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


alternate angles
Pair of angles that lie on opposite sides and at opposite ends of a transversal (a line that cuts two or more lines in the same plane). The alternate angles formed by a transversal of two parallel lines are equal

alienation
Sense of isolation, powerlessness, and therefore frustration; a feeling of loss of control over one's life; a sense of estrangement from society or even from oneself. As a concept it was developed by German philosophers G W F Hegel and Karl Marx; the latter used it as a description and criticism of the condition that developed among...

alluvial deposit
Layer of broken rocky matter, or sediment, formed from material that has been carried in suspension by a river or stream and dropped as the velocity of the current decreases. River plains and deltas are made entirely of alluvial deposits, but smaller pockets can be found in the beds of upland torrents. Alluvial deposits can consist of a whole range...

alphabet
Set of conventional symbols used for writing, based on a correlation between individual symbols and spoken sounds, so called from alpha (α) and beta (β), the names of the first two letters of the classical Greek alphabet. The earliest known alphabet is from Palestine, about 1700 BC. Alphabetic writing...

ALU
Abbreviation for arithmetic and logic unit

algorithm
Procedure or series of steps that can be used to solve a problem. In computer science, it describes the logical sequence of operations to be performed by a program. A flow chart is a visual representation of an algorithm. The word derives from the name of 9th-century Arab mathematician Muhammad bin Musa al-Khwarizmi

alien
In law, a person who is not a citizen of a particular nation

Allende
(Gossens) Chilean left-wing politician, president 1970–73. Elected president as the candidate of the Popular Front alliance, Allende never succeeded in keeping the electoral alliance together in government. His failure to solve the country's economic problems or to deal with polit...

Al Manamah
Capital and free trade port of Bahrain, on Bahrain Island; population (2001) 143,000. With a deepwater harbour, major refrigeration facilities and docks for the repair of large oceangoing ships, it is a leading port of the Persian Gulf, handling especially oil and entrepôt trade

Alzheimer's disease
Common manifestation of dementia, thought to afflict 1 in 20 people over 65. After heart disease, cancer, and strokes it is the most common cause of death in the Western world. Attacking the brain's `grey matter`, it is a disease of mental processes rather than physical function, characterized by memory loss and progressive intellectu...

alternator
Electricity generator that produces an alternating current

All Souls' Day
Festival in the Roman Catholic Church, held on 2 November (following All Saints' Day) in the conviction that through prayer and self-denial the faithful can hasten the deliverance of souls expiating their sins in purgatory. It was instituted by Odilo in the monastery of Cluny 998. The day is also observed by some sections of the Anglican Ch...

alloy
Metal blended with some other metallic or non-metallic substance to give it special qualities, such as resistance to corrosion, greater hardness, or tensile strength. The atoms in a metal are held together by the metallic bond. In a pure metal the atoms are all the same size and can slip over each other if a force is applied. In an alloy, the p...

Allies, the
In World War I, the 27 Allied and Associated powers aligned against the Central Powers (Germany, Austro-Hungary, Turkey, and Bulgaria) and represented at the Treaty of Versailles (1919); they included France, Italy, Russia, the UK, Australia and other Commonwealth nations, and, in the latter part of the war, the USA. In World War II they we...

Allen, Woody
US film writer, director, and actor. One of the true auteurs of contemporary US cinema, Allen has written, directed, and frequently acted in a number of comic and dramatic works which are informed by his personal aesthetic, religious, and sexual preoccupations. One of his most successful and critically acclaimed works is Annie Hall
Allah
Islamic name for God. Muslims believe that Allah is tauhid, that is `absolute` or `One`, and the supreme creator and power behind the universe. Muhammad's concept of Allah lays stress on his uniqueness and his role as the all-powerful ruler and judge of humans. Equally, however, he is merciful and compassionate. He is om...

alibi
In law, a provable assertion that the accused was at some other place when a crime was committed

algebra
Branch of mathematics in which the general properties of numbers are studied by using symbols, usually letters, to represent variables and unknown quantities. For example, the algebraic statement: (x + y)2 = x2 + 2xy
Alfonso XIII
King of Spain 1886–1931. He assumed power in 1906 and married Princess Ena, granddaughter of Queen Victoria of Great Britain, in the same year. He abdicated in 1931 soon after the fall of the Primo de Rivera dictatorship 1923–30 (which he supported), and Spain became a republic. His assassination was attempted several times

aleatory music
Method of composition practised by post-war avant-garde composers in which the performer or conductor chooses the order of succession of the composed pieces. Examples of aleatory music include Pierre Boulez's Piano Sonata No 3 (1956–57), Earle Brown's Available Forms I (1961), and Stockhaus...

