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


Ranjitsinhji, K S
Indian prince and cricketer, popularly known as `Ranji`, who played for Sussex and England. A top batsman renowned for his elegant and innovative strokeplay, between 1896 and 1920 he scored 24,692 runs at an average of 56.37. In 15 Tests for England, 1896–1902, he scored 985 runs at an average of 44.95. He hit over 3,000 runs in succ...

Rameses
Alternative spelling of Ramses, name of kings of ancient Egypt

ratio
Measure of the relative size of two quantities or of two measurements (in similar units), expressed as a proportion. For example, the ratio of vowels to consonants in the alphabet is 5:21. As a fraction 5/26 of the letters are vowels. The ratio of 500 m to 2 km is 500:2,000, or in its simplest integer form 1:4 (dividing both sides o...

random access
In computing, an alternative term for direct access

raster graphics
Computer graphics that are stored in the computer memory by using a map to record data (such as colour and intensity) for every pixel that makes up the image. When transformed (enlarged, rotated, stretched, and so on), raster graphics become ragged and suffer loss of picture resolution, unlike vector...

radius
(mathematics) Straight line from the centre of a circle to its circumference, or from the centre to the surface of a sphere

range
(statistics) In statistics, a measure of dispersion in a frequency distribution, equalling the difference between the largest and smallest values of the variable. The range is sensitive to extreme values in the sense that it will give a distorted picture of the dispersion if one measurement is...

Ramos, Fidel
(Eddie) Filipino centre-right politician, president 1992–98. He launched a commission to consult with Muslim secessionist rebel groups on Mindanao, which produced a peace deal with one of the rebel groups in September 1996. In addition, as part of a government move to end corruption a...

radiology
Medical speciality concerned with the use of radiation, including X-rays, and radioactive materials in the diagnosis and treatment of injury and disease

ragga
Type of reggae music with a rhythmic, rapid-fire, semi-spoken vocal line. A macho swagger is a common element in the lyrics. Ragga developed around 1990 from `toasting`, itself an offshoot of reggae. Ragga performers include the Jamaicans Shabba Ranks, Anthony Red Rose, and Ninja Man. Toasting is a less frenetic talkover style whi...

Rakhmaninov
Alternative spelling for Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninov

Railtrack
British company responsible for the commercial operation of the railway network in Britain. In May 1996 it was privatized, and the 20 British Rail service companies that had previously provided Railtrack's infrastructure support functions were sold into the private sector. Railtrack did not operate train services, but was responsible for timeta...

RAID
In computing, arrays of disks are each connected to a controller that can be configured in different ways, depending on the application. RAID 1 is, for example, disk mirroring, while RAID 6 spreads every character between disks. RAID is intended to improve data security, and can also improve performance

ray-tracing
In computer graphics, method of rendering sharp, detailed images. Designers specify the size, shape, colour, and texture of objects and the type and location of light sources, and use a program to devise a mathematical model tracing how light rays would bounce off the surfaces. The results, complete with shading, shadows, and reflections, depict &#...

Ramsey, Alf(red) Ernest
English football player and manager. England's most successful manager ever, he won the 1966 World Cup. Of the 113 matches in which he was in charge of the national side between 1963 and 1974, England had 69 victories, 27 draws, and only 17 defeats. Shrewd, pragmatic, and single-minded, he was not afraid to go against traditional football w...

rash
In medicine, eruption on the surface of the skin. It is usually raised and red or it may contain vesicles filled with fluid. It may also be scaly or crusty. Characteristic rashes are produced by infectious diseases, such as chickenpox, measles, German measles, and scarlet fever. The severity of the rash usually reflects the severity of the disease....

Rambert Dance Company
British modern-dance company, founded as the Ballet Rambert by Marie Rambert in 1926. In 1966 she handed the direction over to her protégé Norman Morrice (1931– ), who began the process of transforming the company into one more focused on new creations and modern work. Richard Alston was appointed artistic director in 1986 a...

