FOP
Initialism of form of payment.
Entries starting with F
411 entries.
force pair
Two forces acting at the same point with equal magnitude but opposite direction, resulting from Newton's third law ("every action has an equal and opposite reaction").
forced induction
The process of blowing compressed air into the cylinders of an internal combustion piston engine to increase the compression ratio and power of the engine, typically by using a turbocharger or supercharger.
forcing
The art of raising plants at an earlier season than is normal, especially by using a hotbed
fore-overman
A supervisor in charge of overmen.
forebeam
nounRobotics
The support section of a robot arm that goes from the main body of the robot to the gripper.
forefoot
nounManufacturing
A piece of timber terminating the keel at the fore end, connecting it with the lower end of the stem.
foresight
nounSurveying
A bearing taken forwards towards a new object.
forest gardening
An agroforestry food production system modeled on woodland ecosystems.
forestone
nounMetallurgy
A piece of cast-iron which lies across the hearth with its ends resting between the keystones, and which can be moved toward the front or back of the hearth as required. It is a part of the small rectangular furnace called the "ore-hearth," used in the smelting of lead.
forge
verbMetalworking
To shape a metal by heating and hammering.
forgeability
nounMetallurgy
The quality or degree of being forgeable.
forgeable
adjectiveMetallurgy
That can be forged (shaped under heat and pressure).
fork
The bottom of a sump into which the water of a mine drains.
fork beam
nounManufacturing
A half beam to support a deck, where hatchways occur.
fork oil
nounAutomotive
A lubricant for use on the fork of a motorcycle.
form
The type or other matter from which an impression is to be taken, arranged and secured in a chase.
form factor
A factor describing the stress distribution of a body.
formate
To assemble flying aircraft into formation; to fly in formation.
formboard
nounConstruction
A board or slab that serves as a mold for poured concrete.
formwork
nounConstruction
A temporary mold, made from planks, into which concrete is poured.
forward echo
The propagation of a signal reflection in the same direction as the original signal and consisting of energy reflected back by one discontinuity and then forward again by another discontinuity.
forward link
In radio communications, the link from a fixed location (e.g., a base station) to a mobile user. If the link includes a communications relay satellite, the forward link will consist of both an uplink (base station to satellite) and a downlink (satellite to mobile user).
FOT
nameRail equipment
The station code of Fo Tan in Hong Kong.
found
The period of time when a furnace is at its hottest; the interval in which the furnace is meant to fully melt glass.
foundress
A female founder (“one who founds or casts metals”).
four foot
the space between the rails on a standard gauge railway line.
four-on-the-floor
nounAutomotive
A four-speed manual transmission whose gearshift lever is mounted beside the driver on the floor of the vehicle.
four-seater
A motor vehicle designed to accommodate four individuals.
four-stroking
nounAutomotive
Abnormal operation of a two-stroke internal combustion engine, such that the cylinder only fires every second cycle (like a four-stroke engine). This occurs when the exhaust scavenging and inlet charging leaves a mixture in the cylinder which does not ignite, but needs a second scavenge/charge to produce an adequate mix.
four-tracking
nounRail equipment
Provision of four running lines on a stretch of railway track, usually two in each direction.
four-way cock
A cock connected with four pipes or ports, and having two or more passages in the plug, by which the adjacent pipes or ports may be made to communicate; formerly used as a valve in the steam engine, and for various other purposes.
four-wheel-drive
adjectiveAutomotive
four-wheel drive when used as an attributive adjective.
Fourier transform
A particular integral transform that when applied to a function of time (such as a signal), converts the function to one that plots the original function's frequency composition; the resultant function of such a conversion.
fourth class
nounRail equipment
A class of rail travel formerly found in some countries.
fourth rail
nounRail equipment
An extra rail in addition to the third rail (live rail) which is used for current return purposes, mainly by London Underground, because of problems caused by using the running rails for current return underground.
Fowler flap
A split flap that slides backwards before hinging downward, thereby increasing first chord, then camber. It may or may not form part of the upper surface of the wing.
fox
A wedge driven into the split end of a bolt to tighten it.
foxing
The discoloration of printed material with brown marks.
foxtail
nounMetallurgy
The last cinders obtained in the fining process.
FPC
Initialism of flexible printed circuit.
FPDP
Initialism of Front Panel Data Port.
FPGA
Initialism of field-programmable gate array.
FPU
Initialism of floating-point unit.
frame
A movable structure used for the cultivation or the sheltering of plants.
frame rail
nounAutomotive
Each of the two main longitudinal structural members of a body‑on‑frame vehicle, running parallel front to rear and supporting the chassis, to which cross‑members, suspension, drivetrain, and body are attached.
frame table
nounAutomotive
a supporting framework that is true and square, used to square up a vehicular frame, to elevate a vehicle's frame to work on it, or to build a framework that should be square and true.
frame up
verbConstruction
To erect the initial walls and roof of (a new building).
frame-alignment recovery time
The amount of time that elapses between a valid frame alignment signal that is available at the receiving terminal equipment and the moment that frame alignment is established.
framing hammer
nounCarpentry
A form of a claw hammer used for heavy wood construction, particularly house framing and concrete formwork.
framing square
nounConstruction
A large carpenter's square.
free and easy
adjectiveTransport and logistics
Travelling according to one's own personal schedule and preferences.
free surface effect
The tendency of liquids and liquid-like aggregates to move in response to changes in the attitude of a craft's cargo holds, decks, or liquid tanks in reaction to operator-induced motions (or sea states caused by waves and wind acting upon the craft).
free-fall time
The characteristic amount of time required for a body to collapse under its own gravitational attraction, if no other forces exist to oppose the collapse.
free-hanging
adjectiveConstruction
Hanging clear of other objects and without support from other objects.
freelancer
One who performs duties outside of the chain of command and SOPs.
freewheel
Of a gear, to continue spinning after disengagement.
freight operating company
nounRail equipment
A company that runs freight trains on the national railway network in Great Britain under license from the government.
freight-only
adjectiveRail equipment
Describing a railway line that is used only by freight trains
French cleat
nounCarpentry
A type of simple wall-hanging hardware.