Dictionary of Computing - 5th Edition

multipass overlap / m lt pɑ səυvəl p/ noun a system of producing

higher quality print from a dot matrix printer by repeating the line of characters but shifted slightly, so making the dots less noticeable

multiphase program / m lt fe zprəυ r m/ noun a program that requires more than one fetch operation before execution is complete

multi platform / m lt pl t fɔ m/ adjective referring to software that can run on several different hardware platforms multiple / m lt p(ə)l/ adjective having many parts

multiple access system / m lt p(ə)lkses s stəm/ noun same as multi-ac-

cess system

multiple address code / m lt p(ə)l ədres kəυd/ noun an instruction with more than one address for the operands, result and the location of the next instruction to be executed

multiple base page / m lt p(ə)l be spe d'/ noun a multi-user system in which each user and the operating system have one page of main memory, which can then call up other pages within main memory

multiple instruction stream-multi- ple data stream / m lt p(ə)l nstr kʃən stri m m lt p(ə)l de təstri m/ noun full form of MIMD

multiple instruction stream-single data stream / m lt p(ə)l n str kʃənstri m s ŋ (ə)l de tə stri m/ noun full

form of MISD

multiple line adjective same as multiline

multiple precision / m lt p(ə)l prs '(ə)n/ noun the use of more than one byte of data for number storage to increase possible precision

multiplex / m lt pleks/ verb to combine several messages in the same transmission medium

multiplexed bus / m lt pleksd b s/ noun one bus used to carry address, data and control signals at different times multiplexor / m lt pleksə/ noun full form of MUX A 4 to 1 multiplexor combines four inputs into a single output. multiplicand / m ltipl k nd/ noun a number which is multiplied by another number, the multiplier

multiplication / m lt pl ke ʃ(ə)n/ noun a mathematical operation that adds

one number to itself a number of times

The multiplication of 5 and 3 = 15. multiplication sign / m lt plke ʃ(ə)n sa n/ noun a printed or written sign (x) used to show that numbers are multiplied

multiplier / m lt pla ə/ noun a number which multiplies a multiplicand multiply / m lt pla / verb to perform the mathematical operation of multiplication (NOTE: multiplies – multiplying – multiplied)

multipoint / m ltipɔ nt/ adjective referring to a connection with several lines, attaching several terminals to a single line to a single computer

multiprecision / m ltipr s '(ə)n/ noun the use of more than one data word to represent numbers, increasing the range or precision possible

multiprocessing system / m ltprəυses ŋ s stəm/ noun a system where

several processing units work together sharing the same memory multiprocessor / m lti prəυsesə/ noun a number of processing units acting together or separately but sharing the same area of memory

multiprocessor interleaving

/ m lt prəυsesə ntə li v ŋ/ noun an operation in which each processor in a multiprocessor system deals with a section of one or more processes

multi-programming system / m ltprəυ r m ŋ s stəm/ noun an operating

system used to execute more than one program apparently simultaneously, each program being executed a little at a time. Compare monoprogramming system

multipurpose Internet mail extensions / m ltip pəs ntənet me l kstenʃ(ə)nz/ noun full form of MIME

multi-scan monitor / m lt sk nmɒn tə/ noun same as multisync monitor

multisession-compatible

/ m lt seʃ(ə)n kəm p t b(ə)l/ adjective referring to a CD-ROM drive that can read PhotoCD discs or other discs that have been created in several goes

multi statement line / m ltste tmənt la n/ noun a line from a com-

puter program that contains more than one instruction or statement

multistation access unit

/ m ltiste ʃ(ə)n kses ju n t/ noun a

central hub used to connect together cables in a Token Ring network. Abbr MAU multisync monitor /m lt s ŋkmɒn tə/ noun a monitor which contains circuitry to lock onto the required scanning frequency of any type of graphics card If you want to plug a monitor into PCs with VGA, EGA and MDA adapters, you’ll need a multisync monitor. Also called multifrequency monitor, multiscan monitor

multitasking / m lti tɑ sk ŋ/ noun the ability of a computer system to run two or more programs at the same time The system is multi-user and multi-tasking.

