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Talk Talk - Communication terms
Category: General technical and industrial
Date & country: 28/05/2010, UK
Words: 18630
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New ForestAncient forest in southwest Hampshire, southern England, and the largest stretch of semi-natural vegetation in lowland Britain. Lying between the River Avon on the west and Southampton Water on the east, its legal boundary encloses 38,000 ha/93,898 acres (1995). Of this area 8,400 ha/20,756 acres is enclosed plantation, and 20,000 ha...
New GuineaIsland in the southwest Pacific, north of Australia, comprising Papua New Guinea and the Indonesian province of Irian Jaya; total area about 885,780 sq km/342,000 sq mi. Part of the Dutch East Indies from 1828, West Irian was ceded by the United Nations to Indonesia in 1963 and renamed Irian ...
New Haven(USA) City and port in New Haven County, Connecticut, USA, at the mouth of the Quinnipiac River on Long Island Sound; population (2000 est) 123,600. Metal goods, rubber goods, ammunition, and clothing are manufactured. Yale University, third oldest in the USA, was founded here in 1701 and ...
New HebridesFormer name (to 1980) of Vanuatu, a country in the South Pacific
New OrleansCity and river port in southeast Louisiana, USA, on the Mississippi River, and the Gulf of Mexico; population (2000 est) 484,700. It is a commercial and manufacturing centre with shipbuilding, oil-refining, and petrochemical industries. Tourism is a major activity. New Orleans is regarded as the traditional birthplace of jazz, believed to h...
new townIn the UK, centrally planned urban area. New towns such as Milton Keynes and Stevenage were built after World War II to accommodate the overspill from cities and large towns, notably London, at a time when the population was rapidly expanding and inner-city centres had either decayed or been destroyed. In 1976 the policy, which had been critici...
New Wave(cinema) The work of certain French film-makers – Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut among them – who in the late 1950s and 1960s rebelled against conventionality, seeking instead a vital spontaneity. Their early modernist films proved to be hugely influential through...
negative/positiveIn photography, a reverse image, which when printed is again reversed, restoring the original scene. It was invented by Fox Talbot in about 1834
neoclassicismMovement in art, architecture, and design in Europe and North America about 1750–1850, characterized by a revival of classical Greek and Roman styles. Leading figures of the movement were the architects Claude-Nicolas Ledoux and Robert Adam; the painters Jacques-Louis David, Jean Ingres, and Anton Mengs; the sculptors Antonio C...
Neo-ImpressionismMovement in French painting that developed from Impressionism in the 1880s and flourished until the early years of the 20th century. The name was coined in 1886 in a review of the eighth and last Impressionist exhibition, held in Paris that year. Among the artists who exhibited there was Georges Seurat, who was the chief creator and outstanding exp...
NegroTerm formerly used to refer to the indigenous people of Africa south of the Sahara, today distributed around the world. The term generally preferred today is black
neo-realismMovement in Italian cinema that emerged in the 1940s. It is characterized by its naturalism, social themes, frequent use of nonprofessional actors, and the visual authenticity achieved through location filming, all contributing to a documentary style. Exponents include the directors Vittorio de Sica, Luchino Visconti, and Roberto Rossellini
newspaperDaily or weekly publication in the form of folded sheets containing news and comment. News-sheets became commercial undertakings after the invention of printing and were introduced in 1609 in Germany and 1616 in the Netherlands. In 1622 the first newspaper appeared in English, the
Weekly News, edited by Nicholas Bourne and Th...
NepalClick images to enlargeLandlocked country in the Himalayan mountain range in Central Asia, bounded north by Tibet (an autonomous region of China), east, south, and west by India. Government Nepal is a parliamentary democracy in transition. Under the 1990 constitution, Nepal is a pluralist, parliamentary democracy headed b...
Netherlands, TheClick images to enlargeCountry in Western Europe on the North Sea, bounded east by Germany and south by Belgium. Government The Netherlands is a hereditary monarchy. Its 1983 constitution, based on that of 1814, provides for a two-chamber legislature called the States-General, consisting of a First Chamber of 75 a...
