which make it useful for creating accurate models in 3D geometry generation and computer modelling.
  • not with a bang but a whimper — If you say that something happens not with a bang but a whimper, you mean that it is less effective or exciting than was expected or intended.
  • nuclear regulatory commission — an independent agency, created in 1975, that licenses and regulates the nonmilitary use of nuclear energy. Abbreviation: NRC.
  • object compatibility standard — (OCS) An 88open standard for compilers and linkers.
  • obsessive-compulsive disorder — If someone suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder, they cannot stop doing a particular thing, for example washing their hands.
  • opportunity management system — (business)   (OMS) A system that stores sales opportunities and related information. Each sales lead can be tracked with information such as source, type, worth, status, likelihood of closure etc. An OMS can perform other related tasks such as prioritising sales calls and generating analyses that assist the fine-tuning of marketing strategies. See also Customer Relationship Management.
  • optimal flexible architecture — (database)   (OFA) Recommendations for logical and physical allocation of database files to disks. The OFA principles can be summarised as: isolate redo, rollback, temp, data and index files as much as possible. OFA can be combined with SAME (Stripe And Mirror Everything).
  • posttraumatic stress disorder — a mental disorder, as battle fatigue, occurring after a traumatic event outside the range of usual human experience, and characterized by symptoms such as reliving the event, reduced involvement with others, and manifestations of autonomic arousal such as hyperalertness and exaggerated startle response. Abbreviation: PTSD.
  • presidential medal of freedom — a medal awarded by the president of the U.S. to any citizen who has made an exceptionally meritorious contribution to the security or national interest of the U.S., to world peace, or to cultural or other significant endeavors.
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