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


Berner Alpen
Alternative name for the Bernese Alps, a mountainous area in the south of Bern canton, Switzerland

Beloye More
Russian name for the White Sea, a gulf of the Arctic Ocean on the northwest coast of Russia

bet ha-knesset
In Judaism, house of meeting or assembly; an alternative term for a synagogue

bet midrash
In Judaism, house of study; the study hall in a synagogue

bet ha-tefillah
In Judaism, house of prayer; another name for a synagogue

berachah
Jewish prayer of thanks for being blessed. Berachot are said in Hebrew throughout the day, either before experiencing pleasure (such as before a meal), or during prayers, or before following a commandment. They begin with the words: `Blessed are you, O Lord our God, ruler of the universe ...`

Berlin
(Land) Administrative region (German Land) of northeast Germany, coextensive with Berlin, city and capital of the country; area 891 sq km/344 sq mi. It is an enclave within the Land of Brandenburg

Benedict XVI
German Roman Catholic priest, pope from 2005. Appointed prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith by his predecessor Pope John Paul II in 1981, he swiftly became one of the most influential figures in the Vatican, and presided over both the funeral of John Paul II and the ensuing conclave. A respected theologian, he is strongly cons...

BFI
Abbreviation for British Film Institute

BFPO
Abbreviation for British Forces Post Office

Bhutto, Zulfikar Ali
Pakistani politician, president 1971–73, and prime minister from 1973 until the 1977 military coup led by General Zia ul-Haq. In 1978 Bhutto was sentenced to death for conspiring to murder a political opponent and was hanged the following year. He was the father of Benazir Bhutto

Bhopal
Industrial city and capital of Madhya Pradesh, central India, 525 km/326 mi southwest of Allahabad; population (2001 est) 1,433,900. Textiles, chemicals, and heavy electrical goods such as motors and transformers are manufactured. Nearby Bhimbetka Caves, discovered in 1973, have the world's largest collection of prehistoric paintings, a...

Bhumibol Adulyadej
King of Thailand from 1946. Born in the USA and educated in Bangkok and Switzerland, he succeeded to the throne on the assassination of his brother. In 1973 he was active, with popular support, in overthrowing the military government of Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn and thus ended a sequence of army-dominated regimes in power from 1932

Bhutto, Benazir
Pakistani centre-left politician, prime minister 1988–90 and 1993–96. She was leader of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) from 1984, a position she held in exile until 1986. In 1990 the opposition persuaded President Ghulam Ishaq Khan to remove her as prime minister on the grounds of alleged corruption. She was re-elected prim...

Bhutan
Click images to enlargeMountainous, landlocked country in the eastern Himalayas (southeast Asia), bounded north and west by Tibet (China) and to the south and east by India. Government Bhutan is a hereditary limited monarchy in which the king, known as the Druk Gyalpo (Dragon King), assisted by a royal advisory council, w...

bhakti
In Hinduism, a tradition of worship that emphasizes devotion to a personal god as the sole necessary means for achieving salvation. It developed in southern India in the 6th–8th centuries and in northern India from the 14th century. In northern India, bhakti was in part a social protest movement. The poet Kabir synthesized Hinduism and Islam t...

bhajan
In Hinduism, a devotional song or hymn sung by congregations in the temple, usually accompanied by musical instruments. The singing is often a very lively and enthusiastic event. Other songs of praise are known as kirtans. Music and dance may also form part of the worship

Bhai Mani Singh
Sikh martyr who was killed for refusing to convert to Islam. He was given permission by the Mogul authorities to hold a gathering of Sikhs at the holy city of Amritsar in 1738, in return for a large donation of money from the Sikh pilgrims to the state coffers. However, in fear of the Mogul army, few pilgrims arrived and the money could not be paid...

bilberry
Any of several shrubs belonging to the heath family, closely related to North American blueberries. Bilberries are sometimes referred to as blaeberries, whortleberries, or huckleberries. They have blue or black edible berries. (Genus Vaccinium, family Ericaceae.)

