activity

Definitions of activity

n any specific behavior

“they avoided all recreational activity”

Antonyms:: inactivity
being inactive; being less active

Examples:: show 26 examples...; hide 26 examples...; Manhattan Project
code name for the secret United States project set up in 1942 to develop atomic bombs for use in World War II; Dardanelles campaign
the unsuccessful campaign in World War I (1915) by the English and French to open a passage for aid to Russia; defeated by the Turks; Dunkerque
an amphibious evacuation in World War II (1940) when 330,000 Allied troops had to be evacuated from the beaches in northern France in a desperate retreat under enemy fire; Eniwetok
World War II (February 1944); American infantry landed and captured a Japanese stronghold; Inchon
a battle in the Korean War (1950); United States forces landed at Inchon; invasion of Iwo
a bloody and prolonged operation on the island of Iwo Jima in which American marines landed and defeated Japanese defenders (February and March 1945); Kwajalein
an amphibious assault in the Pacific in World War II (January 1944); American forces landed and captured a Japanese air base; Leyte invasion
a battle in World War II; the return of United States troops to the Philippines began with landings on Leyte Island in October 1944; the battle marked first use of kamikaze aircraft by the Japanese; Meuse-Argonne operation
an American operation in World War I (1918); American troops under Pershing drove back the German armies which were saved only by the armistice on November 11; Okinawa campaign
a campaign in the closing days of World War II in the Pacific (April to June 1945); in savage close-quarter fighting United States marines and regular army troops took the island from the Japanese; considered the greatest victory of the Pacific campaign for the Americans; Operation Desert Storm
the United States and its allies defeated Iraq in a ground war that lasted 100 hours (1991); Petersburg Campaign
the final campaign of the American Civil War (1864-65); Union forces under Grant besieged and finally defeated Confederate forces under Lee; Saipan
US forces captured the island from the Japanese in July 1944; it was an important air base until the end of World War II; Salerno
a battle in World War II; the port was captured by United States troops in September 1943; Tarawa-Makin
battles in World War II in the Pacific (November 1943); United States Marines took the islands from the Japanese after bitter fighting; Battle of Wake Island
in December 1941 the island was captured by the Japanese after a gallant last-ditch stand by a few hundred United States marines; Wilderness Campaign
American Civil War; a series of indecisive battles in Grant's campaign (1864) against Lee in which both armies suffered terrible losses; Human Genome Project
an international study of the entire human genetic material; First Crusade
a Crusade from 1096 to 1099; captured Jerusalem and created a theocracy there; Second Crusade
a Crusade from 1145 to 1147 that failed because of internal disagreements among the crusaders and led to the loss of Jerusalem in 1187; Third Crusade
a Crusade from 1189 to 1192 led by Richard I and the king of France that failed because an army torn by dissensions and fighting on foreign soil could not succeed against forces united by religious zeal; Fourth Crusade
a Crusade from 1202 to 1204 that was diverted into a battle for Constantinople and failed to recapture Jerusalem; Fifth Crusade
a Crusade under papal control from 1218 to 1221 that achieved military victories but failed when dissension arose over accepting the terms they had been offered; Sixth Crusade
a Crusade from 1228 to 1229 led by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II who fell ill and was excommunicated by the Pope; by negotiation Frederick II was able to crown himself king of Jerusalem; Seventh Crusade
a Crusade initiated in 1248 after the loss of Jerusalem in 1244 and defeated in 1249; September 11
the day in 2001 when Arab suicide bombers hijacked United States airliners and used them as bombs

