ExpertGlossary terms starting with S

4,972 terms

  1. sleep disorder (sleep dis-OR-der) A disturbance of normal sleep patterns. There are a number of sleep disorders that range from trouble falling asleep, to nightmares…
  2. sleep stage One of 5 parts or stages of the sleep cycle based on the type of brain activity that occurs during the stage.
  3. Sleet Precipitation that consists of clear pellets of ice; sleet is formed when raindrops fall through a layer of cold air and freeze.
  4. Sleet Warning Issued when accumulation of sleet in excess of 1/2" is expected; this is a relatively rare scenario.
  5. sleeve lobectomy (...loh-BEK-toh-mee) Surgery to remove a lung tumor in a lobe of the lung and a part of the main bronchus (airway).
  6. sleeve resection (...ree-SEK-shun) Surgery to remove a lung tumor in a lobe of the lung and a part of the main bronchus (airway).
  7. Slew Time The time needed for a weapon/sensor/antenna to move from point to point.
  8. slewing Rotating a directional antenna or transducer rapidly about one or more axes. 2. Changing the frequency or pulse repetition rate of a signal source. 3.
  9. SLGT Slight
  10. slice A selection of any number of elements from a "list", "array", or "hash".
  11. Slick A track condition where, for a number of reasons, it's hard for a car's tires to adhere to the surface or get a good "bite.
  12. Slide A small landslide.
  13. Slide gate A steel gate that upon opening or closing slides on its bearings in edge guide slots. A gate that can be opened or closed by sliding in supporting guides.
  14. Slide Gate (Sluice Gate) A gate that can be opened or closed by sliding it in supporting guides.
  15. sliding window A variable-duration window that allows a sender to transmit a specified number of data units before an acknowledgement is received or before a specified…
  16. Slight Chance In probability of precipitation statements, usually equivalent to a 20 percent chance.
  17. Slight Risk (of severe thunderstorms)- Severe thunderstorms are expected to affect between 2 and 5 percent of the area.
  18. Sling Psychrometer An instrument used to measure the water vapor content of the atmosphere in which wet and dry bulb thermometers are mounted on a frame connected to a…
  19. Slingshot A maneuver in which a car following the leader in a draft suddenly steers around it, breaking the vacuum; this provides an extra burst of speed that…
  20. Slinky<sup>TM</sup> Ground Loop In this type of closed-loop, horizontal geothermal heat pump installation, the fluid-filled plastic heat exchanger pipes are coiled like a SlinkyTM to…
  21. SLIP Motion occurring along a fault plane.
  22. slip law A few days after a law has been enacted, it is officially published first as a "slip law.
  23. Slip rate The rate of motion obtained when the amount of offset is divided by a time interval.
  24. slip-float A float rigged with a tin stop or bead on the line to make it stop at a pre-determined depth.
  25. slip-free operation Operation of a communications system with sufficient phase-locking to avoid overflowing or emptying buffers.
  26. slip-sinker A lead, zinc or steel weight with a hole through the center that allows it to slide freely up and down the fishing line.
  27. SLIP/PPP A dialup version of TCP/IP.
  28. slippery elm The inner bark of this plant has been used in some cultures to treat certain medical problems. It may have antioxidant effects.
  29. slit source Synonym line source.
  30. slit-lamp biomicroscopy (… BY-oh-my-KROS-koh-pee) An eye exam using an instrument that combines a low-power microscope with a light source that makes a narrow beam of…
  31. slit-lamp eye exam An eye exam using an instrument that combines a low-power microscope with a light source that makes a narrow beam of light.
  32. sliver polygon A small areal feature commonly occurring along the borders of polygons following the topological overlay of two or more coverages.
  33. SLKT Survivability, Lethality, and Key Technology.
  34. SLO Slow
  35. SLO (Service Level Objective) The specific quantifiable and measurable attributes of a service that form the basis of a Service Level Agreement. See also: Service Level Agreement
  36. SLOC Sea Line of Communication.
  37. slope An inclined surface usually defined by the ratio of the horizontal distance to the vertical distance, i.e. 2:1 (2 horizontal units to 1 vertical unit).
  38. slope equalizer A device or circuit used to achieve a specified slope in a metallic transmission line.
  39. Slope failure The downward and outward movement of a mass of rock or unconsolidated materials as a unit. Landslides and slumps are examples.
  40. Slope Protection The protection of an embankment slope against wave action or erosion.
  41. Slope stability The resistance of an inclined surface to failure by sliding or collapsing.
  42. slope-keypoint compaction Data compaction accomplished by stating (a) a specific keypoint of departure, (b) a direction or slope of departure, (c) the maximum deviation from a…
  43. SLOSH (Sea, Lake and Overland Surges from Hurricanes) - A computer model run by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) to estimate storm surge heights resulting…
  44. slot A fishing size limit where the angler may keep fish shorter than a minimum length but longer than an upper length limit.
  45. slot antenna A radiating element formed by a slot in a conducting surface or in the wall of a waveguide.
  46. Slot limit Fishing regulation which requires release of fish within a listed size range (or slot).
  47. slot time In networks using carrier sense multiple access with collision detection (CSMA/CD), the length of time that a transmitting station waits before attempting…
  48. slotted-ring network A ring network that allows unidirectional data transmission between data stations by transferring data in predefined slots in the transmission stream over…
  49. Slough A long, narrow stretch of water such as a small stream or feeder tributary off a lake or river.
  50. Slow market A slow market is one with sluggish trading and static prices. In this environment, it may be difficult to find buyers willing to pay the price at which…
  51. Slow Play To play a strong hand weakly so more players will stay in the pot.
  52. Slow pyrolysis Thermal conversion of biomass to fuel by slow heating to less than 450°C in the absence of oxygen.
  53. slow roll or slow rolling A spinnerbait presentation in which the lure is retrieved slowly through and over cover and objects. A trailer bait is often on the hook.
