ExpertGlossary terms starting with B

2,026 terms

  1. Biface A stone tool that has been flaked on both sides.
  2. bifunctional vector See: shuttle vector.
  3. Bifurcation A split in the delivery path of an e-mail message, which is sent to multiple recipients, so that the different recipients receive different copies of the…
  4. Big Bang The scientific theory of the origin of the universe as an explosion of space and matter, starting from an enormously dense and hot state at some finite…
  5. Big Blind The larger of the two blinds typically used in a hold'em game. The big blind is normally a full first round bet. See also "blind" and "small blind."
  6. Big Board The Big Board is the nickname of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the oldest stock exchange in the United States and the one with the largest trading…
  7. Big Crow A suite of aircraft, helicopters, ground vans, and electronic equipment, which is used to emulate an electronic warfare environment for testing, weapon…
  8. Big game Those species of large mammals normally managed as a sport-hunting resource.
  9. Big Number A number that has hit more than its theoretical average. Long-term "Big Numbers" may be indicative of a Biased Wheel.
  10. Big player A member of a card counting team who makes a big bet when the count is favorable.
  11. big-endian A common difference between machines is the order in which they store the individual bytes of multi-byte numerical data.
  12. Bigram A bigram is another term for a 2-word phrase. It can also be seen as an N-gram where N=2
  13. BIH French abbreviation for International Time Bureau. See International Atomic Time.
  14. Bilateral Affecting both the right and left sides of the body.
  15. bilateral cancer Cancer that occurs in both paired organs, such as both breasts or both ovaries.
  16. bilateral control Synonym bilateral synchronization.
  17. bilateral nephrectomy (by-LA-teh-rul neh-FREK-toh-mee) Surgery to remove both kidneys.
  18. bilateral prophylactic mastectomy (by-LA-teh-rul PROH-fih-LAK-tik ma-STEK-toh-mee) Surgery to remove both breasts in order to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer.
  19. bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (by-LA-teh-rul sal-PIN-goh-oh-oh-foh-REK-toh-mee) Surgery to remove both ovaries and both fallopian tubes.
  20. bilateral synchronization A synchronization control system between exchanges A and B in which the clock at exchange A controls the data received at exchange B and the clock at…
  21. Bilateral transaction A direct contract between a seller and buyer outside of a centralized market or exchange (e.g. Nymex or an RTO/ISO).
  22. Bile A fluid made by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. Bile is excreted into the small intestine, where it helps digest fat.
  23. bile duct A tube through which bile passes in and out of the liver.
  24. bile duct cancer (BILE dukt KAN-ser) Cancer that forms in a bile duct. A bile duct is a tube that carries bile (fluid made by the liver that helps digest fat) between the…
  25. biliary Having to do with the liver, bile ducts, and/or gallbladder.
  26. biliary system (BIH-lee-AYR-ee SIS-tem) The organs and ducts that make and store bile (a fluid made by the liver that helps digest fat), and release it into the small…
  27. biliary tract (BIH-lee-AYR-ee …) The organs and ducts that make and store bile (a fluid made by the liver that helps digest fat), and release it into the…
  28. Bilingual Requirements Bilingual election materials (printed in English and Spanish) shall be used in elections in this state.
  29. bilirubin (bil-ih-ROO-bun) Substance formed when red blood cells are broken down. Bilirubin is part of the bile, which is made in the liver and is stored in the…
  30. Bill Your bill is the statement of your account. Your bill will tell you the total amount that you owe us as of the end of the last billing period.
  31. Bill of Lading (B/L) A document that establishes the contract for shipment between a shipper and a transportation company.
  32. billboard antenna An array of parallel dipole antennas with flat reflectors, usually positioned in a line or plane.
  33. Billing credit In the Pacific Northwest, a payment by the Bonneville Power Administration to a wholesale customer for actions taken by that customer to reduce BPA´s…
  34. Billing Cycle The time interval between the dates on which regular periodic statements are issued.
  35. Billing Date The month, date, and year when a periodic or monthly statement is generated. Calculations have been performed for appropriate finance charges, minimum…
  36. Billing Error A charge that appears on a periodic statement associated with an extension of credit (e.g.
  37. Billing period The billing period is the fixed period of time covered by the bill we send you.
  38. Billow Cloud A cloud consisting of broad parallel bands oriented perpendicular to the wind.
  39. BIM Ballistic Intercept Missile.
  40. Bimetal Two metals of different coefficients of expansion welded together so that the piece will bend in one direction when heated, and in the other when cooled…
  41. BIN Radar sample volume.
  42. Bin Method A method of predicting heating and/or cooling loads using instantaneous load calculation at different outdoor dry-bulb temperatures, and multiplying the…
  43. binary Mathematical base 2, or numbers composed of a series of zeros and ones. Since zero's and one's can be easily represented by two voltage levels on an…
  44. binary code A code, the elements of which can assume either one of two possible states.
  45. Binary Cycle Combination of two power plant turbine cycles utilizing two different working fluids for power production.
  46. Binary Cycle Geothermal Plants Binary cycle systems can be used with liquids at temperatures less than 350 F (177 C).
  47. binary digit (bit) See bit.
  48. binary element A constituent element of data that takes either of two values or states. Note: Binary element should not be confused with binary digit.
  49. binary entity See unparsed entity.
