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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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prominenceClick images to enlargeBright cloud of gas projecting from the Sun into space 100,000 km/60,000 mi or more. Quiescent prominences last for months, and are held in place by magnetic fields in the Sun's corona. Surge prominences shoot gas into space at speeds of 1,000 kps/600 mps. Loop prominences are gases fall...
ProcyonBrightest star in the constellation Canis Minor and the eighth-brightest star in the night sky. Procyon is a white star 11.4 light years from the Sun, with a mass 1.7 times that of the Sun. It has a white dwarf companion that orbits it every 40 years. The name, derived from Greek, means `before the dog`, and reflects the fact that in ...
precession of the equinoxesSlow wobble of the Earth on its axis, like that of a spinning top. The gravitational pulls of the Sun and Moon on the Earth's equatorial bulge ca use the Earth's axis to trace out a circle on the sky every 25,800 years. The position of the celestial poles (see celestial sphere) is constantly changing owing to precession, as are the positions...
prussic acidFormer name for hydrocyanic acid
propeneSecond member of the alkene series of hydrocarbons. A colourless, flammable gas, it is widely used by industry to make organic chemicals, including polypropylene plastics
propyl alcoholCommon name for propanol
protactiniumSilver-grey, radioactive, metallic element of the actinide series, atomic number 91, relative atomic mass 231.036. It occurs in nature in very small quantities in pitchblende and other uranium ores. It has 14 known isotopes; the longest-lived, Pa-231, has a half-life of 32,480 years
propaneGaseous hydrocarbon of the alkane series, found in petroleum and used as a fuel and as a refrigerant
promethiumRadioactive, metallic element of the lanthanide series, atomic number 61, relative atomic mass 145. It occurs in nature only in minute amounts, produced as a fission product/by-product of uranium in pitchblende and other uranium ores; for a long time it was considered not to occur in nature. The longest-lived isotope has a half-...
praseodymiumSilver-white, malleable, metallic element of the lanthanide series, atomic number 59, relative atomic mass 140.907. It occurs in nature in the minerals monzanite and bastnaesite, and its green salts are used to colour glass and ceramics. It was named in 1885 by Austrian chemist Carl von Welsbach. He fractionated it from dydymium (originally tho...
propanoneColourless flammable liquid used extensively as a solvent, as in nail-varnish remover, and for making acrylic plastics. It boils at 56.5°C/133.7°F, mixes with water in all proportions, and has a characteristic odour. Propanone is the simplest example of a ketone
PROMIn computing, a memory device in the form of an integrated circuit (chip) that can be programmed after manufacture to hold information permanently. PROM chips are empty of information when manufactured, unlike ROM (read-only memory) chips, which have information built into them. Other memory devices are EPROM (erasable programmable read-onl...
processorIn computing, another name for the central processing unit or microprocessor of a computer
procedureIn computing, a small part of a computer program that performs a specific task, such as clearing the screen or sorting a file. A procedural language, such as BASIC, is one in which the programmer describes a task in terms of how it is to be done, as opposed to a declarative language, such as PROLOG, in which it is described in terms of the required...
prawnAny of various shrimps of the suborder Natantia (`swimming`), of the crustacean order Decapoda, as contrasted with lobsters and crayfishes, which are able to `walk`. Species called prawns are generally larger than species called shrimps
pronghornClick images to enlargeRuminant mammal
Antilocapra americana constituting the family Antilocapridae, native to the western USA. It is not a true antelope. It is light brown and about 1 m/3 ft high. It sheds its horns annually and can reach speeds of 100 kph/60 mph. The loss of prairies to agricu...
prostaglandinAny of a group of complex fatty acids present in the body that act as messenger substances between cells. Effects include stimulating the contraction of smooth muscle (for example, of the womb during birth), regulating the production of stomach acid, and modifying hormonal activity. In excess, prostaglandins may produce inflammatory disorders such ...
pregnancyClick images to enlargeIn humans, the process during which a developing embryo grows within the woman's womb. It begins at conception and ends at birth, and the normal length is 40 weeks, or around nine months. Menstruation usually stops on conception. About one in five pregnancies fails, but most of these failures oc...
proteinClick images to enlargeLarge, complex, biologically-important molecules composed of amino acids joined by peptide bonds. The number of amino acids used can be many hundreds. There are 20 different amino acids and they can be joined in any order. Proteins are essential to all living organisms. As enzymes they regulate ...
prionInfectious agent, a hundred times smaller than a virus. Composed of protein, and without any detectable nucleic acid (genetic material), it is strongly linked to a number of fatal degenerative brain diseases in mammals, such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle, scrapie in sheep, and Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD) and kuru in h...