‘X is the underlying technology which allows Unix applications to run under a multi-user, multitasking GUI. It has been adopted as the standard for the Common Open Software Environment, proposed recently by top Unix vendors including Digital, IBM and Sun.’ [Computing]

COMMENT: Few small systems are capable of simultaneous multitasking, since each program would require its own processor. This is overcome by allocating to each program an amount of processing time, executing each a little at a time so that they will appear to run simultaneously due to the speed of the processor and the relatively short gaps between programs.

multi terminal system / m ltt m n(ə)l s stəm/ noun a system where

several terminals are linked to a single CPU

multithread / m ltiθred/ noun a program design using more than one logical path through it, each path being concurrently executed

multiuser domain / m ltiju zə dəme n/ noun full form of MUD

multiuser dungeon / m ltiju zəd nd'ən/ noun full form of MUD

multiuser program / m ltiju zəprə r m/ noun a software diary utility that allows many users to enter appointments and schedule meetings with other users. Also called network calendar pro-

gram

multiuser system / m ltiju zəs stəm/ noun a computer system that can support more than one user at a time The program runs on a standalone machine or

a multi-user system.

multi-window editor / m lti w ndəυed tə/ noun a program used for creating and editing a number of applications programs independently, each in a separate

window on screen at the same time

Murray code / m ri kəυd/ noun a code used for teleprinters that uses only 5 bits

musical instrument digital interface / mju z k(ə)l nstrυməntd d' t(ə)l ntəfe s/ noun full form of

MIDI

music chip / mju z k tʃ p/ noun an integrated circuit capable of generating musical sounds and tunes

MUX / em ju eks/ noun a circuit that combines a number of inputs into a smaller number of outputs. Full form multi-

plexor. Compare demultiplexor

MX record / em eks rekɔ d/ noun same as mail exchange record Mail sent to ‘smith&pcp.co.uk’ will be sent to the ‘pcp.co.uk’ server by the MX record, the local server then has to send the mes-

sage to the user ‘smith’.

My Computer / ma kəm pju tə/ noun an icon that is normally in the upper lefthand corner of the screen on a computer running Windows, containing an overview of the PC

n abbr nano-

NAK abbr negative acknowledgement name /ne m/ noun an ordinary word used to identify an address in machine language

name registration /ne m red'stre ʃ(ə)n/ noun same as domain name

registration

name resolution /ne m rezəlu ʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of converting a

domain name into its numerical IP address name server /ne m s və/ noun a

computer on the Internet that provides a domain name service to any other computer

namespace / ne mspe s/ noun a group of unique names (NOTE: In a small office network the namespace might include 20 users; in the Internet the namespace

runs into hundreds of millions.)

name table /ne m te b(ə)l/ noun a list of reserved words or commands in a language and the addresses in the computer

that refer to them

naming services / ne m ŋ s v s z/ noun a method of assigning each user or node or computer on a network a unique name that allows other users to access shared resources even over a wide area

network

NAND function / n nd f ŋkʃ(ə)n/ noun a logical function whose output is false if all inputs are true, and true if any input is false

COMMENT: The NAND function is equivalent to an AND function with a NOT function at the output. The output is 0 only if both inputs are 1; if one input is 1 and the other 0, or if both

inputs are 0, then the output is 1.

NAND gate / n nd e t/ noun an electronic circuit that provides a NAND function

nano- /n nəυ/ prefix one thousand millionth. Abbr n

nanocircuit / n nəυ s k t/ noun a set of electronic and logic circuits that can re-

spond to impulses within nanoseconds.

Also called nanosecond circuit nanosecond / n nəυ sekənd/ noun

one thousand millionth of a second nanosecond circuit / n nəυ sekənd

s k t/ noun same as nanocircuit

Napster / n pstə/ a trade name for software that allows users to share files, normally MP3-format music files, over the Internet

COMMENT: Napster was originally used to distribute and share MP3 files with a personal recording of a commercial artist in an efficient way. The software, developed by Shawn Fanning, allowed anyone to download music from any another Napster user’s computer. Once installed, the free software searches your hard disk for any MP3 music files, then allows other Napster users online to access these files from your hard disk, via the Internet. Because it allows music to be copied and shared very easily, Napster has become unpopular with the recording and music industry and was the subject of a legal case enforcing copyright over the Internet.

