Dictionary of Computing - 5th Edition

ular signal that is used to synchronise all the components in the computer system colours / s stəm k ləz/ plural noun same as default palette system console / s stəm kɒnsəυl/ noun the main terminal or control centre for a computer which includes status lights and control switches

system control panel / s stəm kəntrəυl p n(ə)l/ noun main computer sys-

tem control switches and status indicators system crash / s stəm kr ʃ/ noun a situation where the operating system stops working and has to be restarted

system design / s stəm d za n/ noun the process of identifying and investigating possible solutions to a problem, and deciding upon the most appropriate system to solve the problem

system diagnostics / s stəm da ənɒst ks/ noun tests, features and messages that help find hardware or software faults

system disk / s stəm d sk/ noun a disk which holds the system software

Système Electronique Couleur Avec Mémoire noun full form of SE-

CAM

system exclusive data / s stəm ksklu s v de tə/ noun MIDI messages

that can only be understood by a MIDI device from a particular manufacturer system firmware / s stəm f mweə/ noun basic operating system functions and routines in a ROM device

system flowchart / s stəm fləυtʃɑ t/ noun a diagram which shows each step of the computer procedures needed in a system

system folder / s stəm fəυldə/ noun

(in the Apple Macintosh environment) a folder that contains the program files for the operating system and Finder system generation / s stəm d'enəre ʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of producing an optimum operating system for a particular task. Also called sysgen

system library / s stəm la brəri/ noun stored files that hold the various parts of a computer’s operating system system life cycle / s stəm la fsa k(ə)l/ noun the time when a system exists, between its initial design and its becoming out of date

system log / s stəm lɒ / noun a record of computer processor operations

system manager / s stəm m n d'ə/ noun a person responsible for the comput-

ers or network in a company

System Monitor / s stəm mɒn tə/ noun a Windows utility that allows a user to view how the resources on their PC are performing and, if they have shared the device, who else on the network is using the

resources

system operator / s stəm ɒpəre tə/ noun a person who manages an online bulletin board or maintains a computer net-

work

system palette / s stəm p lət/ noun the range of colours that are available on a particular operating system and can be

shared by all applications

system prompt / s stəm prɒmpt/ noun a prompt which indicates the operating system is ready and waiting for the

user to enter a system command systems analysis / s stəmz ə

n ləs s/ noun 1. the process of analysing a process or system to see if it could be more efficiently carried out by a computer 2. the process of examining an existing system with the aim of improving or re-

placing it

systems analyst / s stəmz nəl st/ noun a person who specialises in systems analysis

Systems Application Architecture

/ s stəmz pl ke ʃ(ə)n ɑ k tektʃə/

noun full form of SAA

system security / s stəm s kjυər ti/ noun measures, such as password, priority protection, authorisation codes, designed to stop browsers and hackers

systems integration / s stəmz ntre ʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of combining different products from different manufacturers to create a system

Systems Network Architecture

/ s stəmz netw k ɑ k tektʃə/ noun

full form of SNA

system software / s stəm sɒftweə/ noun programs which direct the basic functions, input-output control, etc., of a computer

system specifications / s stəmspes f ke ʃ(ə)nz/ plural noun details of

hardware and software required to perform

certain tasks

systems program / s stəmzprəυ r m/ noun a program which con-

trols the way in which a computer system works

systems programmer / s stəmzprəυ r mə/ noun a programmer who specialises in writing systems software system support / s stəm sə pɔ t/ noun a group of people who maintain and operate a system

system tray / s stəm tre / noun (in Windows) an area of the taskbar normally in the bottom right-hand corner next to the clock. The system tray displays tiny icons that show which system software pro-

grams were run automatically when Windows started and are now running in the background.