Ramos-Horta, José Manuel
Timorese freedom fighter and politician, prime minister of East Timor, president from 2007. After Indonesia's invasion of East Timor in 1975, living in exile, he became permanent representative to the United Nations (UN) for Fretilin (Frente Revolucionária do Timor Leste Independente; Revolutionary Front of Independent East Timor), the...

raw data
Unprocessed facts and figures collected from surveys, experiments, and other sources, to which a meaning or interpretation has been applied. The data are usually presented in the form of frequency diagrams, tables, and graphs so that they are easier to understand and analyse. For example, meteorological data such as daily temperature or rainfall ca...

Raksha Bandan
Hindu festival in which brothers and sisters show that they care for each other; cousins also count as siblings in Hindu families. It is celebrated July/August. A sister will tie a bracelet, or rakhi, made of thread around her brother's right wrist, usually with flowers attached to it. In return, a brother will give his sister presents,...

Ratha Yatra
(or Jagganatha, or Car Festival) Hindu festival in celebration of Krishna as `Jagannath in State`, an incarnation of the god Vishnu. It is held in Puri, Orissa, for two weeks in June/July. Murtis (images) of Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra (Balarama), and sister Subhadra, are w...

Ra's al Khaymah
Alternative name for Ras al Khaimah, an emirate on the Gulf

rak'ah
Prescribed movements and words followed by Muslims during salat (worship). After turning to God in mind (niyyah) and ritual cleansing (wudu), the worshipper will stand quietly (qiyam) while reciting the first verses of the Koran (or Quran or Qur'an). The second part of the rak'ah involves bowing low (ruku) with hands on knees, as if waiting...

Rains Retreat
Time of annual retreat in Theravada Buddhism. The term originates from the time of the Buddha preventing bhikkus (Buddhist monks) from travelling during the rainy season of India and Southeast Asia. It is a three-month period during which monks stay in the monastery to concentrate on the teachings of the Buddha. Male novices will also be receiv...

rarefaction
Region of a sound wave where the particles of the medium through which it is travelling are spread out, that is at a low density. Sound waves consist of alternate regions of compressions and rarefactions travelling away from the source

Radcliffe, Paula Jane
English long-distance runner who won the 2002 London Marathon on her debut at the distance. Her time of 2 hours 18 minutes 55 seconds set a new course record and was the fastest-ever time in a women's-only race. Later that year, in only her second marathon, she won in Chicago, Illinois, with a world best of 2 hours 17 minutes 18 sec...

Ratzinger, Josef Alois
German priest, pope from 2005 under the name Benedict XVI

real tennis
Racket and ball game played in France, from about the 12th century, over a central net in an indoor court, but with a sloping roof let into each end and one side of the court, against which the ball may be hit. Basic scoring is as for tennis, but with various modifications. The oldest court still in use is the one installed by Henry VIII at Hampton...

Reynolds, Joshua
English painter. One of the greatest portraitists of the 18th century, he displayed a facility for striking and characterful compositions in the `Grand Manner`, a style based on classical and Renaissance art. He often borrowed classical poses, for example Mrs Siddons as the Tragic Muse (1784; San Marino, California)...

red-hot poker
Any of a group of perennial plants native to Africa, in particular K. uvaria, with a flame-coloured spike of flowers. (Genus Kniphofia, family Liliaceae.)

redwood
Giant coniferous tree, one of the two types of sequoia

revue
Stage presentation involving short satirical and topical items in the form of songs, sketches, and monologues; it originated in the late 19th century

Reykjavik
Chief port and capital (from 1918) of Iceland, on the southwest coast on Faxa Bay; population (2006 est) 115,400. Fish processing is the main industry. Most of the city is heated by an underground water mains system, built in 1945, the source of the hot water being volcanic springs and geysers. It was a seat of Danish administration from 1801 t...

resistance movement
Opposition movement in a country occupied by an enemy or colonial power, especially in the 20th century; for example, the resistance to Nazism and Nazi occupation in Europe during World War II. During World War II, resistance in Eastern Europe took the form of guerrilla warfare by partisan bands, for example, in Yugoslavia, Greece, Poland, and ...

