K-factor
nounMetallurgy
The bending capacity of sheet metal, as calculated using a formula.
Entries starting with K
80 entries.
K-swap
nounAutomotive
A car where the engine has been replaced by a Honda K-series internal combustion gasoline engine.
kangaroo route
An air route between the United Kingdom and Australia via Asia, especially that route flown by Qantas.
karozzin
A type of traditional carriage pulled by a horse or pair of horses.
KD
nounManufacturing
Initialism of knockdown (“collection of parts to assemble a product”).
keel
nounManufacturing
A broad, flat vessel used for cooling liquids; a brewer's cooling vat; a keelfat.
keelfat
nounManufacturing
A cooler; a vat in which liquor or wort is set for cooling.
keep down
To refrain from using capital letters more than absolutely necessary.
keepalive
A short message sent by one device to another to check that the link between the two is operating, or to prevent this link from being broken due to inactivity.
keeve
A large vat used in dressing ores.
keiki
young plant in orchids that develops on the shoot in place of flower after flowering
keikogi
nounManufacturing
A set of uniform worn while training in some Japanese martial arts
keratophyre
A compact porphyritic rock composed of alkali-feldspars and diopside, and possibly including quartz.
KERS
Acronym of kinetic energy recovery system, an electric generation, storage, and propulsion system used in Formula One, which generates electricity during slow down, stores energy in batteries, and boosts acceleration with electric drive motors assisting the gasoline engine.
kettle bottom
A smooth cylindrical piece of petrified wood in the ceiling of a mine which may drop down and injure or kill miners
key
nounConstruction
An object designed to fit between two other objects (such as a shaft and a wheel) in a mechanism and maintain their relative orientation.
keyboard
A set of keys laid out in a gridlike pattern, used for typing on a typewriter, computer, etc.
keybounce
Multiple recorded keystrokes from a single press of a key on a computer keyboard due to poor electrical contact.
keyed
adjectiveMechanical engineering
Having a key, mated to a keyseat and/or keyway, to either control or prevent movement.
keyhole
nounCarpentry
A hole or excavation in beams intended to be joined together, to receive the key that fastens them.
keyplate
The plate that prints the detail in an image.
keyset
An input device whose few keys can be pressed in many combinations, often simultaneously, to enter different commands or characters.
keyway
The recessed part of a keyed joint, in which the key resides.
KGB
Initialism of known good board.
kick
To work a press by impact of the foot on a treadle.
kick wheel
A wheel or disc used to throw pots, turned by kicking or pushing a heavy stone or concrete base with the foot.
kickback
An accident wherein the upper tip of the bar of a running chainsaw contacts a relatively immovable object, forcing the bar upwards and pressing the running chain more firmly against the object, causing the saw to be hurled upwards and backwards into the operator's face.
kickdown
nounAutomotive
In a vehicle with automatic transmission, a downshift triggered by pressing down the throttle pedal.
kicker
A device that periodically displaces a newspaper from the print production line, to aid in gathering the newspapers into fixed-size bundles.
kid
A small wooden mess tub in which sailors received their food.
kidding
The act of a goat giving birth.
kidnapped robot problem
nounRobotics
The situation where an autonomous robot is carried somewhere and as a result has trouble determining its own location.
kilocandela
An SI unit of luminous intensity equal to 10³ candelas. Symbol: kcd
kilodegree
One thousand degrees of any kind, though usually not temperature.
kilogray
An SI unit of absorbed energy from ionizing radiation equal to 10³ grays. Symbol: k
kilojoule
An SI unit of energy equal to 10³ joules. Symbol: kJ
kilokatal
An SI unit of catalytic activity equal to 10³ katals. Symbol: k
kilokelvin
An SI unit of temperature equal to 10³ kelvins. Symbol: kK
kilometre
An SI unit of length equal to 10³ metres. Symbol: km
kilomole
An SI unit of amount of substance equal to 10³ moles. Symbol: kmol
kilosecond
An SI unit of time equal to 10³ seconds. Symbol: ks. (= 16.666̄̄ minutes)
kinematic envelope
nounRail equipment
The outline of the space occupied by a rail vehicle when in motion, including the effects of tilt, sway, track cant, etc.
kinetics
The branch of mechanics concerned with motion of objects, as well as the reason i.e. the forces acting on such bodies. This, along with kinematics constitute dynamics, which is concerned purely with the effects of forces on moving bodies.
King
nameRail equipment
King class, a class of steam locomotives once used on the GWR which were all named after kings.
kingpiece
nounMetallurgy
The last convex cake of congealed metal at the bottom of a furnace.
kingpin
nounAutomotive
The axis around which steered wheels pivot; a bolt that holds the axis in place.
kippah
nounManufacturing
The cloth skullcap or yarmulke traditionally worn by male Jews.
Kirkendall effect
nounMetallurgy
The motion of the interface between two metals that occurs due to the difference in diffusion rates of the metal atoms.
kiss
A low-speed mid-air collision between the envelopes of two hot air balloons, generally causing no damage or injury.
Kitchener stitch
A common method for the grafting of two knitted fabrics using yarn and a needle in an end-to-end ("wale-to-wale") seam.
kitting
nounManufacturing
The process of assembling or bundling various related goods for sale to increase revenue.
kk
phraseAviation maintenance
Confirm (originally a GDS status code, now often used as shorthand).
kludge
An improvised device, typically crudely constructed to test the validity of a principle before implementing a finished design.
knee
nounManufacturing
A piece of timber or metal formed with an angle somewhat in the shape of the human knee when bent.
knee-high by the Fourth of July
proverbAgricultural equipment
If a corn (maize) crop planted in spring has grown knee-high by the Fourth of July (Independence Day of the United States), a bountiful harvest is expected.
kneecap
nounConstruction
A metal cover trim that fits over a panel rib after it has been cut and bent.
kneepiece
nounConstruction
An angular piece of timber strengthening a joint where two roof timbers meet.
knife pleat
A type of sharply pressed pleating, especially in a skirt or kilt, in which all of the folds are turned in one direction, with each pleat being three layers of fabric thick.
knife-edge
A small piece of metal, usually steel, sharpened to an acute edge or angle, and resting on a smooth surface, serving as the fulcrum of a pendulum, scalebeam, or other piece required to oscillate with minimal friction.
knit cap
A soft, head-hugging cap usually without a specified front or back, barring those with designs or logos