Alberti, Leon Battista
Italian Renaissance architect and theorist. He set out the principles of classical architecture, and covered their modification for Renaissance practice, in De re aedificatoria/On Architecture, which he started in 1452 and worked on until his death (published in 1485; translated as Ten Books on Architecture
Alaska
Click images to enlargeState of the USA, separated from the lower, continental US states by Canada and bordered to the south by British Columbia, to the east by the Yukon Territory, to the north by the Beaufort Sea on the Arctic Ocean, to the northwest by the Chukchi Sea and Bering Sea, and to the west by the Gulf of Alas...

Alamo, the
Mission fortress in San Antonio, Texas, USA. During the War of Texan Independence from Mexico, it was besieged 23 February–6 March 1836 by Santa Anna and 4,000 Mexicans. They killed the garrison of about 180 Texans, including Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie

Alabama
State in southeastern USA, bordered to the east by Georgia, to the north by Tennessee, to the west by Mississippi, and to the south by Florida and the Gulf of Mexico; area 131,426 sq km/50,744 sq mi; population (2006) 4,559,000; capital Montgomery. The state derives its name from a Ch...

Alamein, El, battles of
Two decisive battles of World War II in the western desert of northern Egypt. In the first (1–22 July 1942), the British 8th Army under Auchinleck held off the German and Italian forces under Rommel; in the second (23 October–4 November 1942), Montgomery defeated Rommel

Albert, Lake
Lake on the border of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo in the Great Rift Valley; area 5,600 sq km/2,162 sq mi. The first European to see it was the British explorer Samuel Baker, who named it Lake Albert after the Prince Consort. From 1973 to 1997 it was called Lake Mobutu after President Mobutu of Zaire (now Democratic Republic ...

alcoholism
Dependence on alcohol. It is characterized as an illness when consumption of alcohol interferes with normal physical or emotional health. Excessive alcohol consumption, whether through sustained ingestion or irregular drinking bouts or binges, may produce physical and psychological addiction and lead to nutritional and emotional disorders. Long-...

al-
For Arabic names beginning al-, see rest of name; for example, for `al-Fatah`, see Fatah, al-

Altamira
(caves) Cave decorated with Palaeolithic wall paintings, the first such to be discovered, in 1879. The paintings are realistic depictions of bison, deer, and horses in polychrome (several colours). The cave is near the village of Santillana del Mar in Santander province, northern Spain; ot...

allergy
Special sensitivity of the body that makes it react with an exaggerated response of the natural immune defence mechanism to the introduction of an otherwise harmless foreign substance (allergen)

Allen, Bog of
Wetland east of the River Shannon in the Republic of Ireland, comprising some 958 sq km/370 sq mi of the counties of Offaly, Laois, and Kildare. It is the country's main source of peat fuel

allegory
In literature, the description or illustration of one thing in terms of another, or the personification of abstract ideas. The term is also used for a work of poetry or prose in the form of an extended metaphor or parable that makes use of symbolic fictional characters. An example of the use of symbolic fictional character in allegory is the romant...

Allegheny Mountains
Mountain range over 800 km/500 mi long extending from Pennsylvania to Virginia, rising to more than 1,500 m/4,900 ft and averaging 750 m/2,500 ft. Part of the Appalachian Mountains system, the Alleghenies are rich in hardwood timber and bituminous coal, and also contain iron ore, natural gas, clay, and petroleum. The mountains initially...

Alfred the Great
Anglo-Saxon king 871–899 who defended England against Danish invasion and founded the first English navy. He succeeded his brother Aethelred to the throne of Wessex in 871, and a new legal code came into force during his reign. He encouraged the translation of scholarly works from Latin (some he translated himself), and promoted the develo...

Aldershot
Town in Hampshire, southern England, 56 km/35 mi southwest of London; population (2001) 33,840. Industrial products include electronics, and vehicle components for cars and tankers. It contains the largest permanent military training camp in the UK, dating from 1854. The Ministry of Defence owns over 850 ha/2,100 acres here, mainly nort...