Republican Party
Younger of the two main political parties of the USA, formed in 1854. It is more right-wing than the Democratic Party, favouring capital and big business and opposing state financial assistance and federal controls. In the late 20th century most presidents have come from the Republican Party, but...

reptile
Any member of a class (Reptilia) of vertebrates. Unlike amphibians, reptiles have hard-shelled, yolk-filled eggs that are laid on land and from which fully formed young are born. Some snakes and lizards retain their eggs and give birth to live young. Reptiles are cold-blooded, and their s...

reprieve
Legal temporary suspension of the execution of a sentence of a criminal court. It is usually associated with the death penalty. It is distinct from a pardon (extinguishing the sentence) and commutation (alteration) of a sentence (for example, from death to life imprisonment)

Renoir, Jean
French film director. His films, characterized by their humanism and naturalistic technique, include Boudu sauvé des eaux/Boudu Saved from Drowning (1932), Le Crime de Monsieur Lange/The Crime of Monsieur Lange (1936), La Grande Illusion (1937), and La Règle du jeu&...

Renoir, Pierre-Auguste
French Impressionist painter. He met Claude Monet and Alfred Sisley in the early 1860s, and together they formed the nucleus of Impressionism. He developed a lively, colourful painting style with feathery brushwork (known as his `rainbow style`) and painted many scenes of everyday life, such as The Luncheon of the Boating Party&l...

Rennes
Administrative centre of Ille-et-Vilaine département, western France, 60 km/37 mi southeast of St Malo at the confluence of the Ille and Vilaine rivers; population (1999) 206,200. The city is an important economic base and is the main commercial centre for western France. It produces chemicals, electronics, c...

Reni, Guido
Italian painter. He was an important figure in the development of the baroque style. His best-known work is the fresco Aurora (1613–14; Casino Rospigliosi, Rome), a work which shows the strong influence of the classicism of the Carracci. He first studied in Bologna under the Flemish painter Denis Calvaert, but afterw...

Renaissance
Period in European cultural history that began in Italy around 1400 and lasted there until the end of the 1500s. Elsewhere in Europe it began later, and lasted until the 1600s. One characteristic of the Renaissance was the rediscovery of ancient Greek and Roman literature, led by the writers Giovanni...

Remembrance Sunday
In the UK, national day of remembrance for those killed in both world wars and later conflicts, on the second Sunday of November. In Canada 11 November is Remembrance Day. The US equivalent is Veterans Day

Rembrandt, Harmensz van Rijn
Dutch painter, etcher, and teacher. Rembrandt was one of the most prolific and significant artists in Europe of the 17th century. Between 1629 and 1669 he painted about 60 penetrating self-portraits, many of them used as studies for later paintings. He also painted religious subjects, and produced about 300 etchings and over 1,000 drawings. His...

Remarque, Erich Maria
German novelist. He was a soldier in World War I. His All Quiet on the Western Front (1929), one of the first anti-war novels, led to his being deprived of German nationality. He lived in Switzerland 1929–39, and then in the USA

religion
Code of belief or philosophy that often involves the worship of a God or gods. Belief in a supernatural power is not essential (absent in, for example, Buddhism and Confucianism), but faithful adherence is usually considered to be rewarded; for example, by escape from human existence (Buddhism), by a future existence (Christianity, Islam), or b...

relief
In sculpture, particularly architectural sculpture, carved figures and other forms that project from the background. The Italian terms basso-rilievo (low relief), mezzo-rilievo (middle relief), and alto-rilievo (high relief) are use...

reincarnation
Belief that after death the human soul or the spirit of a plant or animal may live again in another human or animal. It is part of the teachings of many religions and philosophies; for example, ancient Egyptian and Greek (the philosophies of Pythagoras and Plato), Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, certain Christian heresies (such as the Cat...

Reigate
Town in Surrey, southeast England, at the foot of the North Downs; population (2001) 23,400. Situated 30 km/19 mi south of London, it is primarily a commuter town

Reims
Click images to enlargeCity in the département of Marne, and largest commercial centre of the Champagne-Ardenne region, France, situated 130 km/80 mi northeast of Paris on the right bank of the River Vesle, a tributary of the Aisne; population (1999) 187,200, conurbation 215,600. From 9...