birch
Any of a group of slender trees with small leaves and fine, peeling bark. About 40 species are found in cool temperate parts of the northern hemisphere. Birches grow rapidly, and their hard, beautiful wood is used for veneers and cabinet work. (Genus Betula, family Betulaceae.)

bittersweet
Alternative name for the woody nightshade plant

bivalent
In biology, a name given to the pair of homologous chromosomes during reduction division (meiosis). In chemistry, the term is sometimes used to describe an element or group with a valency of two, although the term `divalent` is more common

binary star
Pair of stars moving in orbit around their common centre of mass. Observations show that most stars are binary, or even multiple – for example, the nearest star system to the Sun, Rigil Kent (Alpha Centauri). One of the stars in the binary system Epsilon Aurigae may be the largest star known. Its diameter is 2,800 times that of the Sun. If it ...

bicarbonate of soda
White crystalline solid that neutralizes acids and is used in medicine to treat acid indigestion. It is also used in baking powders and effervescent drinks as a means to produce bubbles with carbon dioxide

biome
Broad natural assemblage of plants and animals shaped by common patterns of vegetation and climate. Examples include the tundra biome, the rainforest biome, and the desert biome

biotin
Vitamin of the B complex, found in many different kinds of food; egg yolk, liver, legumes, and yeast contain large amounts. Biotin is essential to the metabolism of fats. Its absence from the diet may lead to dermatitis. In structural and molecular biology, biotin is widely used as a marker substance, as it is easily recognized with the help of...

biomass
Total mass of living organisms present in a given area. It may be used to describe the mass of a particular species (such as earthworm biomass), for a general category (such as herbivore biomass – animals that eat plants), or for everything in a habitat. Estimates also exist for the entire global plant biomass. Biomass can be the mass of the o...

biochemical oxygen demand
Amount of dissolved oxygen taken up by micro-organisms in a sample of water. Since these micro-organisms live by decomposing organic matter, and the amount of oxygen used is proportional to their number and metabolic rate, BOD can be used as a measure of the extent to which the water is polluted with organic compounds

biological control
Control of pests such as insects and fungi through biological means, rather than the use of chemicals. This can include breeding resistant crop strains; inducing sterility in the pest; infecting the pest species with disease organisms; or introducing the pest's natural predator. Biological control tends to be naturally self-regu...

biogeography
Study of how and why plants and animals are distributed around the world, in the past as well as in the present; more specifically, a theory describing the geographical distribution of species developed by Robert MacArthur and US zoologist Edward O Wilson. The theory argues that, for many species, ecological specializations mean that suitable h...

biodegradable
Capable of being broken down by living organisms, principally bacteria and fungi. In biodegradable substances, such as food and sewage, the natural processes of decay lead to compaction and liquefaction, and to the release of nutrients that are then recycled by the ecosystem. This process can have some disadvantageous side effects, such as the rele...

binomial system of nomenclature
In biology, the system in which all organisms are identified by a two-part Latinized name. Devised by the biologist Linnaeus, it is also known as the Linnaean system. The first name is capitalized and identifies the genus; the second identifies the species within that genus, for example the bear genus Ursus includes
binary fission
In biology, a form of asexual reproduction, whereby a single-celled organism, such as a bacterium or amoeba, divides into two smaller `daughter` cells

biological clock
Regular internal rhythm of activity, produced by periodic changes in the concentrations of certain molecules, described as circadian rhythms. Such clocks are known to exist in almost all animals, and also in many plants, fungi, and unicellular organisms. In higher organisms, there appears to be a series of clocks of graded importance. For example, ...

biology
Science of life. Biology includes all the life sciences – for example, anatomy and physiology (the study of the structure of living things), cytology (the study of cells), zoology (the study of animals), botany (the study of plants), ecology (the study of habitats and the interaction of living species), animal behaviour, embryology, and taxono...

