gear change
An instance of changing gears (shifting gears).
Entries starting with G
252 entries.
gear shift
That part of a gearbox involved in changing gear, including the lever and the forks attached to it.
gear train
A system of interconnected gears.
gear wheel
A wheel with a toothed rim, intended to engage with others, or similar equipment, to form a gear.
Gedge hook
A type of hook used in coupling railway vehicles together.
Geep
A nickname for the EMD GP series diesel locomotives.
gem
A size of type between brilliant (4-point) and diamond (4½-point), running 222 lines to the foot.
gender changer
A coupling device that allows two male or two female connectors to be joined together.
general cargo
Goods that are stowed in a ship in individually counted units and recorded on different bills of lading, and distinct from bulk cargo or cargo in containers; now largely superseded by containerisation of goods.
general contractor
nounConstruction
A contractor hired to manage a project and to hire subcontractors. (If a customer serves as their own general contractor then this means they undertake the management tasks and the hiring of subcontractors.)
generation loss
The loss of quality between successive copies, usually associated with magnetic audio and video media.
Geneva mechanism
A mechanism that translates a continuous rotation into an intermittent rotary motion, using an intermittent gear where the drive wheel has a pin that reaches into a slot of the driven wheel and thereby advances it by one step, and having a raised circular blocking disc that locks the driven wheel in position between steps.
Geneva wheel
A mechanism that translates a continuous rotation into an intermittent rotary motion.
geodimeter
nounSurveying
An instrument measuring the distance between two points by means of a laser.
geoengineering
The subfield of engineering concerned with designing and constructing tunnels, mines, and other human-designed geologic structures within and on earth.
Geordie lamp
A miners' lamp or safety lamp used in coal mines to prevent explosions.
George
The autopilot of an aircraft.
geothermy
The process and practice of harvesting heat produced by the Earth to be used as an energy source.
German
A size of type between American and Saxon, 1+¹⁄₂-point type.
germinate
Of a seed, to begin to grow, to sprout roots and leaves.
get to grass
To leave a mine and get to the surface, particularly to escape an underground disaster.
getter
A miner who dug coal, contrasted with the putter, who took it to the surface.
GFET
Acronym of graphene field effect transistor
ghost
Of a sailing vessel: to sail seemingly with very little or no wind.
ghost call
A telephone call for which, when the recipient of the call answers, there is no one on the other end.
ghost island
An area of road surface marked with cross hatching as a means of separating traffic or reducing speed, or to provide a safe area to turn right across approaching traffic.
ghosting
The blurry appearance of a television picture resulting from interference caused by multipath reception.
Gibson ring
nounRail equipment
A retaining ring used to fit a steel tire/tyre to the wheel of rolling stock.
giddy
Of an animal, chiefly a sheep: affected by gid (“a disease caused by parasitic infestation of the brain by tapeworm larvae”), which may result in the animal turning around aimlessly.
gig
A small, narrow, open boat carried in a larger ship, and used for transportation between the ship and the shore, another vessel, etc.
gigaampere
An SI unit of current equal to 10⁹ amperes. Symbol: GA
gigagram
An SI unit of mass equal to 10⁹ grams. Symbol: Gg
gigajoule
An SI unit of energy equal to 10⁹ joules. Symbol: GJ
gigakatal
An SI unit of catalytic activity equal to 10⁹ katals. Symbol: G
giganewton
An SI unit of force equal to 10⁹ newtons. Symbol: GN
gigasecond
An SI unit of time equal to 10⁹ seconds. Symbol: Gs. (= 31.7098 years)
giggle juice
Nitrous oxide, laughing gas.
gimbal
To move a reaction engine about on a gimbal so as to obtain pitching and yawing correction moments.
gimmick capacitor
A capacitor consisting of two insulated wires twined together.
gimp
Of yarn, cord, thread, etc., to wrap or wind (surround) with another length of yarn or wire in a tight spiral, often by means of a gimping machine, creating 'gimped yarn', etc. Also, generally, to wrap or twist with string or wire. See gimped.
gimped
adjectiveManufacturing
Adorned with gimp (decorative trim); edged or embroidered.
gin
A hoisting drum, usually vertical; a whim.
ginging
The lining of a mineshaft with stones or bricks to prevent collapse.
GIP
Initialism of GSM Interworking Profile (profile that allows a DECT base station to form part of a GSM network, given suitable handsets)
girdle
A thin bed or stratum of stone.
girthweld
A circumferential weld that joins two cylindrical sections, such as pipes or pressure vessels, by welding around their perimeter. Girth welds are commonly used in pipeline construction.
GIS
nounAutomotive
Initialism of gas injection system.
Glan, Foucault prism
A polarizing prism composed of two pieces of calcite separated by a thin gap of air.
Glan, Thompson prism
A polarizing prism similar to the Glan, Foucault prism, except the air gap is replaced with a layer of cement.
gland
A compressable cylindrical case and its contents around a shaft where it passes through a barrier, intended to prevent the passage of a fluid past the barrier, used for example around a ship’s propeller shaft or around a tap, valve or faucet.
glare
A call collision; the situation where an incoming call occurs at the same time as an outgoing call.
glass felt
nounConstruction
glass fibers bonded into a sheet with resin and suitable for impregnation with asphalt in the manufacture of bituminous waterproofing, roofing membranes and shingles.
glasspack
nounAutomotive
A kind of automobile muffler in which the exhaust gas passes straight through the center of the muffler. It consists of a smaller tube centered inside a larger tube that is enlarged or swollen in the middle, the gap between tubes being filled with fiberglass.
glaze
The vitreous coating of pottery or porcelain; anything used as a coating or color in glazing.
glaze coat
nounConstruction
a thin protective coating of bitumen applied to the lower plies or top ply of a roof membrane when application of additional felts or surfacing are delayed.
glazed
adjectiveConstruction
Having glass in the windows.
glebe
A piece of earth containing ore.
glistening
A fluid-filled microvacuole within a lens.
glory
An optical phenomenon, consisting of concentric rings and somewhat similar to a rainbow, caused by sunlight or moonlight interacting with the water droplets that compose mist or clouds, centered on the antisolar or antilunar point.
glory hole
An excavation into the sea floor designed to protect the wellhead equipment installed at the surface of a petroleum well from icebergs or pack ice.