Reichstag Fire
Burning of the German parliament building in Berlin 27 February 1933, less than a month after the Nazi leader Hitler became chancellor. The fire was used as a justification for the suspension of many constitutional guarantees and also as an excuse to attack the communists. There is still debate over whether the Nazis were involved in this crime, of...

Reich
Three periods in European history. The First Reich was the Holy Roman Empire (962–1806), the Second Reich the German Empire (1871–1918), and the Third Reich Nazi Germany (1933–45)

Reichstadt, Duke of
Title of Napoleon II, son of Napoleon I

Reich, Wilhelm
Austrian physician who emigrated to the USA in 1939. He combined Marxism and psychoanalysis to advocate the positive effects of directed sexual energies and sexual freedom. His works include Die Sexuelle Revolution/The Sexual Revolution (1936–45) and Die Funktion des Orgasmus/The Function of the Orgasm
regent
Person who carries out the duties of a sovereign during the sovereign's minority, incapacity, or lengthy absence from the country. In England since the time of Henry VIII, Parliament has always appointed a regent or council of regency when necessary

Regensburg
Historic and commercial city in Bavaria, Germany, on the River Danube at its confluence with the Regen, 100 km/63 mi northeast of Munich; population (2005 est) 129,900. It has mechanical and electrical engineering, pharmaceutical, and food-processing industries. It has many medieval buildings, including a Gothic cathedral (1275–153...

Regency
In Britain, the years 1811–20 during which George IV (then Prince of Wales) acted as regent for his father George III, who was finally declared insane and unfit to govern in December 1810. The Regency was marked by the Prince Regent's turbulent private life, his dissolute public image, and the fashionable society he patronized. In 1795 Geo...

Reformation
Click images to enlargeReligious and political movement in 16th-century Europe to reform the Roman Catholic Church, which led to the establishment of the Protestant churches. Anticipated by medieval movements such as the Waldenses, Lollards, and Hussites, it was started by the German priest Martin Luther in 1517, and ...

referendum
Procedure whereby a decision on proposed legislation is referred to the electorate for settlement by direct vote of all the people. It is most frequently employed in Switzerland, the first country to use it, but has become increasingly widespread. Critics argue that referendums undermine parliamentary authority, but they do allow the elector to tak...

Reed, Carol
English film producer and director. He was an influential figure in the British film industry of the 1940s. His films include Odd Man Out (1946), The Fallen Idol (1948), The Third Man (1949), Our Man in Havana (1960), and the Academy Award-winning musical Olive...

Red Guard
One of the militant school and college students, wearing red armbands, who were the shock-troops of the Cultural Revolution in China from 1966 to 1969. After killing many party officials and plunging the country into chaos, the Red Guards were outlawed and suppressed by the Chinese leader Mao Zedong. The term has often been applied generally to...

Redgrave, Vanessa
English actor. She has played Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth and Cleopatra on the stage, Ellida in Ibsen's Lady From the Sea (1976 and 1979), and Olga in Chekhov's Three Sisters (1990). She won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the title role in the film Julia (1977), a...

Redditch
Industrial town in Worcestershire, 19 km/12 mi south of Birmingham; population (2001) 78,800. It was designated a new town in 1964 to take overspill population from Birmingham. Industries include engineering, electronics, and the production of electrical equipment, car and aircraft components, motorcycles, and fishing tackle

Red Cross
International relief agency founded by the Geneva Convention in 1863, having been proposed by the Swiss doctor Henri Dunant, to assist the wounded and prisoners in war. Its symbol is a symmetrical red cross on a white ground. In addition to dealing with associated problems of war, such as refugees and the care of the disabled, the Red Cross is conc...

rector
Anglican priest, formerly entitled to the whole of the tithes levied in the parish, as opposed to a vicar (Latin `deputy`) who was only entitled to part. In the Episcopal Church, the rector is a member of the clergy who is in charge of a parish

Red Army
The army of the USSR until 1946; it later became known as the Soviet Army. Founded by the revolutionary Leon Trotsky, it developed from the Red Guards, volunteers who were in the vanguard of the Bolshevik revolution. The force took its name from its rallying banner, the red flag. At its peak, dur...