bivalve
Marine or freshwater mollusc whose body is enclosed between two shells hinged together by a ligament on the dorsal side of the body. The shell is closed by strong `adductor` muscles. Ventrally, a retractile `foot` can be put out to assist movement in mud or sand. Two large platelike gills are used for breathing and also, with th...

bittern
Any of several species of small herons, in particular the common bittern Botaurus stellaris of Europe and Asia. It is shy, stoutly built, buff-coloured, speckled with black and tawny brown, with a long bill and a loud, booming call. Its habit of holding its neck and bill in a vertical position conceals it among the reeds, whe...

bison
Large, hoofed mammal of the bovine family. There are two species, both brown. The European bison or wisent Bison bonasus, of which only a few protected herds survive, is about 2 m/7 ft high and weighs up to 1,100 kg/2,500 lb. The North American bison (also known historicall...

bird of paradise
One of 40 species of crowlike birds in the family Paradiseidae, native to New Guinea and neighbouring islands. Females are generally drably coloured, but the males have bright and elaborate plumage used in courtship display. Hunted almost to extinction for their plumage, they are now subject to conse...

bird
Click images to enlargeBackboned animal of the class Aves, the biggest group of land vertebrates, characterized by warm blood, feathers, wings, breathing through lungs, and egg-laying by the female. Birds are bipedal; feet are usually adapted for perching and never have more than four toes. Hearing and eyesight ar...

binturong
Shaggy-coated mammal Arctitis binturong, the largest member of the mongoose family, nearly 1 m/3 ft long excluding a long muscular tail with a prehensile tip. Mainly nocturnal and tree-dwelling, the binturong is found in the forests of Southeast Asia, feeding on fruit, eggs, and small animals

biennial plant
Plant that completes its life cycle in two years. During the first year it grows vegetatively and the surplus food produced is stored in its perennating organ, usually the root. In the following year these food reserves are used for the production of leaves, flowers, and seeds, after which the plant dies. Many root vegetables are biennials, includi...

birth
Act of producing live young from within the body of female animals. Both viviparous and ovoviviparous animals give birth to young. In viviparous animals, embryos obtain nourishment from the mother via a placenta or other means. In ovoviviparous animals, fertilized eggs develop and hatch in the oviduct of the mother and gain little or no nourishment...

biotechnology
Industrial use of living organisms. Examples of its uses include fermentation, genetic engineering (gene technology), and the manipulation of reproduction. The brewing and baking industries have long relied on the yeast micro-organism for fermentation purposes, while the dairy industry employs a ...

biosynthesis
Synthesis of organic chemicals from simple inorganic ones by living cells – for example, the conversion of carbon dioxide and water to glucose by plants during photosynthesis. Other biosynthetic reactions produce cell constituents including proteins and fats. Biosynthesis requires energy; in the initial or light-dependent stages of pho...

biophysics
Application of physical laws to the properties of living organisms. Examples include using the principles of mechanics to calculate the strength of bones and muscles, and thermodynamics to study plant and animal energetics. In a broader sense, biological or biochemical investigations using physical methods such as X-ray crystallography are also...

bioluminescence
Production of light by living organisms. It is a feature of many deep-sea fishes, crustaceans, and other marine animals. On land, bioluminescence is seen in some nocturnal insects such as glow-worms and fireflies, and in certain bacteria and fungi. Light is usually produced by the oxidation of luciferin, a reaction catalysed by the enzyme l...

bioengineering
Application of engineering to biology and medicine. Common applications include the design and use of artificial limbs, joints, and organs, including hip joints and heart valves

bile
Brownish alkaline fluid produced by the liver. Bile is stored in the gall bladder and is intermittently released into the small intestine (the duodenum), which is part of the gut, in order to help digestion. Bile contains chemicals that emulsify fats. In other words it acts to disperse fat globules into tiny droplets, which speeds up their digestio...

binary number system
System of numbers to base two, using combinations of the digits 1 and 0. Codes based on binary numbers are used to represent instructions and data in all modern digital computers, the values of the binary digits (contracted to `bits`) being stored or transmitted as, for example, open/cl...

