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 Talk Talk - Communication terms
Category: General technical and industrial
Date & country: 28/05/2010, UK
Words: 18630


proton number
Alternative name for atomic number

Prescott, John Leslie
British Labour politician, deputy party leader (from 1994) and deputy prime minister (from 1997) until 2007. With his solid working-class background and strong trade-union links, he provided an important bridge between the Blair administration's `New Labour` modernizers and traditional `Old Labour`. Immensely loyal t...

protocol
In computing, an agreed set of standards for the transfer of data between different devices. They cover transmission speed, format of data, and the signals required to synchronize the transfer. See also interface

preservative
Substance (additive) added to a food in order to inhibit the growth of bacteria, yeasts, moulds, and other micro-organisms, and therefore extend its shelf life. The term sometimes refers to anti-oxidants (substances added to oils and fats to prevent their becoming rancid) as well. All preservatives are potentially damaging to health if eate...

proof spirit
Numerical scale used to indicate the alcohol content of an alcoholic drink. Proof spirit (or 100% proof spirit) acquired its name from a solution of alcohol in water which, when used to moisten gunpowder, contained just enough alcohol to permit it to burn

Prince William Sound
Island-filled inlet of the Gulf of Alaska, to the east of the Kenai Peninsula and south of the Chugach Mountains in south-central Alaska. It extends 200 km/125 mi northwest from Kayak Island. Cordova and Valdez are major ports on the 130-km/80-mi wide sound. Montague and Hinchinbrook are its largest islands. The area is a fi...

Prut
River in eastern Europe; length 900 km/565 mi. The Prut rises in the Carpathian Mountains in southwestern Ukraine, and flows south to meet the Danube at Reni. For most of its course it forms the frontier between Romania and Moldova

provitamin
Any precursor substance of a vitamin. Provitamins are ingested substances that become converted to active vitamins within the organism. One example is ergosterol (provitamin D2), which through the action of sunlight is converted to calciferol (vitamin D2); another example is beta-carotene, which...

protractor
Instrument used to measure a flat angle

proton
In physics, a positively charged subatomic particle, a constituent of the nucleus of all atoms. It carries a unit positive charge equal to the negative charge of an electron. Its mass is almost 1,836 times that of an electron, or 1.673 × 10-24 g. The number of protons in the atom of an element is equal to the atomic ...

Prague Spring
The 1968 programme of liberalization, begun under a new Communist Party leader in Czechoslovakia. In August 1968 Soviet tanks invaded Czechoslovakia and entered the capital Prague to put down the liberalization movement initiated by the prime minister Alexander Dubcek, who had earlier sought to assur...

prisoner of war
Person captured in war, who has fallen into the hands of, or surrendered to, an opponent. Such captives may be held in prisoner-of-war camps. The treatment of POWs is governed by the Geneva Convention. Under the terms of the Geneva Convention, POWs must be provided safe, sanitary accommodations, as well as food, medical care, some wages, an...

precipitate
In chemistry, solid (insoluble) substance sometimes produced when two solutions are mixed or when a gas is passed into a solution. In an equation the precipitate is often represented by the symbol (s). AgNO3(aq) + NaCl(aq) ® AgCl(s) + NaNO3(aq) ...

pre-eclampsia
Potentially serious condition developing in the third trimester of a pregnancy and marked by high blood pressure and fluid retention. Arising from unknown causes, it disappears when pregnancy is over. It may progress to eclampsia if untreated. Pre-eclampsia affects 5–10% of pregant women globally

prostatectomy
Surgical removal of the prostate gland. In many men over the age of 60 the prostate gland enlarges, causing obstruction to the urethra. This causes the bladder to swell with retained urine, leaving the sufferer more prone to infection of the urinary tract. The treatment of choice is transurethral resection of the prostate, in which the gland is rem...

presbyopia
Vision defect, an increasing inability with advancing age to focus on near objects. It is caused by thickening and loss of elasticity in the lens, which is no longer able to relax to the near-spherical shape required for near vision

precipitation
(chemistry) In chemistry, the formation of an insoluble solid in a liquid as a result of a reaction within the liquid between two or more soluble substances. For example, if solutions of lead nitrate and potassium iodide are added together, bright yellow, insoluble lead iodide appears as a pre...

protein engineering
Creation of synthetic proteins designed to carry out specific tasks. For example, an enzyme may be designed to remove grease from soiled clothes and remain stable at the high temperatures in a washing machine. In biochemical research, protein variants are also produced for the detailed investigation of how their structures arise and how they fulfil...