New ZealandClick images to enlargeCountry in the southwest Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia, comprising two main islands, North Island and South Island, and other small islands. Government New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy. As in Britain, the constitution is the gradual product of legislation, much of it passed by the Br...
New WorldThe Americas, so called by the first Europeans who reached them. The term also describes animals and plants of the Western hemisphere
New Model ArmyArmy created in 1645 by Oliver Cromwell to support the cause of Parliament during the English Civil War. It was characterized by organization and discipline. Thomas Fairfax was its first commander
neutron bombSmall hydrogen bomb for battlefield use that kills by radiation, with minimal damage to buildings and other structures. See nuclear warfare
Nelson, HoratioEnglish admiral. He joined the navy in 1770 at the age of 12. During the Revolutionary Wars against France he lost the sight in his right eye in 1794, and lost his right arm in 1797. He became a rear admiral and a national hero after the victory off Cape St Vincent, Portugal. In 1798 he tracked the French fleet to the Egyptian seaport of Aboukir Ba...
New York(city) Click images to enlargeThe most populous city in the USA, located on an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean in the far southeastern corner of New York State; population (2000 est, excluding suburban metropolitan...
NeolithicLiterally `New Stone`, the last period of the Stone Age. It was characterized by settled agricultural communities who kept domesticated animals, and made pottery and sophisticated, finely finished stone tools. The Neolithic period began and ended at different times in different parts of the world. For example, the earliest Neolithic commu...
New TestamentThe second part of the Bible, recognized by the Christian church from the 4th century as sacred doctrine. Biblical scholars have credited the individual sections to various authors, whose main aim was to proclaim the message of Christian salvation. The New Testament consists of 27 books, containing C...
NEDCAbbreviation for National Economic Development Council
NERCAbbreviation for Natural Environment Research Council
neurologyMedical speciality concerned with the study and treatment of disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves
necrosisDeath or decay of tissue in a particular part of the body, usually due to bacterial poisoning or loss of local blood supply
neoplasmAny lump or tumour, which may be benign or malignant (cancerous)
new-age musicInstrumental or atmospheric music, that is often semi-acoustic or electronic. It is less insistent than rock and less difficult than jazz or contemporary classical. Clean production, undemanding compositions, and a soft, gentle sound are typical of new age
New Wave(music) In pop music, a style that evolved alongside punk in the second half of the 1970s. It shared the urban aggressive spirit of punk but was less abrasive and musically and lyrically more sophisticated; examples are the early work of Elvis Costello and Talking Heads. New Wave underwent...
Ne WinMyanmar (Burmese) politician, prime minister 1958–60, ruler from 1962 to 1974, president 1974–81, and chair until 1988 of the ruling Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP). His domestic `Burmese Way to Socialism` policy programme brought the economy into serious decline
neocolonialismDisguised form of imperialism, by which a country may grant independence to another country but continue to dominate it by control of markets for goods or raw materials. Examples of countries that have used economic pressure to secure and protect their interests internationally are the USA and Japan. Many developing countries, heavily dependent on ...
neo-Prefix used to indicate a revival or development of an older form, often in a different spirit. Examples include neo-Marxism and neo-Darwinism
nephronMicroscopic unit in vertebrate kidneys that forms urine. A human kidney is composed of over a million nephrons. Each nephron consists of a knot of blood capillaries called a glomerulus, contained in the Bowman's capsule, and a long narrow tubule enmeshed with yet more capillaries. Waste materials...
New CriticismIn literature, a US movement dominant in the 1930s and 1940s, stressing the autonomy of the text without biographical and other external interpolation, but instead requiring close readings of its linguistic structure. The major figures of New Criticism include Allen Tate, John Crowe Ransom, and Robert Penn Warren. The term was coined by J E Spingar...
neutralizationIn chemistry, a process occurring when the excess acid (or excess base) in a substance is reacted with added base (or added acid) so that the resulting substance is neither acidic nor basic. In theory neutralization involves adding acid or base as required to achieve pH 7. When the colour of an indicator is used to test for neutralization, the fina...