Alanbrooke, Alan Francis Brooke
British army officer. He was Chief of Staff in World War II and largely responsible for the strategy that led to the German defeat

Alaric
Visigothic king 395–410 who campaigned against the Romans in the Balkans and Italy. On 24 August 410 he captured and sacked Rome. After three days he led the Goths south, intending to invade Sicily and then Africa, but died of a sudden illness. Alaric was buried in the bed of the river Busento in southern Italy. The river was diverted to allow...

Alps
Click images to enlargeThe highest and most extensive mountain range in Europe. The Alps run in an arc from the Mediterranean coast of France in the west through northern Italy, Switzerland, southern Germany, and Austria to the outskirts of Vienna and the River Danube in the east – a total distance of some 960 km/...

Alsace-Lorraine
Area of northeast France, lying west of the River Rhine. It forms the French regions of Alsace and Lorraine, and corresponds to the three French départements of Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin, and Moselle. As a political entity, Alsace-Lorraine was created by the Treaty of Frankfurt, which ended the Franco-Prussian War ...

Alsatian
Another name for the German shepherd dog

Altai Mountains
Mountain system running through Kazakhstan, the Altai Republic of the Russian Federation, western Mongolia, and northern China. It is divided into two parts: the Russian Altai, which includes the highest peak, Mount Belukha, 4,506 m/14,783 ft, on the border with Kazakhstan; and the Mongolian or Great Altai. Alpine pastureland is found o...

Alva, Ferdinand Alvarez de Toledo
Spanish politician and general. He successfully commanded the Spanish armies of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and his son Philip II of Spain. In 1567 he was appointed governor of the Netherlands, where he set up a reign of terror to suppress Protestantism and the revolt of the Netherlands. In 1573 he was recalled at his own request. He later led...

altimeter
Instrument used in aircraft that measures altitude, or height above sea level. The common type is a form of aneroid barometer, which works by sensing the differences in air pressure at different altitudes. This must continually be recalibrated because of the change in air pressure with changing weather conditions. The radar altimeter measures the h...

albumin
Any of a group of water-soluble proteins found in body fluids. The best known is in the form of egg white (albumen); others occur in milk, and as a major component of serum. They can be coagulated by heat. The presence of serum albumin in the urine, termed albuminuria or proteinuria, may be indicative of kidney or heart disease

alimentary canal
Tube through which food passes in animals – it extends from the mouth to the anus and forms a large part of the digestive system. In human adults, it is about 9 m/30 ft long, consisting of the mouth cavity, pharynx, oesophagus, stomach, and the small and large intestines. It is also known as the gut. It is a complex organ, specifically ada...

alveolus
Click images to enlargeOne of the many thousands of tiny air sacs in the lungs. By the process of diffusion oxygen is transported from air in the alveoli into the blood, while carbon dioxide diffuses out of the blood and into the air in the alveoli. This process is called gas exchange. To aid this process, the alveoli hav...

Algarve
Ancient kingdom in southern Portugal, bordered on the east by Spain, and on the west and south by the Atlantic Ocean; it is co-extensive with the modern district of Faro, the provincial capital of the Algarve; area 5,071 sq km/1,958 sq mi; population (2003 est) 393,700. The population increased during the 1980s and 1990s as a re...

Algiers
Capital and main port of Algeria, situated on the narrow coastal plain between the Atlas Mountains and the Mediterranean; population (1998) city, 1,519,600; urban agglomeration, 2,135,600. It is a major commercial centre for trade in and export of grain, iron, phosphates, wines, citrus fruits and vegetables, as well as oil from central Alge...

Algiers, Battle of
Bitter conflict in Algiers 1954–62 between the Algerian nationalist population and the French colonial army and French settlers. The conflict ended with Algerian independence in 1962

Alexander III
(pope) Pope 1159–81. His authority was opposed by Frederick I Barbarossa, but Alexander eventually compelled him to render homage in 1178. He held the third Lateran Council in 1179. He supported Henry II of England in his invasion of Ireland, but imposed penance on him after the murder of...

Alexander VI
(pope) Pope 1492–1503. Of Spanish origin, he bribed his way to the papacy, where he furthered the advancement of his illegitimate children, who included Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia. When Savonarola preached against his corrupt practices Alexander had him executed. Alexander was a great pat...

