ExpertGlossary terms starting with P

3,647 terms

preemptive multitasking the execution of more than one program at a time on the same CPU with time-sharing strictly controlled by a scheduler.
Preference Priority access to Federal power by public bodies and cooperatives.
Preference customers Publicly owned systems and non-profit cooperatives which, by law, have preference over investor-owned systems for purchase of power from Federal projects.
Preference Immigration A system for determining which and when people can immigrate to the U.S. within the limits of immigration set by Congress.
preference or preferential debt payment A debt payment made to a creditor in the 90-day period before a debtor files bankruptcy (or within one year if the creditor was an insider) that gives the…
Preferential Defense Preferential defense is the a-priori assignment of defensive assets to protect given facilities or capabilities.
Preferential Defense Strategy A tactic used as part of the SDS strategy to optimize the use of weapons and sensors by selecting high value targets for engagement by the defense while…
Preferential Offense The concentration of offensive assets on a subset of targets.
Preferential Shuffling Shuffling when the remaining cards are deemed favorable to the players.
preferred embodiment The preferred embodiment of an invention can usually be interpreted as being recited as the best mode known to the inventor of carrying out the invention.
Preferred Provider A provider who has a contract with your health insurer or plan to provide services to you at a discount.
Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) A preferred provider organization (PP0) is a network of doctors and other healthcare providers that offers discounted care to members of a sponsoring…
Preferred Risk Policy (PRP) A policy that offers fixed combinations of building/contents coverage or contents-only coverage at modest, fixed premiums.
preferred shares Shares that carry dividends at fixed rates which must be paid before any dividends are paid to common shareholders.
Preferred Stock Some corporations issue preferred as well as common stock. Preferred stock can be an attractive investment because it typically pays a fixed dividend on a…
prefetch The process of retrieving and caching data before it is requested by the client.
prefix An "operator" that precedes its "operand", as in ++$x.
prefix-free code Synonym comma-free code.
pregabalin (preh-GAH-buh-lin) A drug used to treat nerve pain caused by diabetes or herpes zoster infection and certain types of seizures.
Pregnancy Diabetes See Gestational Diabetes
pregroup combining In communications systems, assembling a number of narrowband channels, such as 4-kHz-wide telephone channels, into a specified frequency band such that…
pregroup translation In communications systems, the process of transposing, in frequency, a pregroup of channels, such as telephone or data channels, in such a manner that…
Preheater (Solar) A solar heating system that preheats water or air that is then heated more by another heating appliance.
Prehistoric The time period before the appearance of written records. In the New World this generally refers to indigenous, precontact societies.
Prehistoric resources Refers to any material remains, structures, and items used or modified by people before Euro-Americans established a presence in the region.
Preimplantation With regard to an embryo, preimplantation means that the embryo has not yet implanted in the wall of the uterus.
prejudgment interest In patent litigation, prejudgment interest is interest on monetary judgment against an infringer awarded to a prevailing party measured from the date of…
preleukemia (PREE-loo-KEE-mee-a) A group of diseases in which the bone marrow does not make enough healthy blood cells.
Preliminary Amendment An amendment to a patent application filed simultaneously with the filing of the patent application or an amendment to a patent application filed before…
Preliminary Assessment / Site Inspection (PA/SI) The Preliminary Assessment (PA) and Site Inspection (SI) are used by EPA to evaluate the potential for a release of hazardous substances from a site.
preliminary call In radio transmission, a call that (a) includes at least the identification of the calling station and the called station, (b) is designed to establish…
preliminary data Data that have not necessarily been subjected to review, quality control and/or documentation by a responsible investigator.
Preliminary Design Review (PDR) A review conducted on each configuration item to evaluate the progress, technical adequacy, and risk resolution of the selected design approach; to…
Preliminary estimate The second estimate of gross domestic product (GDP) and its components for a quarter.
Preliminary estimates See Preliminary estimate
Preliminary Examination A preindictment hearing at which the prosecutor must present evidence sufficient to establish probable cause that a federal offense was committed and that…
Preliminary Examination Report A report notifying an applicant of the results of an International Preliminary Examination. MPEP 1860.
Preliminary hearing Also, preliminary examination. A hearing by a judge to determine whether a person charged with a crime should be held for trial. See arraignment.
Preliminary injunction Court order requiring action or forbidding action until a decision can be made whether to issue a permanent injunction.
Preliminary Report Now known as the "Tropical Cyclone Report". A report summarizing the life history and effects of an Atlantic or eastern Pacific tropical cyclone.
Preliminary Statement In an interference proceeding, a statement made under oath that sets out who made an invention and where and when it was made. MPEP 2321, MPEP 2322.
preliminary topology Refers to incomplete region topology. Region topology defines region-arc and region-polygon relationships.
premalignant (pree-muh-LIG-nunt) A term used to describe a condition that may (or is likely to) become cancer. Also called precancerous.
Premature chromosome condensation (PCC) A method of studying chromosomes in the interphase stage of the cell cycle.
premature disconnect The termination of an established connection, where the termination is not initiated by either of the connected end-users. [Tl-507-1996]
premature disconnect stimulus The untimely occurrence of an event or a combination of events that, according to the protocol, should result in a disconnection.
premature ovarian failure (PREE-muh-CHOOR oh-VAYR-ee-un FAYL-yer) A condition in which the ovaries stop working before age 40.
