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


Taupo, Lake
Largest lake in New Zealand, in central North Island; area 620 sq km/239 sq mi. It is 357 m/1,170 ft above sea level, maximum depth 159 m/522 ft. The lake is in a volcanic area of hot springs and is the source of the Waikato River. The lake and its tributary rivers attract tourists and anglers

Taunton
Market town and administrative headquarters of Somerset, southwest England, 50 km/31 mi northeast of Exeter, on the River Tone; population (2001) 58,200. Products include cider, leather, optical instruments, computer software, aeronautical instruments, and concrete; other industries include light engineering, and there is a weekly cattl...

Tatra Mountains
Range in central Europe, extending for about 65 km/40 mi along the Polish-Slovakian border; the highest part of the central Carpathian Mountains

tatting
Lacework in cotton, made since medieval times by knotting and looping a single thread with a small shuttle

Tati, Jacques
French comic actor, director, and writer. He portrayed Monsieur Hulot, the embodiment of polite opposition to modern mechanization, in a series of films, beginning with Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot/Monsieur Hulot's Holiday (1953) and including Mon Oncle/My Uncle (1959), Playtime...

Tate Gallery
Art gallery in London; see Tate

Tatar
Member of a Turkic people, the descendants of the mixed Mongol and Turkic followers of Genghis Khan. The Tatars now live mainly in the Russian autonomous republic of Tatarstan, western Siberia, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan (where they were deported from the Crimea in 1944). There are over 5 million speakers of the Tatar language, which belongs to t...

Tasso, Torquato
Italian poet. He was the author of the romantic epic poem of the First Crusade Gerusalemme liberata/Jerusalem Delivered completed by 1575 and first published in 1581, which he revised as Gerusalemme conquistata/Jerusalem Conquered, published in 1593. Tasso was born at Sorrento in southern Italy. As a bo...

Tasman Sea
Part of the Pacific Ocean between southeast Australia and northwest New Zealand. It is named after the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman

Tasmania
Click images to enlargeIsland in the Indian Ocean, southeast of Australia, separated from the mainland by Bass Strait; state of Australia; area about 68,000 sq km/26,000 sq mi; population (2001 est) 472,900. The capital is Hobart. Products include wool, dairy products, apples and other fruit, processed foo...

Tasman, Abel Janszoon
Dutch navigator. In 1642, he was the first European to see Tasmania. He also made the first European sightings of New Zealand, Tonga, and the Fiji Islands

Tartu
City in Estonia, 150 km/93 mi southeast of Tallinn and 50 km/31 mi west of Lake Peipus; population (2000) 101,200. Industries include light engineering, food processing, and lumber. Founded by Russians in 1030, it was a stronghold of the Teutonic Knights from 1224 onwards. Tartu was captured by Russia in 1558 and subsequently held by Sw...

Tartar
Variant spelling of Tatar, member of a Turkic people now living mainly in the autonomous region of Tatarstan, Russia

Tartarus
In Greek mythology, a part of Hades, the underworld, where the wicked were punished

tartaric acid
Organic acid present in vegetable tissues and fruit juices in the form of salts of potassium, calcium, and magnesium. It is used in carbonated drinks and baking powders

tartan
Woollen cloth woven in specific chequered patterns individual to Scottish clans, with stripes of different widths and colours crisscrossing on a coloured background; it is used in making skirts, kilts, trousers, and other articles of clothing. Developed in the 17th century, tartan was banned after the 1745 Jacobite rebellion, and not legalized ...

Tarshish
City mentioned in the Old Testament, probably the Phoenician settlement of Tartessus in Spain

Tarragona
(city) Port and capital of Tarragona province in Cataluña, northeast Spain, at the mouth of the Francoli River on the Mediterranean coast; population (2001) 113,100. Industries include petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and electrical goods. It has a cathedral and Roman remains, includi...

Tarquinius Superbus
Last king of Rome 534–509 BC. He abolished certain rights of Romans, and made the city powerful. According to legend, he was deposed when his son Sextus raped Lucretia

Tarkington,
(Newton) US novelist. His novels for young people, which include Penrod (1914), are classics. He was among the best-selling authors of the early 20th century with works such as Monsieur Beaucaire (1900) and novels of the Midwest, including The...