narrative / n rət v/ noun a set of explanatory notes or comments to help a user

operate a program

narrative statement / n rət vste tmənt/ noun a statement which sets

variables and allocates storage at the start

of a program

narrow band ISDN / n rəυ b nd a es di en/ noun the ISDN communica-

tions system

narrowcast / n rəυkɑ st/ verb same as multicast

NAT / en e ti / noun a system that allows a local area network to work with two sets of IP addresses for each computer or node in the network. Full form network address translation

COMMENT: The first set of addresses is used for internal traffic and the second set (often just one or two addresses) is used for external traffic, for example when accessing resources on the public Internet via a router. This system provides basic security against external attacks, for example using IP spoofing. Its main purpose is that it allows the local area network

to use as many IP addresses as are required, but only using a minimal number of public IP addresses, which must be registered and allocated by an organisation such as InterNIC.

National Center for Supercomputing Applications / n ʃ(ə)nəl sentə fə su pəkəm pju t ŋ pl ke ʃ(ə)nz/

noun full form of NCSA

National Television System Committee / n ʃ(ə)nəl tel v '(ə)n s stəm

kə m ti/ noun full form of NTSC native compiler / ne t v kəm pa lə/ noun a compiler that produces code that will run on the same system on which it is running (NOTE: A cross-compiler produces code that will run on another hardware platform.)

native file format / ne t v fa lfɔ m t/ noun a default file format, usually proprietary, that is used by an application to store its data on disk

native format / ne t v fɔ m t/ noun the first or basic format

native language / ne t v l ŋ w d'/ noun a computer language that can be executed by a processor without the need for any special software, usually the processor’s machine code

natural binary coded decimal

/ n tʃ(ə)rəl ba nəri kəυd ddes m(ə)l/ noun a representation of single decimal digits as a pattern of 4 bits. Abbr NBCD

natural language / n tʃ(ə)rəll ŋ w d'/ noun a language that is used or understood by humans The expert system can be programmed in a natural language.

natural language processing

/ n tʃ(ə)rəl l ŋ w d' prəυses ŋ/ noun the use of artificial intelligence to process ordinary human languages, e.g. in machine translation

navigable / n v əb(ə)l/ adjective referring to a website that has been designed in such a way that the user can move from one section of the site to another by clicking on highlighted computer links navigation / n v e ʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of moving around a multimedia title using hotspots, buttons and a user interface

NBCD abbr natural binary coded decimal NC abbr 1. network computer 2. numerical control

NCR paper / en si ɑ pe pə/ noun a special type of paper impregnated with

chemicals and used in multipart forms. Full form no carbon required paper

(NOTE: When NCR paper is printed on by an impact printer, the writing also appears on the sheets below.)

NCSA / en si es e / noun an organisation that helped define and create the World Wide Web with its Mosaic web browser. Full form National Center for

Supercomputing Applications

NDIS / en di e es/ noun a standard command interface, defined by Microsoft, between network driver software and NICs. Full form network driver interface specification

NDR / en di ɑ / noun a display system that continues to display previous characters when new ones are displayed. Full form non destructive readout

NEAR /n ə/ noun a binary operator used in searches of computer text that returns true if it finds two words within a specified distance of each other within the text, and false otherwise

needle / ni d(ə)l/ noun a tiny metal pin on a dot matrix printer which prints one of the dots

negate /n e t/ verb to reverse the sign of a number If you negate 23.4 the result is –23.4. (NOTE: negates – negating – negated)

negation /n e ʃ(ə)n/ noun the reversing of the sign of a number, e.g. from 5 to –5

negation gate /n e ʃ(ə)n e t/ noun a single input gate whose output is equal to the logical inverse of the input. Also called

NOT gate

negative / ne ət v/ adjective meaning ‘no’

negative acknowledgement

/ ne ət v ək nɒl d'mənt/ noun a signal sent by a receiver to indicate that data has been incorrectly or incompletely received. Abbr NAK

negative number / ne ət v n mbə/ noun a number which represents the number subtracted from zero, indicated by a minus sign in front of the number

negative-true logic / ne ət v trulɒd' k/ noun the use of a lower voltage

level to represent binary 1 than for binary 0 neither-nor function / na ðə nɔ rf ŋkʃ(ə)n/ noun a logical function whose output is false if any input is true NEQ abbr nonequivalence function