  50. binary exponential backoff See truncated binary exponential backoff.
  51. binary large object A discrete packet of binary data that has an exceptionally large size, such as pictures or audio tracks stored as digital data, or any variable or table…
  52. Binary large object (BLOB) The data type of a column in an RDBMS table which can store large image or textual data as attributes.
  53. binary modulation The process of varying a parameter of a carrier as a function of two finite, discrete states.
  54. binary notation Any notation that uses two different characters, usually the digits 0 and 1. Note: Data encoded in binary notation need not be in the form of a pure…
  55. Binary number A number that can be represented using only two numeric symbols - 0 and 1. A number in base 2.
  56. binary operator An operator taking two operands. Java has many binary operators, such as the arithmetic operators +, -, *, / and %, and the boolean operators &&, || and…
  57. binary search A search of sorted data, in which the middle position is examined first. Search continues with either the left or the right portion of the data, thus…
  58. binary string Synonym bit string.
  59. binary synchronous (bi-sync) communication A character-oriented, data-link-layer protocol. Note: The bi-sync protocol is being phased out of most computer communication networks in favor of…
  60. binary tree server topology Connects servers in a pyramid fashion: the top server connects to two servers below it, each of which connects to two servers below it, and so on.
  61. binary vector system A two plasmid system in Agrobacterium tumefaciens designed to transfer T-DNA into plant cells, while avoiding the formation of crown gall tumours.
  62. binary-coded decimal (BCD) Pertaining to the representation of a decimal digit by a unique arrangement of no fewer than four binary digits.
  63. binary-coded decimal (BCD) notation A binary notation in which each of the decimal digits is represented by a binary numeral.
  64. binary-coded decimal code Synonym binary-coded decimal notation.
  65. binary-coded decimal interchange code See binary-coded decimal notation.
  66. binary-coded decimal representation Synonym binary-coded decimal notation.
  67. bind To assign a specific "network address" to a "socket".
  68. Binder A temporary or preliminary agreement, in effect for less than 60 days, that provides coverage until a policy can be written or delivered.
  69. Binder (soil binder) Portion of soil passing a No. 40 (0.425 mm) United States Standard sieve.
  70. Binders Slang term for a race car's brakes.
  71. binding The ability of molecules to bind each other non-covalently because of the exact shape and chemical nature of parts of their surfaces.
  72. binding (JavaServer Faces technology) Wiring UI components to back-end data sources such as backing bean properties.
  73. binding (XML) Generating the code needed to process a well-defined portion of XML data.
  74. binding agent A substance that makes a loose mixture stick together. For example, binding agents can be used to make solid pills from loose powders.
  75. binding of functionality An aspect of the assessment of the effectiveness of a Target of Evaluation, namely the ability of its security enforcing functions and mechanisms to work…
  76. binding ports A NetApp appliance feature that enables administrators to designate which network interfaces (ports) are configured to handle incoming and outgoing…
  77. binding precedent A prior decision by a court that must be followed without a compelling reason or significantly different facts or issues.
  78. Binning Process of parsing (examining) or classifying data in order to accelerate and/or improve biometric matching.
  79. Binomial Scientific name of plants or animals which has two parts: a genus and a species name.
  80. BINOVC Breaks in Overcast
  81. bio- A prefix used in scientific words to associate the concept of "living organisms.
  82. bio-accumulation A problem that can arise when a stable chemical such as a heavy metal or DDT is introduced into a natural environment.
  83. bio-assay 1. The assessment of a substance's activity on living cells or on organisms. Animals have been used extensively in drug research in bio-assays in the…
  84. bio-augmentation Increasing the activity of bacteria that decompose pollutants; a technique used in bioremediation.
  85. bio-energetics The study of the flow and the transformation of energy that occur in living organisms.
  86. bio-engineering The use of artificial tissues, organs and organ components to replace parts of the body that are damaged, lost or malfunctioning.
  87. bio-enrichment Adding nutrients or oxygen to increase microbial breakdown of pollutants.
  88. bio-ethics The branch of ethics that deals with the life sciences and their potential impact on society.
  89. bio-informatics The use and organization of information of biological interest. In particular, concerned with organizing bio-molecular databases (particularly DNA…
  90. bio-sequence listings a document that must be included only if a nucleotide or amino acid sequence is part of the invention.
  91. Bioaccumulants Substances in contaminated air, water, or food that increase in concentration in living organisms exposed to them because the substances are very slowly…
  92. Bioaccumulation See bioconcentration.
  93. BioAPI (Biometrics Application Programming Interface) Defines the application programming interface and service provider interface for a standard biometric technology interface.
  94. Bioassay A study of a living organism to measure the effect of a substance, factor, or condition.
  95. Bioassimilation The accumulation of a substance within a habitat.
  96. Bioaugmentation Increasing the activity of bacteria that decompose pollutants; a technique used in bioremediation.
  97. bioavailability The proportion of a nutrient or administered drug etc. that can be taken up by an organism in a biologically effective form.
  98. bioavailable The ability of a drug or other substance to be absorbed and used by the body. Orally bioavailable means that a drug or other substance that is taken by…
  99. Biobased products Fuels, chemicals, building materials, or electric power or heat produced from biological material(s).
  100. biocatalysis The use of enzymes to improve the efficiency of chemical reactions.