prestressed concrete
Developed form of reinforced concrete in which tensioned steel cables enclosed in ducts take the place of steel reinforcement. This allows the most efficient use of the tensile strength of steel with the compressive strength of concrete. Its use was pioneered by the French engineer Eugène Freysinnet in the 1920s

productivity
In economics, the output produced by a given quantity of labour, usually measured as output per person employed in the firm, industry, sector, or economy concerned. Productivity is determined by the quality and quantity of the fixed capital used by labour, and the effort of the workers concerned. The level of productivity is a major determinant of ...

preference share
In finance, a share in a company with rights in various ways superior to those of ordinary shares; for example, priority to a fixed dividend and priority over ordinary shares in the event of the company being wound up

privilege
In law, a special right or immunity in connection with legal proceedings. Public-interest privilege may be claimed by the government seeking to preserve the confidentiality of state documents. Private privilege can only attach to an individual by virtue of rank or office; for example, for members of Parliament in defence of defamation proce...

proviso
In law, a clause in a statute, deed, or some other legal document introducing a qualification or condition to some other provision, frequently the one immediately preceding the proviso itself

press, freedom of the
Absence of political censorship in the press or other media, a concept seen as basic to Western democracy. Access to and expression of views are, however, in practice restricted by the commercial and financial interests of the owners and advertisers

premium price
Difference between the current market price of a security and its issue price (where the current price is the greater)

process control
Automatic computerized control of a manufacturing process, such as glassmaking. The computer receives feedback information from sensors about the performance of the machines involved, and compares this with ideal performance data stored in its control program. It then outputs instructions to adjust automatically the machines' settings. Because ...

program loop
Part of a computer program that is repeated several times. The loop may be repeated a fixed number of times (counter-controlled loop) or until a certain condition is satisfied (condition-controlled loop). For example, a counter-controlled loop might be used to repeat an input routine until exactly ten numbers have been input; a cond...

primary data
Information that has been collected at first hand. It involves measurement of some sort, whether by taking readings off instruments, sketching, counting, or conducting interviews (using questionnaires)

primary industry
Any extractive industry, including mining and quarrying. Agriculture, fishing, and forestry are also included in this category since they involve the extraction of natural resources (see industrial sector). Developing countries often have a higher proportion of their workforce involved in primary industries than developed countries, where secondary...

prevailing wind
Direction from which the wind most commonly blows in a locality. In northwestern Europe, for example, the prevailing wind is southwesterly, blowing from the Atlantic Ocean in the southwest and bringing moist and warm conditions

protease
General term for an enzyme capable of splitting proteins. Examples include the digestive proteases pepsin, found in the stomach, and trypsin, found in the small intestine. Proteases are also found within cells, for example the proteasome, which removes damaged proteins. The AIDS virus, HIV, carries a gene for its own protease, which is vital for it...

program
In computing, a set of instructions that controls the operation of a computer. There are two main kinds: applications programs, which carry out tasks for the benefit of the user – for example, word processing; and systems programs, which control the internal workings of the computer. A utility program is a systems program that carries ...

prime factor
Any factor of a number that is a prime number. The fundamental theorem of arithmetic states that every number is either prime or can be expressed as a unique product of primes

provincia
In ancient Rome, region of authority of a magistrate holding power in Italy or elsewhere. In the Republic, provinces were determined by the Senate for the consuls and praetors. Under the empire, they were divided into senatorial and imperial; for the latter the emperor himself made the appointments. Additions to the provinces of the Roman empir...

price
Value put on a commodity at the point of exchange. In a free market it is determined by the market forces of demand and supply. In an imperfect market, firms face a trade-off between charging a higher price and losing sales, or charging a lower price and gaining sales

prices and incomes policy
Governmental strategy to curb inflation; see incomes policy

private sector
The part of the economy that is owned and controlled by private individuals and business organizations such as private and public limited companies. In a free enterprise economy, the private sector is responsible for allocating most of the resources within the economy. This contrasts with the public sector, where economic resources are owned and co...

profit
Difference between the selling price and the production cost, the latter enompassing all the fixed and variable costs incurred in the process of producing and delivering the product or service. A more refined definition of profit is that of net profit. This is the income remaining after all costs have been subtracted. The net profit figure may be s...

progressive tax
Tax which takes a greater proportion or percentage the higher the income of the taxpayer. This contrasts with regressive tax, where the proportion paid falls as income increases, and proportional tax, where the proportion paid remains the same at all levels of income. Examples of progressive taxes in the UK include income tax and capital gains tax

promotion
Technique used by a business organization to persuade customers to buy its products in the short term. Below-the-line promotion or merchandising would include special offers such as free gifts, discounts, competitions, better value offers (for example, 500 grams for the price of 400 grams), and trade-ins. Above-the-line promotio...