New DelhiCapital of India, situated in the north of the country on the Yamuna River in the Union Territory of Delhi; population (2001 est) 294,800. It lies near the old city of Delhi, some 5 km/3 mi south of the Red Fort. Predominantly an administrative centre, it also produces chemicals, textiles, machine tools, electrical goods, and footwear. Hist...
neighbourhood watchLocal crime-prevention scheme. Under the supervision of police, groups of residents agree to increase watchfulness in order to prevent crimes such as burglary and vandalism in their area
Newman, PaulUS actor and director. He was one of Hollywood's leading male stars of the 1960s and 1970s, in such films as
The Hustler (1961),
Sweet Bird of Youth (1962),
Hud (1963),
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), and
The Sting (1973). He won an Academy...
neutrinoIn physics, any of three uncharged elementary particles (and their antiparticles) of the lepton class, having a mass that is very small. The most familiar type, the antiparticle of the electron neutrino, is emitted in the beta decay of a nucleus. The other two are the muon and tau neutrinos
neutronOne of the three main subatomic particles, the others being the proton and the electron. Neutrons have about the same mass as protons but no electric charge, and occur in the nuclei of all atoms except hydrogen. They contribute to the mass of atoms but hardly affect their chemistry. The isotopes of a single element differ only in the number of neut...
neodymiumYellowish metallic element of the lanthanide series, atomic number 60, relative atomic mass 144.24. Its rose-coloured salts are used in colouring glass, and neodymium is used in lasers. It was named in 1885 by Austrian chemist Carl von Welsbach, who fractionated it away from didymium (originally thought to be an element but actually a mixture o...
Newlands, John Alexander ReinaEnglish chemist who worked as an industrial chemist; he prepared in 1863 the first periodic table of the elements arranged in order of relative atomic masses, and pointed out in 1865 the `law of octaves` whereby every eighth element has similar properties. He was ridiculed at the time, but five years later the Russian chemist Dmitri M...
NebraskaClick images to enlargeState in central USA, bordered to the west by Wyoming, to the north by South Dakota, to the east by Iowa and Missouri, to the south by Kansas, and to the southwest by Colorado; area 199,098 sq km/76,872 sq mi; population (2006) 1,768,300; capital Lincoln. Part of the Midwest, Nebrask...
NevadaClick images to enlargeState in southwestern USA, one of the Rocky Mountain states, bordered to the east by Utah and Arizona, to the south and west by California, and to the north by Oregon and Idaho; area 284,448 sq km/109,826 sq mi; population (2006) 2,495,500; capital Carson City. Physically stark, moun...
New HampshireState in the USA, one of the New England states, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, and one of the smallest US states; bordered to the north by the Canadian province of Québec, to the east by Maine and the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by Massachusetts, and to the west by Vermont; are...
New JerseyState in the Middle Atlantic region of the USA, bordered to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, with the Hudson River forming a natural boundary to the northeast and north, beyond which lies New York State; the Delaware River borders to the south, and Delaware Bay and the state of Delaware lie beyond...
New MexicoState in southwestern USA, bordered in the north by Colorado, to the east by Oklahoma, to the east and south by Texas, to the south by Mexico, and to the west by Arizona; its northwest corner borders Arizona, Utah, and Colorado at the `Four Corners`; area 314,311 sq km/121,356 s...
New York(state) State in northeast USA, in the mid-Atlantic region, bordered by the Canadian states of Ontario and Québec to the north, by Lake Ontario and Lake Erie to the northwest and west, and by Pennsylvania to the west and sout...
neutral solutionSolution of p H7, in which the concentrations of H
+(aq) and OH
-(aq) ions are equal. It is therefore a solution which is neither acidic nor alkaline. An alkali may be neutralized by an acid
neural networkIn biology, a network of neurons, or nerve cells, in a human being or other animal; in computer technology, a network of processors that attempts to mimic a biological neural network. A basic network has three layers of processors: an input layer, an output layer, and a `hidden` layer in between. Each processor is connected to oth...
nervous breakdownPopular term for a reaction to overwhelming psychological stress. There is no equivalent medical term. People said to be suffering from a nervous breakdown may be suffering from a neurotic illness, such as depression or anxiety, or a psychotic illness, such as schizophrenia
netOf a particular figure or price, calculated after the deduction of specific items such as commission, discounts, interest, and taxes. The opposite is gross
net assetsThe total or gross assets of a company less its liabilities
Neave, Airey Middleton SheffieldBritish intelligence officer and Conservative member of Parliament 1953–79. He was a close adviser to Conservative Party leader (later prime minister) Margaret Thatcher. During World War II he escaped from Colditz, a German high-security prison camp. As shadow undersecretary of state for Northern Ireland from 1975, he became a target for e...