Big Bang
(astronomy) In astronomy, the explosive event that marked the origin of the universe as we know it. At the time of the Big Bang, the entire universe was squeezed into a hot, superdense state. The Big Bang explosion threw this compact material outwards, producing the expanding universe seen tod...

Big Bang
(economics) In economics, popular term for the changes instituted in late 1986 to the organization and practices of the City of London as Britain's financial centre, in particular the liberalization of the London stock exchange. This involved merging the functions of jobber (dealer in stoc...

Biró, Lazlo
Hungarian-born Argentine who invented a ballpoint pen in 1944. His name became generic for ballpoint pens in the UK

biopsy
Removal of a living tissue sample from the body for diagnostic examination

biological warfare
The use of living organisms, or of infectious material derived from them, to bring about death or disease in humans, animals, or plants. At least ten countries have this capability. Advances in genetic engineering make the development of new varieties of potentially offensive biological weapons more likely. Biological warfare, together with chemica...

bicycle
Pedal-driven two-wheeled vehicle used in cycling. It consists of a metal frame mounted on two large wire-spoked wheels, with handlebars in front and a seat between the front and back wheels. The bicycle is an energy-efficient, nonpolluting form of transport, and it is estimated that 8...

Bible
The sacred book of Judaism and Christianity, containing a collection of sacred writings (scriptures). The Old Testament, recognized by both Jews and Christians, is called the Hebrew Bible in Judaism. The New Testament comprises books recognized by the Christian church as sacred doctrine from the 4th ...

Birkenhead
Seaport and industrial town in the Wirral, Merseyside, England, opposite Liverpool on the Wirral peninsula, on the west bank of the Mersey estuary; population (2001) 83,700. It developed as a shipbuilding town with important dock facilities, but other principal industries now include engineering and flour-milling. The Mersey rail tunnel (18...

biological shield
Shield around a nuclear reactor that is intended to protect personnel from the effects of radiation. It usually consists of a thick wall of steel and concrete

bioeconomics
Theory put forward in 1979 by Chicago economist Gary Becker that the concepts of sociobiology apply also in economics. The competitiveness and self-interest built into human genes are said to make capitalism an effective economic system, whereas the selflessness and collectivism proclaimed as the socialist ideal are held to be contrary to human...

binoculars
Optical instrument for viewing an object in magnification with both eyes; for example, field glasses and opera glasses. Binoculars consist of two telescopes containing lenses and prisms, which produce a stereoscopic effect as well as magnifying the image. Use of prisms has the effect of `fol...

binomial
In mathematics, an expression consisting of two terms, such as a + b or a - b

bitumen
Involatile, tarry material, containing a mixture of hydrocarbons (mainly alkanes), that is the residue from the fractional distillation of crude oil (unrefined petroleum). Sometimes the term is restricted to a soft kind of pitch resembling asphalt. Naturally occurring solid bitumen may have arisen as a residue from the evaporation of petroleum. If ...

bionics
Design and development of electronic or mechanical artificial systems that imitate those of living things. The bionic arm, for example, is an artificial limb (prosthesis) that uses electronics to amplify minute electrical signals generated in body muscles to work electric motors, which operate the joints of the fingers and wrist. The first artifici...

Biafra, Bight of
Area of sea off the coasts of Nigeria and Cameroon

Biafra, Republic of
African state proclaimed 1967 when fears that Nigerian central government was increasingly in the hands of the rival Hausa tribe led the predominantly Ibo Eastern Region of Nigeria to secede under Lt-Col Odumegwu Ojukwu. On the proclamation of Biafra, civil war ensued with the rest of the federation. In a bitterly fought campaign federal forces...

Bidault, Georges Augustin
French Christian Democrat politician, cofounder of the Mouvement Républicain Populaire (MRP) and prime minister 1946 and 1949–50. A history teacher active in inter-war Catholic movements, Bidault was elected president of the National Resistance Council 1943–44 and served in several Fourth Republican governments as foreign ministe...