NEQ function / nek f ŋkʃ(ə)n/ noun a logical function in which the output is true if the inputs are not the same, otherwise the output is false

NEQ gate / nek e t/ noun an electronic implementation of a nonequivalence function

nerd /n d/ noun a person who is obsessed with computers and rarely talks or thinks about anything that is not technologically exciting (slang)

nest /nest/ verb 1. to insert a subroutine within a program or another routine 2. to use a routine that calls itself recursively nested loop / nestd lu p/ noun a loop inside another loop in the same program nested macro call / nest d m krəυkɔ l/ noun a macro called from within another macro

nested structure /nestd str ktʃə/ noun a section of a program in which one control loop or subroutine is used within another

nesting level /nest ŋ lev(ə)l/ noun a number of subroutines within a subroutine nesting store / nest ŋ stɔ / noun a hardware stack (NOTE: Usually stacks are implemented with software.)

NetBEUI / net bju i/ noun an extended version of the NetBIOS network protocol developed by Microsoft, which cannot be routed in a network. Full form NetBIOS

Extended User Interface

NetBIOS / net ba ɒs/ noun a commonly used standard set of commands, originally developed by IBM, that allow application programs to carry out basic operations such as file sharing and transferring data between nodes over a network This software uses NetBIOS calls to manage file sharing. Full form Network Basic Input Output System

netiquette / net ket/ noun a set of unofficial rules that define good manners on the Internet

netphone / netfəυn/ noun a phone that uses the Internet to make connections and carry voice messages

NetScape / netske p/ a software company that develops Internet applications

Netscape Navigator / netske pn v e tə/ a trade name for one of the most popular web browsers that provides many features including a news reader and that supports Java applets

NetShow / netshəυ/ a system developed by Microsoft to provide audio and video delivery over the Internet without interruption or glitches in the video se-

quence

NetView / netvju / a trade name for a network management architecture devel-

oped by IBM

NetWare / netweə/ a trade name for a network operating system, developed by Novell, that runs on a range of hardware platforms and supports file and print sharing and client-server applications

NetWare Loadable Module

/ netweə ləυdəb(ə)l mɒdju l/ a trade name for an application that can run under the NetWare operating system

network / netw k/ noun a system made of a number of points or circuits that are interconnected verb to link points together in a network They run a system of networked micros.

‘Asante Technologies has expanded its range of Ethernet-to-LocalTalk converters with the release of AsantePrint 8, which connects up to eight LocalTalk printers, or other LocalTalk devices, to a high-speed

Ethernet network.’ [Computing]

network adapter / netw k ə d ptə/

noun same as NIC

network address / netw k ə dres/ noun a part of an IP address that defines the main network on which the domain is located (NOTE: For class A networks this is the first byte of the address, for class B networks it is the first two bytes and for class C networks it is the first three bytes. The rest of the IP address forms the host address.)

network address translation

/ netw k ə dres tr ns le ʃ(ə)n/ noun full form of NAT (see)

network administrator / netw k ədm n stre tə/ noun a person who is re-

sponsible for looking after a network, with responsibilities including installing, con-

figuring and maintaining the network network alert / netw k ə l t/ noun a

message sent from the network operating system to the user warning that the net-

work hardware is not working properly

/ netw k ən ləs s/ noun the study of messages, destinations and routes in a network to provide a better operation

network architecture / netw kɑ k tektʃə/ noun the way in which a net-

work is constructed, e.g. layers in an OSI system

Network Basic Input Output System / netw k be s k npυt aυtpυt

s stəm/ noun full form of NetBIOS network computer / netw k kəmpju tə/ noun a computer that is designed to run Java programs and access information using a web browser. Abbr NC

COMMENT: The network computer has a small desktop box that does not have a floppy disk drive. Instead it downloads any software it requires from a central server. Network computers are simpler and cheaper than current PCs and Apple Mac computers, and are designed to be easier to manage in a large company.