NestléMultinational corporation, the world's largest packaged-food company, best known for producing chocolate, coffee, and baby milk. Headquartered at Vevey, Switzerland, the company produces food, beverages, and pet care products. At the end of 2005, Nestlé employed 250,000 people around the world, with profits of around $6.5 billion
netballGame developed from basketball, played by two teams of seven players each on a hard court 30.5 m/100 ft long and 15.25 m/50 ft wide. At each end is a goal, consisting of a post 3.05 m/10 ft high, at the top of which is attached a circular hoop and net. The object of the game is to pass an inflated spherical ball through the opposing tea...
new ageMovement of the late 1980s characterized by an emphasis on the holistic view of body and mind, alternative (or complementary) medicines, personal growth therapies, and a loose mix of theosophy, ecology, oriental mysticism, and a belief in the dawning of an astrological age of peace and harmony. Drawing on the hippie counterculture of the 1960s, new...
neighbourhood unitIn the UK, an area within a new town planned to serve the local needs of families. These units typically have a primary school, a low order shopping centre, a church, and a public house. Main roads form the boundaries. Neighbourhood units were designed to give a sense of community to people migrating to the new towns
Necker, JacquesFrench politician. As finance minister 1776–81, he attempted reforms, and was dismissed through Queen Marie Antoinette's influence. Recalled in 1788, he persuaded Louis XVI to summon the States General (parliament), which earned him the hatred of the court, and in July 1789 he was banished. The outbreak of the French Revolution with the st...
negative numberNumber less than zero. On a number line, any number to the left of zero is negative. Negative numbers are always written with a minus sign in front, for example, -6 is negative, 6 is positive. Scales often display negative numbers. On a temperature scale, 5°C below freezing is -5°C
Nehru ReportConstitution drafted for India in 1928. After Indian nationalists rejected the Simon Commission in 1927, an all-party committee was set up, chaired by Motilal Nehru (1861–1931), to map out a constitution. Established to counter British charges that Indians could not find a constitutional consensus among themselves, it advocated that India ...
negotiationBargaining over an issue. In industrial relations, trade unions and employers are likely to negotiate the pay and conditions of workers in the process of collective bargaining. In sales, a company may bargain with another company over the price to be paid for a product, its quality and packaging, and delivery dates. If negotiations break down, it m...
new countryUS country and western movement of the 1980s–90s away from the overproduction associated with the Nashville record industry. New country generated successful crossover performers such as Garth Brooks (1962– ) and Ricky Skaggs (1954– )
Neo-RationalismIn architecture, a movement originating in Italy in the 1960s which rejected the functionalist and technological preoccupations of mainstream Modernism, advocating a rationalist approach to design based on an awareness of formal properties. It developed in the light of a re-evaluation of the work of Giuseppe Terragni led by Aldo Rossi, and gain...
neo-expressionismStyle of modern painting in which the artist handles the materials in a rough and raw way, typically expressing violent emotion. It developed in the late 1970s as a reaction against conceptual art and minimalism, and became a dominant force in avant-garde art during the 1980s, especially in the USA, Germany, and Italy. Pablo Picasso's late ...
neo-NazismThe upsurge in racial and political intolerance in Eastern and Western Europe from the late 20th century. In Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Russia, and Italy, the growth of extreme right-wing political groupings, coupled with racial violence, particularly in Germany, revived memories of the Nazi period in Hitler's Germany. Ironically, t...
netiquetteInternet etiquette formed through common usage. Guides to correct conduct can be found on the Internet. Newsgroup sites often have guides to netiquette; they prescribe guidelines for best practice when contributing to discussions. The rules of netiquette include: no messages typed in upper case (considered to be the equivalent of shouting)&...
