measure
measures; measured; measuring
To measure something is to figure out how much of it is there. A measure can also be a step toward a goal: take measures to ensure you don't flunk an exam by cracking the books.
You can take measures to improve your health: limit sweets, get enough rest, get some exercise, and wash your hands to avoid the spread of germs. The noun also means a standard for comparison. You can measure your time against the good you will do if you volunteer to help out a child via a mentoring program.
Definitions of measure
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determine the measurements of something or somebody, take measurements of“Measure the length of the wall”
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synonyms:
measure out, mensurate
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types:
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shoot
measure the altitude of by using a sextant
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triangulate
measure by using trigonometry
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caliper, calliper
measure the diameter of something with calipers
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calibrate
measure the caliber of
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type of:
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decide, determine, make up one's mind
reach, make, or come to a decision about something
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evaluate or estimate the nature, quality, ability, extent, or significance of
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assess
estimate the value of (property) for taxation
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grade, mark, score
assign a grade or rank to, according to one's evaluation
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rate, value
estimate the value of
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standardise, standardize
evaluate by comparing with a standard
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reassess, reevaluate
revise or renew one's assessment
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censor
subject to political, religious, or moral censorship
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praise
express approval of
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blue-pencil, delete, edit
cut or eliminate
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revalue
value anew
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troll
praise or celebrate in song
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salute
express commendation of
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applaud
express approval of
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exalt, extol, glorify, laud, proclaim
praise, glorify, or honor
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blandish, flatter
praise somewhat dishonestly
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eulogise, eulogize
praise formally and eloquently
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compliment, congratulate
say something to someone that expresses praise
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gush, rave
praise enthusiastically
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commend
express approval of
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commend, recommend
express a good opinion of
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advertise, advertize, promote, push
make publicity for; try to sell (a product)
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puff, puff up
praise extravagantly
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sonnet
praise in a sonnet
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type of:
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evaluate, judge, pass judgment
form a critical opinion of
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assess
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express as a number or measure or quantity
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synonyms:
quantify
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types:
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gauge
measure precisely and against a standard
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scale
measure with or as if with scales
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meter
measure with a meter
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pace, step
measure (distances) by pacing
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clock, time
measure the time or duration of an event or action or the person who performs an action in a certain period of time
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fathom, sound
measure the depth of (a body of water) with a sounding line
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titrate
measure by (the volume or concentration of solutions) by titration
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plumb
measure the depth of something
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librate, weigh
determine the weight of
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mistime
time incorrectly
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heft
test the weight of something by lifting it
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have certain dimensions
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stand
be tall; have a height of; copula
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weigh
have a certain weight
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endure, last
persist for a specified period of time
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scale
measure by or as if by a scale
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run, run for
extend or continue for a certain period of time
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endure, hold out, wear
last and be usable
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drag on, drag out
last unnecessarily long
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type of:
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be
have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)
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the act or process of assigning numbers to phenomena according to a rule
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synonyms:
measurement, measuring, mensuration
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seismography
the measurement of tremors and shocks and undulatory movements of earthquakes
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quantitative analysis, quantitative chemical analysis
chemical analysis to determine the amounts of each element in the substance
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actinometry
measuring the intensity of electromagnetic radiation (especially of the sun's rays)
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algometry
measuring sensitivity to pain or pressure
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anemography
recording anemometrical measurements
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anemometry
measuring wind speed and direction
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angulation
the precise measurement of angles
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anthropometry
measurement and study of the human body and its parts and capacities
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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
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audiometry
measuring sensitivity of hearing
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bathymetry, plumbing
measuring the depths of the oceans
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calorimetry
measurement of quantities of heat
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cephalometry
measurement of human heads
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densitometry
measuring the optical density of a substance by shining light on it and measuring its transmission
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dosimetry
measuring the dose of radiation emitted by a radioactive source
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fetometry, foetometry
measurement of a fetus (especially the diameter of the head)
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gravimetry, hydrometry
the measurement of specific gravity
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hypsography, hypsometry
measurement of the elevation of land above sea level
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mental measurement
a generic term used to cover any application of measurement techniques to the quantification of mental functions
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micrometry
measuring with a micrometer
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observation
the act of making and recording a measurement
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pelvimetry
measurement of the dimensions of the bony birth canal (to determine whether vaginal birth is possible)
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photometry
measurement of the properties of light (especially luminous intensity)
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quantification
the act of discovering or expressing the quantity of something