network controller / netw k kəntrəυlə/ noun a network user responsible

for allocating disk space, answering queries and solving problems from other users of the same network

network control program / netw k kən trəυl prəυ r m/ noun a piece of

software that regulates the flow of and channels for data transmitted in a network network database / netw kde təbe s/ noun a database structure in which data items can be linked together

network device driver / net w k dva s dra və/ noun a piece of software

which controls and manages a n NIC to ensure that it functions correctly with other hardware and software in the computer network diagram / netw kda ə r m/ noun a graphical representation of the interconnections between points in a network

network directory / netw k darekt(ə)ri/ noun a directory that is stored on a disk drive on another computer in the network but can be accessed by anyone on the network

network drive / netw k dra v/ noun a disk drive that is part of another computer on a network but can be used by anyone on the network

network driver interface specification / netw k dra və ntəfe sspes f ke ʃ(ə)n/ noun full form of NDIS

network file system / netw k fa ls stəm/ noun a network protocol developed by Sun Microsystems that allows a computer to share its local disk drives with other users on a network and is now used as a standard across most of the Internet. Abbr NFS

network hardware / netw khɑ dweə/ noun same as networking hardware

networking / netw k ŋ/ noun 1. the working or organisation of a network 2. the process of interconnecting two or more computers either in the same room or different buildings, in the same town or different towns, allowing them to exchange information

COMMENT: Networking allows a machine with a floppy disk drive to use another PC’s hard disk when both machines are linked by a cable and are using networking software.

networking hardware / netw k ŋ

hɑ dweə/ noun the physical links, computers and control equipment that make up a network. Also called network hardware

networking software / netw k ŋ

sɒftweə/ noun software that is used to establish the link between a user’s program and the network. Also called network software

networking specialist / netw k ŋ

speʃəl st/ noun a company or person who specialises in designing and setting up networks This computer firm is a UK networking specialist.

network interface card / netw kntəfe s kɑ d/ noun full form of NIC

network-intrinsic application

/ netw k n tr ns k pl ke ʃ(ə)n/ noun an application that makes use of a network and its shared resources network layer / netw k le ə/ noun the third ISO/OSI layer that decides on the route to be used to send a packet of data

network management / netw km n d'mənt/ noun the organisation,

planning, running and upkeep of a network

Network Neighborhood / netw kne bəhυd/ noun a Windows 95 utility

that allows you to view and manage connections to your computer

network news transfer protocol

/ netw k nju z tr nsf prəυtəkɒl/ noun full form of NNTP

network operating system

/ netw k ɒpəre t ŋ s stəm/ noun an operating system running on a server computer, usually a dedicated one, that controls access to the network resources, managing network links, printing and users. Abbr NOS

network printer / netw k pr ntə/ noun a printer attached to a server or workstation that can be used by any user connected to the network

network processor / netw kprəυsesə/ noun a signal multiplexor con-

trolled by a microprocessor in a network

network protocol / netw kprəυtəkɒl/ noun a set of handshaking

signals that defines how a workstation sends data over a network without clashing with other data transmissions

network redundancy / netw k rd ndənsi/ noun the existence of extra

links between points allowing continued

operation in the event of one point failing network server / netw k s və/

noun a computer which runs a network operating system and controls the basic network operations (NOTE: All the workstations in a LAN are connected to the central network server and users log onto a

network server,)

network software / netw ksɒftweə/ noun same as networking

software

network structure / netw kstr ktʃə/ noun a data structure which allows each node to be connected to any of the others

network time protocol / netw kta m prəυtəkɒl/ noun a protocol which

provides an accurate time signal to computers on the Internet based on an atomic clock, allowing local computers to syn-

chronise their clocks. Abbr NTP network timing / netw k ta m ŋ/

noun signals which correctly synchronise

the transmission of data

network topology / netw k təpɒləd'i/ noun the layout of machines in a

network, e.g. a star network, ring network or bus network, which will determine what cabling and interfaces are needed and what

possibilities the network can offer neural network / njυərəl netw k/

noun a system running an artificial intelligence program that attempts to simulate the way the brain works, how it learns and remembers

neutral / nju trəl/ adjective with no state, bias or voltage

neutral transmission / nju trəl tr nz m ʃ(ə)n/ noun a transmission system in which a voltage pulse and zero volts represent the binary digits 1 and 0

new /nju / adjective recent or not old

They have installed a new computer system.