newsgroupDiscussion group on the Internet's Usenet. Newsgroups are organized in seven broad categories: comp. – computers and programming; news. – newsgroups themselves; rec. – sports and hobbies; sci. – scientific research and ideas; talk. – discussion groups; and misc. – everything else. In additio...
newsreaderIn computing, program that gives access to Usenet newsgroups, interpreting the standard commands understood by news servers in a simple, user-friendly interface. Popular newsreaders include Turnpike and Agent for PCs and NewsReader for Macintosh
Neath Port TalbotUnitary authority in south Wales, created in 1996 from part of the former county of West Glamorgan. Area 442 sq km/171 sq mi Towns Port Talbot (administrative headquarters), Neath, Pontadarwe Physical the terrain is dominated by the alternation of river valleys and high moorland interfluves Featu...
Newport(authority, Wales) Unitary authority in south Wales, created in 1996 from part of the former county of Gwent. Area 190 sq km/73 sq mi Towns Newport (administrative headquarters) Physical rivers Usk Ebbw, Afon Llwyd, Wentwood Hills...
nestPlace chosen or constructed by a bird or other animal for incubation of eggs, hibernation, and shelter. Nests vary enormously, from saucerlike hollows in the ground, such as the scrapes of hares, to large and elaborate structures, such as the 4-m/13-ft diameter mounds of the megapode birds. Birds' nests Birds that nest in slight dep...
nerve impulseIn biology, a means of carrying information between different parts of the body. Nerve impulses travel at speed along nerve cells (neurones). A sequence of impulses carries information. A stimulus from the environment may cause impulses to be sent from the receptor receiving the stimulus, along a sensory neurone, and to the brain or spinal cord. Fo...
Nei MonggolChinese name for Inner Mongolia, an autonomous region of north China
Nevi'imIn Judaism, collective term for the books of the prophets in the Hebrew Bible. The Nevi'im contain the prophets' interpretation of history as a means of expressing God's will for the people. Together they act as God's spokesperson, explaining to the people what actions and attitudes God wanted. For example, they spoke against immora...
ner tamidIn a synagogue or Jewish temple, the light that hangs above the ark containing the Torah scrolls. The ner tamid, which is never allowed to go out, is a reminder of God's eternal presence and the light that burned in the Temple of Jerusalem. It also symbolizes the guiding light of the Torah
Ngugi wa Thiong'oKenyan writer. His work includes essays, plays, short stories, and novels. Imprisoned after the performance of the play
Ngaahika Ndeenda/I Will Marry When I Want (1977), he lived in exile from 1982. His novels, written in English and Kikuyu, include
Weep Not, Child (1964),
The River Between
NHS
Abbreviation for National Health Service, the UK state-financed health service
nitroglycerine
Flammable, explosive oil produced by the action of nitric and sulphuric acids on glycerol. Although poisonous, it is used in cardiac medicine. It explodes with great violence if heated in a confined space and is used in the preparation of dynamite, cordite, and other high explosives. It was synthesized by the Italian Ascanio Soberro in 1846, and is...
nitrocellulose
Alternative name for cellulose nitrate
nitrogen
Colourless, odourless, tasteless, gaseous, non-metallic element, atomic number 7, relative atomic mass 14.0067. It forms almost 80% of the Earth's atmosphere by volume and is a constituent of all plant and animal tissues (in proteins and nucleic acids). Nitrogen is obtained for industrial...
nitrite
Salt or ester of nitrous acid, containing the nitrite ion (NO2-). Nitrites are used as preservatives (for example, to prevent the growth of botulism spores) and as colouring agents in cured meats such as bacon and sausages
nitric acid
Fuming acid obtained by the oxidation of ammonia or the action of sulphuric acid on potassium nitrate. It is a highly corrosive acid, dissolving most metals, and a strong oxidizing agent. It is used in the nitration and esterification of organic substances, and in the making of sulphuric acid, nitrates, explosives, plastics, and dyes
niobium
Soft, grey-white, somewhat ductile and malleable, metallic element, atomic number 41, relative atomic mass 92.906. It occurs in nature with tantalum, which it resembles in chemical properties. It is used in making stainless steel and other alloys for jet engines and rockets and for making superconductor magnets. Niobium was discovered in 1801 b...