Bierce, Ambrose Gwinnett
US author. After service in the American Civil War, he established his reputation as a master of the short story, his themes being war and the supernatural, as in Tales of Soldiers and Civilians (1891) and Can Such Things Be? (1893). He also wrote The Devil's Dictionary (1911; first p...

bigamy
In law, the offence of marrying a person while already lawfully married to another. In some countries marriage to more than one wife or husband is lawful; see also polygamy

Big Ben
Popular name for the bell in the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament in London, cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in 1858, and known as `Big Ben` after Benjamin Hall, First Commissioner of Works at the time. It weighs 13.7 tonnes. The name is often used to mean the tower as well

Bikini Atoll
Atoll in the Marshall Islands, western Pacific, where the USA carried out 23 atomic- and hydrogen-bomb tests (some underwater) from 1946 to 1958. The islanders were relocated by the USA before 1946. Some returned after Bikini was declared safe for habitation 1969, but they were again removed in the late 1970s because of continuing harmful l...

Bilbao
Industrial port and capital of Vizcaya province in the Basque Country, northern Spain; it is surrounded by mountains, and situated on an inlet of the Bay of Biscay, and on the Nervion River; population (2003 est) 342,800. Bilbao is a commercial centre and one of the chief ports in Spain; industries include iron and steel production, shi...

billion
Cardinal number represented by a 1 followed by nine zeros (1,000,000,000 or 109), equivalent to a thousand million

bill of exchange
Form of commercial credit instrument, or IOU, used in international trade. In Britain, a bill of exchange is defined by the Bills of Exchange Act 1882 as an unconditional order in writing addressed by one person to another, signed by the person giving it, requiring the person to whom it is addressed to pay on demand or at a fixed or determinable fu...

Billy the Kid
US outlaw. A leader in the 1878 Lincoln County cattle war in New Mexico, he allegedly killed his first victim at age 12 and was reputed to have killed 21 men by age 18. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Bonney moved west with his family to Kansas and then New Mexico. He was sentenced to death for murdering a sheriff, but escaped (killing two guards), and...

Binyon,
(Robert) English poet. His ode `For the Fallen` (1914) is frequently quoted in war memorial services and was set to music by English composer Edward Elgar. Binyon's verse volumes include London Visions (1896); his art criticism includes Painting in...

bight
Coastal indentation, crescent-shaped or gently curving, such as the Bight of Biafra in West Africa and the Great Australian Bight

Bihar
(state) State of northeast India; area 99,199 sq km/38,301 sq mi; population (2001 est) 82,878,800. The capital is Patna. The River Ganges runs west–east in the north of the state, through intensely cultivated alluvial plains which are prone to drought and floods. The chief in...

bilharzia
Disease that causes anaemia, inflammation, formation of scar tissue, dysentery, enlargement of the spleen and liver, cancer of the bladder, and cirrhosis of the liver. It is contracted by bathing in water contaminated with human sewage. Some 200 million people are thought to suffer from this disease in the tropics, and 750,000 people a year die. Fr...

Birmingham
(UK) Industrial city and administrative headquarters of West Midlands metropolitan county, central England, second-largest city in the UK, 177 km/110 mi northwest of London; population (2001) 970,900. It is a major manufacturing, engineering, commercial, and service centre. The cit...

Birmingham
(USA) City in north-central Alabama, situated in the Jones Valley, at the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains; seat of Jefferson County; population (2000 est) 242,800. It is the largest city in Alabama and is an industrial centre. Birmingham was once the steelmaking centre of...

Birtwistle, Harrison
English avant-garde composer. In his early career he wrote much for chamber ensemble, for example, his chamber opera Punch and Judy (1967) and Down by the Greenwood Side (1969). Birtwistle's early music was influenced by the Russian-born composer Igor Stravinsky, by the medieval and Renaissance mast...