recorder
(music) Any of a widespread range of woodwind instruments of the whistle type which flourished in consort ensembles in the Renaissance and baroque eras, along with viol consorts, as an instrumental medium for polyphonic music. Unlike the flute, the recorder is held vertically and blown into th...

recorder
(law) In the English legal system, a part-time judge who usually sits in the crown courts in less serious cases but may also sit in the county courts or the High Court. Recorders are chosen from barristers of standing and also, since the Courts Act of 1971, from solicitors. They may eventu...

real presence
In Christianity, the doctrine that Jesus is really present in the consecrated Eucharist. The nature of the real presence is disputed. The Roman Catholic Church believes in the doctrine of transubstantiation: that only the appearance of the consecrated bread and wine remains and that its actual substance becomes Jesus' body and blood. The Lu...

realism
(philosophy) In philosophy, the theory that universals (properties such as `redness`) have an existence independent of the human mind. Realists hold that the essence of things is objectively given in nature, and that our classifications are not arbitrary. As such, realism is contrast...

Reading
(town, UK) Industrial town and administrative centre of Reading unitary authority, in south England, at the confluence of the rivers Thames and Kennet, 61 km/38 mi west of London; population (2001) 134,200. It has a large number of high-technology industries and is also an agricult...

red giant
Any large bright star with a cool surface. It is thought to represent a late stage in the evolution of a star like the Sun, as it runs out of hydrogen fuel at its centre and begins to burn heavier elements, such as helium, carbon, and silicon. Because of more complex nuclear reactions that then occur in the red giant's interior, it eventually b...

red dwarf
Any star that is cool, faint, and small (about one-tenth the mass and diameter of the Sun). Red dwarfs burn slowly, and have estimated lifetimes of 100 billion years. They may be the most abundant type of star, but are difficult to see because they are so faint. Two of the closest stars to the Sun, Proxima Centauri and Barnard's Star, are r...

resin
Substance exuded from pines, firs, and other trees in gummy drops that harden in air. Varnishes are common products of the hard resins, and ointments come from the soft resins. Rosin is the solid residue of distilled turpentine, a soft resin. The name `resin` is also given to many synthetic products manufactured by polymerization; the...

register
(computing) In computing, a memory location that can be accessed rapidly; it is often built into the computer's central processing unit. Some registers are reserved for special tasks – for example, an instruction register is used to hold the machine-code command that the compu...

real-time system
In computing, a program that responds to events in the world as they happen. For example, an automatic-pilot program in an aircraft must respond instantly in order to correct deviations from its course. Process control, robotics, games, and many military applications are examples of real-time systems

retriever
Any of several breeds of hunting dogs, often used as guide dogs for the blind. The commonest breeds are the Labrador retriever, large, smooth-coated, and usually black or yellow; and the golden retriever, with either flat or wavy coat. They can grow to 60 cm/2 ft high and weigh 40 kg/90 lb. Retrievers were originally developed for r...

remora
Any of a family of warm-water fishes that have an adhesive disc on the head, by which they attach themselves to whales, sharks, and turtles. These provide the remora with shelter and transport, as well as food in the form of parasites on the host's skin

reindeer
Click images to enlargeDeer Rangifer tarandus of Arctic and subarctic regions, common to North America and Eurasia. About 1.2 m/4 ft at the shoulder, it has a thick, brownish coat and broad hooves well adapted to travel over snow. It is the only deer in which both sexes have antlers; these can g...

redstart
Any bird of the genus Phoenicurus, a member of the thrush family Muscicapidae, order Passeriformes. It winters in Africa and spends the summer in Eurasia. The American redstart Setophaga ruticulla belongs to the family Parulidae

replication
In biology, production of copies of the genetic material DNA; it occurs during cell division (mitosis and meiosis). Most mutations are caused by mistakes during replication. During replication the paired strands of DNA separate, exposing the bases. Nucleotides floating in the cell matrix pair with the exposed bases, adenine pairing with thymine...

recessive gene
Allele (alternative form of a gene) that will show in the (phenotype observed characteristics of an organism) only if its partner allele on the paired chromosome is identical. Such an allele will not show if its partner is of a different, dominant type, that is if the organism is heterozygous for a particular characteristic. Alleles for blue eyes i...