system unit / s stəm ju n t/ noun the main terminal or control centre for a computer which includes status lights and control switches

system variable / s stəmveəriəb(ə)l/ noun a variable that contains

data generated by the system software that can be used by applications

T abbr tera-

T1 / ti w n/ noun a term that refers to a leased line connection that transfers data at 1.544Mbits per second in the US (in the UK and Europe, the transfer rate is 2.048Mbits per second) and can carry either data or 24 voice channels. If the link uses only part of this capacity, it is called a fractional T1 link. These links are normally used to connect ISPs together or to connect offices of a large organisation. AD-

SL, leased line

T1 committee / ti w n kə m ti/ noun an ANSI committee which sets digital communications standards for the US, particularly ISDN services

T1 link / ti w n l ŋk/ noun (in the US) a high speed, long distance data transmission link not related to the T1 committee, that can carry data at 1.544Mbits per second

T2 link / ti tu l ŋk/ noun (in the US) a high speed, long distance data transmission link equivalent to four T1 lines that can carry data at 6.3Mbits per second

T3 link / ti θri l ŋk/ noun (in the US) a high speed, long distance data transmission link equivalent to 28 T1 lines that can carry data at 44.736Mbits per second tab /t b/ verb to tabulate or to arrange text in columns with the cursor automati-

cally running from one column to the next in keyboarding The list was neatly lined up by tabbing to column 10 at the start of each new line.

TAB abbr tabulate

tabbing / t b ŋ/ noun the movement of the cursor in a word-processing program from one tab stop to the next Tabbing can be done from inside the program.

tabbing order / t b ŋ ɔ də/ noun the order in which the focus moves from one button or field to the next as the user presses the tab key

tab character /t b k r ktə/ noun the ASCII character 09hex which is used to align text at a preset tab stop

tab key / t b ki / noun a key on a keyboard, normally positioned on the far left, beside the ‘Q’ key, with two arrows pointing in opposite horizontal directions, used to insert a tab character into text and so align the text at a preset tab stop

table / te b(ə)l/ noun 1. a list of data in columns and rows on a printed page or on the screen 2. (in a relational database) a structure which shows how records and data items are linked by relations between the rows and columns of the table

table lookup / te b(ə)l lυk p/ noun the process of using one known value to

select one entry in a table, providing a secondary value

table of contents / te b(ə)l əvkɒntents/ noun 1. a list of the contents of

a book, usually printed at the beginning 2. data at the start of a disc that describes how many tracks are on the CD, their position

and length

tablet / t blət/ noun a graphics pad or flat device which allows a user to input graphical information into a computer by

drawing on its surface

tab memory /t b mem(ə)ri/ noun the ability of an editing program, usually a word-processor, to store details about various tab settings

tab rack /t b r k/ noun a graduated scale, displayed on the screen, showing the position of tabulation columns The tab rack shows you the left and right margins.

tab settings /t b set ŋz/, tab stops

/t b stɒpz/ plural noun preset points along a line, where the printing head or cursor will stop for each tabulation com-

mand

tabular / t bjυlə/ adjective in tabular form arranged in a table

tabulate / t bjυ le t/ verb to arrange text in columns, with the cursor moving to each new column automatically as the text

is keyboarded

tabulating / t bjυle t ŋ/ noun the action of processing punched cards, such as

a sorting operation

tabulation / t bjυ le ʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. arrangement of a table of figures 2. the process of moving a printing head or cursor a

preset distance along a line

tabulation markers / t bju le ʃ(ə)nmɑ kəz/ plural noun symbols displayed

to indicate the position of tabulation stops tabulation stops / t bju le ʃ(ə)n

stɒpz/ plural noun preset points along a line at which a printing head or cursor will

stop for each tabulation command tabulator / t bjυle tə/ noun part of a

word-processor which automatically sets

words or figures into columns

tactile keyboard / t kta l ki bɔ d/ noun a keyboard that provides some indication that a key has been pressed, such as a beep

tag /t / noun 1. one section of a computer instruction 2. a set of identifying characters attached to a file or item (of data)

Each file has a three letter tag for rapid identification.