Types:: show 542 types...; hide 542 types...; variance, variation
an activity that varies from a norm or standard; space walk
any kind of physical activity outside a spacecraft by one of the crew; domesticity
domestic activities or life; operation
the activity of operating something (a machine or business etc.); operation
a planned activity involving many people performing various actions; pattern, practice
a customary way of operation or behavior; diversion, recreation
an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates; bag, cup of tea, dish
an activity that you like or at which you are superior; follow-up, followup
an activity that continues something that has already begun or that repeats something that has already been done; game
a contest with rules to determine a winner; play, turn
(game) the activity of doing something in an agreed succession; music
musical activity (singing or whistling etc.); acting, performing, playacting, playing
the performance of a part or role in a drama; animation, liveliness
general activity and motion; burst, fit
a sudden flurry of activity (often for no obvious reason); work
activity directed toward making or doing something; deeds, works
performance of moral or religious acts; service
(law) the acts performed by an English feudal tenant for the benefit of his lord which formed the consideration for the property granted to him; business, job, line, line of work, occupation
the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money; occupation
any activity that occupies a person's attention; committal to writing, writing
the activity of putting something in written form; role
normal or customary activity of a person in a particular social setting; actus reus, misconduct, wrongdoing, wrongful conduct
activity that transgresses moral or civil law; dissipation, waste, wastefulness
useless or profitless activity; using or expending or consuming thoughtlessly or carelessly; attempt, effort, endeavor, endeavour, try
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something; control
the activity of managing or exerting control over something; protection
the activity of protecting someone or something; sensory activity
activity intended to achieve a particular sensory result; didactics, education, educational activity, instruction, pedagogy, teaching
the activities of educating or instructing; activities that impart knowledge or skill; grooming, preparation, training
activity leading to skilled behavior; representation
an activity that stands as an equivalent of something or results in an equivalent; creation, creative activity
the human act of creating; disassembly, dismantlement, dismantling
the act of taking something apart (as a piece of machinery); puncture
the act of puncturing or perforating; hunt, hunting, search
the activity of looking thoroughly in order to find something or someone; employment, exercise, usage, use, utilisation, utilization
the act of using; military operation, operation
activity by a military or naval force (as a maneuver or campaign); measure, measurement, measuring, mensuration
the act or process of assigning numbers to phenomena according to a rule; calibration, standardisation, standardization
the act of checking or adjusting (by comparison with a standard) the accuracy of a measuring instrument; organisation, organization
the activity or result of distributing or disposing persons or things properly or methodically; grouping
the activity of putting things together in groups; support, supporting
the act of bearing the weight of or strengthening; continuance, continuation
the act of continuing an activity without interruption; procedure, process
a particular course of action intended to achieve a result; ceremony
any activity that is performed in an especially solemn elaborate or formal way; ceremony
the proper or conventional behavior on some solemn occasion; worship
the activity of worshipping; activating, activation, energizing
the activity of causing to have energy and be active; concealing, concealment, hiding
the activity of keeping something secret; emplacement, locating, location, placement, position, positioning
the act of putting something in a certain place; provision, supply, supplying
the activity of supplying or providing something; demand
the act of demanding; pleasure
an activity that affords enjoyment; delectation, enjoyment
act of receiving pleasure from something; lamentation, mourning
the passionate and demonstrative activity of expressing grief; laughter
the activity of laughing; the manifestation of joy or mirth or scorn; market, market place, marketplace
the world of commercial activity where goods and services are bought and sold; politics
the activities and affairs involved in managing a state or a government; preparation, readying
the activity of putting or setting in order in advance of some act or purpose; aid, assist, assistance, help
the activity of contributing to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose; support
the activity of providing for or maintaining by supplying with money or necessities; behavior, behaviour, conduct, doings
manner of acting or controlling yourself; behavior, behaviour
(psychology) the aggregate of the responses or reactions or movements made by an organism in any situation; leadership, leading
the activity of leading; precedence, precedency, precession
the act of preceding in time or order or rank (as in a ceremony); solo
any activity that is performed alone without assistance; buzz
a confusion of activity and gossip; fun
violent and excited activity; hell, sin
violent and excited activity; outlet, release, vent
activity that frees or expresses creative energy or emotion; last
a person's dying act; the final thing a person can do; mystification, obfuscation
the activity of obscuring people's understanding, leaving them baffled or bewildered; negotiation
the activity or business of negotiating an agreement; coming to terms; verbalisation, verbalization
the activity of expressing something in words; disturbance, perturbation
activity that is a malfunction, intrusion, or interruption; timekeeping
the act or process of determining the time; boondoggle
work of little or no value done merely to look busy; fire control
preparation for the delivery of shellfire on a target; batting
(baseball) the batter's attempt to get on base; best
the supreme effort one can make; worst
the weakest effort or poorest achievement one is capable of; Bertillon system
a system or procedure for identifying persons; fingerprinting
the procedure of taking inked impressions of a person's fingerprints for the purpose of identification; genetic fingerprinting, genetic profiling
the procedure of analyzing the DNA in samples of a person's body tissue or body fluid for the purpose of identification; move
(game) a player's turn to take some action permitted by the rules of the game; diagnostic procedure, diagnostic technique
a procedure followed in making a medical diagnosis; emergency procedure
(medicine) a procedure adopted to meet an emergency (especially a medical emergency); experimental procedure
the specific techniques used in conducting a particular experiment; groundbreaking, groundbreaking ceremony
the ceremonial breaking of the ground to formally begin a construction project; start, starting
a turn to be a starter (in a game at the beginning); purgation, purification
a ceremonial cleansing from defilement or uncleanness by the performance of appropriate rites; lavation, wash, washing
the work of cleansing (usually with soap and water); pairing
the act of grouping things or people in pairs; punctuation
the use of certain marks to clarify meaning of written material by grouping words grammatically into sentences and clauses and phrases; rescue operation
an operation organized to free from danger or confinement; undercover operation
an operation involving secret work within a community or institution; biologism
use of biological principles in explaining human especially social behavior; cooperation
the practice of cooperating; featherbedding
the practice (usually by a labor union) of requiring an employer to hire more workers than are required; formalism
the practice of scrupulous adherence to prescribed or external forms; one-upmanship
the practice of keeping one jump ahead of a friend or competitor; pluralism
the practice of one person holding more than one benefice at a time; symbolisation, symbolism, symbolization
the practice of investing things with symbolic meaning; modernism
practices typical of contemporary life or thought; occult, occult arts
supernatural practices and techniques; ornamentalism
the practice of ornamental display; cannibalism
the practice of eating the flesh of your own kind; careerism
the practice of advancing your career at the expense of your personal integrity; custom, usage, usance
accepted or habitual practice; habitude
habitual mode of behavior; fashion
characteristic or habitual practice; lobbyism
the practice of lobbying; the activities of a lobbyist; slaveholding, slavery
the practice of owning slaves; peonage
the practice of making a debtor work for his creditor until the debt is discharged; unwritten law
law based on customary behavior; lynch law
the practice of punishing people by hanging without due process of law; mistreatment
the practice of treating (someone or something) badly; nonconformism
the practice of nonconformity; repression
the act of repressing; control by holding down; antic, caper, joke, prank, put-on, trick
a ludicrous or grotesque act done for fun and amusement; bathing
immersing the body in water or sunshine; celebration, festivity
any joyous diversion; dance, dancing, saltation, terpsichore
taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time to music; amusement, entertainment
an activity that is diverting and that holds the attention; escapade, lark
any carefree episode; escape, escapism
an inclination to retreat from unpleasant realities through diversion or fantasy; eurhythmics, eurhythmy, eurythmics, eurythmy
the interpretation in harmonious bodily movements of the rhythm of musical compositions; used to teach musical understanding; fun, merriment, playfulness
activities that are enjoyable or amusing; gambling, gaming, play
the act of playing for stakes in the hope of winning (including the payment of a price for a chance to win a prize); game
an amusement or pastime; jest, jocularity, joke
activity characterized by good humor; night life, nightlife
the activity of people seeking nighttime diversion (as at the theater, a nightclub, etc.); interest, pastime, pursuit
a diversion that occupies one's time and thoughts (usually pleasantly); child's play, play
activity by children that is guided more by imagination than by fixed rules; confectionery
the occupation and skills of a confectioner; sport
the occupation of athletes who compete for pay; farming, land
agriculture considered as an occupation or way of life; innings