Alexander I
(of Russia) Tsar of Russia from 1801. Defeated by Napoleon at Austerlitz in 1805, he made peace at Tilsit in 1807, but economic crisis led to a break with Napoleon's Continental System and the opening of Russian ports to British trade; this led to Napoleon's ill-fated invasion ...

Alexander II
(of Russia) Tsar of Russia from 1855. He embarked on reforms of the army, the government, and education, and is remembered as `the Liberator` for his emancipation of the serfs in 1861, but he lacked the personnel to implemen...

Alexander III
(of Russia) Tsar of Russia from 1881, when he succeeded his father, Alexander II. He pursued a reactionary policy, promoting Russification and persecuting the Jews. He married Dagmar (1847–1928), daughter of Christian IX of Denmark and sister of Queen Alexandra of Britain, in 1866. A prot...

alliteration
In poetry and prose, the use, within a line or phrase, of words beginning with the same sound, as in Two tired toads trotting to Tewkesbury. It was a common device in Old English literature, and its use survives in many traditional phrases, such as dead as a doornail and pretty as a picture. ...

albatross
Large seabird, genus Diomedea, with long narrow wings adapted for gliding and a wingspan of up to 3.4 m/11 ft, mainly found in the southern hemisphere. It belongs to the family Diomedeidae, order Procellariiformes, the same group as petrels and shearwaters. The nostrils of bird...

alligator
Reptile of the genus Alligator, related to the crocodile. There are only two living species: A. mississipiensis, the Mississippi alligator of the southern states of the USA, and A. sinensis from the swamps of the lower Chang Jiang River in ...

alpaca
Domesticated South American hoofed mammal Lama pacos of the camel family, found in Chile, Peru, and Bolivia, and herded at high elevations in the Andes. It is bred mainly for its long, fine, silky wool, and stands about 1 m/3 ft tall at the shoulder with neck and head another 6...

alder
Any of a group of trees or shrubs belonging to the birch family, found mainly in cooler parts of the northern hemisphere and characterized by toothed leaves and catkins. (Genus Alnus, family Betulaceae.)

alfalfa
Perennial tall herbaceous plant belonging to the pea family. It is native to Europe and Asia and has spikes of small purple flowers in late summer. It is now a major fodder crop, commonly processed into hay, meal, or silage. Alfalfa sprouts, the sprouted seeds, have become a popular salad ingredient. (Medicago sativa, family Legu...

allspice
Spice prepared from the dried berries of the evergreen pimento tree, also known as the West Indian pepper tree, (Pimenta dioica) of the myrtle family, cultivated chiefly in Jamaica. It has an aroma similar to that of a mixture of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg

Alfonso XII
King of Spain from 1875, son of Isabella II. He assumed the throne after a period of republican government following his mother's flight and effective abdication in 1868. His rule was peaceful. He ended the civil war started by the Carlists and drafted a constitution, both in 1876

Allenby, Edmund Henry Hynman
British field marshal. In World War I he served in France before taking command 1917–19 of the British forces in the Middle East. After preparations in Egypt, he captured Gaza, Beersheba and, in 1917, Jerusalem. His defeat of the Turkish forces at Megiddo in Palestine in September 1918 was followed almost at once by the capitulation of Turkey....

Alexander I
(of Scotland) King of Scotland from 1107, known as `the Fierce`. He ruled over the area to the north of the rivers Forth and Clyde, while his brother and successor David ruled over the area to the south. He assisted Henry I of England in his campaign against Wales in 1114, but defend...

Alexander II
(of Scotland) King of Scotland from 1214, when he succeeded his father, William the Lion. Alexander supported the English barons in their struggle with King John after Magna Carta. The accession of Henry III of England allowed a rapprochement between the two countries, and t...

Alexander III
(of Scotland) King of Scotland from 1249, son of Alexander II. After defeating the Norwegian forces in 1263, he was able to extend his authority over the Western Isles, which had been dependent on Norway. The later period of his reign was devoted to administrative reforms, which limited the po...

Albania
Country in southeastern Europe, bounded north by Serbia and Montenegro, east by the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, south by Greece, and west and southwest by the Adriatic Sea. Government Albania is a multiparty parliamentary democracy. Under its 1998 constitution, it has a single-chamber legislature, the 140-member Assembly of the R...