newbie / nju bi/ noun a new user of the Internet (slang)

new line character / nju la nk r ktə/ noun a character that moves a cursor or printhead to the beginning of the next line

newsgroup / nju z ru p/ noun a feature of the Internet that provides free-for-

all discussion forums

news reader / nju z ri də/ noun a piece of software that allows a user to view the list of newsgroups and read the articles posted in each group or submit a new arti-

cle

newswire / nju zwa ə/ noun an Internet service providing the latest informa-

tion on current events

new technology /nju tek nɒləd'i/ noun electronic instruments which have recently been developed

Newton / nju tən/ a trade name for a range of PDAs developed by the Apple Computer Corporation

next instruction register / nekst nstr kʃən red' stə/ noun a register in a

CPU that contains the location where the

next instruction to be executed is stored nexus / neksəs/ noun a connection point

between units in a network NFS abbr network file system

nibble / n b(ə)l/ noun another spelling of nybble

NIC / en a si / noun an add-in board that connects a computer to a network. Full form network interface card. Also called network adapter (NOTE: The board converts the computer’s data into electrical signals that are then transmitted along the network cable.)

NiCad / na k d/ noun a type of rechargeable battery used in laptops but now superseded by the NiMH battery. Full form nickel-cadmium

COMMENT: NiCad batteries unfortunately have one problem called ‘memory’ which gradually reduces their ability to retain charge. To remove the memory you should condition a battery by running it right down so that it has no charge, before re-charging it.

nil pointer /n l pɔ ntə/ noun a pointer used to indicate the end of a chained list of

items

NiMH / en a em e tʃ/ noun a type of rechargeable battery now used in laptops that has better charge-carrying ability than a NiCad battery, is quicker to charge and does not suffer from ‘memory.’ Full form nickel metal hydride

nine’s complement / na nzkɒmpl mənt/ noun a decimal comple-

ment, equivalent to the binary one’s complement, formed by subtracting each digit in the number from nine. ten’s complement

n-key rollover / en ki rəυləυvə/ noun a facility on a keyboard where each keystroke, (up to a maximum of n, is registered in sequence even if they are struck very fast (NOTE: Up to n keys can be stored.)

NLB abbr nonlinear behaviour

n-level logic / en lev(ə)l lɒd' k/ noun logic gate design in which no more than n gates occur in a series

NLP abbr neurolinguistic programming NLQ abbr near-letter-quality

NMI abbr non maskable interrupt NNTP / en en ti pi / noun a standard method of distributing news messages on the Internet, one of the protocols within the TCP/IP protocol suite, that provides a way of creating, reading and distributing messages within newsgroups over the Internet. Full form network news transfer protocol

no-address operation / nəυ ə dresɒpəre ʃ(ə)n/ noun an instruction which

does not require an address within it node /nəυd/ noun an interconnection point in a structure or network A tree is made of branches that connect together at nodes.

no-drop image / nəυ drɒp m d'/ noun (in a GUI) an icon image displayed during a drag and drop operation when the pointer is over an object that cannot be the destination object and onto which it cannot be dropped

noise /nɔ z/ noun a random signal present in addition to any wanted signal, caused by static, temperature, power supply, magnetic or electric fields and also from stars and the Sun

noise immunity /nɔ z mju nəti/ noun the ability of a circuit to ignore or filter out noise or to be protected from noise noisy digit / nɔ zi d d' t/ noun a digit, usually not zero, added during the normalisation of a floating point number when in noisy mode

noisy mode / nɔ zi məυd/ noun a floating point arithmetic system in which a digit other than a zero is deliberately added in the least significant position during the normalisation of a floating point number

nomenclature /nəυ meŋklətʃə/ noun a predefined system for assigning words and symbols to represent numbers or terms nomogram / nɒmə r m/, nomograph / nɒmə rɑ f/ noun a graphical system for solving one value given two others

non- /nɒn/ prefix not

nonaligned / nɒnə la nd/ adjective referring to two devices which are not correctly positioned in relation to each other, for optimum performance

nonaligned read head /nɒnə la ndri d hed/ noun a read head that is not in

the same position on a magnetic medium as the write head was, producing a loss of signal quality

non arithmetic shift / nɒnr θmet k ʃ ft/ noun same as logical

shift

non breaking space / nɒn bre k ŋ

spe s/ noun (in word-processing or DTP software) a space character that prevents two words being separated by a line break noncompatibility / nɒnkəm p tb l ti/ noun inability of two or more pieces of hardware or software to exchange data or use the same peripherals

non dedicated server / nɒnded ke t d s və/ noun a computer that

runs a network operating system in the background and can also be used to run normal applications at the same time

non destructive cursor / nɒn dstr kt v k sə/ noun a cursor on a dis-

play that does not erase characters already displayed as it passes over them The screen quickly became unreadable when using a non-destructive cursor.