proportional tax
Tax which takes an equal proportion of income whatever the taxpayer's income. This contrasts with regressive tax where the proportion paid falls as income increases, and progressive tax where the proportion paid increases. Value-added tax is often said to be an example of a proportional tax

proverb
Piece of received, traditional wisdom expressed in a pithy, often metaphorical manner (`A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush`; `A stitch in time saves nine`)

prepositional phrase
Group of words containing a preposition and its complement. It is common for prepositional phrases to be grouped together, as in, `He works in a factory, near London.`

prosecution
In law, the party instituting legal proceedings. In the UK, the prosecution of a criminal case is begun by bringing the accused (defendant) before a magistrate, either by warrant or summons, or by arrest without warrant. Most criminal prosecutions are conducted by the Crown Prosecution Service, although other government departments may also prosecu...

pre-Columbian art
Art of the Central and South American civilizations that existed prior to the arrival of European colonizers in the 16th century. Pre-Columbian art thrived over a wide timescale, from 1800 BC to AD 1500. However, despite the great range and variety of artwork, certain characteristics were repeated throughout the region, namely a preference for ...

presto
In music, a tempo marking meaning very quick. `Prestissimo` means extremely fast

predator
Any animal that hunts, kills, and eats another animal (the prey). Predation is the method of feeding shown by a predator. Examples of predators include lions, which prey on antelope and zebra, owls, which prey on mice and rats, or sparrowhawks, which might prey on sparrows. Predators may affect the p...

proxy server
On the World Wide Web, a server which `stands in` for another server, storing and forwarding files on behalf of a computer that might be slower or too busy to deal with the request itself. Many URLs (Web addresses) redirect the enquirer to a proxy server that then supplies the requested page. In 1996, the authorities in Singapore imposed ...

print
In computing, to transfer data to a printer, to a screen, or to another file

print spooler
In computing, utility program that stores information in a temporary file before sending it on to a printer. Print spoolers help computers to work efficiently, allowing the central processing unit (CPU) to carry on with other work while a document is being printed

proportional font
Font in which individual letters of the alphabet take up different amounts of space according to their shape. Computer fixed fonts are designed so that each letter has the same width and takes up the same amount of space on a line. A letter `l`, however, logically is thinner than a letter &...

privacy
(Internet) On the Internet, generally used to mean the right to control who has access to the personal information generated by interaction with computers. The right to privacy is one of the most hotly-debated issues on the Internet, as commercial suppliers seek to gather more and more inf...

priest
Minister of public worship, especially one who performs sacrificial rites. In the Christian church, priests are also responsible for administering the sacraments, blessing, and preaching. The priestly office was in many early societies associated with the king. In ancient Egypt and India, the priests formed a separate caste. The Jewish priesthood w...

praying mantis
Another name for mantis

private finance initiative
An idea suggested by the UK Labour Party when in opposition before 1997, and particularly by the deputy leader, John Prescott, who argued that the country's infrastructure (services) could be improved by combining public expenditure with private finance. Since assuming office in May 1997 the Labour government has kept the initiative alive by ga...

prostate cancer
Cancer of the prostate gland. It is a slow progressing cancer, and about 60% of cases are detected before metastasis (spreading), so it can be successfully treated by surgical removal of the gland and radiotherapy. It is, however, the second commonest cancer-induced death in males (after lung cancer). It kills 32,000 men a year in the USA a...

Press Complaints Commission
Non-statutory UK body formed in 1991 to replace the former Press Council and oversee the effective self-regulation of the press. It was set up on the basis of the recommendations of the Committee on Privacy and Related Matters. Its role is to promote a code of practice (rules guiding behaviour) for newspaper and magazine editors and to deal...

Primakov, Yevgeny Maksimovich
Russian politician, prime minister 1998–99. He was appointed foreign minister in 1995 in order to give President Boris Yeltsin some credibility with those who supported the communists and nationalists. His championing of Russia's interests and his willingness to use anti-Western rhetoric restored some of the damage done to injured prid...

predicate
Traditionally, one of the two main parts of a sentence or clause, the other being the subject. In the sentence `The chicken crossed the road`, `the chicken` is the subject and `crossed the road` is the predicate. In the sentence `Parents make their children happy`, `parents` is the subject and `...

propaganda, Nazi
In Germany between the 1920s and 1940s, the Nazi party pursued a systematic programme of propaganda, distorting facts and spreading lies to encourage particular attitudes. From 1933 the Ministry of Propaganda, under the direction of Joseph Goebbels, took the use of propaganda as a means of mass communication to new heights, and propaganda became th...