Taranto
(town) Naval base and port in Apulia region, southeast Italy, on the Gulf of Taranto, 80 km/50 mi southeast of Bari; population (2001 est) 201,400. It is an important commercial centre, and its steelworks are part of the new industrial complex of southern Italy. There are chemical and ...

Tara Hill
Ancient religious and political centre in County Meath, Republic of Ireland. A national monument, and depicted in a 7th-century Life of St Patrick as the `capital of the Irish`, Tara Hill was the site of a palace and was the coronation place of many Irish kings. Its heyday was in the 3rd century AD, and the site was...

tapestry
Ornamental textile into which a pattern or pictorial scene has been handwoven. The foundation of a tapestry is known as the warp, and is usually made of linen or wool. The tapestry design is formed by the weft, different coloured strands of yarn, such as wool or silk, that are woven through the warp ...

Tantalus
In Greek mythology, a king of Lydia, son of Zeus, and father of Pelops and Niobe. He offended the gods by divulging their secrets and serving them human flesh at a banquet. His crimes were punished in Tartarus (a part of the underworld for the wicked) by the provision of food and drink he could not reach. The word `tantalize` derives from...

Tanizaki, Jun-ichiro
Japanese novelist. His works include a version of Murasaki's The Tale of Genji (1939–41), The Makioka Sisters in three volumes (1943–48), and The Key (1956)

tank
Click images to enlargeArmoured fighting vehicle that runs on tracks and is fitted with weapons systems capable of defeating other tanks and destroying life and property. The term was originally a code name for the first effective tracked and armoured fighting vehicle, invented by the British soldier and scholar Ernest Sw...

Tangier
Port in north Morocco, on the Strait of Gibraltar, 58 km/36 mi southwest of Gibraltar; population (2004) 669,700. Cigarette manufacturing is the most important industry, though, with the attractions of the Great Souk (market), the Casbah (citadel), and Great Mosque of the old town, tourism has become important to the economy. There are also...

Tanganyika, Lake
Lake 772 m/2,534 ft above sea level in the Great Rift Valley, East Africa, with the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west, Zambia to the south, and Tanzania and Burundi to the east. It is about 645 km/400 mi long, with an area of about 31,000 sq km/12,000 sq mi, and is the deepest lake (1,435 m/4,710 ft) in Africa, and the second...

Tanabata
Festival celebrated annually on 7 July, introduced to Japan from China in the 8th century. It is dedicated to Altair and Vega, two stars in the constellations Aquila and Lyra respectively, separated by the Milky Way. According to legend they represent two star-crossed lovers allowed by the gods to meet on that night

Tana, Lake
(Ethiopia) Lake on the north central plateau of Amhara, Ethiopia, 1,800 m/5,900 ft above sea level; area 3,600 sq km/1,390 sq mi. It is about 75 km/47 mi long and 70 km/43 mi wide. The Blue Nile, the source of which lies just above Lake Tana, leaves the lake via the Tisisat...

Tampere
City in southwestern Finland; population (2003 est) 201,200. Industries include textiles, metalworking, paper, footwear, and turbines. Located on the banks of the raids between lakes Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi, it is the third-largest city in Finland. The city was an important trade centre from the 11th century, and was cha...

Tammuz
In Sumerian mythology, a vegetation god representing the decay and growth of natural life; he died at midsummer and was rescued from the underworld the following spring by his lover Ishtar. His cult spread over Babylonia, Syria, Phoenicia, and Palestine. He was possibly identified with the Egyptian Osiris and the Greek Adonis

Tammany Hall
Democratic Party organization in New York. It originated in 1789 as the Society of St Tammany, named after the building in which they met. It was dominant from 1800 until the 1930s and gained a reputation for corruption and rule by bosses; its domination was broken by Mayor La Guardia in the 1930s and Mayor Koch in the 1970s

Tamil Nadu
State of southeast India, bounded on the north by Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, on the west by Kerala, and on the east and south by the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean; area 130,069 sq km/50,220 sq mi; population (2001 est) 62,110,800. The capital is Chennai (formerly Madras). There are cotton, leather, sugar-refining, oil-re...