non destructive readout / nɒn dstr kt v ri daυt/ noun full form of

NDR

non destructive test / nɒn dstr kt v test/ noun a series of tests car-

ried out on a piece of equipment without destroying it I will carry out a number of non-destructive tests on your computer, if it passes, you can start using it again.

nonequivalence function / nɒnkw vələns f ŋkʃən/ noun a logical

function in which the output is true if the inputs are not the same, otherwise the output is false. Abbr NEQ

nonequivalence gate / nɒnkw vələns e t/ noun an electronic im-

plementation of an NEQ function

nonerasable storage /nɒnre zəb(ə)l stɔ r d'/ noun a storage me-

dium that cannot be erased and reused non impact printer / nɒn m p ktpr ntə/ noun a printer such as an ink-jet printer in which the character form does not hit a ribbon onto the paper

non interlaced / nɒn ntəle sd/ adjective (in a monitor) referring to a system in which the picture electron beam scans each line of the display once during each refresh cycle (NOTE: The beam in an interlaced display scans every alternate line.) nonlinear /nɒn l niə/ adjective referring to an electronic circuit whose output does not change linearly in proportion to its input

nonlinear video editing /nɒn l niəv diəυ ed t ŋ/ noun a method of editing

a video sequence in which the video is digitised and stored in a computer and the editor can then cut and move frames in any order before outputting the finished sequence (NOTE: The finished sequence can either be produced directly from the computer output – though this is normally at a lower quality than the original because of compression losses – or the computer can output timecode instructions that can be used to edit the original videotape.)

non maskable interrupt / nɒnmɑ skəb(ə)l ntər pt/ noun a high pri-

ority interrupt signal that cannot be blocked and overrides all other commands. Abbr NMI

nonmodal /nɒn məυd(ə)l/ adjective (in a GUI) displaying a window but still allowing a user to access other windows that are on-screen before closing the nonmodal window

non operable instruction / nɒnɒp(ə)rəb(ə)l n str kʃən/ noun an in-

struction that does not carry out any function, but increments the program counter

/ nɒnpr nt ŋ

kəυd/ plural noun a code that represents an action of the printer rather than a printed character The line width can be set using one of the non-printing codes, .LW, then a number.

non-procedural language /nɒn prəsi d'(ə)rəl l ŋ w d'/ noun a program-

ming language which does not execute statements one after another or calls subroutines, but instead defines a set of facts that can be queried

nonrepudiation / nɒnr pju die ʃ(ə)n/ noun the ability of the person who receives a message to identify its sender, especially by means of the digital signature on the message

non-return to zero / nɒn r t n təz ərəυ/ noun a representation of binary data in which the signal changes when the data changes state, and does not return to zero volts after each bit of data. Abbr NRZ non scrollable / nɒn skrəυləb(ə)l/ adjective referring to part of the screen display which is always displayed (NOTE: In a WP the text can scroll while instruc-

tions are nonscrollable.)

non volatile memory / nɒn vɒləta lmem(ə)ri/ noun a storage medium or

memory that retains data even when the power has been switched off Bubble memory is a non-volatile storage. Also called nonvolatile storage, nonvolatile store

non-volatile random access memory / nɒn vɒləta l r ndəm ksesmem(ə)ri/ noun full form of NVRAM

non volatile storage / nɒn vɒləta lstɔ r d'/, nonvolatile store noun same

as non volatile memory

no-op instruction /nəυ ɒp/, no op noun an instruction that does not carry out any functions but increments the program counter

no parity /nəυ p rəti/ noun data trans-

mission which does not use a parity bit

NOR function /nɔ r f ŋkʃən/ noun a logical function whose output is false if either input is true

COMMENT: The output is 1 only if both inputs are 0; if the two inputs are different or if both are 1, the output is 0.