Premenopausal (pree-MEH-nuh-pawz-ul) Having to do with the time before menopause. Menopause ("change of life") is the time of life when a woman's menstrual periods stop…
Premiere French term for first and refers to the first group of 12 numbers in the Dozen Bet.
premises wiring See on-premises wiring.
Premium The price charged for insurance.
Premium credit card A credit card that offers high credit limits and often has additional features like product warranties, travel insurance, or emergency services.
Premium Finance Company A lending institution that finances automobile insurance premium for a fee.
Premium Players A casino term meaning big bettors or players with big credit lines.
Premium Support A one-on-one, fast-response support channel that AWS customers can subscribe to for support for AWS infrastructure services.
Premium Tax Credit The Affordable Care Act provides a new tax credit to help you afford health coverage purchased through the Marketplace.
premodulation combining Synonym precombining.
premycotic phase (PREE-my-CAH-tik fayz) A phase of mycosis fungoides in which a patient has areas of red, scaly, itchy skin on areas of the body that are usually not…
Prenuptial agreement A prenuptial agreement is an agreement entered into before marriage that sets forth each party's rights and responsibilities should the marriage terminate…
Prepaid college savings plan Prepaid savings plans are investment accounts in which an individual chooses among offered investment options, usually mutual funds.
Prepaid college tuition plan An education savings account or plan operated by a state or educational institution designed to help families accrue funds for future college costs.
Preparative Regimen The chemotherapy or radiation given before transplant.
Prepayment The payment of a debt before it actually becomes due.
Prepayment Clause A clause in a mortgage allowing the mortgagor to pay off part or all of the unpaid debt before it becomes due.
Prepayment Penalty A penalty imposed on a borrower for repaying the loan before its due date. (In the case of a mortgage, this applies when there is not a prepayment clause…
Prepayment Penalty (Mortgages) A charge assessed by a creditor when the consumer pays off all or part of the loan before it is due.
Prepayment penalty clause A clause in a mortgage that requires the borrower to pay a fee for retiring a loan before it becomes due.
Prepayment Penalty Mortgage (PPM) A type of mortgage that requires the borrower to pay a penalty for prepayment, partial payment of principal or for repaying the entire loan within a…
Prepayment penalty/prepayment premium A charge the mortgagor pays the mortgagee for the privilege to prepay the loan.
Preplanned Product Improvement (P 3 I) Planned future evolutionary improvement of developmental systems for which design considerations are effected during development to enhance future…
Preplanned Response Options (PRO) Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) reactions, which have been preplanned, analyzed, and pre-approved, for specific ballistic missile threats.
Preponderance of the evidence Greater weight of the evidence, the common standard of proof in civil cases.
Prepper An apocalyptically-minded individual preparing themselves for survival during an imminent societal or global change and, likely, disaster.
preprocessing What some helper "process" did to transform the incoming data into a form more suitable for the current process. Often done with an incoming "pipe".
Preproduction Prototype An article in final form employing standard parts, representative of articles to be produced subsequently in a production line.
Preproduction Test This is a test of design-qualified hardware that is produced using production tooling and processes, which will be used to produce the operational…
Prequalification When you prequalify for a mortgage, the lender calculates the approximate amount you'd be able to borrow, based on your current income and debt.
Prerefunding Prerefunding may occur when a corporation plans to redeem a callable bond before its maturity date.
PRES Pressure
Prescribed burning Deliberate setting and careful control of surface fires in forests to help prevent more destructive fires and to kill off unwanted plants that compete…
Prescribed elevation The elevation as called out or dictated in notes, drawings or specifications paragraphs.
Prescribed Fire A management ignited or natural wildland fire that burns under specified conditions where the fire is confined to a predetermined area and produces the…
Prescribed fires Application of fire (by planned or unplanned ignitions) to fuels in either their natural or modified states, under specified conditions, to allow the fire…
Prescribed Interexchange Charge (PICC) The charge the local exchange company assesses the long distance company when a consumer picks it as his or her long distance carrier.
Prescription A direction written by the physician to the pharmacist for the preparation and use of a medicine or remedy.
Prescription Drug You must have a doctor's prescription to receive a prescription drug.
Prescription Drug Abuse The use of a medication without a prescription; in a way other than as prescribed; or for the experience or feeling elicited.
Prescription Drug Coverage Health insurance or plan that helps pay for prescription drugs and medications.
Prescription Drug Product A prescription drug product requires a doctor's authorization to purchase.
Prescription Drugs Drugs and medications that, by law, require a prescription.
presence noise In telephony, a low-level artificial noise introduced into the receiver to indicate that the connection is still in effect, even though no voice sound is…
Present Movement The best estimate of the movement of the center of a tropical cyclone at a given time and given position.
Present value The current value of a future cash flow or series of cash flows discounted at an appropriate interest rate or rates.
Present value (PV) The current value of a future cash flow or series of cash flows discounted at an appropriate interest rate or rates.
Present Weather The type of weather observed at the reporting time. These conditions may include types and intensity of precipitation such as light rain or heavy snow, as…
Presentaciones de pretensiones y defensas en un juicio Proceso mediante el cual las partes presentan los hechos que justifican una acción judicial y sus alegatos o defensas.
presentation A collective term referring to a combination of choices a fisherman makes, such as the choice of lure, color, and size, the type of pole and/or tackle…
presentation context An association of an abstract syntax with a transfer syntax. [T1.208-1989]
Presentation Layer See Open Systems Interconnection--Reference Model.
presentation unit The smallest convenient division of a media stream (defined by the measurement system) that conveys an independent, self-contained unit of content, from…