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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
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meter reading, reading
the act of measuring with meters or similar instruments
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sampling
measurement at regular intervals of the amplitude of a varying waveform (in order to convert it to digital form)
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sounding
the act of measuring depth of water (usually with a sounding line)
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sound ranging
locating a source of sound (as an enemy gun) by measurements of the time the sound arrives at microphones in known positions
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scaling
act of measuring or arranging or adjusting according to a scale
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spirometry
the use of a spirometer to measure vital capacity
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surveying
the practice of measuring angles and distances on the ground so that they can be accurately plotted on a map
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telemetry
automatic transmission and measurement of data from remote sources by wire or radio or other means
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thermometry
the measurement of temperature
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thermogravimetry
the measurement of changes in weight as a function of changes in temperature used as a technique of chemically analyzing substances
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tonometry
the measurement of intraocular pressure by determining the amount of force needed to make a slight indentation in the cornea
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viscometry, viscosimetry
the measurement of viscosity
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triangulation
a method of surveying; the area is divided into triangles and the length of one side and its angles with the other two are measured, then the lengths of the other sides can be calculated
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colorimetric analysis, colorimetry
quantitative chemical analysis by color using a colorimeter
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volumetric analysis
quantitative analysis by the use of definite volumes of standard solutions or reagents
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volumetric analysis
determination of the volume of gases (or changes in their volume) during combination
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gravimetric analysis
quantitative analysis by weight
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cytophotometry
the study of chemical compounds inside a cell by means of a cytophotometer
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gradation, graduation
the act of arranging in grades
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scalage
the act of scaling in weight or quantity or dimension
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mental test, mental testing, psychometric test, test
any standardized procedure for measuring sensitivity or memory or intelligence or aptitude or personality etc
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radio observation
an observation made with a radio telescope
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type of:
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activity
any specific behavior
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how much there is or how many there are of something that you can quantify
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chance, probability
a measure of how likely it is that some event will occur; a number expressing the ratio of favorable cases to the whole number of cases possible
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quantum
(physics) the smallest discrete quantity of some physical property that a system can possess (according to quantum theory)
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economic value, value
the amount (of money or goods or services) that is considered to be a fair equivalent for something else
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fundamental measure, fundamental quantity
one of the four quantities that are the basis of systems of measurement
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definite quantity
a specific measure of amount
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indefinite quantity
an estimated quantity
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relative quantity
a quantity relative to some purpose
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metric, system of measurement
a system of related measures that facilitates the quantification of some particular characteristic
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cordage
the amount of wood in an area as measured in cords
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octane number, octane rating
a measure of the antiknock properties of gasoline
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magnetisation, magnetization
the extent or degree to which something is magnetized
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radical
(mathematics) a quantity expressed as the root of another quantity
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volume
the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object
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volume
a relative amount
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proof
a measure of alcoholic strength expressed as an integer twice the percentage of alcohol present (by volume)
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time unit, unit of time
a unit for measuring time periods
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point, point in time
an instant of time
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period of play, play, playing period
(in games or plays or other performances) the time during which play proceeds
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interval, time interval
a definite length of time marked off by two instants
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golf hole, hole
one playing period (from tee to green) on a golf course
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temperature
the degree of hotness or coldness of a body or environment (corresponding to its molecular activity)
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mass
the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
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conditional probability, contingent probability
the probability that an event will occur given that one or more other events have occurred
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cross section
(physics) the probability that a particular interaction (as capture or ionization) will take place between particles; measured in barns
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exceedance
(geology) the probability that an earthquake will generate a level of ground motion that exceeds a specified reference level during a given exposure time
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fair chance, sporting chance
a reasonable probability of success
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fat chance, slim chance
little or no chance of success
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joint probability
the probability of two events occurring together
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risk, risk of exposure
the probability of being exposed to an infectious agent
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risk, risk of infection
the probability of becoming infected given that exposure to an infectious agent has occurred
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length
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
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quasiparticle
a quantum of energy (in a crystal lattice or other system) that has position and momentum and can in some respects be regarded as a particle
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criterion, standard, touchstone
a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated
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mess of pottage
anything of trivial value
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premium
the amount that something in scarce supply is valued above its nominal value
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system of weights and measures
system of measurement for length and weight and duration
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point system
a system of graduating sizes of type in multiples of the point
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information measure
a system of measurement of information based on the probabilities of the events that convey information
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utility
(economics) a measure that is to be maximized in any situation involving choice
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enough, sufficiency
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
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N, normality
(of a solution) concentration expressed in gram equivalents of solute per liter