NOR gate / nɔ r e t/ noun an electric circuit or chip which performs a NOR function

normal / nɔ m(ə)l/ adjective usual or which happens regularly The normal procedure is for backup copies to be made at the end of each day’s work.

normal form / nɔ m(ə)l fɔ m/ noun a method of structuring information in a database to avoid redundancy and improve

storage efficiency

normal format / nɔ m(ə)l fɔ m t/ noun a standardised format for data storage

normalisation / nɔ məla ze ʃ(ə)n/, normalization noun the process of normalising data

normalisation routine / nɔ məlaze ʃ(ə)n ru ti n/ noun a routine that nor-

malises a floating point number and adds extra, noisy digits in the least significant

position

normalise / nɔ mə la z/, normalize verb 1. to convert data into a form which can be read by a particular computer system 2. to convert characters into just capitals or into just a lowercase form 3. to store and represent numbers in a pre-agreed form, usually to provide maximum precision All the new data has been normalised to 10 decimal places. (NOTE: normal-

ises – normalising – normalised) normalised form / nɔ məla zd fɔ m/

noun a floating point number that has been normalised so that its mantissa is within a

certain range

normal range / nɔ m(ə)l re nd'/ noun the expected range for a result or number

(NOTE: Any outside this range are errors.) normals / nɔ m(ə)lz/ plural noun (in a three-dimensional scene) lines that are perpendicular to a tangent

normal-vector interpolation shading / nɔ m(ə)l vektə n t pə le ʃ(ə)n

ʃe d ŋ/ noun same as Phong shading

NOS abbr network operating system NOT-AND /nɒt ən/ noun an equivalent

to the NAND function

notation /nəυ te ʃ(ə)n/ noun a method

of writing or representing numbers notched /nɒtʃd/ adjective edge

notched card

notebook computer / nəυtbυk kəmpju tə/ noun a very small portable computer, usually smaller than a laptop computer, that has a small keyboard and dis-

play and can be carried easily

NOT function /nɒt f ŋkʃən/ noun a logical inverse function in which the output is true if the input is false

COMMENT: If the input is 1, the output is 0; if the

input is 0, the output is 1.

NOT gate / nɒt e t/ noun same as ne-

gation gate

notice board / nəυt s bɔ d/ noun 1. a board fixed to a wall where notices can be pinned up 2. a type of bulletin board on which messages to all users can be left

notification message / nəυt fke ʃ(ə)n mes d'/ noun a message with-

in authoring software to notify other objects that a particular task has been completed If an object is moved, the application will generate a notification message

to tell other processes when it has finished

moving the object.

notify handler / nəυt fa h ndlə/ noun a series of commands that are executed when a particular notification message is received

Novell /nəυ vel/ a large company that produces network software and is best known for its NetWare range of network operating system software that runs on a PC server

n-plus-one address instruction

/en pl s w n ə dres/ noun an instruction made up of a number (n) of addresses and one other address that is the location of the next instruction

n-plus-one instruction / en pl s w n/ noun an instruction made up of a number (n) of addresses and one other address that is the location of the next in-

struction to be executed

npn transistor / en pi en tr n z stə/ noun a bipolar transistor design using p- type semiconductor for the base and n- type for the collector and emitter

NRZ abbr non return to zero

ns abbr nanosecond

NSFnet / en es ef net/ noun a wide area network developed by the National Science Foundation to replace ArpaNet as the main US government-funded network linking together universities and research laboratories (NOTE: NSFnet was a crucial stepping-stone in the development history of the Internet. It was closed down in 1995 and replaced by a commercial high-speed network backbone that formed one of the foundations for the current commercial Internet.)

NT / en ti / noun Windows NT

NTFS abbr Windows NT file system

NTP abbr network time protocol

NTSC / en ti es si / noun a US committee that defines standards for television and video. Full form National Television

System Committee

n-type material /en ta p/, n-type semiconductor noun a semiconductor doped with a substance which provides extra electrons in the material, giving it an overall negative charge compared to the

intrinsic semiconductor

NuBus / nju b s/ noun a high-speed 96pin expansion bus used within Apple Mac II computers

NUL character / n l k r ktə/ noun same as null character