Tamerlane
Turco-Mongol ruler of Samarkand, in Uzbekistan, from 1369 who conquered Persia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia. He defeated the Golden Horde in 1395, sacked Delhi in 1398, invaded Syria and Anatolia, and captured the Ottoman sultan Bayezid I (c. 1360–1403) in Ankara in 1...

tambourine
Musical percussion instrument of ancient origin, almost unchanged since Roman times, consisting of a shallow frame drum with a single skin and loosely set jingles in the rim which add their noise when the drum skin is struck or rubbed, or sound separately when the instrument is shaken

Talmud
The two most important works of post-biblical Jewish literature. The Babylonian (Bavli) Talmud, compiled around AD 600, and the Jerusalem (Yerushalmi) Talmud, compiled around AD 500, provide a compilation of ancient Jewish law and tradition. The Babylonian Talmud is the more authoritative version for later Judaism; both Talmuds are written ...

Tallinn
Naval port and capital of Estonia, 300 km/186 mi west of St Petersburg on the Gulf of Finland; population (2000) 400,400. Industries include the manufacture of electrical and oil-drilling machinery, textiles, and paper production. It is a major cultural centre, containing the Estonian Aca...

Taliesin
Legendary Welsh poet, a bard at the court of the king of Rheged in Scotland. Taliesin allegedly died at Taliesin (named after him) in Dyfed, Wales

Tallahassee
Capital of Florida, in Leon County; population (2000 est) 150,600. It is an agricultural and lumbering centre, trading in cotton, tobacco, and cattle. Industries include publishing, food-processing, and the manufacture of forest products, building materials, and textiles. The city was incorporated in 1825. History An American Indian Apalach...

Taj Mahal
Click images to enlargeWhite marble mausoleum built 1632–48 on the River Yamuna near Agra, India. Erected by Shah Jahan to the memory of his favourite wife, it is a celebrated example of Indo-Islamic architecture, the fusion of Muslim and Hindu styles. It took 20,000 workers to build the Taj Mahal, which has a ce...

Taizé
Ecumenical Christian community based in the village of that name in southeastern France. Founded in 1940 by Swiss theologian Roger Schutz, it has been a communal centre for young Christians since the 1960s. Its community of monks is made up of members from the various Christian denominations all over the world. The Taizé community also works a...

Taiyuan
Capital of Shanxi province, north China, on the River Fen He; population (2000) 2,538,300. Lying in a rich coal and iron-mining district, it is one of the most important centres of heavy industry in the north; heavy and agricultural machinery, iron, steel, and textiles are produced. It is the seat of Shanxi University

Taipei
Capital and commercial centre of Taiwan; population (2006 est) 2,632,200. It is the leading industrial area of Taiwan, and industries include electronics, plastics, textiles, machinery, and shipbuilding. The National Palace Museum (1965) houses the world's greatest collection of Chinese art, brought here from the mainland in 1948

taiga
Russian name for the forest zone south of the tundra, found across the northern hemisphere. Here, dense forests of conifers (spruces and hemlocks), birches, and poplars occupy glaciated regions punctuated with cold lakes, streams, bogs, and marshes. Winters are prolonged and very cold, but the summer is warm enough to promote dense growth. The vari...

Tahiti
Largest of the Society Islands, in French Polynesia; area 1,042 sq km/402 sq mi; population (1996) 150,700. Its capital is Papeete. The volcano, Orohena, reaches 2,237 m/7,339 ft, and much of the soil is volcanic, producing coconuts, sugar cane, and vanilla. Tourism is increasingly important as a source of revenue. English explorer ...

Tagus
River in Spain and Portugal; length 1,007 km/626 mi. It rises in the Sierra de Albarracín, Spain, on the border between the provinces of Cuenca and Teruel. It flows west past Toledo and Alcántara, then follows the Spanish-Portuguese frontier for 50 km/31 mi, and crosses Portugal to the Atlantic Ocean at Lisbon. The Tagus i...