tag image file format / t m d'fa l fɔ m t/ noun full form of TIFF

tail /te l/ noun 1. data recognised as the end of a list of data 2. a control code used to signal the end of a message takedown / te kdaυn/ verb to remove something such as paper or disks from a peripheral after one job and prepare it for the next

takedown time / te kdaυn ta m/ noun the amount of time required to takedown a peripheral ready for another job take-up reel / te k p ri l/ noun a reel onto which magnetic tape is collected Taligent / t l d'ənt/ noun an operating system developed by IBM and Apple that can be used on both PC and Macintosh platforms

tandem processors / t ndəmprəυsesəz/ plural noun two processors

connected so that if one fails, the second takes over

tape archive /te p ɑ ka v/ noun tar tape backup /te p b k p/ noun the process of using (usually magnetic) tape as a medium for storing back-ups from faster main or secondary storage, such as RAM or hard disk

tape cable /te p ke b(ə)l/ noun a number of insulated conductors arranged next to each other forming a flat cable tape cartridge /te p kɑ tr d'/ noun a cassette box containing magnetic tape (on a reel)

tape cassette /te p kə set/ noun a small box containing a reel of magnetic tape and a pickup reel

tape code /te p kəυd/ noun a coding system used for punched data representation on paper tape

tape deck / te p dek/ noun a device which plays back and records data onto magnetic tape

tape drive /te p dra v/ noun a mechanism which controls magnetic tape movement over the tape heads Our new product has a 96Mb streaming tape drive. tape format /te p fɔ m t/ noun a way in which blocks of data, control codes and location data is stored on tape

tape guide /te p a d/ noun a method by which the tape is correctly positioned over the tape head The tape is out of alignment because one of the tape guides has broken.

tape head /te p hed/ noun a head which reads or writes signals on a magnetic tape

tape header /te p hedə/ noun identification information at the beginning of a tape

tape label /te p le b(ə)l/ noun a tape header and trailer containing information about the contents of a tape

tape library /te p la brəri/ noun 1. a secure area for the storage of computer data tapes 2. a series of computer tapes kept in store for reference

tape loadpoint / te p ləυdpɔ nt/ noun the position on a magnetic tape at which reading should commence to load a file

tape punch /te p p ntʃ/ noun a machine that punches holes into paper tape tape reader /te p ri də/ noun a machine which reads punched holes in paper tape or signals on magnetic tape

tape streamer /te p stri mə/ noun a device containing a continuous loop of tape, used as backing storage. Also called stringy floppy

tape to card converter /te p tə, tυ kɑ d/ noun a device which reads data from magnetic tape and stores it on punched cards

tape trailer /te p tre lə/ noun identification information at the beginning of a tape

tape transmitter /te p tr nz m tə/ noun a device which reads data from paper tape and transmits it to another point tape transport /te p tr nspɔ t/ noun a method by which the tape in a magnetic tape recorder is moved smoothly from reel to reel over the magnetic heads

TAPI abbr telephony application programming interface

tar /tɑ / noun a file compression system used on a computer running the Unix operating system. Full form tape archive

Targa / tɑ ə/ noun 1. a graphics file format which uses the .TGA extension on a PC, developed by Truevision to store raster graphic images in 16–, 24– and 32bit colour. 2. a high-resolution colour graphics adapter made by Truevision

targetcast / tɑ tkɑ st/ verb to broadcast a website only to a group of people who are known to be potentially interested in it, and not to everyone on the Internet

target computer / tɑ t kəm pju tə/ noun a computer on which software is to be run

target disk / tɑ t d sk/ noun a disk onto which a file is to be copied

target language / tɑ t l ŋ w d'/ noun a language into which a language will be translated from its source language

The target language for this PASCAL program is machine code. Opposite source language

target level / tɑ t lev(ə)l/ noun an interpretative processing mode for program execution

target phase / tɑ t fe z/ noun the period of time during which the target program is run

target program / tɑ t prəυ r m/ noun an object program or computer program in object code form, produced by a compiler

target window / tɑ t w ndəυ/ noun a window in which text or graphics will be displayed

tariff / t r f/ noun a charge incurred by a user of a communications or computer system There is a set tariff for logging on, then a rate for every minute of computer time used.