the batting turn of a cricket player or team; attack
an offensive move in a sport or game; down
(American football) a complete play to advance the football; at-bat, bat
(baseball) a turn trying to get a hit; curling
a game played on ice in which heavy stones with handles are slid toward a target; bowling
a game in which balls are rolled at an object or group of objects with the aim of knocking them over or moving them; pall-mall
a 17th century game; a wooden ball was driven along an alley with a mallet; athletic game
a game involving athletic activity; child's game
a game enjoyed by children; card game, cards
a game played with playing cards; table game
a game that is played on a table; parlor game, parlour game
a game suitable for playing in a parlor; gambling game, game of chance
a game that involves gambling; zero-sum game
a game in which the total of all the gains and losses is zero; caper, frolic, gambol, play, romp
gay or light-hearted recreational activity for diversion or amusement; athletics, sport
an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition; bell ringing, carillon, carillon playing
playing a set of bells that are (usually) hung in a tower; instrumental music
music produced by playing a musical instrument; intonation
the production of musical tones (by voice or instrument); especially the exactitude of the pitch relations; percussion
the act of playing a percussion instrument; vocal music
music that is vocalized (as contrasted with instrumental music); whistling
the act of whistling a tune; characterization, enactment, personation, portrayal
acting the part of a character on stage; dramatically representing the character by speech and action and gesture; impersonation, personation
imitating the mannerisms of another person; method, method acting
an acting technique introduced by Stanislavsky in which the actor recalls emotions or reactions from his or her own life and uses them to identify with the character being portrayed; dumb show, mime, pantomime
a performance using gestures and body movements without words; business, byplay, stage business
incidental activity performed by an actor for dramatic effect; skit
a short theatrical episode; hamming, overacting
poor acting by a ham actor; heroics
ostentatious or vainglorious or extravagant or melodramatic conduct; reenactment
performing a role in an event that occurred at an earlier time; roleplaying
acting a particular role (as in psychotherapy); fits and starts
repeated bursts of activity; action
the most important or interesting work or activity in a specific area or field; job
a damaging piece of work; job
the performance of a piece of work; operation, procedure
a process or series of acts especially of a practical or mechanical nature involved in a particular form of work; service
work done by one person or group that benefits another; polishing, shining
the work of making something smooth and shiny by rubbing or waxing it; socage
land tenure by agricultural service or payment of rent; not burdened with military service; military service
land tenure by service in the lord's army; knight's service
land tenure by service to the lord as a knight; heavy lifting
difficult work; housewifery
the work of a housewife; housekeeping, housework
the work of cleaning and running a house; ironing
the work of using heat to smooth washed clothes in order to remove any wrinkles; busywork, make-work
active work of little value; logging
the work of cutting down trees for timber; loose end, unfinished business
work that is left incomplete; nightwork
work to be done at night; paperwork
work that involves handling papers: forms or letters or reports etc.; social service, welfare work
an organized activity to improve the condition of disadvantaged people in society; biz, game
your occupation or line of work; calling, career, vocation
the particular occupation for which you are trained; employment, work
the occupation for which you are paid; appointment
the job to which you are (or hope to be) appointed; berth, billet, office, place, position, post, situation, spot
a job in an organization; seismography
the measurement of tremors and shocks and undulatory movements of earthquakes; salt mine, treadmill
a job involving drudgery and confinement; craft, trade
the skilled practice of a practical occupation; profession
an occupation requiring special education (especially in the liberal arts or sciences); medium, metier
an occupation for which you are especially well suited; coding, cryptography, secret writing, steganography
act of writing in code or cipher; handwriting
the activity of writing by hand; inscription
the activity of inscribing (especially carving or engraving) letters or words; notation
the activity of representing something by a special system of marks or characters; accountancy, accounting
the occupation of maintaining and auditing records and preparing financial reports for a business; photography
the occupation of taking and printing photographs or making movies; labor, labour, toil
productive work (especially physical work done for wages); subbing, substituting
working as a substitute for someone who is ill or on leave of absence; calisthenics, callisthenics
the practice of calisthenic exercises; practice
the exercise of a profession; investigating, investigation
the work of inquiring into something thoroughly and systematically; quantitative analysis, quantitative chemical analysis
chemical analysis to determine the amounts of each element in the substance; aid, attention, care, tending
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something; duty
work that you are obliged to perform for moral or legal reasons; gender role
the overt expression of attitudes that indicate to others the degree of your maleness or femaleness; position
(in team sports) the role assigned to an individual player; mission, missionary work
the organized work of a religious missionary; brutalisation, brutalization
the activity of treating someone savagely or viciously; encroachment, intrusion, trespass, usurpation, violation
entry to another's property without right or permission; civil wrong, tort
(law) any wrongdoing for which an action for damages may be brought; malversation
misconduct in public office; misbehavior, misbehaviour, misdeed
improper or wicked or immoral behavior; dereliction
willful negligence; malfeasance
wrongful conduct by a public official; misfeasance
doing a proper act in a wrongful or injurious manner; malpractice
a wrongful act that the actor had no right to do; improper professional conduct; malpractice
professional wrongdoing that results in injury or damage; perversion
the action of perverting something (turning it to a wrong use); waste of effort, waste of energy
a useless effort; waste of material
a useless consumption of material; waste of money
money spent for inadequate return; waste of time
the devotion of time to a useless activity; extravagance, high life, highlife, lavishness, prodigality
excessive spending; squandering
spending resources lavishly and wastefully; injury
wrongdoing that violates another's rights and is unjustly inflicted; injury
an act that causes someone or something to receive physical damage; iniquity, injustice, shabbiness, unfairness
an unjust act; infliction
an act causing pain or damage; evildoing, transgression
the act of transgressing; the violation of a law or a duty or moral principle; erotica, porn, porno, pornography, smut
creative activity (writing or pictures or films etc.) of no literary or artistic value other than to stimulate sexual desire; dishonesty, knavery
lack of honesty; acts of lying or cheating or stealing; falsification, misrepresentation
a willful perversion of facts; champerty
an unethical agreement between an attorney and client that the attorney would sue and pay the costs of the client's suit in return for a portion of the damages awarded; criminal maintenance, maintenance
the unauthorized interference in a legal action by a person having no interest in it (as by helping one party with money or otherwise to continue the action) so as to obstruct justice or promote unnecessary litigation or unsettle the peace of the community; infringement, violation
an act that disregards an agreement or a right; bid, play
an attempt to get something; crack, fling, go, offer, pass, whirl
a usually brief attempt; essay
a tentative attempt; foray
an initial attempt (especially outside your usual areas of competence); contribution, part, share
the part played by a person in bringing about a result; liberation
the attempt to achieve equal rights or status; mug's game
a futile or unprofitable endeavor; power play, squeeze, squeeze play
an aggressive attempt to compel acquiescence by the concentration or manipulation of power; seeking
an attempt to acquire or gain something; shot, stab
informal words for any attempt or effort; shot
an attempt to score in a game; nisus, pains, strain, striving
an effortful attempt to attain a goal; battle, struggle
an energetic attempt to achieve something; takeover attempt
an attempt to take control of a corporation; run, test, trial
the act of testing something; test, trial
the act of undergoing testing; spadework
dull or routine preliminary work preparing for an undertaking; timework
work paid for at a rate per unit of time; labor, project, task, undertaking
any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted; self-help
the act of helping or improving yourself without relying on anyone else; crowd control
activity of controlling a crowd; damage control
an effort to minimize or curtail damage or loss; federalisation, federalization
the act of being put under federal control; flight control
control from ground stations of airplanes in flight by means of messages transmitted to the pilot electronically; flood control
(engineering) the art or technique of trying to control rivers with dams etc in order to minimize the occurrence of floods; imperialism
any instance of aggressive extension of authority; regulating, regulation
the act of controlling or directing according to rule; internal control
an accounting procedure or system designed to promote efficiency or assure the implementation of a policy or safeguard assets or avoid fraud and error etc.; regularisation, regularization, regulation
the act of bringing to uniformity; making regular; ownership, possession
the act of having and controlling property; possession
(sport) the act of controlling the ball (or puck); power trip
(slang) a self-aggrandizing action undertaken simply for the pleasure of exercising control over other people; riot control, riot control operation
the measures taken to control a riot; grasping, prehension, seizing, taking hold
the act of gripping something firmly with the hands (or the tentacles); steerage, steering
the act of steering a ship; direction, guidance, steering
the act of setting and holding a course; air cover