primate(zoology) Click images to enlargeIn zoology, any member of the order of mammals that includes monkeys, apes, and humans (together called anthropoids), as well as lemurs, bushbabies, lorises, and tarsiers (together called prosimians). Generally,...
protozoaGroup of single-celled organisms without rigid cell walls. Some, such as amoeba, ingest other cells, but most are saprotrophs or parasites. The group is polyphyletic (containing organisms which have different evolutionary origins)
prostate glandGland surrounding and opening into the urethra at the base of the bladder in male mammals. The prostate gland produces an alkaline fluid that is released during ejaculation; this fluid activates sperm, and prevents their clumping together. Older men may develop benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a painful condition in which the prostate become...
progesteroneSteroid hormone that occurs in vertebrates. In mammals, it regulates the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. Progesterone is secreted by the corpus luteum (the ruptured Graafian follicle of a discharged ovum)
probabilityLikelihood, or chance, that an event will occur, often expressed as odds, or in mathematics, numerically as a fraction or decimal. In general, the probability that
n particular events will happen out of a total of
m possible events is
n/
m. A certainty has a probability ...
prime numberNumber that can be divided only by 1 and itself, that is, having no other factors. There is an infinite number of primes, the first ten of which are 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, and 29 (by definition, the number 1 is excluded from the set of prime numbers). The number 2 is the only even prime because all other even numbers have 2 as a factor. Nu...
projectionRepresentation of the surface of the Earth on paper, see map projection
precipitation(meteorology) In meteorology, water that falls to the Earth from the atmosphere. It is part of the water (hydrological) cycle. Forms of precipitation include rain, snow, sleet, hail, dew, and frost. The amount of precipitation in any ...
pressurized water reactorNuclear reactor design used in nuclear power stations in many countries, and in nuclear-powered submarines. In the PWR, water under pressure is used in a closed system, as a coolant, passing through the reactor to the generator. Boric acid is added as a moderator. The pressurized water circulates...
prosthesisArtificial device used to substitute for a body part which is defective or missing. Prostheses include artificial limbs, hearing aids, false teeth and eyes, heart pacemakers and plastic heart valves and blood vessels. Prostheses in the form of artificial limbs, such as wooden legs and metal hooks for hands, have been used for centuries, although ar...
propellerScrewlike device used to propel some ships and aeroplanes. A propeller has a number of curved blades that describe a helical path as they rotate with the hub, and accelerate fluid (liquid or gas) backwards during rotation. Reaction to this backward movement of fluid sets up a propulsive thrust forwards. The marine screw propeller was developed by F...
projectorApparatus that projects a picture on to a screen. In a slide projector, a lamp shines a light through the photographic slide or transparency, and a projection lens throws an enlarged image of the slide onto the screen. A film projector has similar optics, but incorporates a mechanism that advances the film and then holds it still while light is tra...
privatizationPolicy or process of selling or transferring state-owned or public assets and services (notably nationalized industries) to private investors. Privatization of services involves the government giving contracts to private firms to supply services previously supplied by public authorities. Supporters of privatization argue that the public benefit...
Presley, Elvis(Aron) US singer and guitarist, the most influential performer of the rock-and-roll era. With his recordings for Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee in 1954–55, and early hits such as `Heartbreak Hotel`, `Hound Dog`, and `Love Me Tender` (all 1956), he ...
pronounIn grammar, a part of speech that is used in place of a noun, usually to save repetition of the noun. For example: `The people arrived around nine o'clock`. `They` behaved as though we were expecting `them`. Here, `they` and `them` are substitutes for repeating `the people`. `...
prepositionIn grammar, a part of speech coming before a noun or a pronoun to show a location (
in,
on), time (
during), or some other relationship (for example, figurative relationships in phrases like `
by heart` or `
on time`). In the sentence ...
present participleIn grammar, a part of speech; see participle
Provençal languageMember of the Romance branch of the Indo-European language family, spoken in and around Provence in southeastern France. It is now regarded as a dialect or patois. During the Middle Ages Provençal was in competition with French and was the language of the troubadours. It had a strong literary influence on such neighbouring languages as Ita...