Algeria
Country in North Africa, bounded east by Tunisia and Libya, southeast by Niger, southwest by Mali and Mauritania, northwest by Morocco, and north by the Mediterranean Sea. Government Algeria is a multiparty state, with a French-style limited presidential executive and some limitations on the types of political parties which may be formed. Its 1...

Alliance, the
In UK politics, a loose union (1981–87) formed by the Liberal Party and Social Democratic Party (SDP) for electoral purposes. The Alliance was set up soon after the formation of the SDP, and involved a joint manifesto at national elections and the apportionment of constituencies in equal numbers to Liberal and SDP candidates. The difficulties ...

Almohad
Berber dynasty 1130–1269 founded by the Berber prophet Muhammad ibn Tumart (c. 1080& #150;1130). The Almohads ruled much of Morocco and Spain, which they took by defeating the Almoravids; they later took the area that today forms Algeria and Tunis. Their policy of religious `purity` involved the forced conversio...

Almoravid
Berber dynasty 1056–1147 founded by the prophet Abdullah ibn Tashfin, ruling much of Morocco and Spain in the 11th–12th centuries. The Almoravids came from the Sahara and in the 11th century began laying the foundations of an empire covering the whole of Morocco and parts of Algeria; their capital was the newly founded Marrakesh. In 1...

alcoholic beverage
Any drink containing alcohol, often used for its intoxicating effects. Ethanol (ethyl alcohol), a colourless liquid (C2H5OH) is the basis of all common intoxicants. Foods rich in sugars, such as grapes, produce this alcohol as a natural product of decay, called fermentation. Wines, ciders, and sherry co...

allegro
In music, a tempo marking indicating lively or quick. It can be used as the title for a movement or composition

Alfonsín Foulkes, Raúl Ricardo
Argentine politician and president 1983–89. Becoming president at the time of the country's return to civilian government, after the junta's collapse after its defeat in the Falklands War, he set up an investigation of the army's human-rights violations, with the subsequent trial and detention of many former military and politi...

alternative medicine
See medicine, alternative

Alfonso VII
King of León and Castile from 1126 who attempted to unite Spain. Although he protected the Moors, he was killed trying to check a Moorish rising

Alfonso
(XI) King of Castile and León from 1312. He ruled cruelly, repressed a rebellion by his nobles, and defeated the last Moorish invasion in 1340

Alexius III, Angelos
Byzantine emperor 1195–1203. He gained power by deposing and blinding his brother Isaac II, but Isaac's Venetian allies enabled him and his son Alexius IV to regain power as coemperors

Alexius IV, Angelos
Byzantine emperor from 1203, when, with the aid of the army of the Fourth Crusade, he deposed his uncle Alexius III. He soon lost the support of the Crusaders (by that time occupying Constantinople), and was overthrown and murdered by another Alexius, Alexius Mourtzouphlus (son-in-law of Alexius III) in 1204, an act which the Crusaders used...

Alsace
Region and former province of France; area 8,280 sq km/3,197 sq mi; population (1999 est) 1,734,100. It consists of the départements of Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin; its administrative centre is Strasbourg, which is the seat of the European Parliament and the Council of Europe. Alsace has much rich agricult...

Ali Pasha, Mehmed Emin
Grand vizier (chief minister) of the Ottoman Empire 1855–56, 1858–59, 1861, and 1867–71, noted for his attempts to Westernize the Ottoman Empire. After a career as ambassador to the UK, minister of foreign affairs in 1846, delegate to the Congress of Vienna in 1855 and of Paris in 1856, he was grand vizier a total of five times. Whil...

Al Mukalla
Seaport capital of the Hadhramaut coastal region of Yemen, on the Gulf of Aden 480 km/300 mi east of Aden; population (2004) 323,300. Its main industries are fishing, fish canning, and the production of fish meal. It is linked to Aden by a road completed in 1977

alkane
Member of a group of hydrocarbons having the general formula CnH2n + 2, commonly known as paraffins. As they contain only single covalent bonds, alkanes are said to be saturated. Lighter alkanes, such as methane, ...

alkene
Member of the group of hydrocarbons having the general formula CnH2n, formerly known as olefins. Alkenes are unsaturated compounds, characterized by one or more double bonds between adjacent carbon atoms. Lighter alke...