Protestantism
(Ireland) Main division of Christianity that emerged from Roman Catholicism at the Reformation in the 16th century. The three largest denominations in Ireland are the (Anglican) Church of Ireland, the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, and the Methodist Church in Ireland. Protestants are found pr...

propaganda, World War I
The promotion of biased or misleading information was used on all sides in World War I to encourage recruitment and uphold morale among the civilian and military population. Information coming from the front had to be censored, and a constant flow of good news kept up through the newspapers and cinema. In the UK the Defence of the Realm Act (DORA) ...

prehistoric medicine
Medicine that predates written records, evolving with the emergence of modern hominids over 2 million years ago. The study of prehistoric medicine is mainly dependent on sources such as skeletons, artefacts, and cave paintings, and draws heavily on anthropological studies of indigenous cultures in Asia, Australasia, Africa, and the Americas. Prehis...

Protectorate, the
Period of English history, 1653–59, when England was ruled by a Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell (1653–58) and his son Richard Cromwell (1658–59). After the failure of the Barebones Parliament in 1653, a group of moderates, led by General John Lambert, met and formulated a document called the Instrument of Government. England was to b...

profile
In portraiture, a side view of the face. The profile was used on ancient coins and medallions, and became particularly popular in portraiture of the early Renaissance period. A silhouette shows only the dark shape and outline of a person's profile

proportion
(art) In art, the size, location, or amount of one part or thing compared to another. Some subjects are governed by certain regular proportions. For instance a face consists of a rough oval; the eyes are set half way down the oval on a line that is `five eyes` in width; the e...

process art
Form of art in which the process of making is considered more important than the artwork produced. Unlike traditional artworks, process art often uses organic, impermanent materials such as ice, fat, wax, yeast, and grass. An artist sets a process in motion and often repeatedly applies the process, allowing the work to evolve. Process art developed...

process
(art) In art, the method by which an artwork is produced. Common processes, such as painting, may be clarified by the use of more precise terminology; for example, the many painting processes include layering, dripping, stippling, and dragging

present tense
In grammar, the form a verb takes to express action that is taking place at the present moment. The present tense can be applied to any subject which is performing an action, for example the present tense of the verb to go is applicable to the first, second, and third person: I go; you go
pravachan
Sermon or talk based on the Hindu scriptures

prospectus
Descriptive brochure or pamphlet, that announces the main objects and plans of a commercial scheme, institution, literary work, or similar. The intention is often to advertise the scheme, institution, or work, and to gain support or custom

prayer wheel
Revolving wheel or cylinder on which written prayers, mantras, or scriptures are inscribed or fastened by Tibetan Buddhists. As the wheels spin clockwise, the prayers are `repeated`. Prayer wheels may vary in size from hand-held ones, 7–10 cm/3–4 in long, to rows of prayer wheels, 6 m/20 ft high, set into the walls o...

proof-read
In publishing, the checking of proofs (test printings) of a book or other written material for errors, using a set system of markings placed in the margin

Promised Land
In the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), the land of Canaan, covenanted by God to the Israelites

press stud
Type of fastening for fabric which comprises two sections: one side has a stud and the other a hole. Press studs are usually made of metal, but are sometimes plastic. The studded side fits snugly into the hole and they remain together until firm pressure is exerted to pull them apart. Press studs may be sewn on to fabric, but some can be attach...

process stage
In systems design, the stage which produces the heart of a system where the inputs are dealt with to produce the required outputs. It is often the last stage to be designed, because it can be quite complicated. For example, the simplest timer would use an input switch to activate a monostable delay, which could operate an audible signal that would ...

psychosomatic
Of a physical symptom or disease thought to arise from emotional or mental factors. The term `psychosomatic` has been applied to many conditions, including asthma, migraine, hypertension, and peptic ulcers. Whereas it is unlikely that these and other conditions are wholly due to psychological factors, emotional states such as anxiety or d...

psychosis
General term for a serious mental disorder in which the individual commonly loses contact with reality and may experience hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that do not exist) or delusions (fixed false beliefs). For example, in a paranoid psychosis, an individual may believe that others are plotting against him or her. A major type of psychos...

psychoanalysis
Theory and treatment method for neuroses, developed by Sigmund Freud in the 1890s. Psychoanalysis asserts that the impact of early childhood sexuality and experiences, stored in the unconscious, can lead to the development of adult emotional problems. The main treatment method involves the free association of ideas, and their interpretation by pati...