task /tɑ sk/ noun a job which is to carried out by a computer

taskbar / tɑ sk bɑ / noun a bar that normally runs along the bottom of the screen in Windows and displays the Start button and a list of other programs or windows that are currently active

task management /tɑ skm n d'mənt/ noun system software

which controls the use and allocation of resources to programs

task queue /tɑ sk kju / noun temporary storage of jobs waiting to be processed

task swapping / tɑ sk swɒp ŋ/ noun the process of exchanging one program in memory for another which is temporarily stored on disk. Task switching is not the same as multitasking which can execute several programs at once.

task switching / tɑ sk sw tʃ ŋ/ noun same as task swapping

TAT abbr turnaround time

T carrier / ti k riə/ noun a US standard for digital data transmission lines, such as T1, T1C, and corresponding signal standards DS1, DS1C

T-commerce / ti kɒm s/ noun a business conducted by means of interac-

tive television

T connector /ti kə nektə/ noun a coaxial connector, shaped like the letter ‘T’, which connects two thin coaxial cables using BNC plugs and provides a third connection for another cable or network interface card

TCP / ti si pi / noun standard data transmission protocol that provides full duplex transmission, bundles data into packets and checks for errors. Full form

transmission control protocol

TCP/IP / ti si pi a pi / noun a data transfer protocol used in networks and communications systems, often used in Unix-based networks. This protocol is used for all communications over the internet. Full form transmission control protocol/interface program

TDM / ti di em/ noun a method of combining several signals into one high-speed transmission carrier, each input signal being sampled in turn and the result transmitted to a the receiver which re-constructs the signals. Full form time division multiplexing

TDR / ti di ɑ / noun a test that identifies where cable faults lie by sending a signal down the cable and measuring how long it takes for the reflection to come back. Full form time domain reflectometry

TDS / ti di es/ noun a computer system that will normally run batch processing tasks until interrupted by a new transaction, at which point it allocates resources to the new transaction. Full form transac- tion-driven system

technical / tekn k(ə)l/ adjective referring to a particular machine or process

The document gives all the technical de-

tails on the new computer.

technical support / tekn k(ə)l səpɔ t/ noun technical advice to a user to explain how to use software or hardware or explain why it might not work technician /tek n ʃ(ə)n/ noun a person who is specialised in industrial work technique /tek ni k/ noun a skilled way of doing a job The company has developed a new technique for processing cus-

tomers’ disks.

technological / teknə lɒd' k(ə)l/ adjective referring to technology the technological revolution the changing of in-

dustrial methods by introducing new technology

technology /tek nɒləd'i/ noun the process of applying scientific knowledge to industrial processes the introduction of new technology the process of putting new electronic equipment into a business or industry

tele- /teli/ prefix long distance telecommunications / telikəmju nke ʃ(ə)nz/ noun the technology of passing and receiving messages over a distance, as in radio, telephone, telegram, satellite broadcast, etc.

telecommuting / telikəmju t ŋ/ noun the practice of working on a computer in one place (normally from home) that is linked by modem to the company’s central office allowing messages and data to be transferred

teleconferencing / telikɒnf(ə)rəns ŋ/ noun the process of link-

ing video, audio and computer signals from different locations so that distant people can talk and see each other, as if in a conference room

teleinformatic services /teli nfɔ mət k s v s z/ plural noun any of

various data only services, such as telex, facsimile, which use telecommunications telematics / tel m t ks/ noun the interaction of all data processing and communications devices

telephone / tel fəυn/ noun a machine used for speaking to someone or communicating with another computer (using modems) over a long distance

telephone line / tel fəυn la n/ noun a cable used to connect a telephone handset with a central exchange

telephony /tə lefəni/ noun a series of standards that define the way in which computers can work with a telephone system to provide voice-mail, telephone answering, and fax services