Allahabad
Historic city in Uttar Pradesh state, India, 580 km/360 mi southeast of Delhi, on the Yamuna River where it meets the Ganges and the mythical underground Seraswati River; population (2001 est) 1,049,600. A growing commercial centre, its main industries are textiles and food processing. A Hindu religious event, the festival of the jar of nec...

Altamira
(city) Amazonian city in the state of Pará, northeastern Brazil, situated at the junction of the Trans-Amazonian Highway with the Xingu River, 700 km/400 mi southwest of Belém; population (2000) 62,300. In 1989 a protest by Brazilian Indians and environmentalists against ...

altiplano
Click images to enlargeSparsely populated upland plateau of the Andes of South America, stretching from southern Peru and southwest Bolivia to northwestern Argentina. It lies between the eastern and western cordilleras (ranges) of the Andes, and has an elevation of 3,000–4,000 m/10,000–13,000 ft

alimony
In the USA, money allowance given by court order to a former spouse after separation or divorce. The right has been extended to relationships outside marriage and is colloquially termed palimony. Alimony is separate and distinct from court orders for child support

Algonquin
The Algonquian-speaking hunting and fishing people who once lived around the Ottawa River in eastern Canada. Many now live on reservations in northeastern USA, eastern Ontario, and western Québec; others have chosen to live among the general populations of Canada and the USA

Alcott, Louisa May
US author. Her children's classic Little Women (1869) drew on her own home circumstances; the principal character Jo was a partial self-portrait. Sequels to Little Women were Good Wives (1869), Little Men (1871), ...

Alexander I, Karageorgevich
(of Yugoslavia) Regent of Serbia 1912–21 and king of Yugoslavia 1921–34, as dictator from 1929. The second son of Peter I, King of Serbia, he was declared regent for his father in 1912 and on his father's death became king of the state of South Slavs – Yugoslavia – that...

alkali
In chemistry, a base that is soluble in water. Alkalis neutralize acids, and solutions of alkalis are soapy to the touch. The strength of an alkali is measured by its hydrogen-ion concentration, indicated by the pH value. They may be divided into strong and weak alkalis: a strong alkali (for example, potassium hydroxide, KOH) ionizes comple...

Aleutian Islands
Volcanic island chain in the North Pacific, stretching 1,900 km/1,200 mi southwest of Alaska, of which it forms part, towards Kamchatka; population in Aleutians East Borough (2000 est) 2,700; in Aleutians West Census Area (2000 est) 5,500. There are 14 large and more than 100 small islands running along the Aleutian Trench; the larg...

Albuquerque
Largest city of New Mexico, USA, situated east of the Rio Grande, in the Pueblo district; seat of Bernalillo County; population (2000 est) 448,600. Albuquerque is a resort and industrial centre specializing in electronic products and aerospace equipment, and is a centre for livestock rearing. History Anasazi peoples were in the area from th...

alpha particle
Positively charged (2+), high-energy particle emitted from the nucleus of a radioactive atom. It is one of the products of the spontaneous disintegration of radioactive elements (see radioactivity) such as radium and thorium, and is identical to the nucleus of a helium atom (4He) – that is, it consists of two pro...

Alexander technique
In alternative medicine, a method of correcting bad habits of posture, breathing, and muscular tension, which Australian therapist F M Alexander maintained cause many ailments. The technique is also used to promote general health and relaxation and enhance vitality. Back troubles, migraine, asthma, hypertension, and some gastric and gynaecological ...

Albanian
People of Albanian culture from Albania and the surrounding area. The Albanian language belongs to a separate group within the Indo-European family and has an estimated 3–4 million speakers. There are both Christian and Muslim Albanians, the latter having been converted by the Ottoman Turks. Albanians comprise the majority of the Kosovo re...

aliphatic compound
Any organic chemical compound in which the carbon atoms are joined in straight chains, as in hexane (C6H14), or in branched chains, as in 2-methylpentane (CH3CH(CH3)CH2CH2CH 3). Aliphat...

alkyne
Member of the group of hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n -2, formerly known as the acetylenes. They are unsaturated compounds, characterized by one or more triple bonds between adjacent carbon atoms. Lighter alkynes, such as ethyne, are gases; heav...

Allied Coordination Committee
Secret right-wing paramilitary network in Western Europe, set up in the 1950s to arm guerrillas chosen from the civilian population in the event of Soviet invasion or communist takeover. Initiated and partly funded by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), it was linked to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and operated by the sec...