PrakritGeneral name for the ancient Indo-European dialects of northern India, contrasted with the sacred classical language Sanskrit. The word is itself Sanskrit, meaning `natural`, as opposed to
Sanskrit, which means `perfected`. The Prakrits are considered to be the ancestors of such modern northern Indian lang...
programmingClick images to enlargeWriting instructions in a programming language for the control of a computer. Applications programming is for end-user programs, such as accounts programs or word-processing packages. Systems programming is for operating systems and the like, which are concerned more with the internal workin...
programming languageIn computing, a special notation in which instructions for controlling a computer are written. Programming languages are designed to be easy for people to write and read, but must be capable of being mechanically translated (by a compiler or an interpreter) into the machine code that the computer can execute. Programming languages may be classified...
printed circuit boardClick images to enlargeElectrical circuit created by laying (printing) `tracks` of a conductor such as copper on one or both sides of an insulating board. The PCB was invented in 1936 by Austrian scientist Paul Eisler, and was first used on a large scale in 1948. Components such as integrated circuits (chips), r...
printerIn computing, an output device for producing printed copies of text or graphics. Types include the daisywheel printer, which produces good-quality text but no graphics; the dot matrix printer, which produces text and graphics by printing a pattern of small dots; the ink-jet printer, w...
propagandaSystematic spreading (propagation) of information or disinformation (misleading information), usually to promote a religious or political doctrine with the intention of instilling particular attitudes or responses. As a system of spreading information it was considered a legitimate instrument of government, but became notorious through the delibera...
pressure groupAssociation that puts pressure on governments, businesses, or parties to ensure laws and treatment favourable to its own interest. Pressure groups have played an increasing role in contemporary Western democracies. In general they fall into two types: groups concerned with a single issue, such as nuclear disarmament, and groups attempting to pr...
Press CouncilIn the UK, an organization (1953–91) founded to preserve the freedom of the press, maintain standards, consider complaints, and report on monopoly developments. The Press Council was replaced by the Press Complaints Commission, which began operations in January 1991
proxyIn law, a person authorized to stand in another's place; also the document conferring this right. The term usually refers to voting at meetings, but marriages by proxy are possible
progressionSequence of numbers each occurring in a specific relationship to its predecessor. An arithmetic progression has numbers that increase or decrease by a common sum or difference (for example, 2, 4, 6, 8); a geometric progression has numbers each bearing a fixed ratio to its predecessor (for example, 3, 6, 12, 24); and a harmonic progression h...
PrimitivismInfluence on modern art (Ernst Kirchner, Amedeo Modigliani, Pablo Picasso, Paul Gauguin, and others) of primitive art: prehistoric art; the indigenous arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas; and Western folk art
probationIn law, the placing of offenders under supervision of probation officers in the community, as an alternative to prison
prism(mathematics) In mathematics, a solid figure whose cross-section is the same along its length. When a slice is cut through a prism, the size and shape of the cross-section is always the same. A cube, for example, is a rectangu...
PrussiaNorthern German state 1618–1945 on the Baltic coast. It was an independent kingdom until 1867, when it became, under Otto von Bismarck, the military power of the North German Confederation and part of the German Empire in 1871 under the Prussian king Wilhelm I. West Prussia became part of Poland under the Treaty of Versailles, and East Prussia...
prickly pearAny of several cacti (see cactus) native to Central and South America, mainly Mexico and Chile, but naturalized in southern Europe, North Africa, and Australia, where it is a pest. The common prickly pear (
O. vulgaris) is low-growing, with flat, oval stem joints, bright yellow ...
privetAny of a group of evergreen shrubs with dark green leaves, belonging to the olive family. They include the European common privet (
L. vulgare) with white flowers and black berries, naturalized in North America, and the native North American California privet (
L. ovalifolium), also known as hedge privet. (Genus ...
protistSingle-celled organism which has a eukaryotic cell, but which is not a member of the plant, fungal, or animal kingdoms. The main protists are protozoa. Single-celled photosynthetic organisms, such as diatoms and dinoflagellates, are classified as protists or algae. Recently the term has also been used for members of the kingdom Protista, wh...
prokaryoteIn biology, an organism whose cells lack organelles (specialized segregated structures such as nuclei, mitochondria, and chloroplasts). Prokaryote DNA is not arranged in chromosomes but forms a coiled structure called a nucleoid. The prokaryotes comprise the bacteria (including the cyanobacteria), formerly known as blue-green algae and the arch...
protoplasmContents of a living cell. Strictly speaking it includes all the discrete structures (organelles) in a cell, but it is often used simply to mean the jellylike material in which these float. The contents of a cell outside the nucleus are called cytoplasm
pressureClick images to enlargeIn a fluid, the force exerted normally (at right angles) on the surface of a body immersed in the fluid. The SI unit of pressure is the pascal (Pa), equal to a pressure of one newton per square metre. In the atmosphere, the pressure declines with increasing height from about 100 kPa at sea level to ...