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absolute majority, majority
(elections) more than half of the votes
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plurality, relative majority
(in an election with more than 2 options) the number of votes for the candidate or party receiving the greatest number (but less that half of the votes)
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absolute value, numerical value
a real number regardless of its sign
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acid value
(chemistry) the amount of free acid present in fat as measured by the milligrams of potassium hydroxide needed to neutralize it
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chlorinity
a measure of the quantity of chlorine or other halides in water (especially seawater)
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number
a concept of quantity involving zero and units
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quire
a quantity of paper; 24 or 25 sheets
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ream
a quantity of paper; 480 or 500 sheets; one ream equals 20 quires
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solubility
the quantity of a particular substance that can dissolve in a particular solvent (yielding a saturated solution)
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toxicity
the degree to which something is poisonous
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unit, unit of measurement
any division of quantity accepted as a standard of measurement or exchange
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magnetic flux
a measure of the strength of a magnetic field over a given area
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Brix scale
a system for measuring the concentration of sugar solutions
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circular measure
measurement of angles in radians
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board measure
a system of units for measuring lumber based on the board foot
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Beaufort scale
a scale from 0 to 12 for the force of the wind
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system of weights, weight
a system of units used to express the weight of something
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aught, cipher, cypher, goose egg, nada, naught, nil, nix, nothing, null, zero, zilch, zip, zippo
a quantity of no importance
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addition, gain, increase
a quantity that is added
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bag
the quantity of game taken in a particular period (usually by one person)
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breakage
the quantity broken
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capacity
(computer science) the amount of information (in bytes) that can be stored on a disk drive
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catch, haul
the quantity that was caught
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correction, fudge factor
a quantity that is added or subtracted in order to increase the accuracy of a scientific measure
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containerful
the quantity that a container will hold
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footstep, pace, step, stride
the distance covered by a step
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headspace
the volume left at the top of a filled container (bottle or jar or tin) before sealing
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large indefinite amount, large indefinite quantity
an indefinite quantity that is above the average in size or magnitude
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limit, limitation
the greatest amount of something that is possible or allowed
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limit, limit point, point of accumulation
the mathematical value toward which a function goes as the independent variable approaches infinity
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output, production, yield
the quantity of something (as a commodity) that is created (usually within a given period of time)
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neighborhood, region
the approximate amount of something (usually used prepositionally as in `in the region of')
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outage
the amount of something (as whiskey or oil) lost in storage or transportation
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reserve
(medicine) potential capacity to respond in order to maintain vital functions
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run
the production achieved during a continuous period of operation (of a machine or factory etc.)
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small indefinite amount, small indefinite quantity
an indefinite quantity that is below average size or magnitude
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spillage
the amount that has spilled
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spoilage
the amount that has spoiled
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tankage
the quantity contained in (or the capacity of) a tank or tanks
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ullage
the amount that a container (as a wine bottle or tank) lacks of being full
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top-up
an amount needed to restore something to its former level
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worth
an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value
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skinful
a quantity of alcoholic drink sufficient to make you drunk
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dosage, dose
the quantity of an active agent (substance or radiation) taken in or absorbed at any one time
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load
an amount of alcohol sufficient to intoxicate
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load, loading
a quantity that can be processed or transported at one time
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precipitation
the quantity of water falling to earth at a specific place within a specified period of time
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supply
an amount of something available for use
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capacity, content
the amount that can be contained
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temperature scale
a system of measuring temperature
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period, period of time, time period
an amount of time
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24-hour interval, day, mean solar day, solar day, twenty-four hour period, twenty-four hours
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
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night
the dark part of the diurnal cycle considered a time unit
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mean solar time, mean time
(astronomy) time based on the motion of the mean sun (an imaginary sun moving uniformly along the celestial equator)
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TDT, TT, ephemeris time, terrestrial dynamical time, terrestrial time
(astronomy) a measure of time defined by Earth's orbital motion; terrestrial time is mean solar time corrected for the irregularities of the Earth's motions
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access time
(computer science) the interval between the time data is requested by the system and the time the data is provided by the drive
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distance, space
the interval between two times
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distance
a remote point in time
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embolism, intercalation
an insertion into a calendar
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date, particular date
a particular but unspecified point in time
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deadline
the point in time at which something must be completed
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arrival time, time of arrival
the time at which a public conveyance is scheduled to arrive at a given destination
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departure time, time of departure
the time at which a public conveyance is scheduled to depart from a given point of origin
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month
a time unit of approximately 30 days
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day, sidereal day
the time for one complete rotation of the earth relative to a particular star, about 4 minutes shorter than a mean solar day
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midterm
middle of an academic term or a political term in office
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full term, term
the end of gestation or point at which birth is imminent
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midterm
the middle of the gestation period
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bell, ship's bell
(nautical) each of the eight half-hour units of nautical time signaled by strokes of a ship's bell; eight bells signals 4:00, 8:00, or 12:00 o'clock, either a.m. or p.m.