Tagore, Rabindranath
Bengali Indian writer. He translated into English his own verse Gitanjali/Song Offerings (1912) and his verse play Chitra (1896). He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. Born in Calcutta, into a wealthy family, he began to write poetry as a chi...

taffeta
Light, plain-weave fabric with a high lustre, originally silk but today also manufactured from artificial fibres

tachograph
Combined speedometer and clock that records a vehicle's speed and the length of time the vehicle is moving or stationary. It is used to monitor a lorry driver's working hours

taboo
Prohibition applied to magical and religious objects. In psychology and the social sciences the term refers to practices that are generally prohibited because of religious or social pressures; for example, incest is forbidden in most societies

Table Bay
Wide bay on the north coast of the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa, on which Cape Town stands. It is overlooked by Table Mountain and contains Robben Island, on which Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for many years before the end of the apartheid regime in 1994. History The Portuguese merchant and explorer Antonio de Saldanha was the first European to...

Taurus
Conspicuous zodiacal constellation in the northern hemisphere near Orion, represented as a bull. The Sun passes through Taurus from mid-May to late June. In astrology, the dates for Taurus are between about 20 April and 20 May (see precession). The V-shaped Hyades open star cluster is in the bull's head, with Aldebaran as the red eye. T...

tar
Dark brown or black viscous liquid obtained by the destructive distillation of coal, shale, and wood. Tars consist of a mixture of hydrocarbons, acids, and bases. Creosote and paraffin oil are produced from wood tar. See also coal tar

tantalum
Hard, ductile, lustrous, grey-white, metallic element, atomic number 73, relative atomic mass 180.948. It occurs with niobium in tantalite and other minerals. It can be drawn into wire with a very high melting point and great tenacity, useful for lamp filaments subject to vibration. It is also used in alloys, for corrosion-resistant laborat...

tannic acid
Yellow astringent substance, composed of several phenol rings, occurring in the bark, wood, roots, fruits, and galls (growths) of certain trees, such as the oak. It precipitates gelatin to give an insoluble compound used in the manufacture of leather from hides (tanning)

Tasmanian wolf
Carnivorous marsupial Thylacinus cynocephalus, in the family Dasyuridae. It is doglike in appearance with a long tail, characteristic dark stripes on back and hindquarters, and measures nearly 2 m/6 ft from nose to tail tip. It was hunted to probable extinction in the 1930s, the last known Tasmanian wolf dying in Hobart Zoo, ...

Tasmanian devil
Carnivorous marsupial Sarcophilus harrisii, in the same family (Dasyuridae) as native `cats`. It is about 65 cm/2.1 ft long with a 25 cm/10 in bushy tail. It has a large head, strong teeth, and is blackish with white patches on the chest and hind parts. It is noct...

tarsier
Any of three species of the prosimian primates, genus Tarsius, of the East Indies and the Philippines. These survivors of early primates are about the size of a rat with thick, light-brown fur, very large eyes, and long feet and hands. They are nocturnal, arboreal, and eat insects and lizards

tarpon
Large silver-sided fish Tarpon atlanticus of the family Megalopidae. It reaches 2 m/6 ft and may weigh 135 kg/300 lb. It lives in warm western Atlantic waters

tarantula
Wolf spider Lycosa tarantula (family Lycosidae) with a 2.5 cm/1 in body. It spins no web, relying on its speed in hunting to catch its prey. The name `tarantula` is also used for any of the numerous large, hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae, with large poison fangs, native to the southwestern USA and tropical...

tapir
Any of the odd-toed hoofed mammals (perissodactyls) of the single genus Tapirus, now constituting the family Tapiridae. There are four species living in the American and Malaysian tropics. They reach 1 m/3 ft at the shoulder and weigh up to 350 kg/770 lb. Their survival is in danger because of destruction of the fores...

tapeworm
Any of various parasitic flatworms of the class Cestoda. They lack digestive and sense organs, can reach 15 m/50 ft in length, and attach themselves to the host's intestines by means of hooks and suckers. Tapeworms are made up of hundreds of individual segments, each of which develops into a ...