prism(optics) In optics, a (usually) triangular block of transparent material (plastic, glass, or silica) commonly used to `bend` a ray of light or split a light beam (for example, white light) into its component colours. Prisms ...
printingClick images to enlargeReproduction of multiple copies of text or illustrative material on paper, as in books or newspapers, or on an increasing variety of materials; for example, on plastic containers or on fabrics. The first printing used woodblocks, followed by carved wood type or moulded metal type and hand-op...
propellantSubstance burned in a rocket for propulsion. With bipropellant, two propellants are used: oxidizer and fuel are stored in separate tanks and pumped independently into the combustion chamber. Liquid oxygen (oxidizer) and liquid hydrogen (fuel) are common propellants, used, for example, in the space shuttle main engines. The explosive charge that...
private enterpriseSector of the economy or business unit where economic activities are in private hands, set up through private capital and carried out for private profit, as opposed to national, municipal, or cooperative ownership. Private enterprise is distinguished from public spending, although public funds are often funnelled into private enterprises, as with d...
prime ministerHead of a parliamentary government, usually the leader of the largest party. In countries with an executive president, the prime minister is of lesser standing, whereas in those with dual executives, such as France, power is shared with the president. In federal countries, such as Australia, the head...
Privy CouncilCouncil composed originally of the chief royal officials of the Norman kings in Britain; under the Tudors and early Stuarts it became the chief governing body. It was replaced from 1688 by the cabinet, originally a committee of the council, and the council itself now retains only formal powers in issuing royal proclamations and orders in counci...
preparatory schoolFee-paying independent school. In the UK, it is a junior school that prepares children for entry to a senior school at about age 13. In the USA, it is a school that prepares students for university entrance at about the age of 18
progressive educationTeaching methods that take as their starting point children's own aptitudes and interests, and encourage them to follow their own investigations and lines of inquiry
prehistoric artArt that predates written records. The history of the fine arts – painting, engraving, and sculpture – begins around 40000 BC in the Palaeolithic period (Old Stone Age). The oldest known rock engravings are in Australia, but within the next 30,000 years art occurs on every continent. The ea...
propertyThe right to control the use of a thing (such as land, a building, a work of art, or a computer program). In both US and English law, a distinction is made between real property, which involves a degree of geographical fixity, and personal property, which does not. Property is never absolute, since any society places limits on an individual's p...
preludeIn music, a composition intended as the preface to further music, especially preceding a fugue, forming the opening piece of a suite, or setting the mood for a stage work, as in Richard Wagner's
Lohengrin. As used by Frédéric Chopin, a prelude is a short self-contained piano work. A prelude is often rhetorical i...
programme musicInstrumental music that interprets a story, depicts a scene or painting, or illustrates a literary or philosophical idea. The term was first used by Franz Liszt in the 19th century, when programme music was especially popular with composers of Romantic music (see Romanticism), but there had been a great deal of descriptive music before then. Exampl...
primroseAny of a group of plants belonging to the primrose family, with showy five-lobed flowers. The common primrose (
P. vulgaris) is a woodland plant, native to Europe, with abundant pale yellow flowers in spring. Related to it is the cowslip. (Genus
Primula, famil...
Pride's purgeThe removal of about 100 Royalists and Presbyterians of the English House of Commons from Parliament by a detachment of soldiers led by Col Thomas Pride (died 1658) in 1648. They were accused of negotiating with Charles I and were seen by the army as unreliable. The remaining members were termed the Rump and voted in favour of the king's trial
press gangMethod used to recruit soldiers and sailors into the British armed forces in the 18th and early 19th centuries. In effect it was a form of kidnapping carried out by the services or their agents, often with the aid of armed men. This was similar to the practice of `shanghaiing` sailors for duty in the merchant marine, especially in the Far...
prototypeIn technology, any of the first few versions of a new design. Prototypes are tested for performance, reliability, economy, and safety; then the main design can be modified before full-scale production begins
Prix GoncourtFrench literary prize for fiction, given by the Académie Goncourt (founded by Edmond de Goncourt in 1903)
pronunciationThe way in which words are rendered into human speech sounds; either a language as a whole (`French pronunciation`) or a particular word or name (`what is the pronunciation of `controversy`?`). The pronunciation of languages forms the academic subject of phonetics
PraiaCapital and port of Cape Verde, on the south shore of the island of São Tiago (Santiago); population (2001 est) 96,300. São Tiago is the most populous of the Cape Verde group of islands and the most agriculturally productive, and Praia has become the leading commercial centre of the country, having a large export trade in bananas, cof...