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60 minutes, hour, hr
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
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30 minutes, half-hour
a half of an hour
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15 minutes, quarter-hour
a quarter of an hour
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min, minute
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
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quarter
a unit of time equal to 15 minutes or a quarter of an hour
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s, sec, second
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
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attosecond
one quintillionth (10^-18) of a second; one thousandth of a femtosecond
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femtosecond
one quadrillionth (10^-15) of a second; one thousandth of a picosecond
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picosecond
one trillionth (10^-12) of a second; one thousandth of a nanosecond
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nanosecond
one billionth (10^-9) of a second; one thousandth of a microsecond
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microsecond
one millionth (10^-6) of a second; one thousandth of a millisecond
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millisecond, msec
one thousandth (10^-3) of a second
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instant, minute, moment, second
a particular point in time
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set
a unit of play in tennis or squash
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run-time
the time at which a (software or multimedia) program is run
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beginning, commencement, first, get-go, kickoff, offset, outset, showtime, start, starting time
the time at which something is supposed to begin
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middle
time between the beginning and the end of a temporal period
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end, ending
the point in time at which something ends
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seek time
(computer science) the time it takes for a read/write head to move to a specific data track
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time constant
(electronics) the time required for the current or voltage in a circuit to rise or fall exponentially through approximately 63 per cent of its amplitude
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slot, time slot
a time assigned on a schedule or agenda
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lunitidal interval
interval between the moon's transit of a particular meridian and the next high tide at that meridian
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absence
the time interval during which something or somebody is away
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break, intermission, interruption, pause, suspension
a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something
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interlude
an intervening period or episode
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interim, lag, meantime, meanwhile
the time between one event, process, or period and another
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latent period
the time that elapses before the presence of a disease is manifested by symptoms
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latency, latent period, reaction time, response time
the time that elapses between a stimulus and the response to it
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eternity
a seemingly endless time interval (waiting)
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cycle, rhythm, round
an interval during which a recurring sequence of events occurs
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lead time
the time interval between the initiation and the completion of a production process
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period
the interval taken to complete one cycle of a regularly repeating phenomenon
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phase, phase angle
a particular point in the time of a cycle; measured from some arbitrary zero and expressed as an angle
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float
the time interval between the deposit of a check in a bank and its payment
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show time
the point in time at which an entertainment (a movie or television show etc.) is scheduled to begin
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then
that time; that moment
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latency, rotational latency
(computer science) the time it takes for a specific block of data on a data track to rotate around to the read/write head
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processing time
the time it takes to complete a prescribed procedure
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type of:
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abstract entity, abstraction
a general concept formed by extracting common features from specific examples
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a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated“they set the measure for all subsequent work”
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synonyms:
criterion, standard, touchstone
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benchmark
a standard by which something can be measured or judged
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ERA, earned run average
(baseball) a measure of a pitcher's effectiveness; calculated as the average number of earned runs allowed by the pitcher for every nine innings pitched
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GPA, grade point average
a measure of a student's academic achievement at a college or university; calculated by dividing the total number of grade points received by the total number attempted
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procrustean bed, procrustean rule, procrustean standard
a standard that is enforced uniformly without regard to individuality
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yardstick
a measure or standard used for comparison
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medium of exchange, monetary system
anything that is generally accepted as a standard of value and a measure of wealth in a particular country or region
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graduated table, ordered series, scale, scale of measurement
an ordered reference standard
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gauge, standard of measurement
accepted or approved instance or example of a quantity or quality against which others are judged or measured or compared
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baseline
an imaginary line or standard by which things are measured or compared
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norm
a standard or model or pattern regarded as typical
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legal tender, stamp, tender
something that can be used as an official medium of payment
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money
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
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currency
the metal or paper medium of exchange that is presently used
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Beaufort scale, wind scale
an international scale of wind force from 0 (calm air) to 12 (hurricane)
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index
a numerical scale used to compare variables with one another or with some reference number
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logarithmic scale
scale on which actual distances from the origin are proportional to the logarithms of the corresponding scale numbers
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Mercalli scale
a scale formerly used to describe the magnitude of an earthquake; an earthquake detected only by seismographs is a I and an earthquake that destroys all buildings is a XII
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Mohs scale
a scale of hardness of solids; talc is 0 and diamond is 10; ordering is determined by which substance can scratch another substance
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Richter scale
