ExpertGlossary terms starting with F

2,087 terms

  1. FRACS Forward Reaction Altitude Control System.
  2. fractal A mathematical formula or algorithm that constitutes or defines an efficient way of formulating computer graphics.
  3. fractional frequency deviation Synonym fractional frequency offset.
  4. fractional frequency fluctuation The deviation of the frequency of an oscillator from its nominal constant frequency, normalized to the nominal frequency.
  5. fractional frequency offset A measure of the deviation of the frequency of a signal from a reference, expressed as a ratio.
  6. Fractional Horse Power Motor An electric motor rated at less than one horse power (hp).
  7. Fractional share If you reinvest your dividends or invest a fixed dollar amount in a stock dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP) or mutual fund, the amount may not be enough…
  8. fractional T1 In telecommunications, a portion of the 1.544 Mb/s (T1-aggregate) bit stream; the available fractions being determined by the type of multiplexer used to…
  9. fractionation Dividing the total dose of radiation therapy into several smaller, equal doses delivered over a period of several days.
  10. Fractocumulus A cumulus cloud presenting a ragged, shredded appearance, as if torn.
  11. Fractostratus A stratus cloud presenting a ragged, shredded appearance, as if torn. It differs from a fractocumulus cloud in having a smaller vertical extent and darker…
  12. Fracture (frack'chur)a broken bone.
  13. Fracture (joint) Crack or break in rocks along which no movement has occurred.
  14. Fracture Zone An area which has a great number of fractures.
  15. Fracturing Deformation process whereby ice is permanently deformed, and fracture occurs.
  16. Fractus Ragged, detached cloud fragments; same as scud.
  17. Fragile X syndrome After Down syndrome, the second most frequent genetic cause of mental retardation.
  18. fragment Partial structure. See: restriction fragment.
  19. Fragmentation Process by which habitats are increasingly subdivided into smaller units, resulting in their increased insularity as well as losses of total habitat area.
  20. Fragmentation of habitat The breaking up of a single habitat area into two or more smaller habitat patches that are separated from each other.
  21. Fragmentation Warhead A warhead, which releases small solid objects to damage or destroy its targets.
  22. Fragmented In the course of normal computer operations when files are saved, deleted or moved, the files or parts thereof may be broken into pieces, or fragmented…
  23. Fragmented Data Live data that has been disseminated and stored in multiple areas on a single hard drive or disk.
  24. Fragmin (FRAG-min) A drug used to prevent blood clots from forming or to treat blood clots that have formed in patients with cancer or other conditions.
  25. fragrance (FRAY-grants) A pleasant, sweet odor.
  26. Frame The stationary portion of a window unit that is affixed to the facade and holds the sash or other operable portions of the windows.
  27. Frame (Window) The outer casing of a window that sits in a designated opening of a structure and holds the window panes in place.
  28. frame alignment In the reception of framed digital data, the extent to which a received frame is correctly aligned with respect to the clock at the receiver. 2.
  29. frame check sequence (FCS) See cyclic redundancy check.
  30. frame duration The time between the beginning of a frame and the end of that frame. Note: For fixed-length frames, at a fixed data rate, frame duration is constant.
  31. frame frequency Synonym frame rate.
  32. frame grabber A device that can seize and record a single frame of video information out of a sequence of many frames.
  33. frame matching The process of comparing one sequence of frames with another sequence of frames in order to determine the correspondence between frames in each sequence…
  34. Frame of Reference The perspective from which an event is viewed. For example a man is standing on the side of the road, and he sees a woman drive past him in a car.
  35. frame overhead Bits (binary digits) that are added at regular intervals to a digital signal at the sending end of a digital link and used to provide network functions…
  36. frame pitch The distance, time, or number of bits between corresponding points, i.e., significant instants, in two consecutive frames. [From Weik '89]
  37. frame rate The number of frames transmitted or received per unit time. Note 1: The frame rate is usually expressed in frames per second.
  38. frame relay An interface protocol for statistically multiplexed packet-switched data communications in which (a) variable-sized packets (frames) are used that…
  39. frame relaying protocol data unit (FPDU) A data unit exchanged at the user-network interface and having a format based on that defined in CCITT Recommendation Q.921 (1988) (ANSI T1.602). [T1.
  40. frame relaying service data unit (FSDU) The data unit exchanged at the functional boundary between the core function of Q.
  41. frame size The number of octets after the address field and before the frame check sequence (FCS) field in a frame.
  42. frame slip In the reception of framed data, the loss of synchronization between a received frame and the receiver clock, causing a frame misalignment event, and…
  43. frame synchronization Of a received stream of framed data, the process by which incoming frame alignment signals, i.e., distinctive bit sequences, are identified, i.e.
  44. frame synchronization pattern In digital communications, a prescribed recurring pattern of bits transmitted to enable the receiver to achieve frame synchronization.
  45. frame-alignment recovery time Synonym reframing time.
  46. frame-alignment signal In the transmission of data frames, a distinctive sequence of bits used to accomplish frame alignment.
  47. frame-alignment time slot A time slot occupying the same relative position in every frame and used to transmit the frame alignment signal. [T1.107-1988]
  48. frame-rate conversion With respect to television or other video display technologies, the process of transforming from one standard frame rate to another, using an algorithm.