psychiatry
Branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorder, normally divided into the areas of neurotic conditions, including anxiety, depression, and hysteria, and psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia. Psychiatric treatment consists of drugs, analysis, or electroconvulsive therapy. In practice there is considerable overla...

psi
In parapsychology, a hypothetical faculty common to humans and other animals, said to be responsible for extrasensory perception, telekinesis, and other paranormal phenomena

psoriasis
Chronic, recurring skin disease characterized by raised, red, scaly patches, on the scalp, elbows, knees, and elsewhere. Tar preparations, steroid creams, and ultraviolet light are used to treat it, and sometimes it disappears spontaneously. Psoriasis may be accompanied by a form of arthritis (inflammation of the joints). It affects 100 million peo...

PSBR
Abbreviation for public sector borrowing requirement

psalm
Sacred poem or song of praise. The Book of Psalms in the Old Testament is divided into five books containing 150 psalms, traditionally ascribed to David, the second king of Israel. In the Christian church they may be sung antiphonally in plainsong or set by individual composers to music in a great variety of styles, from Josquin Desprez's
pseudocarp
Fruitlike structure that incorporates tissue that is not derived from the ovary wall. The additional tissues may be derived from floral parts such as the receptacle and calyx. For example, the coloured, fleshy part of a strawberry develops from the receptacle and the true fruits are small achenes – the `pips` embedded in its outer su...

psychosurgery
Operation to relieve severe mental illness. See leucotomy

Psyche
Late Greek personification of the soul as a winged girl or young woman. In Greek mythology, she was the youngest and most beautiful of three princesses. Incensed by her beauty, Aphrodite ordered her son Eros, the god of love, to inspire Psyche with desire for the vilest creatures. Instead, he fell in...

psychometrics
Measurement of mental processes. This includes intelligence and aptitude testing to help in job selection and in the clinical assessment of cognitive deficiencies resulting from brain damage

psychotherapy
Any treatment for psychological problems that involves talking rather than surgery or drugs. Examples include cognitive therapy and psychoanalysis

psychopathy
Personality disorder characterized by chronic antisocial behaviour (violating the rights of others, often violently) and an absence of feelings of guilt about the behaviour. Because the term `psychopathy` has been misused to refer to any severe mental disorder, many psychologists now prefer the term `antisocial personality disorder&#...

psychotic disorder
Another name for psychosis

psychedelic rock
Pop music that usually involves advanced electronic equipment for both light and sound. The free-form improvisations and light shows that appeared about 1966, attempting to suggest or improve on mind-altering drug experiences, had by the 1980s evolved into stadium performances with lasers and other special effects. Examples of psychedelic r...

pseudomorph
Mineral that has replaced another in situ and has retained the external crystal shape of the original mineral

psychedelic drug
Any drug that produces hallucinations or altered states of consciousness. Such sensory experiences may be in the auditory, visual, tactile, olfactory, or gustatory fields or in any combination. Among drugs known to have psychedelic effects are LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), mescaline, and, to a mild degree, marijuana, along with a number of othe...

PSDR
Abbreviation for public sector debt repayment

psychedelic art
Style of art that aims to represent the hallucinations experienced while taking certain drugs, or to provide images for contemplation while under the influence of drugs. It developed within the underground sub-culture of the mid-1960s, which aimed to resist the behaviour and attitudes of accepted society. Psychedelic art is usually abstract...

Ptah
Egyptian god, the divine potter, a personification of the creative force. Worshipped at Memphis, he was portrayed as a primitive human statue or mummy holding an ankh, symbol of life. He was said to be the father of Imhotep, the physician and architect

pterosaur
Extinct flying reptile of the order Pterosauria, existing in the Mesozoic age. They ranged from the size of a starling to the 12 m/39 ft wingspan of Arambourgiania philadelphiae; the largest of the pterosaurs discovered so far. Some had horns on their heads that, when in flight, made a whistling to roaring sound. Pterosau...

ptarmigan
Hardy, northern ground-dwelling bird of genus Lagopus, family Phasianidae (which also includes grouse), with feathered legs and feet. The willow ptarmigan L. lagopus, found in bushes and heather in northern parts of North America, Europe, and Asia, grows to 3...

pteridophyte
Simple type of vascular plant. The pteridophytes comprise four classes: the Psilosida, including the most primitive vascular plants, found mainly in the tropics; the Lycopsida, including the club mosses; the Sphenopsida, including the horsetails; and the Pteropsida, including the ferns. They do not produce seeds. They are mainly ter...