the use of military aircraft to provide protection against attack by enemy aircraft during ground or naval operations; shielding
the act of shielding from harm; preservation, saving
the activity of protecting something from loss or danger; momism, overprotection, overshielding
excessive protection; defence, defense
the act of defending someone or something against attack or injury; defence, defense
protection from harm; inoculating, vaccinating
the act of protecting against disease by introducing a vaccine into the body to induce immunity; patrol
the activity of going around or through an area at regular intervals for security purposes; self-defence, self-defense, self-protection
the act of defending yourself; insulation
the act of protecting something by surrounding it with material that reduces or prevents the transmission of sound or heat or electricity; locking, lockup
the act of locking something up to protect it; accompaniment, escort
the act of accompanying someone or something in order to protect them; covering
the act of protecting something by covering it; immunisation, immunization
the act of making immune (especially by inoculation); care, charge, guardianship, tutelage
attention and management implying responsibility for safety; ruggedisation, ruggedization
the act of making a piece of equipment rugged (strengthening to resist wear or abuse); sealing, waterproofing
the act of treating something to make it repel water; calculation, computation, computing
the procedure of calculating; determining something by mathematical or logical methods; perception, sensing
becoming aware of something via the senses; coeducation
education of men and women in the same institutions; continuing education
a program of instruction designed primarily for adult students who participate part-time; class, course, course of instruction, course of study
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings; coursework
work assigned to and done by a student during a course of study; usually it is evaluated as part of the student's grade in the course; elementary education
education in elementary subjects (reading and writing and arithmetic) provided to young students at a grade school; extension, extension service, university extension
an educational opportunity provided by colleges and universities to people who are not enrolled as regular students; extracurricular activity
educational activities not falling within the scope of the regular curriculum; higher education
education provided by a college or university; secondary education
education beyond the elementary grades; provided by a high school or college preparatory school; team teaching
a method of coordinated classroom teaching involving a team of teachers working together with a single group of students; work-study program
an educational plan in which students alternate between paid employment and formal study; athletic training
the course of practice and exercise and diet undertaken by an athlete; discipline
training to improve strength or self-control; drill
(military) the training of soldiers to march (as in ceremonial parades) or to perform the manual of arms; drill, exercise, practice, practice session, recitation
systematic training by multiple repetitions; military training
training soldiers in military procedures; retraining
training for a new occupation; schooling
the training of an animal (especially the training of a horse for dressage); skull practice, skull session
teaching strategy to an athletic team; toilet training
training a young child to use the toilet; model, modeling, modelling
the act of representing something (usually on a smaller scale); dramatisation, dramatization
a dramatic representation; pageant, pageantry
an elaborate representation of scenes from history etc; usually involves a parade with rich costumes; figuration
representing figuratively as by emblem or allegory; diagramming, schematisation, schematization
providing a chart or outline of a system; pictorial representation, picturing
visual representation as by photography or painting; typification
the act of representing by a type or symbol; the action of typifying; re-creation
the act of creating again; creating from raw materials
the act of creating something that is different from the materials that went into it; production
the creation of value or wealth by producing goods and services; stratification
the placing of seeds in damp sand or sawdust or peat moss in order to preserve them or promote germination; creating by mental acts
the act of creating something by thinking; art, artistic creation, artistic production
the creation of beautiful or significant things; creating by removal
the act of creating by removing something; centesis
(surgery) the act of puncturing a body cavity or organ with a hollow needle in order to draw out fluid; perforation
the act of punching a hole (especially a row of holes as for ease of separation); prick, pricking
the act of puncturing with a small point; venipuncture
(medicine) puncture of a vein through the skin in order to withdraw blood for analysis or to start an intravenous drip or to inject medication or a radiopaque dye; exploration
a careful systematic search; forage, foraging
the act of searching for food and provisions; frisk, frisking
the act of searching someone for concealed weapons or illegal drugs; looking, looking for
the act of searching visually; manhunt
an organized search (by police) for a person (charged with a crime); quest, seeking
the act of searching for something; ransacking, rummage
a thorough search for something (often causing disorder or confusion); play
utilization or exercise; abuse, misuse
improper or excessive use; development, exploitation
the act of making some area of land or water more profitable or productive or useful; recycling
the act of processing used or abandoned materials for use in creating new products; application, practical application
the act of bringing something to bear; using it for a particular purpose; combined operation
a military operation carried out cooperatively by two or more allied nations or a military operation carried out by coordination of sea, land, and air forces; maneuver, manoeuvre, simulated military operation
a military training exercise; civil defense
activities organized by civilians for their own protection in time of war or disaster; campaign, military campaign
several related operations aimed at achieving a particular goal (usually within geographical and temporal constraints); naval campaign
an operation conducted primarily by naval forces in order to gain or extend or maintain control of the sea; military mission, mission
an operation that is assigned by a higher headquarters; reenforcement, reinforcement, support
a military operation (often involving new supplies of men and materiel) to strengthen a military force or aid in the performance of its mission; attack, onrush, onset, onslaught
(military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons); offence, offense, offensive
the action of attacking an enemy; peacekeeping, peacekeeping mission, peacekeeping operation
the activity of keeping the peace by military forces (especially when international military forces enforce a truce between hostile groups or nations); amphibious operation
a military operation by both land and sea forces; information gathering
the act of collecting information; psychological operation, psyop
military actions designed to influence the perceptions and attitudes of individuals, groups, and foreign governments; covert operation
an intelligence operation so planned as to permit plausible denial by the sponsor; scouring
moving over territory to search for something; shakedown
a very thorough search of a person or a place; actinometry
measuring the intensity of electromagnetic radiation (especially of the sun's rays); algometry
measuring sensitivity to pain or pressure; anemography
recording anemometrical measurements; anemometry
measuring wind speed and direction; angulation
the precise measurement of angles; anthropometry
measurement and study of the human body and its parts and capacities; arterial blood gases
measurement of the pH level and the oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations in arterial blood; important in diagnosis of many respiratory diseases; audiometry
measuring sensitivity of hearing; bathymetry, plumbing
measuring the depths of the oceans; tuning
(music) calibrating something (an instrument or electronic circuit) to a standard frequency; adjustment, readjustment, registration
the act of adjusting something to match a standard; calorimetry
measurement of quantities of heat; cephalometry
measurement of human heads; densitometry
measuring the optical density of a substance by shining light on it and measuring its transmission; dosimetry
measuring the dose of radiation emitted by a radioactive source; fetometry, foetometry
measurement of a fetus (especially the diameter of the head); gravimetry, hydrometry
the measurement of specific gravity; hypsography, hypsometry
measurement of the elevation of land above sea level; mental measurement
a generic term used to cover any application of measurement techniques to the quantification of mental functions; micrometry
measuring with a micrometer; observation
the act of making and recording a measurement; pelvimetry
measurement of the dimensions of the bony birth canal (to determine whether vaginal birth is possible); photometry
measurement of the properties of light (especially luminous intensity); quantification
the act of discovering or expressing the quantity of something; radioactive dating
measurement of the amount of radioactive material (usually carbon 14) that an object contains; can be used to estimate the age of the object; meter reading, reading
the act of measuring with meters or similar instruments; sampling
measurement at regular intervals of the amplitude of a varying waveform (in order to convert it to digital form); sounding
the act of measuring depth of water (usually with a sounding line); sound ranging
locating a source of sound (as an enemy gun) by measurements of the time the sound arrives at microphones in known positions; scaling
act of measuring or arranging or adjusting according to a scale; spirometry
the use of a spirometer to measure vital capacity; surveying
the practice of measuring angles and distances on the ground so that they can be accurately plotted on a map; randomisation, randomization
a deliberately haphazard arrangement of observations so as to simulate chance; rationalisation, rationalization, systematisation, systematization
systematic organization; the act of organizing something according to a system or a rationale; order, ordering
the act of putting things in a sequential arrangement; itemisation, itemization, listing
the act of making a list of items; phrasing
the grouping of musical phrases in a melodic line; assortment, categorisation, categorization, classification, compartmentalisation, compartmentalization