respiration
Process that occurs inside cells in which carbohydrate, particularly glucose, is broken down to release energy that the cell can use. This energy is used for many different processes, but in all of them energy transfer occurs. The processes range from muscle contraction to the manufacture of protein ...

recycling
Click images to enlargeProcessing of industrial and household waste (such as paper, glass, and some metals and plastics) so that the materials can be reused. This saves expenditure on scarce raw materials, slows down the depletion of non-renewable resources, and helps to reduce pollution. Aluminium is frequently recyc...

retrovirus
Any of a family of viruses (Retroviridae) that contain RNA as genetic material and are able to produce DNA copies of their RNA genes, which they incorporate into the host genome. The retrovirus is able to transcribe RNA into DNA with the help of an enzyme encoded in its genome, known as the reverse transcriptase (since the transfer of genetic infor...

reproduction
Click images to enlargeIn biology, the process by which a living organism produces other organisms more or less similar to itself. The ways in which species reproduce differ, but the two main methods are by asexual reproduction and sexual reproduction. Asexual reproduction involves only one parent without the formation of...

realpolitik
Belief that the pragmatic pursuit of self-interest and power, backed up by force when convenient, is the only realistic option for a great state. The term was coined in 1859 to describe the German chancellor Bismarck's policies

receptacle
The enlarged end of a flower stalk to which the floral parts are attached. Normally the receptacle is rounded, but in some plants it is flattened or cup-shaped. The term is also used for the region on that part of some seaweeds which becomes swollen at certain times of the year and bears the reproductive organs

rectum
Lowest part of the large intestine of animals, which stores faeces prior to elimination (defecation)

rectangle
Quadrilateral (four-sided plane figure) with opposite sides equal and parallel and with each interior angle a right angle (90°). Its area A is the product of the length l and height h; that is, A = l...

reciprocal
Result of dividing a given quantity into 1. Thus the reciprocal of 2 is 1/2; the reciprocal of 2/3 is 3/2; and the reciprocal of x2 is 1/x2 or x-2. Reciprocals are used to replace division by mult...

relativism
Philosophical position that denies the possibility of objective truth independent of some specific social or historical context or conceptual framework

real number
In mathematics, any of the rational numbers (which include the integers) or irrational numbers. Real numbers exclude imaginary numbers, found in complex numbers of the general form a + bi where i = √-1, although these do include a real component a

Remington, Philo
US inventor and businessman. He designed the breech-loading rifle that bears his name. He began manufacturing typewriters in 1873, using the patent of Christopher Sholes, and made improvements that resulted five years later in the first machine with a shift key, thus providing lower-case letters as well as capital letters. The Remington rif...

remote sensing
Gathering and recording information from a distance. Aircraft and satellites can observe a planetary surface or atmosphere, and space probes have sent back photographs and data about planets as distant as Neptune. Remote sensing usually refers to gathering data of the electromagnetic spectrum (such a...

refractory
(Of a material) able to resist high temperature, for example ceramics made from clay, minerals, or other earthy materials. Furnaces are lined with refractory materials such as silica and dolomite. Alumina (aluminium oxide) is an excellent refractory, often used for the bodies of spark plugs. Titanium and tungsten are often called refractory metals ...

reflex camera
Camera that uses a mirror and prisms to reflect light passing through the lens into the viewfinder, showing the photographer the exact scene that is being shot. When the shutter button is released the mirror springs out of the way, allowing light to reach the film. The most common type is the single-lens reflex (SLR) camera. The twin-lens r...

refining
Any process that purifies or converts something into a more useful form. Metals usually need refining after they have been extracted from their ores by such processes as smelting. Petroleum, or crude oil, needs refining before it can be used; the process involves fractional distillation, the separation of the substance into separate components ...

reserve currency
In economics, a country's holding of internationally acceptable means of payment (major foreign currencies or gold); central banks also hold the ultimate reserve of money for their domestic banking sector. On the asset side of company balance sheets, undistributed profits are listed as reserves

reflection
(physics) Throwing back or deflection of waves, such as light or sound waves, when they hit a surface. Reflection occurs whenever light falls on an object. The law of reflection states that the angle of incidence (the angle between th...