nicotine
Alkaloid (nitrogenous compound) obtained from the dried leaves of the tobacco plant Nicotiana tabacum. A colourless oil, soluble in water, it turns brown on exposure to the air. Nicotine is found in tobacco smoke. It can be described as a recreational drug. It stimulates the human body and produces feelings that cause people to c...
nickel
Hard, malleable and ductile, silver-white, metallic element, atomic number 28, relative atomic mass 58.71. It occurs in igneous rocks and as a free metal (native metal), occasionally occurring in fragments of iron–nickel meteorites. It is a component of the Earth's core, which is held to consist principally of iron with some nickel. It...
nightjar
Any of about 65 species of night-hunting birds. They have wide, bristly mouths for catching flying insects. Their distinctive calls have earned them such names as `whippoorwill` and `church-will's-widow`. Some US species are called nighthawks. (Family Caprimulgidae, order Caprimulgiformes.) The name `nightha...
nightingale
Songbird belonging to the thrush family; it sings with remarkable beauty by night as well as during the day. About 16.5 cm/6.5 in long, it is dull brown with a reddish-brown rounded tail; the breast is dull greyish-white, tinting to brown. It migrates in summer to Europe and winters in Africa. It feeds on insects, small animals,...
nitrogen cycle
Process of nitrogen passing through the ecosystem. Nitrogen, in the form of inorganic compounds (such as nitrates) in the soil, is absorbed by plants and turned into organic compounds (such as proteins) in plant tissue. A proportion of this nitrogen is eaten by herbivores, with some of this in turn b...
niche
In ecology, the `place` occupied by a species in its habitat, including all chemical, physical, and biological components, such as what it eats, the time of day at which the species feeds, temperature, moisture, the parts of the habitat that it uses (for example, trees or open grassland), the way it reproduces, and how it behaves. It is b...
nitrogen fixation
Process by which nitrogen in the atmosphere is converted into nitrogenous compounds by the action of micro-organisms, such as cyanobacteria and bacteria, in conjunction with certain legumes. Several chemical processes duplicate nitrogen fixation to produce fertilizers; see nitrogen cycle. The key enzyme in natural nitrogen fixation is nitro...
Nippon
English transliteration of the Japanese name for Japan
Nicaraguan Revolution
The revolt 1978–79 in Nicaragua, led by the socialist Sandinistas against the US-supported right-wing dictatorship established by Anastasio Somoza. His son, President Anastasio (Debayle) Somoza (1925–1980), was forced into exile in 1979 and assassinated in Paraguay. The Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) was named after A...
Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region
Administrative area of northwest China, bounded to the north by Inner Mongolia, to the east by Shaanxi, and to the south by Gansu; area 66,400 sq km/25,600 sq mi; population (2000 est) 5,620,000; one-third are Hui (Chinese Muslims) and there is a large Mongolian population in the north. The capital is Yinchuan. It is a desert pl...
Nile, Battle of the
Alternative name for the Battle of Aboukir Bay
Nile
Click images to enlargeRiver in Africa, the world's longest, 6,695 km/4,160 mi. The Blue Nile rises in Lake Tana, Ethiopia, the White Nile at Lake Victoria, and they join at Khartoum, Sudan. The huge basin of the river has an area of some 3,350,000 sq km/1,293,000 sq mi. The river enters the Mediterranean Sea ...
Nizhniy Novgorod
City and river port in the central Russian Federation, 375 km/233 mi east of Moscow; population (2002) 1,311,300. The city is situated at the confluence of the Volga and Oka rivers, and is a major transportation centre; six railway lines converge here, and large quantities of freight and passengers are carried by river traffic. Motor ve...
Niemeyer,
(Soares Filho) Brazilian architect. He was joint designer of the United Nations headquarters in New York in 1947 and from 1957 architect of many public buildings in the Brazilian capital, Brasília. His idiosyncratic interpretation of the modernist idiom uses symbolic form to express the f...
Nicosia
Capital of Cyprus, with leather, textile, and pottery industries; population (2001) 205,600. Nicosia was the residence of Lusignan kings of Cyprus 1192–1475. The Venetians, who took Cyprus in 1489, surrounded Nicosia with a high wall, which still exists; the city fell to the Turks in 157...