the act of distributing things into classes or categories of the same type; aggregation, assembling, collecting, collection
the act of gathering something together; sorting
grouping by class or kind or size; territorialisation, territorialization
the act of organizing as a territory; propping up, shoring, shoring up
the act of propping up with shores; dangling, hanging, suspension
the act of suspending something (hanging it from above so it moves freely); lengthening, perpetuation, prolongation, protraction
the act of prolonging something; repeating, repetition
the act of doing or performing again; perseverance, perseveration, persistence
the act of persisting or persevering; continuing or repeating behavior; abidance
the act of abiding (enduring without yielding); prosecution, pursuance
the continuance of something begun with a view to its completion; survival
something that survives; medical procedure
a procedure employed by medical or dental practitioners; chromosome mapping, mapping
(genetics) the process of locating genes on a chromosome; operating procedure
a procedure for operating something or for dealing with a given situation; stiffening
the act of becoming stiff; indirection
indirect procedure or action; rigamarole, rigmarole
a long and complicated and confusing procedure; modus operandi, routine
an unvarying or habitual method or procedure; chanoyu, tea ceremony
an ancient ritual for preparing and serving and drinking tea; lustrum
a ceremonial purification of the Roman population every five years following the census; religious ceremony, religious ritual
a ceremony having religious meaning; military ceremony
a military custom performed in observance of some event or anniversary; apotheosis, deification, exaltation
the elevation of a person (as to the status of a god); ancestor worship
worship of ancestors; quotation
the practice of quoting from books or plays etc.; ritual
the prescribed procedure for conducting religious ceremonies; ritualism
exaggerated emphasis on the importance of rites or ritualistic forms in worship; naturism, nudism
going without clothes as a social practice; systematism
the habitual practice of systematization and classification; cross dressing, transvestism, transvestitism
the practice of adopting the clothes or the manner or the sexual role of the opposite sex; prayer, supplication
the act of communicating with a deity (especially as a petition or in adoration or contrition or thanksgiving); idolisation, idolization
the act of worshiping blindly and to excess; adoration, latria
the worship given to God alone; idol worship, idolatry
the worship of idols; the worship of images that are not God; cultism, devotion, idolatry, veneration
religious zeal; the willingness to serve God; autolatry, idiolatry, self-worship
the worship of yourself; arborolatry, tree-worship
the worship of trees; astrolatry, worship of heavenly bodies
the worship of planets or stars; cosmolatry
the worship of the cosmos; demonolatry, devil-worship, diabolatry
the acts or rites of worshiping devils; fire-worship, pyrolatry
the worship of fire; hagiolatry, hierolatry
the worship of saints; heliolatry, sun-worship
the worship of the sun; animal-worship, zoolatry
the worship of animals; monolatry
the worship of a single god but without claiming that it is the only god; moon-worship, selenolatry
the worship of the moon; electrification
the activity of thrilling or markedly exciting some person or group; animation, invigoration, vivification
the activity of giving vitality and vigour to something; presentation
the activity of formally presenting something (as a prize or reward); camouflage, disguise
the act of concealing the identity of something by modifying its appearance; mask
activity that tries to conceal something; cover, covering, masking, screening
the act of concealing the existence of something by obstructing the view of it; cover
a false identity and background (especially one created for an undercover agent); cover-up
concealment that attempts to prevent something scandalous from becoming public; burial, burying
concealing something under the ground; smoke screen, smokescreen
an action intended to conceal or confuse or obscure; stealing, stealth
avoiding detection by moving carefully; money laundering
concealing the source of illegally gotten money; apposition, collocation, juxtaposition
the act of positioning close together (or side by side); interposition, intervention
the act or fact of interposing one thing between or among others; orientation
the act of orienting; planting
the act of fixing firmly in place; implantation
the act of planting or setting in the ground; repositioning
the act of placing in a new position; set
the act of putting something in position; superposition
the placement of one thing on top of another; fingering
the placement of the fingers for playing different notes (or sequences of notes) on a musical instrument; superposition
(geometry) the placement of one object ideally in the position of another one in order to show that the two coincide; irrigation
supplying dry land with water by means of ditches etc; alimentation, feeding
the act of supplying food and nourishment; fueling, refueling
the activity of supplying or taking on fuel; care delivery, health care delivery, healthcare delivery
the provision of health care; issuance, issue, issuing
the act of providing an item for general use or for official purposes (usually in quantity); logistics
handling an operation that involves providing labor and materials be supplied as needed; purveyance
the act of supplying something; stocking
the activity of supplying a stock of something; subvention
the act or process of providing aid or help of any sort; exaction
act of demanding or levying by force or authority; claim
demand for something as rightful or due; self-control, self-denial, self-discipline
the act of denying yourself; controlling your impulses; traffic control
control of the flow of traffic in a building or a city; price-fixing
control (by agreement among producers or by government) of the price of a commodity in interstate commerce; luxuriation
an activity that affords excessive pleasure and enjoyment; black market
an illegal market in which goods or currencies are bought and sold in violation of rationing or controls; buyer's market, buyers' market, soft market
a market in which more people want to sell than want to buy; gray market, grey market
an unofficial market in which goods are bought and sold at prices lower than the official price set by a regulatory agency; seller's market, sellers' market
a market in which more people want to buy than want to sell; labor market
the market in which workers compete for jobs and employers compete for workers; catering
providing food and services; telemetry
automatic transmission and measurement of data from remote sources by wire or radio or other means; thermometry
the measurement of temperature; thermogravimetry
the measurement of changes in weight as a function of changes in temperature used as a technique of chemically analyzing substances; tonometry
the measurement of intraocular pressure by determining the amount of force needed to make a slight indentation in the cornea; viscometry, viscosimetry
the measurement of viscosity; deployment
the distribution of forces in preparation for battle or work; groundwork
preliminary preparation as a basis or foundation; makeready
final preparation and adjustments; priming
the act of making something ready; planning
an act of formulating a program for a definite course of action; turnaround, turnround
act or process of unloading and loading and servicing a vessel or aircraft for a return trip; prolusion, tune-up, warm-up
exercising in preparation for strenuous activity; restraint
the act of controlling by restraining someone or something; facilitation
act of assisting or making easier the progress or improvement of something; hand, helping hand
physical assistance; recourse, refuge, resort
act of turning to for assistance; thanks
with the help of or owing to; ministration, relief, succor, succour
assistance in time of difficulty; lift
the act of giving temporary assistance; service
an act of help or assistance; accommodation
the act of providing something (lodging or seat or food) to meet a need; boost, encouragement
the act of giving hope or support to someone; comfort
assistance, such as that provided to an enemy or to a known criminal; support
aiding the cause or policy or interests of; maintenance, sustainment, sustenance, sustentation, upkeep
the act of sustaining life by food or providing a means of subsistence; logistic assistance, logistic support
assistance between and within military commands; territoriality
the behavior of a male animal that defines and defends its territory; aggression
deliberately unfriendly behavior; bohemianism
conduct characteristic of a bohemian; dirty pool
conduct that is unfair or unethical or unsportsmanlike; dirty tricks
underhand commercial or political behavior designed to discredit an opponent; discourtesy, offence, offense, offensive activity
a lack of politeness; a failure to show regard for others; wounding the feelings or others; easiness
the quality of being easy in behavior or style; the way of the world, the ways of the world
the manner in which people typically behave or things typically happen; lead
the playing of a card to start a trick in bridge; helm
a position of leadership; lead
a position of leadership (especially in the phrase `take the lead'); trend setting
the initiating or popularizing of a trend or fashion; ruff, trumping
(card games) the act of taking a trick with a trump when unable to follow suit; trick
(card games) in a single round, the sequence of cards played by all the players; the high card is the winner; condition, experimental condition
the procedure that is varied in order to estimate a variable's effect by comparison with a control condition; formula, rule
(mathematics) a standard procedure for solving a class of mathematical problems; salaah, salaat, salah, salat
the second pillar of Islam is prayer; a prescribed liturgy performed five times a day (preferably in a mosque) and oriented toward Mecca; praise
offering words of homage as an act of worship; bother, fuss, hassle, trouble
an angry disturbance; magnetic storm
a sudden disturbance of the earth's magnetic field; caused by emission of particles from the sun; monopoly
(economics) a market in which there are many buyers but only one seller; monopsony
(economics) a market in which goods or services are offered by several sellers but there is only one buyer; oligopoly
(economics) a market in which control over the supply of a commodity is in the hands of a small number of producers and each one can influence prices and affect competitors; anachronism, misdating, mistiming
something located at a time when it could not have existed or occurred

