cold treatment
stratification by means of exposing seeds to cold
Entries starting with C
768 entries.
cold work
nounMetallurgy
Any of several plastic deformations of metal (or other material) at relatively low temperatures.
cold working
nounMetallurgy
The working of a metal (e.g., hammering, forging, rolling, swaging) at low temperatures, such as room temperature rather than furnace temperature; it often serves to strengthen a metal.
cold-blooded
adjectiveAutomotive
Of an engine or vehicle: difficult to start; runs poorly until warmed up.
cold-shut
adjectiveMetalworking
Closed while too cold to become thoroughly welded; said of a forging or casting.
collar
A curb, or a horizontal timbering, around the mouth of a shaft.
collaring
A piece of wood or iron for securing the pumps in a mineshaft.
collector
The amplified terminal on a bipolar junction transistor.
collector shoe
nounRail equipment
A current collector on an electric train or locomotive which is in contact with the live rail.
collet
In an embryonic plant, the transition zone between the root and the hypocotyl (not clearly distinguishable in most plants.)
colony collapse disorder
A mysterious and widespread phenomenon of the sudden disappearance of colonies of bees.
colophon
A printer's or publisher's identifying inscription or logo appearing at the front or end of a book, or the same appearing on the spine or dust jacket.
color
Gold, particles of gold found when prospecting.
color separation
The process of breaking down a colored image into its component colors in order for it to be printed.
colour bar
A pattern of varying tonal density that enables visual and numeric comparisons to be made across multiple printed sheets or pages.
colour light signal
nounRail equipment
An electric railway signal with colour aspects, showing either red or green in a 2-aspect signal, with the addition of a yellow or double yellow aspect (meaning caution) in 3- and 4-aspect signals.
colt
A short piece of rope once used by petty officers as an instrument of punishment.
Columbian
A size of type between English and great primer, standardized as 16-point.
column inch
One inch of a printed column; a measure of space allocated.
column shifter
A shift lever used to change gears, mounted on the steering column; it is most often for an automatic transmission (e.g., P R N D 2 1) but may sometimes be for a manual transmission, such as a three-on-the-tree (e.g., R‑N‑1‑2‑3).
coma
A defect characterized by diffuse, pear-shaped images that in an ideal image would appear as points.
comatic
adjectiveOptics and imaging
Of or pertaining to coma (the distortion of a lens).
comb
A toothed wooden pick used to push the weft thread tightly against the previous pass of thread to create a tight weave.
combination car
nounRail equipment
A railroad car containing two or more compartments used for different purposes, transporting passengers and freight.
combinational circuit
A switching circuit whose output is determined solely by some combination of its concurrent inputs.
combinational logic
A form of digital circuit logic where the current outputs are entirely a function of the current inputs, without having a memory of previous inputs or states.
combine harvester
A farm machine that harvests, threshes, and winnows ripe grain.
combined cycle
adjectiveAviation maintenance
using multiple propulsion techniques in an interlinked synergistic way to give improved performance
combing ridge
nounConstruction
A topmost row of roofing slates that project above the line of the ridge
comby
adjectiveRail equipment
Of a wheel: having a defect consisting of a network of fine cracks covering a small area of the tread.
commercial
adjectiveAviation maintenance
Designating an airport that serves passenger and/or cargo flights.
comminution
The breaking or grinding up of a material to form smaller particles.
commodity exchange
An organization operating under a set of bylaws aimed at promoting trade in one or more commodities by providing services and rules for the conduct of trade.
commodore
A naval officer holding a rank between captain and rear admiral.
common carrier
A company providing public telecommunications facilities.
common crossing
The part of a railway switch or turnout where the running-rails cross; a frog.
commonality
A quality that applies to materiel or systems: (a) possessing like and interchangeable parts or characteristics enabling each to be utilized, or operated and maintained in common; (b) having interchangeable repair parts and/or components; (c) applying to consumable items interchangeably equivalent without adjustment.
communications satellite
An artificial satellite that relays and amplifies radio telecommunication signals by means of a transponder.
commutate
To reverse the direction of (a current).
commutation
The reversal of an electric current.
commuter
Normally a short form of commuter rail, commuter train or commuter bus; A transport system or a vehicle in such systems used to transport commuters (#2)
commuter rail
nounRail equipment
A rail transport system with trains used to transport commuters between two places, typically their homes and works, normally within a metropolitan area and its surrounding environs, and generally distinguished from other rail transport systems (i.e. subways, metros, tramways) by having less frequent service, lacking free transfers between trains and using heavy rolling stock running on a mainline railway
companding
A process in which noise in a signal is reduced by selective compression and expansion
compandor
Any device used in companding
company
A specific aircraft or its airline, usually used in air traffic communications to refer conveniently to another aircraft operated by the same airline.
compass plane
nounCarpentry
A plane, convex in the direction of its length on the underside, for smoothing the concave faces of curved woodwork.
compass swing
The process of swinging and compensating a ship or aircraft compass by determining and reducing the deviation coefficients and recording the residual deviations; now done by computer.
compatibility
the capability of two or more items or components of equipment or material to exist or function in the same system or environment without mutual interference.
complement
The color which, when mixed with the given color, gives black (for mixing pigments) or white (for mixing light).
compliance
A measure of the extension or displacement of a loaded structure; its flexibility.
compliance car
nounAutomotive
A motor vehicle made in a manner to comply with government specification, in quantities to comply to government regulations on quota minimums, to sell to the public, frequently in limited areas, at a loss, without promotion, and under active dissuasion among dealers.
compose
To arrange (types) in a composing stick for printing; to typeset.
composing frame
A stand for holding cases of type when in use.
composing rule
A thin slip of brass or steel, against which the type is arranged in a composing stick, or by the aid of which stickfuls or handfuls or type are lifted.
composite
nounRail equipment
A railway carriage with compartments for two different classes of travel; see Composite Corridor.
composite board insulation
nounConstruction
A rigid board insulation generally composed of perlite or wood fiberboard factory bonded to polyisocyanurate or polystyrene.
composite carriage
nounRail equipment
A railway carriage with compartments of different classes.
composite video, blanking, and sync
Standardised format of an analog picture-only television signal.
compost heap
a pile of garden or other organic waste which is left to decompose. See also compost.
compound
nounRail equipment
A compound locomotive, a steam locomotive with both high-pressure and low-pressure cylinders.