mean distance between failure
nounRail equipment
A measure of reliability that expresses the average distance travelled by a type of lorry, bus, rolling stock, etc, before preventative or reparative maintenance is required.
Entries starting with M
422 entries.
mean free time
The average time between collisions of a molecule in a fluid.
meas
verbManufacturing
Abbreviation of measures.
measure twice and cut once
proverbCarpentry
One should double-check one's measurements for accuracy before cutting a piece of wood; otherwise it may be necessary to cut again, wasting time and material.
mechanical advantage
The ratio of the output force produced by a machine (especially a simple machine) to the applied input force.
mechanical splice
A junction of two or more optical fibres aligned and held in place by a small self-contained assembly.
mechanobiology
The study of the mechanics (physical forces and interactions) of biological systems
MECO
Acronym of main engine cut-off.
medium
One of several common sizes to which an item may be manufactured, smaller than a large but larger than a small.
medium scale integration
An integration type for digital circuits that contain hundreds of transistors providing dozens of logic gates per chip.
mediumweight
adjectiveManufacturing
Of a middling weight, between lightweight and heavyweight.
MEDLI
Initialism of MSL Entry, Descent, and Landing Instrumentation, a suite of engineering sensors in the Mars Science Laboratory entry vehicle heat shield involved in the landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars.
meeker
To break up and smooth soil with a harrow.
meet
nounRail equipment
A meeting of two trains in opposite directions on a single track, when one is put into a siding to let the other cross.
meet-me room
A place within a co-location centre where telecommunications companies can physically connect to one another and exchange data without incurring local loop fees.
MEF
nameRail equipment
The station code of Mei Foo in Hong Kong.
megacandela
An SI unit of luminous intensity equal to 10⁶ candelas. Symbol: Mcd
megacarrier
A freight transport company offering many shipment methods, such as rail, truck, and air service.
megagram
An SI unit of mass equal to 10⁶ grams. Symbol: Mg
megahenry
An SI unit of electrical inductance equal to 10⁶ henrys. Symbol: M
megajoule
An SI unit of energy equal to 10⁶ joules. Symbol: MJ
megaohm
An SI unit of resistance equal to 10⁶ ohms. Symbol: MΩ
megapascal
An SI unit of pressure equal to 10⁶ pascals. Symbol: MPa
megasecond
An SI unit of time equal to 10⁶ seconds. Symbol: Ms. (= 11.5741 days)
megatall
nounConstruction
A building approximately between 600 meters and 900 meters tall, (between 2000 feet and 3000 feet tall). A building taller than a supertall.
melt out
verbMetallurgy
To remove (a substance) by melting it.
memory bank
A hardware-dependent logical unit of storage in an electronic.
memory card
A solid state digital memory storage format, commonly found on computers, digital cameras and cellphones.
memory chip
A RAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM or EEPROM microchip that can be plugged into a personal computer to provide temporary or permanent memory.
memory effect
The situation in which nickel-cadmium rechargeable batteries gradually lose their maximum energy capacity if they are repeatedly recharged after being only partially discharged.
meniscus
A lens which is convex on one side and concave on the other, being crescent-shaped in cross-section.
menqach
A specialized, heavy, dual-headed hammer or chisel used by Moroccan artisans (Maâlems) in Fez to hand-cut and bevel the edges of zellige tiles.
mensuration
The use of quantitative measurements of forest stand to determine stand timber volume, productivity, and health.
MEP
Initialism of Mars Exploration Program.
MER
Initialism of Mars Exploration Rover.
merchant iron
nounMetalworking
Iron in a common, marketable bar form that is convenient for sale and use.
mercury arc rectifier
A rectifier which converts alternating current to direct current, using a cathode tube with a pool of liquid mercury. Now superseded by solid-state rectifiers.
merese
A flat, sharp-edged button, often a disc-shaped knob, separating the stem of a drinking-glass from the foot.
meridian
The size of type between double great primer and canon, standardized as 44-point.
meridional ray
A ray that passes through the axis of the optical fiber.
merry-go-round
nounRail equipment
A freight train of hopper wagons which loads and unloads its cargo while moving continuously on a circular track, often incorporating a balloon loop.
mesa
a structure with components rising above the insulating substrate that surrounds it
mesh
In mesh analysis: a loop in an electric circuit (to which Kirchhoff's voltage law can be applied).
mesh analysis
A method of solving for the currents in an electric circuit, in which a system of equations is written for mesh currents (using Kirchhoff's voltage law) around each mesh (loop).
mesh current
In mesh analysis: a construct representing a component of current associated with a particular mesh (loop); the real current on a wire is the sum of the (either positive of negative, depending on direction) mesh currents running through it.
Met
nameRail equipment
The London Underground Metropolitan line.
metal
Chemical elements or alloys, their ores, and the mines where their ores come from.
metal master
A metal sheet used in offset printing for carrying ink onto the rubber printing form.
metallic waterproofing
nounConstruction
finely graded iron particles combined with an oxidizing catalyst. When mixed with water (or water, cement and sand), the finely distributed particles expand, creating a waterproof layer that becomes part of the surface to which it is applied.
metalliferous
adjectiveMetallurgy
Containing a metallic element. Often used to describe ores that are mined commercially.
metallist
nounMetallurgy
A person who works with metals.
metallography
nounMetallurgy
The study of the structure of metals and their alloys, by any of a variety of techniques
metallostatic
adjectiveMetallurgy
Measured within the body of liquid metal
metallurgical
adjectiveMetallurgy
Of or relating to metallurgy, the study of metals and their properties.
metalman
A workman who takes the roof down to give the miners more height to work in.
metals
nounRail equipment
The rail tracks owned by a company or organisation; a rail network.
metasediment
A metamorphosed sedimentary rock.
metes and bounds
nounSurveying
A description of a piece of land consisting of both measurements (metes) of the land and owners of land which is adjacent to (bounds) it.
methyl t-butyl ether
nounAutomotive
C₅H₁₂O ; an organic compound used to increase octane ratings of gasoline, through added oxygen
methyl tert-butyl ether
nounAutomotive
C₅H₁₂O ; an organic compound used to increase octane numbers of gasoline, through added oxygen, as an anti-knock additive