taipan
Species of small-headed cobra Oxyuranus scutellatus, found in northeastern Australia and New Guinea. It is about 3 m/10 ft long, and has a brown back and yellow belly. Its venom is fatal within minutes

tanager
New World bird of the family Emberizidae, order Passeriformes. There are about 230 species in forests of Central and South America, all brilliantly coloured. They are 10–20 cm/4–8 in long, with plump bodies and conical beaks. The tanagers of North America all belong to the genus
taxonomy
Another name for the classification of living organisms

tarragon
Perennial bushy herb belonging to the daisy family, native to the Old World. It grows up to 1.5 m/5 ft tall and has narrow leaves and small green-white flower heads arranged in groups. Tarragon contains an aromatic oil; its leaves are used to flavour salads, pickles, and tartar sauce. It ...

tamandua
Tree-living toothless anteater Tamandua tetradactyla found in tropical forests and tree savannah from southern Mexico to Brazil. About 56 cm/1.8 ft long with a prehensile tail of equal length, it uses its strong foreclaws to break into nests of tree ants and termites, which it licks up with its narrow tongue

takahe
Flightless bird Porphyrio mantelli of the rail family, order Gruiformes, native to New Zealand. It is about 60 cm/2 ft tall and weighs just over 2 kg/4.4 lb, with blue and green plumage and a red bill. The takahe was thought to have become extinct at the end of the 19th cen...

taxis
In botany and microbiology, the movement of a single cell, such as a bacterium, protozoan, single-celled alga, or gamete, in response to an external stimulus. A movement directed towards the stimulus is described as positive taxis, and away from it as negative taxis. The alga Chlamydomonas, for example, demonstrates positive ...

taproot
In botany, a single, robust, main root that is derived from the embryonic root, or radicle, and grows vertically downwards, often to considerable depth. Taproots are often modified for food storage and are common in biennial plants such as the carrot Daucus carota, where they act as perennating organs

tangent
(graph) In graphs, a straight line that touches a curve and gives the gradient of the curve at the point of contact. At a maximum, minimum, or point of inflection, the tangent to a curve has zero gradient. To find the gradient of the tangent of the curve at point P, extend the tangent AC and c...

Talbot, William Henry Fox
English pioneer of photography. He invented the paper-based calotype process, patented in 1841, which was the first negative/positive method. Talbot made photograms several years before Louis Daguerre's invention was announced

tanning
Treating animal skins to preserve them and make them into leather. In vegetable tanning, the prepared skins are soaked in tannic acid. Chrome tanning, which is much quicker, uses solutions of chromium salts

Tatum, Art(hur)
US jazz pianist. He is considered among the most technically brilliant of jazz pianists and is highly rated by classical pianists. His technique and chromatic harmonies influenced many musicians, such as Canadian jazz painist Oscar Peterson (1925– ). Self-taught and blind, he worked mainly as a soloist in the 1930s and improvised with...

Taoism
Chinese philosophical system, traditionally founded by the Chinese philosopher Lao Zi in the 6th century BC. He is also attributed authorship of the scriptures, Tao Te Ching, although these were apparently compiled in the 3rd century BC. The `tao` or `way` denotes the hidden principle of the universe, and less...

tangerine
Small type of orange

tansy
Perennial herb belonging to the daisy family, native to Europe. The yellow flower heads grow in clusters on stalks up to 120 cm/4 ft tall, and the aromatic leaves are used in cookery. (Tanacetum vulgare, family Compositae.)

tare
Common name for any of the plants known as vetches

taro
Plant belonging to the arum family, native to tropical Asia; the tubers (underground stems) are edible and are the source of Polynesian poi (a fermented food). (Colocasia esculenta, family Araceae.)