  54. SLP Sea Level Pressure
  55. SLRX System Life-cycle Risk Expert.
  56. SLS See Shoot-Look-Shoot.
  57. SLT 1. Slight (as in "slight chance") 2. Sleet
  58. Sludge The mixture of organic and inorganic substances separated from sewage.
  59. Slug Large initial amount. A unit of mass which will undergo an acceleration of 1 foot per second squared when a force of 1 pound is applied to it.
  60. Slug-Go A brand of soft-plastic jerkbait.
  61. Sluice An opening for releasing water from below the static head elevation.
  62. Sluice gate A gate that can be opened or closed by sliding in supporting guides.
  63. Sluiceway An opening in a diversion dam used to discharge heavy floating debris safely past the dam.
  64. Sluicing A method of compacting soil where the soil is washed into placed with a high velocity stream of water.
  65. slurp To read an entire "file" into a "string" in one operation.
  66. Slurry Watery mixture of insoluble matter which is pumped beneath a dam to form an impervious barrier. Cement grout.
  67. Slurry trench A narrow excavation whose sides are supported by a mud slurry filling the excavation. Sometimes used incorrectly to describe the cutoff itself.
  68. slush bait A top-water plug with flat or pointed head.
  69. SLV (1) Space Launched Vehicle. (2) Satellite Launch Vehicle.
  70. SLY Southerly
  71. SM service mark
  72. SM&R Source, Maintenance and Recoverability (ILS term).
  73. SM-2 Standard Missile-2. (U.S. Navy)
  74. SM-3 Standard Missile-3.
  75. SM-ALC Sacramento Air Logistics Center (USAF term).
  76. SMA The Soil Moisture Accounting Model.
  77. Small Blind The smaller of two blind bets typically used in a hold'em game. Normally, the small blind is one-third to two-thirds of a first round bet.
  78. Small Business Administration (SBA) A federal agency authorized to make loans to small businesses, including loans for land purchase and construction.
  79. small business concern for purposes of small entity determination per MPEP 509.02 - any business concern meeting the size standards set forth in 13 CFR Part 121 to be eligible…
  80. Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) The SHOP is a program of Maryland Health Connection, the new online health insurance marketplace.
  81. small cap fund A small Cap Fund is a mutual fund that holds the stocks of small capitalized companies as opposed to large "blue chip" companies.
  82. small cell lung cancer An aggressive (fast-growing) cancer that forms in tissues of the lung and can spread to other parts of the body.
  83. Small Claims Court A state court that handles civil claims for small amounts of money. People often represent themselves rather than hire an attorney.
  84. Small Claims Court/Conciliation Court Conciliation Court is often called Small Claims Court. Conciliation Court was created to allow citizens to bring their legal claims before the court…
  85. small corporate offering registration (scor) (see registration by qualification) The Small Corporate Offering Registration ("SCOR") is designed for United States based corporations that offer securities in reliance on the exemption…
  86. Small Craft There is no precise definition for small craft. Any vessel that may be adversely affected by Small Craft Advisory criteria should be considered a small…
  87. Small Craft Advisory (SCA) - An advisory issued by coastal and Great Lakes Weather Forecast Offices (WFO) for areas included in the Coastal Waters Forecast or Nearshore Marine…
  88. Small Craft Advisory for Hazardous Seas (SCAHS) - An advisory issued by coastal and Great Lakes Weather Forecast Offices (WFO).
  89. Small Craft Advisory for Rough Bar (SCARB): An advisory issued by coastal and Great Lakes Weather Forecast Offices (WFO) for specialized areas near harbor or river entrances known as bars.
  90. Small Craft Advisory for Winds (SCAW): An advisory issued by coastal and Great Lakes Weather Forecast Offices (WFO).
  91. Small Craft Should Exercise Caution Precautionary statement issued to alert mariners with small, weather sensitive boats.
  92. Small Employer In California's insurance code, a small employer is anyone who employs from 2-50 people. The employer(s) can be included in this number.
  93. Small Entity for purposes of small entity determination per MPEP 509.02 - means an independent inventor, a small business concern, or a nonprofit organization eligible…
  94. Small group market The market for health insurance coverage offered to small businesses - those with between 2 and 50 employees in most states, including Minnesota.
  95. Small Hail Technically used to refer to snow pellets or graupel.
  96. small intestine (... in-TES-tin) The part of the digestive tract that is located between the stomach and the large intestine.
  97. small intestine cancer (... in-TES-tin KAN-ser) A rare cancer that forms in tissues of the small intestine (the part of the digestive tract between the stomach and the large…
  98. small loan company A small loan company is any person or entity that engages in the business of making loans of money or credit in the amount or to the value of five…
  99. small lymphocytic lymphoma (LIM-foh-SI-tik lim-FOH-muh) An indolent (slow-growing) type of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma marked by swollen lymph nodes that usually occurs in people…
  100. small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (Abbreviation: snRNP). A complex of small nuclear RNA and nuclear protein, heavily involved in the post-transcriptional processing of mRNA, especially the…