Type of:: act, deed, human action, human activity
something that people do or cause to happen

n an organic process that takes place in the body

“respiratory activity”

Synonyms:: bodily function, bodily process, body process

Types:: show 91 types...; hide 91 types...; control
(physiology) regulation or maintenance of a function or action or reflex etc; breathing, external respiration, respiration, ventilation
the bodily process of inhalation and exhalation; the process of taking in oxygen from inhaled air and releasing carbon dioxide by exhalation; respiration
a single complete act of breathing in and out; breath
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing; consumption, ingestion, intake, uptake
the process of taking food into the body through the mouth (as by eating); sex, sex activity, sexual activity, sexual practice
activities associated with sexual intercourse; insemination
the introduction of semen into the genital tract of a female; sleeping
the suspension of consciousness and decrease in metabolic rate; reaction, response
a bodily process occurring due to the effect of some antecedent stimulus or agent; crying, tears, weeping
the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds); ablactation
the cessation of lactation; anastalsis
muscular action of the alimentary tract in a direction opposite to peristalsis; discharge, emission, expelling
any of several bodily processes by which substances go out of the body; expectoration
the process of coughing up and spitting out; festering, maturation, suppuration
(medicine) the formation of morbific matter in an abscess or a vesicle and the discharge of pus; healing
the natural process by which the body repairs itself; hypostasis
the accumulation of blood in an organ; lachrymation, lacrimation, tearing, watering
shedding tears; lactation
the production and secretion of milk by the mammary glands; opsonisation, opsonization
process whereby opsonins make an invading microorganism more susceptible to phagocytosis; overactivity
excessive activity; peristalsis, vermiculation
the process of wavelike muscle contractions of the alimentary tract that moves food along; diaphoresis, hidrosis, perspiration, sudation, sweating
the process of the sweat glands of the skin secreting a salty fluid; phagocytosis
process in which phagocytes engulf and digest microorganisms and cellular debris; an important defense against infection; pinocytosis
process by which certain cells can engulf and incorporate droplets of fluid; placentation
the formation of the placenta in the uterus; psilosis
falling out of hair; tanning
process in which skin pigmentation darkens as a result of exposure to ultraviolet light; transpiration
the process of giving off or exhaling water vapor through the skin or mucous membranes; noctambulation, noctambulism, sleepwalking, somnambulation, somnambulism
walking by a person who is asleep; sleep talking, somniloquism, somniloquy
uttering speech while asleep; motor control
control of muscles; artificial respiration
an emergency procedure whereby breathing is maintained artificially; abdominal breathing
breathing in which most of the respiratory effort is done by the abdominal muscles; eupnea, eupnoea
normal relaxed breathing; hyperpnea
energetic (deep and rapid) respiration that occurs normally after exercise or abnormally with fever or various disorders; hypopnea
slow or shallow breathing; hyperventilation
an increased depth and rate of breathing greater than demanded by the body needs; can cause dizziness and tingling of the fingers and toes and chest pain if continued; heaving, panting
breathing heavily (as after exertion); Cheyne-Stokes respiration, periodic breathing
abnormal respiration in which periods of shallow and deep breathing alternate; smoke, smoking
the act of smoking tobacco or other substances; breathing out, exhalation, expiration
the act of expelling air from the lungs; snore, snoring, stertor
the act of snoring or producing a snoring sound; sniffle, snivel, snuffle
the act of breathing heavily through the nose (as when the nose is congested); wheeze
breathing with a husky or whistling sound; second wind
the return of relatively easy breathing after initial exhaustion during continuous exertion; aspiration, breathing in, inhalation, inspiration, intake
the act of inhaling; the drawing in of air (or other gases) as in breathing; eating, feeding
the act of consuming food; deglutition, drink, swallow
the act of swallowing; suck, sucking, suction
the act of sucking; drinking, imbibing, imbibition
the act of consuming liquids; safe sex
sexual activity (especially sexual intercourse) with the use of measures (such as latex condoms) to avoid the transmission of disease (especially AIDS); conception
the act of becoming pregnant; fertilization of an ovum by a spermatozoon; AI, artificial insemination
the introduction of semen into the oviduct or uterus by some means other than sexual intercourse; love, love life, lovemaking, making love, sexual love
sexual activities (often including sexual intercourse) between two people; carnal abuse
any lascivious contact by an adult with the sexual organs of a child (especially not involving sexual intercourse); conjugation, coupling, mating, pairing, sexual union, union
the act of pairing a male and female for reproductive purposes; breeding, facts of life, procreation, reproduction
the sexual activity of conceiving and bearing offspring; arousal, stimulation
mutual sexual fondling prior to sexual intercourse; perversion, sexual perversion
an aberrant sexual practice;; autoeroticism, autoerotism
using you own body as a sexual object; promiscuity, promiscuousness, sleeping around
indulging in promiscuous (casual and indiscriminate) sexual relations; lechery
unrestrained indulgence in sexual activity; gayness, homoeroticism, homosexualism, homosexuality, queerness
a sexual attraction to (or sexual relations with) persons of the same sex; bisexuality
sexual activity with both men and women; heterosexualism, heterosexuality, straightness
a sexual attraction to (or sexual relations with) persons of the opposite sex; bestiality, zooerastia, zooerasty
sexual activity between a person and an animal; cat sleep, catnap, forty winks, nap, short sleep, snooze
sleeping for a short period of time (usually not in bed); doze, drowse
a light fitful sleep; automatism
any reaction that occurs automatically without conscious thought or reflection (especially the undirected behavior seen in psychomotor epilepsy); rebound
a reaction to a crisis or setback or frustration; overreaction
an excessive reaction; a reaction with inappropriate emotional behavior; Fere phenomenon, GSR, Tarchanoff phenomenon, electrical skin response, electrodermal response, galvanic skin response, psychogalvanic response
a change in the electrical properties of the skin in response to stress or anxiety; can be measured either by recording the electrical resistance of the skin or by recording weak currents generated by the body; immune reaction, immune response, immunologic response
a bodily defense reaction that recognizes an invading substance (an antigen: such as a virus or fungus or bacteria or transplanted organ) and produces antibodies specific against that antigen; tropism
an involuntary orienting response; positive or negative reaction to a stimulus source; taxis
a locomotor response toward or away from an external stimulus by a motile (and usually simple) organism; kinesis
a movement that is a response to a stimulus but is not oriented with respect to the source of stimulation; double take
a delayed reaction indicating surprise; inborn reflex, innate reflex, instinctive reflex, physiological reaction, reflex, reflex action, reflex response, unconditioned reflex
an automatic instinctive unlearned reaction to a stimulus; learned reaction, learned response
a reaction that has been acquired by learning; passage, passing
a bodily reaction of changing from one place or stage to another; snivel, sniveling
whining in a tearful manner; sob, sobbing
convulsive gasp made while weeping; bawling, wailing
loud cries made while weeping; answer
a nonverbal reaction; transfusion reaction
reaction of the body to a transfusion of blood that is not compatible with its own blood; an adverse reaction can range from fever and hives to renal failure and shock and death; convalescence, recovery, recuperation
gradual healing (through rest) after sickness or injury; elimination, evacuation, excreting, excretion, voiding
the bodily process of discharging waste matter; hyperhidrosis, hyperidrosis, polyhidrosis
excessive and profuse perspiration; catamenia, flow, menses, menstruation, menstruum, period
the monthly discharge of blood from the uterus of nonpregnant women from puberty to menopause; conglutination, union
healing process involving the growing together of the edges of a wound or the growing together of broken bones

Type of:: biological process, organic process
a process occurring in living organisms

n the trait of being active; moving or acting rapidly and energetically

“the level of activity declines with age”

Synonyms:: activeness

Antonyms:: inactiveness, inactivity, inertia
a disposition to remain inactive or inert

Types:: show 4 types...; hide 4 types...; animation, brio, invigoration, spiritedness, vivification
quality of being active or spirited or alive and vigorous; dynamism, oomph, pizzaz, pizzazz, zing
the activeness of an energetic personality; chirpiness
cheerful and lively; life, liveliness, spirit, sprightliness
animation and energy in action or expression

Type of:: trait
a distinguishing feature of your personal nature

n the state of being active

“his sphere of activity”

Synonyms:: action, activeness

Antonyms:: inaction, inactiveness, inactivity
the state of being inactive

Types:: show 12 types...; hide 12 types...; agency
the state of being in action or exerting power; busyness, hum
the state of being or appearing to be actively engaged in an activity; behavior, behaviour
the action or reaction of something (as a machine or substance) under specified circumstances; eructation, eruption, extravasation
(of volcanos) pouring out fumes or lava (or a deposit so formed); operation
the state of being in effect or being operative; overdrive
the state of high or excessive activity or productivity or concentration; play
a state in which action is feasible; swing
a state of steady vigorous action that is characteristic of an activity; Frankenstein
an agency that escapes control and destroys its creator; commission
the state of being in good working order and ready for operation; running
the state of being in operation; idle
the state of an engine or other mechanism that is idling

