Entries starting with F

A preproduction model, initial sample or pilot model.

first flush

nounAgricultural equipment

The first growth of buds, flowers, seeds, or whatever is harvested from a plant.

First Law of Robotics

nameRobotics

One of the Three Laws of Robotics, forbidding a robot to harm a human, through either action or inaction.

first-order hold

A mathematical model of the practical reconstruction of sampled signals that could be done by a conventional digital-to-analog converter and an analog circuit called an integrator.

fish

nounMarine and shipyard

A makeshift overlapping longitudinal brace, originally shaped roughly like a fish, used to temporarily repair or extend a spar or mast of a ship.

fishing space

The space between the base and head of a rail in which a rigid steel bar is placed.

fishmouth

A half-cylindrical or half-conical shaped opening or void in a lapped edge or seam, usually caused by wrinkling or shifting of ply sheets during installation.

fishplate

A metal bar that is bolted to the ends of two rails to join them together in a track.

fission rocket

nounIndustrial supplies, equipment, and components

A spacecraft having a fission reactor that powers the rocket.

fit and finish

nounAutomotive

The cosmetic quality of an automobile, in terms of the spacing and alignment of parts.

fit rod

A gauge rod used to try the depth of a bolt hole in order to determine the length of bolt required.

A (generally small) component or part of a device or machine, especially one that is standardized and replaceable; specifically, a standardized part of a piping system used to connect sections of pipe together, such as a coupling.

five-alarm

adjectiveIndustrial safety

The highest priority category of a multialarm fire.

fix

A non-waypoint terrain feature used to make a determination of location.

fix it again Tony

nameAutomotiveslang

Fiat, the Italian automaker.

FL

nounIndustrial supplies, equipment, and components

Abbreviation of flight level.

flag

nounMarine and shipyard

A flag flown by a ship to show the presence on board of the admiral; the admiral himself, or his flagship.

flambé

adjectiveIndustrial ceramics

Decorated by glaze splashed or irregularly spread upon the surface, or apparently applied at the top and allowed to run down the sides.

flange

verbMechanical engineering

To make a flange on; to furnish with a flange; to bend (esp. sheet metal) in the form of a flange.

flange lubricator

a device installed in order to reduce wear to both wheel flanges and the rails in the railway track.

flangeway

The gap in road surfaces, running rails at rails at junctions, etc, that allows the wheel flange of a rail vehicle to pass.

flank

Either of the two pockets located on the seat of a pair of pants.

flap

A hinged surface on the trailing edge of the wings of an aeroplane, used to increase lift and drag.

flapping

nounElectrical engineering

The situation where a resource, a network destination, etc., is advertised as being available and then unavailable (or available by different routes) in rapid succession.

flash

verbMetallurgy

To release the pressure from a pressurized vessel.

flash cut

nounElectrical engineering

A change made to a complex system with immediate effect, one made without a phase-in period.

flash drive

A small electronic device used to store digital data, more portable and robust than a hard drive.

flash for cash

adjectiveShop talk and trade slangidiomatic, informal

Pertaining to a scam where a motorist flashes their headlights to indicate to another driver to proceed against normal give-way rules, then runs into them and sues for damages.

flash fuel

nounIndustrial safety

Any natural forest material, such as grass or pine needles, that ignites easily and burns quickly.

flash memory

A rewritable memory chip that retains its data without a power supply.

flashcard

A solid-state digital memory storage format, commonly found on computers, digital cameras and cellphones.

flasher

nounAutomotive

An indicator or turn signal.

flashing

nounIndustrial supplies, equipment, and components

Components used to weatherproof or seal roof system edges at perimeters, penetrations, walls, expansion joints, valleys, drains and other places where the roof covering is interrupted or terminated.

flashing collar

an accessory flashing used to cover and/or seal soil pipe vents and other penetrations through a roof (sometimes referred to as roof jack or flashing boot).

flashover voltage

nounElectrical engineering

The voltage at which an electric discharge occurs between two electrodes that are separated by an insulator.

flat

nounMining and extraction

A horizontal vein or ore deposit auxiliary to a main vein; also, any horizontal portion of a vein not elsewhere horizontal.

flat crossing

A crossing where two railway lines cross each other on the same level.

flat junction

An at-grade junction between two crossing railroad tracks.

flat lad

nounMining and extraction

A craneman working with tubs and flats.

flat lock

a method of interlocking metal panels in which one panel edge is folded back on top of itself and the other panel is folded under, after which the two panels are hooked together.

flat rail

A metal pole or simple flat bar that is laid horizontally on the ground.

flat wagon

An open railway wagon without sides and roof, or with very low sides.

flatcar

A railroad freight car without sides and roof.

flatfield

nounOptics and imaging

A flat portion of a lens or curved mirror, especially one introduced accidentally or by damage.

flatlock

A style of stitching that creates a seam where the seam allowance lies flat to the garment instead of hanging loose from it.

flatpack

nounEnergy and utilities

A surface-mounted circuit board with leads attached in the plane of the board.

flatwork

Horizontal construction work using concrete, such as floors.

flax cotton

nounTextile production

Flax fibers reduced through steeping then prepared like cotton, through spinning and bleaching.

fleece

Mat or felts composed of fibers, sometimes used as a membrane backer.

fleeceware

nounTextile production

Apparel into which fleece-textile is fabricated.

fleet leader

The airframe or component with the longest time in service, compared to others of the same design.

fleeting

An automatic operation mode of an absolute signal that reserves a route for several trains following one another, without the need for dispatcher to re-set the route for each train.

Flemish bond

In bricklaying, an arrangement of bricks such that each course consists of alternate bricks having their short sides (headers) and long sides (stretchers) facing outwards, with alternate courses being offset.

flexible

Something that is flexible.

flighter

A horizontal vane revolving over the surface of wort in a cooler, so as to produce a circular current in the liquor.

flint mill

nounMining and extraction

An obsolete appliance for lighting a miner at his work, in which flints on a revolving wheel were made to produce a shower of sparks, which gave light without igniting the firedamp.

flip a bitch

verbAutomotiveslang

To make a rapid and illegal U-turn.

flip-flop

nounEnergy and utilities

A bistable; an electronic switching circuit that has either two stable states (switching between them in response to a trigger) or a stable and an unstable state (switching from one to the other and back again in response to a trigger), and which is thereby capable of serving as one bit of memory.

float