Tarkovsky, Andrei Arsenyevich
Soviet film director. His work is characterized by an epic style combined with intense personal spirituality. His films include Solaris (1972), Zerkalo/Mirror (1975), Stalker (1979), Nostalghia/Nostalgia (1983), and Offret/The Sacrifice (1986)...

talc
Mineral, hydrous magnesium silicate. It occurs in tabular crystals, but the massive impure form, known as steatite or soapstone, is more common. It is formed by the alteration of magnesium compounds and is usually found in metamorphic rocks. Talc is very soft, ranked 1 on the Mohs scale of hardness. It is used in powdered form in cosmetics, lubrica...

tape recording, magnetic
Method of recording electric signals on a layer of iron oxide, or other magnetic material, coating a thin plastic tape. The electrical signals from the microphone are fed to the electromagnetic recording head, which magnetizes the tape in accordance with the frequency and amplitude of the original signal. The impulses may be audio (for sound record...

taxation
Raising of money from individuals and organizations by the state in order to pay for the goods and services it provides. Taxation can be direct (a deduction from income) or indirect (added to the purchase price of goods or services, that is, a tax on consumption). The proportions of direct and indirect taxation in the total tax revenue vary widely ...

Tambo, Oliver
South African nationalist politician, in exile 1960–90, president of the African National Congress (ANC) 1977–91. Because of poor health, he was given the honorary post of national chair in July 1991, and Nelson Mandela resumed the ANC presidency

tap dancing
Rapid step dance, derived from clog dancing. Its main characteristic is the tapping of toes and heels accentuated by metal segments, known as taps, affixed to the shoes. It was popularized in vaudeville and in 1930s films by such dancers as Fred Astaire and Bill `Bojangles` Robinson

Taiwan
Country in east Asia, officially the Republic of China, occupying the island of Taiwan between the East China Sea and the South China Sea, separated from the coast of China by the Taiwan Strait. Government Taiwan is a multiparty democracy with a presidential executive. The president is directly elect...

Tanzania
Click images to enlargeCountry in east Africa, bounded to the north by Uganda and Kenya; south by Mozambique, Malawi, and Zambia; west by the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire), Burundi, and Rwanda; and east by the Indian Ocean. Government Tanzania has a federal limited presidential multiparty polit...

Taoiseach
Irish title for the prime minister of the Republic of Ireland. The Taoiseach has broadly similar powers to the UK prime minister

tariff
Tax or duty placed on goods when they are imported into a country or trading bloc (such as the European Union) from outside. The aim of tariffs is to reduce imports by making them more expensive. Organizations such as the EU, the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), and the World Trade Organization (WTO) have worked towards mutual lowering of ta...

Tajo
Spanish name for the River Tagus

tapioca
Granular starch used in cooking, produced from the cassava root

Tacitus, Publius Cornelius
Roman historian. A public orator in Rome, he was consul under Nerva 97–98 and proconsul of Asia 112–113. He wrote histories of the Roman empire, Annales and Historiae, covering the years 14–68 and 69–97 respectively. He also wrote a Life of Agricola in 97 (he married Agric...

tautology
Repetition of the same thing in different words. For example, it is tautologous to say that something is most unique, since unique means that there is only one of its kind and so something cannot be described as `more` or `most` unique; something is either unique or not. Other examples a...

tax avoidance
Conducting financial affairs in such a way as to keep tax liability to a minimum within the law

tax evasion
Failure to meet tax liabilities by illegal action, such as not declaring income. Tax evasion is a criminal offence

tax haven
Country or territory where taxes are much lower than elsewhere, allowing foreign residents or companies registered there to reduce their tax liabilities and maintain business confidentiality

table tennis
Indoor game played on a rectangular table by two or four players. It was developed in Britain in about 1880 and derived from lawn tennis. World championships were first held in 1926. Play takes place on a table measuring 2.74 m/9 ft long by 1.52 m/5 ft wide, lying flat 2.5 ft/0.76 m above the ground. Across the middle is a 15.25-cm&...

tae kwon do
Korean martial art, similar to karate, that includes punching and kicking. It first became a full Olympic sport at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games

Tantrism
Forms of Hinduism and Buddhism that emphasize the division of the universe into male and female forces which maintain its unity by their interaction. Tantric Hinduism is associated with magical and sexual yoga practices that imitate the union of Shiva and Sakti, as described in scriptures known as the Tantras. In Buddhism, the &l...