  49. framed interface An interface through which information flow is partitioned into physical, periodic frames consisting of overhead information and an information payload.
  50. Frames An HTML technique for combining two or more separate HTML documents within a single web browser screen.
  51. Frameset A web page that is made up of frames. A useful analogy: if the individual frames that make up the frameset are the 'children,' then the frameset is the…
  52. frameshift mutation A mutation that changes the reading frame of a DNA, either by the insertion or the deletion of nucleotides.
  53. Framing The structural materials and elements used to construct a wall.
  54. framing bit A bit used for frame synchronization. 2. In a bit stream, a bit used in determining the beginning or end of a frame.
  55. framing signal See frame-alignment signal, framing bit.
  56. franchise A legal agreement by which a company (franchisor) licenses its trade name and/or business system and practices for a fee to another (franchisee).
  57. Francis Turbine A type of hydropower turbine that contains a runner that has water passages through it formed by curved vanes or blades.
  58. frankincense tree (FRAN-kin-SENTS…) A tree that belongs to the incense tree family. The tree's amber-colored resin is used in incense.
  59. FRAS Free Rocket Anti-Submarine.
  60. Fraternal organization A society such as Moose, Shriners, Elks, Knights of Columbus, etc.
  61. Fraternal twin Siblings born at the same time as the result of fertilization of two ova by two sperm.
  62. Fraud A false representation of a matter of fact which is intended to deceive another.
  63. Fraud Alert A key provision of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 is the consumer's ability to place a fraud alert on their credit record.
  64. fraud on the Patent and Trademark Office This is now frequently referred to as inequitable conduct. An applicant and the applicant's attorney have an obligation to acquaint the U.S.
  65. Fraude, estafa Una representación intencionalmente falsa, un engaño o una distorsión de la verdad.
  66. fraudulent transfer A transfer of a debtor's property made with intent to defraud or for which the debtor receives less than the transferred property's value.
  67. Fraunhofer diffraction pattern Synonym far-field diffraction pattern.
  68. Fraunhofer region Synonym far-field region.
  69. Frazil Ice Fine spicules, plates, or discoids of ice suspended in water. In rivers and lakes, frazil is formed in supercooled, turbulent water.
  70. Frazil Slush An agglomerate of loosely packed frazil which floats or accumulates under the ice cover.
  71. FRC Fire Control Radar
  72. FRCP Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
  73. FRCP or Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rules that govern civil actions brought in U.S. Federal district courts. Many states enact similar rules.
  74. FRD Facilities Requirements Document.
  75. Freak Wave A wave of much greater height and steepness than other waves in the prevailing sea or swell system. See Rogue Wave.
  76. Freddie Mac Freddie Mac is a shareholder-owned corporation that was chartered in 1970 to increase the supply of mortgage money that lenders are able to make available…
  77. Free and clear Owning property free and clear is having title to a property without encumbrances; that is, free of liens.
  78. Free Atmosphere The part of the atmosphere that lies above the frictional influence of the earth's surface.
  79. Free Card A turn or river card on which you don't have to call a bet because of play earlier in the hand (or because of your reputation with your opponents).
  80. Free cash flow A business's free cash flow statement may differ significantly from its cash flow statement.
  81. Free Checks Number of free transactions allotted to the described account on a monthly basis. If this limit is exceeded, the per-item charge is assessed.
  82. Free Electron Laser (FEL) A type of laser, which generates radiation by the interaction of an electron beam with a static magnetic or electric field.
  83. Free Ground Water Unconfined ground water whose upper boundary is a free water table.
  84. free net A radio net in which any station may communicate with any other station in the net without first obtaining the permission of the net-control station.
  85. free radical A highly reactive chemical that often contains oxygen and is produced when molecules are split to give products that have unpaired electrons (a process…
  86. Free Rocket A rocket not subject to guidance or control in flight.
  87. Free Roll One player has a shot at winning an entire pot when he is currently tied with another player.
  88. free routing The routing of messages in such a manner that they are forwarded toward their destination or addressee over any available channel without dependence upon…
  89. free space A theoretical concept of space devoid of all matter. Note: Free space also implies remoteness from material objects that could influence the propagation…
  90. free spool, or free-spool A reel that allows line to feed freely to the fish or current, or the method of feeding line without drag or resistance to fish or current.
  91. free text search A search in which the search term is expressed as free-form text.
  92. Free Time That amount of time that a carrier’s equipment may be used without incurring additional charges.
  93. free water The cellular water released into the intercellular spaces when tissue is frozen and thawed. Opposite: bound water.
  94. free-living conditions Natural or greenhouse conditions experienced by plantlets upon transfer from in vitro conditions to soil.
  95. free-running capability In a synchronized oscillator, the capability to operate in the absence of a synchronizing signal.
  96. free-space coupling Coupling of magnetic, electric, or electromagnetic fields that are not confined to a conductor.
  97. free-space loss The signal attenuation that would result if all absorbing, diffracting, obstructing, refracting, scattering, and reflecting influences were sufficiently…
  98. free/busy status The availability of a person. In addition to free and busy, the status can also be out-of-office (OOF) or tentative. [Exchange 2003]
  99. Freeboard Portion of the dam above spillway level to protect the dam against washout.
  100. Freedom of Information Act A U.S. federal law created to ensure public access to government records A term commonly used to refer to this type of legislation Also referred to as…