Bizet, Georges
(Alexandre César Léopold) French composer of operas. Among his works are Les Pêcheurs de perles/The Pearl Fishers (1863) and La Jolie Fille de Perth/The Fair Maid of Perth (1866). He also wrote the concert overture Patrie<...

Biscay, Bay of
Bay of the Atlantic Ocean between northern Spain and western France, known for rough seas and high tides. It is traditionally a rich fishing area

bishop
Priest next in rank to an archbishop in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican churches. A bishop has charge of a district called a diocese. Originally, bishops were chosen by the congregation, but in the Roman Catholic Church they are appointed by the pope, although in some countries, such as Spain, the political authority nominates appoin...

Bismarck, Otto Eduard Leopold von
Click images to enlargeGerman politician, prime minister of Prussia 1862–90 and chancellor of the German Empire 1871–90. He pursued an aggressively expansionist policy, waging wars against Denmark (1863–64), Austria (1866), and France (1870–71), which brought about the unification of Germany. He became...

bismuth
Hard, brittle, pinkish-white, metallic element, atomic number 83, relative atomic mass 208.98. It has the highest atomic number of all the stable elements (the elements from atomic number 84 up are radioactive). Bismuth occurs in ores and occasionally as a free metal (native metal). It is a poor conductor of heat and electricity, and is used in...

Bissau
Capital and chief port of Guinea-Bissau, on an island at the mouth of the Geba River; population (2002 est) 288,300. Originally a Portuguese fortified slave-trading centre (1687), Bissau became a free port in 1869. Industries include agricultural processing, fishing, textiles, and crafts; exports include nuts, rice, wax, and hides. ...

binary weapon
In chemical warfare, weapon consisting of two substances that in isolation are harmless but when mixed together form a poisonous nerve gas. They are loaded into the delivery system separately and combine after launch. With conventional chemical weapons, chemical stockpiles deteriorate, unstable compounds break down, and the handling and security of...

big-band jazz
Swing music created in the late 1930s and 1940s by bands of 13 or more players, such as those of Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman. Big-band jazz relied on fixed arrangements, where there is more than one instrument to some of the parts, rather than improvisation. Big bands were mainly dance bands, and they ceased to be economically viable in th...

Bill of Rights
(USA) In the USA, the first ten amendments to the US Constitution, incorporated in 1791: 1 guarantees freedom of worship, of speech, of the press, of assembly, and to petition the government; 2 grants the right to keep and bear arms; 3 prohibits billeting of soldiers in private hom...

Biedermeier
Early- to mid-19th-century Germanic style of art and furniture design, derogatorily named after Gottlieb Biedermeier, a humorous pseudonym used by several German poets, embodying bourgeois taste

binding energy
In physics, the amount of energy needed to break the nucleus of an atom into the neutrons and protons of which it is made

Bismarck Archipelago
Group of over 200 islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, part of Papua New Guinea; area 49,660 sq km/19,200 sq mi. The largest island is New Britain. Coconut fibre, copra, cotton, rubber, coffee, tortoiseshell, trepang (sea cucumbers), mother-of-pearl, and fruit are the chief product...

biog.
Abbreviation for biography

billiards
Indoor game played, normally by two players, with tapered poles (cues) and composition balls (one red, two white) on a rectangular table covered with a green, felt-like cloth (baize). The table has six pockets, one at each corner and in each of the long sides at the middle. Scoring strokes are made by potting the red ball, potting the opponent&...

bingo
Game of chance played with numbered balls and cards each divided into 27 squares, 15 of them containing random numbers between 1 and 90. As the numbers are called out, also at random, the corresponding numbers are marked off the players' card(s). The first person to complete a line across or full card (known as a `full house`) wins a ...

bilateralism
In economics, a trade agreement between two countries or groups of countries in which they give each other preferential treatment. Usually the terms agreed result in balanced trade and are favoured by countries with limited foreign exchange reserves. Bilateralism is incompatible with free trade

bimah
In Judaism, a raised platform in a synagogue from which the Torah scroll is read

billet doux
A letter to or from one's lover