Type of:: state
the way something is with respect to its main attributes

n a process existing in or produced by nature (rather than by the intent of human beings)

“volcanic activity”

Synonyms:: action, natural action, natural process

Types:: show 185 types...; hide 185 types...; radiation
the spread of a group of organisms into new habitats; absorption
(physics) the process in which incident radiated energy is retained without reflection or transmission on passing through a medium; acidification
the process of becoming acid or being converted into an acid; adiabatic process
(thermodynamics) any process that occurs without gain or loss of heat; aeration
the process of exposing to air (so as to purify); antiredeposition
the process of preventing redeposition; capture
any process in which an atomic or nuclear system acquires an additional particle; capture
a process whereby a star or planet holds an object in its gravitational field; centrifugation
the process of separating substances of different densities by the use of a centrifuge; chemical action, chemical change, chemical process
(chemistry) any process determined by the atomic and molecular composition and structure of the substances involved; chromatography
a process used for separating mixtures by virtue of differences in absorbency; concretion
the formation of stonelike objects within a body organ (e.g., the kidneys); condensation
the process of changing from a gaseous to a liquid or solid state; convection
(meteorology) the vertical movement of heat or other properties by massive motion within the atmosphere; clotting, coagulation, curdling
the process of forming semisolid lumps in a liquid; decay
the process of gradually becoming inferior; demagnetisation, demagnetization
the process of removing magnetization; desorption
changing from an adsorbed state on a surface to a gaseous or liquid state; diffusion
(physics) the process in which there is movement of a substance from an area of high concentration of that substance to an area of lower concentration; disintegration, dissolution
separation into component parts; distillation, distillment
the process of purifying a liquid by boiling it and condensing its vapors; drift
the gradual departure from an intended course due to external influences (as a ship or plane); effervescence
the process of bubbling as gas escapes; cataphoresis, dielectrolysis, electrophoresis, ionophoresis
the motion of charged particles in a colloid under the influence of an electric field; particles with a positive charge go to the cathode and negative to the anode; ecesis, establishment
(ecology) the process by which a plant or animal becomes established in a new habitat; extinction
the reduction of the intensity of radiation as a consequence of absorption and radiation; extraction
the process of obtaining something from a mixture or compound by chemical or physical or mechanical means; feedback
the process in which part of the output of a system is returned to its input in order to regulate its further output; filtration
the process whereby fluids pass through a filter or a filtering medium; flocculation
the process of flocculating; forming woolly cloudlike aggregations; flow
any uninterrupted stream or discharge; formation
natural process that causes something to form; fossilisation, fossilization
the process of fossilizing a plant or animal that existed in some earlier age; the process of being turned to stone; geologic process, geological process
(geology) a natural process whereby geological features are modified; curing, hardening, set, solidification, solidifying
the process of becoming hard or solid by cooling or drying or crystallization; inactivation
the process of rendering inactive; ion exchange
a process in which ions are exchanged between a solution and an insoluble (usually resinous) solid; widely used in industrial processing; ionisation, ionization
the process of ionizing; the formation of ions by separating atoms or molecules or radicals or by adding or subtracting electrons from atoms by strong electric fields in a gas; leach, leaching
the process of leaching; magnetic induction, magnetisation, magnetization
the process that makes a substance magnetic (temporarily or permanently); materialisation, materialization
the process of coming into being; becoming reality; nuclear reaction
(physics) a process that alters the energy or structure or composition of atomic nuclei; opacification
the process of becoming cloudy or opaque; oscillation
the process of oscillating between states; oxygenation
the process of providing or combining or treating with oxygen; pair creation, pair formation, pair production
the transformation of a gamma-ray photon into an electron and a positron when the photon passes close to an atomic nucleus; phase change, phase transition, physical change, state change
a change from one state (solid or liquid or gas) to another without a change in chemical composition; precession of the equinoxes
a slow westward shift of the equinoxes along the plane of the ecliptic caused by precession of the Earth's axis of rotation; release
a process that liberates or discharges something; saltation
(geology) the leaping movement of sand or soil particles as they are transported in a fluid medium over an uneven surface; scattering
the physical process in which particles are deflected haphazardly as a result of collisions; sericulture
raising silkworms in order to obtain raw silk; sink
(technology) a process that acts to absorb or remove energy or a substance from a system; soak, soakage, soaking
the process of becoming softened and saturated as a consequence of being immersed in water (or other liquid); softening
the process of becoming softer; sorption
the process in which one substance takes up or holds another (by either absorption or adsorption); source
(technology) a process by which energy or a substance enters a system; rigidification, rigidifying, stiffening
the process of becoming stiff or rigid; stimulation
(physiology) the effect of a stimulus (on nerves or organs etc.); ecological succession, succession
(ecology) the gradual and orderly process of change in an ecosystem brought about by the progressive replacement of one community by another until a stable climax is established; natural selection, selection, survival, survival of the fittest
a natural process resulting in the evolution of organisms best adapted to the environment; synergism, synergy
the working together of two things (muscles or drugs for example) to produce an effect greater than the sum of their individual effects; temperature change
a process whereby the degree of hotness of a body (or medium) changes; transduction
the process whereby a transducer accepts energy in one form and gives back related energy in a different form; transpiration
the passage of gases through fine tubes because of differences in pressure or temperature; vitrification
the process of becoming vitreous; heat sink
a metal conductor specially designed to conduct (and radiate) heat; adaptive radiation
the development of many different forms from an originally homogeneous group of organisms as they fill different ecological niches; airstream, backwash, race, slipstream, wash
the flow of air that is driven backwards by an aircraft propeller; turbulent flow
flow in which the velocity at any point varies erratically; streamline flow
flow of a gas or liquid in which the velocity at any point is relatively steady; absorption, soaking up
(chemistry) a process in which one substance permeates another; a fluid permeates or is dissolved by a liquid or solid; activation
stimulation of activity in an organism or chemical; acylation
the process of introducing an acyl group into a compound; adsorption, surface assimilation
the accumulation of molecules of a gas to form a thin film on the surface of a solid; advection
(meteorology) the horizontal transfer of heat or other atmospheric properties; agglutinating activity, agglutination
the coalescing of small particles that are suspended in solution; these larger masses are then (usually) precipitated; alluvion
gradual formation of new land, by recession of the sea or deposit of sediment; amylolysis
conversion of starch to sugar; association
(chemistry) any process of combination (especially in solution) that depends on relatively weak chemical bonding; blood clotting, blood coagulation
a process in which liquid blood is changed into a semisolid mass (a blood clot); blueing, bluing
a process that makes something blue (or bluish); calcification
a process that impregnates something with calcium (or calcium salts); catalysis, contact action
acceleration of a chemical reaction induced the presence of material that is chemically unchanged at the end of the reaction; caries, cavity, dental caries, tooth decay
soft decayed area in a tooth; progressive decay can lead to the death of a tooth; chain reaction
a self-sustaining nuclear reaction; a series of nuclear fissions in which neutrons released by splitting one atom leads to the splitting of others; chelation
the process of forming a ring by forming one or more hydrogen bonds; chemical reaction, reaction
(chemistry) a process in which one or more substances are changed into others; chlorination
the addition or substitution of chlorine in organic compounds; cleavage
the breaking of a chemical bond in a molecule resulting in smaller molecules; climate change, global climate change