a logarithmic scale of 1 to 10 formerly used to express the magnitude of an earthquake on the basis of the size of seismograph oscillations
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moment magnitude scale
a logarithmic scale of 1 to 10 (a successor to the Richter scale) that enables seismologists to compare the energy released by different earthquakes on the basis of the area of the geological fault that ruptured in the quake
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temperature scale
a system of measuring temperature
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wage scale, wage schedule
a schedule of wages paid for different jobs
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type of:
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metric, system of measurement
a system of related measures that facilitates the quantification of some particular characteristic
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measuring instrument having a sequence of marks at regular intervals; used as a reference in making measurements
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synonyms:
measuring rod, measuring stick
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types:
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board rule
a measure used in computing board feet
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rule, ruler
measuring stick consisting of a strip of wood or metal or plastic with a straight edge that is used for drawing straight lines and measuring lengths
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size stick
a mechanical measuring stick used by shoe fitters to measure the length and width of your foot
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carpenter's rule
a rule used by a carpenter
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foot rule
a ruler one foot long
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meterstick, metrestick
a rule one meter long (usually marked off in centimeters and millimeters)
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yard measure, yardstick
a ruler or tape that is three feet long
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type of:
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measuring device, measuring instrument, measuring system
instrument that shows the extent or amount or quantity or degree of something
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a container of some standard capacity that is used to obtain fixed amounts of a substance
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types:
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measuring cup
graduated cup used to measure liquid or granular ingredients
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type of:
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container
any object that can be used to hold things (especially a large metal boxlike object of standardized dimensions that can be loaded from one form of transport to another)
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measuring cup
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any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal“the situation called for strong measures”
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synonyms:
step
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countermeasure
an action taken to offset another action
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porcupine provision, shark repellent
a measure undertaken by a corporation to discourage unwanted takeover attempts
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guard, precaution, safeguard
a precautionary measure warding off impending danger or damage or injury etc.
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golden parachute
giving top executives lucrative benefits that must be paid by the acquirer if they are discharged after a takeover
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greenmail
(corporation) the practice of purchasing enough shares in a firm to threaten a takeover and thereby forcing the owners to buy those shares back at a premium in order to stay in business
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pac-man strategy
the target company defends itself by threatening to take over its acquirer
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poison pill
the target company defends itself by making its stock less attractive to an acquirer
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safe harbor
the target company defends itself by acquiring a company so onerously regulated that it makes the target less attractive
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scorched-earth policy
the target company defends itself by selling off its crown jewels
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backstop
a precaution in case of an emergency
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security, security measures
measures taken as a precaution against theft or espionage or sabotage etc.
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countermine
(military) a tunnel dug to defeat similar activities by the enemy
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type of:
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maneuver, manoeuvre, tactical maneuver, tactical manoeuvre
a move made to gain a tactical end
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a statute in draft before it becomes law
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synonyms:
bill
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appropriation bill
a legislative act proposing to authorize the expenditure of public funds for a specified purpose
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bill of attainder
a legislative act finding a person guilty of treason or felony without a trial
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bottle bill
a statute that would require merchants to reclaim used bottles
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farm bill
a statute that would regulate farm production and prices
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trade bill
a statute that would regulate foreign trade
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type of:
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instrument, legal document, legal instrument, official document
(law) a document that states some contractual relationship or grants some right
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musical notation for a repeating pattern of musical beats
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synonyms:
bar
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type of:
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musical notation
(music) notation used by musicians
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musical notation
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(prosody) the accent in a metrical foot of verse
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types:
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catalexis
the absence of a syllable in the last foot of a line or verse
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scansion
analysis of verse into metrical patterns
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common measure, common meter
the usual (iambic) meter of a ballad
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foot, metrical foot, metrical unit
(prosody) a group of 2 or 3 syllables forming the basic unit of poetic rhythm
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dactyl
a metrical unit with stressed-unstressed-unstressed syllables
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iamb, iambus
a metrical unit with unstressed-stressed syllables
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anapaest, anapest
a metrical unit with unstressed-unstressed-stressed syllables
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amphibrach
a metrical unit with unstressed-stressed-unstressed syllables (e.g., `remember')
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trochee
a metrical unit with stressed-unstressed syllables
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spondee
a metrical unit with stressed-stressed syllables
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dibrach, pyrrhic
a metrical unit with unstressed-unstressed syllables
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type of:
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poetic rhythm, prosody, rhythmic pattern
(prosody) a system of versification
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