PRAbbreviation for public relations; proportional representation; Puerto Rico
prefixLetter or group of letters that can be added to the beginning of a word to make a new word. For example,
overtime,
outrage,
nonsense. Prefixes and suffixes are generally referred to as affixes. More than one prefix can be used in a word; for example,
undisguised,
private limited company
Registered company which has limited liability (the shareholders cannot lose more than their original shareholdings), and a minimum of two shareholders and a maximum of fifty. Shareholders cannot transfer their shares without the consent of other members, and shares cannot be offered to the public. A private limited company is treated as a legal en...
prime rate
The interest rate charged by commercial banks to their best customers. It is the lowest interest or base rate on which other rates are calculated according to the risk involved. Only borrowers who have the highest credit rating qualify for the prime rate
prophylaxis
Any measure taken to prevent disease, including exercise and vaccination. Prophylactic (preventive) medicine is an aspect of public-health provision that is receiving increasing attention
prematurity
Condition of an infant born before the full term. In obstetrics, an infant born before 37 weeks' gestation is described as premature. Premature babies are often at risk. They lose heat quickly because they lack an insulating layer of fat beneath the skin; there may also be breathing difficulties. In hospitals with advanced technology, speci...
prolapse
Displacement of an organ due to the effects of strain in weakening the supporting tissues. The term is most often used with regard to the rectum (due to chronic bowel problems) or the uterus (following several pregnancies)
propanol
Third member of the homologous series of alcohols. Propanol is usually a mixture of two isomeric compounds (see isomer): propan-1-ol (CH3CH2CH2OH) and propan-2-ol (CH3CHOHCH3). Both are colourless liquids that can b...
propylene
Common name for propene
precedent
Common law principle that, in deciding a particular case, judges are bound to follow any applicable principles of law laid down by superior courts in earlier reported cases
Prasad, Rajendra
Indian politician. He was president of the Indian National Congress several times between 1934 and 1948 and India's first president after independence 1950–62
prêt-à-porter
(French) ready-to-wear clothes
Precambrian era
In geology, the time from the formation of the Earth (4.6 billion years ago) up to 570 million years ago. Its boundary with the succeeding Cambrian period marks the time when animals first developed hard outer parts (exoskeletons) and so left abundant fossil remains. It comprises about 85% of geological time and is divided into two eons: th...
Proterozoic Eon
Eon of geological time, 3.5 billion to 570 million years ago, the second division of the Precambrian. It is defined as the time of simple life, since many rocks dating from this eon show traces of biological activity, and some contain the fossils of bacteria and algae
prehistoric life
Diverse organisms that inhabited Earth from the origin of life about 3.5 billion years ago to the time when humans began to keep written records, about 3500 BC. During the course of evolution, new forms of life developed and many other forms, such as the dinosaurs, became extinct. Prehistoric life evolved over this vast timespan from simple bacteri...
Premadasa, Ranasinghe
Sri Lankan right-wing politician, prime minister 1978–88, president from 1988, having gained popularity through overseeing a major house-building and poverty-alleviation programme. He sought peace talks with the Tamil Tiger guerrillas. He was assassinated in office by a suicide bomber in the centre of Colombo; the Tamil Tigers ...
Pressburger, Emeric
Hungarian-born film producer, screenwriter, and novelist. He worked on films in Germany, France, and Britain. Together with Michael Powell, he made 14 films between 1942 and 1956, including such classics of the British cinema as The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), A Canterbury Tale (1944), and
premenstrual tension
Medical condition caused by hormone changes and comprising a number of physical and emotional features that occur cyclically before menstruation and disappear with its onset. Symptoms include mood changes, breast tenderness, a feeling of bloatedness, and headache
privateer
Privately owned and armed ship commissioned by a state to attack enemy vessels. The crews of such ships were, in effect, legalized pirates; they were not paid but received a share of the spoils. Privateering existed from ancient times until the 19th century, when it was declared illegal by the Declaration of Paris in 1856
Priština
Capital of the autonomous region of Kosovo, in Serbia; population (2002) 165,800. Once capital of the medieval Serbian empire, it is now a trading centre
Praha
Czech name for Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic
Przhevalsky, Nikolai Mikhailovitch
Russian explorer and soldier. In 1870 he crossed the Gobi Desert to Beijing and then went on to the upper reaches of the Chang Jiang River. His attempts to penetrate Tibet as far as Lhasa failed on three occasions, but he continued to explore the mountain regions between Tibet and Mongolia, where he made collections of plants and animals, including...
proportion
Relation of a part to the whole (usually expressed as a fraction or percentage). In mathematics two variable quantities x and y are proportional if, for all values of x, y = kx, where k is a constant. This means that if x&l...