a change in the world's climate; column chromatography
chromatography that uses selective adsorption by a column of powders; congealment, congelation
the process of congealing; solidification by (or as if by) freezing; convection
the transfer of heat through a fluid (liquid or gas) caused by molecular motion; chilling, cooling, temperature reduction
the process of becoming cooler; a falling temperature; corroding, corrosion, erosion
erosion by chemical action; corruption
decay of matter (as by rot or oxidation); cracking
the process whereby heavy molecules of naphtha or petroleum are broken down into hydrocarbons of lower molecular weight (especially in the oil-refining process); deamination, deaminization
removal of the amino radical from an amino acid or other amino compound; decalcification
loss of calcium from bones or teeth; decarboxylation
the process of removing a carboxyl group from a chemical compound (usually replacing it with hydrogen); decay, disintegration, radioactive decay
the spontaneous disintegration of a radioactive substance along with the emission of ionizing radiation; decoction
(pharmacology) the extraction of water-soluble drug substances by boiling; decomposition, putrefaction, rot, rotting
(biology) the process of decay caused by bacterial or fungal action; degaussing
the process of making a (steel) ship's hull nonmagnetic by producing an opposing magnetic field; dehydration, desiccation, drying up, evaporation
the process of extracting moisture; de-iodination
the removal of iodine atoms from organic compounds; demineralisation, demineralization
the removal of minerals and mineral salts from a liquid (especially from water); desalination, desalinisation, desalinization
the removal of salt (especially from sea water); desertification
the gradual transformation of habitable land into desert; is usually caused by climate change or by destructive use of the land; diastrophism
the process of deformation that produces continents and ocean basins in the earth's crust; digestion
the process of decomposing organic matter (as in sewage) by bacteria or by chemical action or heat; dilapidation, ruin
the process of becoming dilapidated; dissociation
(chemistry) the temporary or reversible process in which a molecule or ion is broken down into smaller molecules or ions; elution
the process of extracting one material from another by washing with a solvent to remove adsorbed material from an adsorbent (as in washing of loaded ion-exchange resins to remove captured ions); used to obtain uranium ions; emission
the release of electrons from parent atoms; endoergic reaction
a nuclear reaction occurring with absorption of energy; eating away, eroding, erosion, wearing, wearing away
(geology) the mechanical process of wearing or grinding something down (as by particles washing over it); exoergic reaction
a nuclear reaction accompanied by the evolution of energy; fibrinolysis
a normal ongoing process that dissolves fibrin and results in the removal of small blood clots; filling
flow into something (as a container); fission, nuclear fission
a nuclear reaction in which a massive nucleus splits into smaller nuclei with the simultaneous release of energy; flowage
gradual internal motion or deformation of a solid body (as by heat); fold, folding
a geological process that causes a bend in a stratum of rock; freeze, freezing
the withdrawal of heat to change something from a liquid to a solid; fusion, nuclear fusion, nuclear fusion reaction
a nuclear reaction in which nuclei combine to form more massive nuclei with the simultaneous release of energy; galvanisation, galvanization
stimulation with a galvanic current; gasification
the process of changing into gas; gassing
the process of interacting with gas; glaciation
the process of covering the earth with glaciers or masses of ice; heating, warming
the process of becoming warmer; a rising temperature; hydrogenation
a chemical process that adds hydrogen atoms to an unsaturated oil; immunoelectrophoresis
electrophoresis to separate antigens and antibodies; encrustation, incrustation
the formation of a crust; inflow, influx
the process of flowing in; infusion
the process of extracting certain active properties (as a drug from a plant) by steeping or soaking (usually in water); intrusion
the forcing of molten rock into fissures or between strata of an earlier rock formation; intumescence, intumescency, swelling
the increase in volume of certain substances when they are heated (often accompanied by release of water); inversion
a chemical process in which the direction of optical rotation of a substance is reversed from dextrorotatory to levorotary or vice versa; iodination
the substitution or addition of iodine atoms in organic compounds; leeway
(of a ship or plane) sideways drift; libration
(astronomy) a real or apparent slow oscillation of a moon or satellite; liquefaction
the conversion of a solid or a gas into a liquid; lysis
(biochemistry) dissolution or destruction of cells such as blood cells or bacteria; maceration
softening due to soaking or steeping; chemical mechanism, mechanism
the atomic process that occurs during a chemical reaction; metamorphism
change in the structure of rock by natural agencies such as pressure or heat or introduction of new chemical substances; microphoning
the transduction of sound waves into electrical waves (by a microphone); beneficiation, mineral dressing, mineral extraction, mineral processing, ore dressing, ore processing
crushing and separating ore into valuable substances or waste by any of a variety of techniques; negative feedback
feedback in opposite phase with (decreasing) the input; nitrification
the chemical process in which a nitro group is added to an organic compound (or substituted for another group in an organic compound); orogeny
the process of mountain formation (especially by the upward displacement of the earth's crust); osmosis
(biology, chemistry) diffusion of molecules through a semipermeable membrane from a place of higher concentration to a place of lower concentration until the concentration on both sides is equal; effluence, efflux, outflow
the process of flowing out; paper chromatography
chromatography that uses selective adsorption on a strip of paper; carrier electrophoresis, paper electrophoresis
electrophoresis carried out on filter paper; peptisation, peptization
the process of converting to a sol; bringing to a colloidal solution; infiltration, percolation
the slow passage of a liquid through a filtering medium; permeation, pervasion, suffusion
the process of permeating or infusing something with a substance; petrifaction, petrification
the process of turning some plant material into stone by infiltration with water carrying mineral particles without changing the original shape; photosynthesis
synthesis of compounds with the aid of radiant energy (especially in plants); polymerisation, polymerization
a chemical process that combines several monomers to form a polymer or polymeric compound; positive feedback, regeneration
feedback in phase with (augmenting) the input; potentiation
(medicine) the synergistic effect of two drugs given simultaneously; precipitation
the process of forming a chemical precipitate; proteolysis
the hydrolysis of proteins into peptides and amino acids by cleavage of their peptide bonds; pyrochemical process, pyrochemistry
processes for chemical reactions at high temperatures; reticulation
(photography) the formation of a network of cracks or wrinkles in a photographic emulsion; rigor mortis
muscular stiffening that begins 2 to 4 hours after death and lasts for about 4 days; sequestration
the action of forming a chelate or other stable compound with an ion or atom or molecule so that it is no longer available for reactions; origin
the source of something's existence or from which it derives or is derived; spallation
(physics) a nuclear reaction in which a bombarded nucleus breaks up into many particles; spoilage, spoiling
the process of becoming spoiled; stratification
forming or depositing in layers; subduction
a geological process in which one edge of a crustal plate is forced sideways and downward into the mantle below another plate; synaeresis, syneresis
the separation of liquid from a gel that is caused by contraction (as in cheese making); synthesis
the process of producing a chemical compound (usually by the union of simpler chemical compounds); melt, melting, thaw, thawing
the process whereby heat changes something from a solid to a liquid; thermocoagulation
congealing tissue by heat (as by electric current); transamination
the process of transfering an amino group from one compound to another; transamination
the process of transposing an amino group within a chemical compound; transport
an exchange of molecules (and their kinetic energy and momentum) across the boundary between adjacent layers of a fluid or across cell membranes; ultracentrifugation
centrifugation at very high speeds; evaporation, vapor, vaporisation, vaporization, vapour
the process of becoming a vapor; ferment, fermentation, fermenting, zymolysis, zymosis
a process in which an agent causes an organic substance to break down into simpler substances; especially, the anaerobic breakdown of sugar into alcohol

Type of:: physical process, process
a sustained phenomenon or one marked by gradual changes through a series of states

n (chemistry) the capacity of a substance to take part in a chemical reaction

“catalytic activity”