telephony application programming interface /tə lefənipl ke ʃ(ə)n prəυ r m ŋ ntəfe s/

noun a system developed by Microsoft and Intel that allows a PC to control a single telephone. Abbr TAPI

telephony services application

programming interface /tə lefənis v s z pl ke ʃ(ə)n prəυ r m ŋ

ntəfe s/ noun a system developed by Novell and AT&T that allows a PC to con-

trol a PBX telephone exchange. Abbr

TSAPI

teleprinter / teli pr ntə/ noun a device that is capable of sending and receiving data from a distant point by means of a telegraphic circuit, and printing out the message on a printer You can drive a teleprinter from this modified serial port.

teleprinter interface / telipr ntəntəfe s/ noun a terminal interface or

hardware and software combination required to control the functions of a terminal

teleprinter roll / telipr ntə rəυl/ noun a roll of paper onto which messages are printed

teleprocessing / teli prəυses ŋ/ noun the processing of data at a distance (as on a central computer from outside terminals). Abbr TP

telesoftware / teli sɒftweə/ noun software which is received from a viewdata or teletext service. Abbr TSW

teletext / teli tekst/ noun a method of transmitting text and information with a normal television signal, usually as a serial bit stream which can be displayed using a special decoder

teletype / telita p/ noun a term used for teleprinter equipment. Abbr TTY teletypewriter / tel ta pra tə/ noun a keyboard and printer attached to a computer system which can input data either direct or by making punched paper tape television / tel v '(ə)n/ noun a device which can receive (modulated) video signals from a computer or broadcast signals with an aerial and display images on a CRT screen with sound. Abbr TV television monitor / tel v '(ə)nmɒn tə/ noun a device able to display signals from a computer without sound, but is not able to broadcast signals, usually because there is no demodulator

television receiver/monitor

/ tel v '(ə)n r si və mɒn tə/ noun a device able to act as a TV receiver or monitor television scan / tel v '(ə)n sk n/ noun a horizontal movement of the picture beam over the screen, producing one line of an image

television tube / tel v '(ə)n tju b/ noun a CRT with electronic devices which provide the line by line horizontal and vertical scanning movement of the picture beam

telnet / telnet/ noun a TCP/IP protocol that allows a user to connect to and control via the Internet a remote computer as if they were there and type in commands as if they were sitting in front of the computer template / tem ple t/ noun 1. a plastic or metal sheet with cut-out symbols to help in the drawing of flowcharts and circuit diagrams 2. (in text processing) standard text, such as a standard letter or invoice, into which specific details can be added

template command / temple t kəmɑ nd/ noun a command which allows functions or other commands to be easily set A template paragraph command enables the user to specify the number of spaces each paragraph should be indented.

tempo / tempəυ/ noun 1. (in MIDI or music) the speed at which the notes are played, measured in beats per minute A typical MIDI tempo is 120bpm. 2. (in a multimedia title) the speed at which frames are displayed

temporary adjective not permanent temporary register / temp(ə)rərired' stə/ noun a register used for temporary storage for the results of an ALU operation

temporary storage / temp(ə)rəristɔ r d'/ noun storage which is not permanent

temporary swap file / temp(ə)rəriswɒp fa l/ noun a file on a hard disk

which is used by software to store data temporarily or for software that implements virtual memory, such as Microsoft’s Windows

10Base2 / ten be s tu / IEEE standard specification for running Ethernet over thin coaxial cable

10Base5 / ten be s fa v/ IEEE standard specification for running Ethernet over thick coaxial cable

10BaseT / ten be s ti / IEEE standard specification for running Ethernet over unshielded twisted pair cable

ten’s complement / tenzkɒmpl mənt/ noun formed by adding

one to the nine’s complement of a decimal number

tera- /terə/ prefix 1012; one million million. Abbr T

terabyte / terə ba t/ noun one thousand gigabytes or one million megabytes of data

teraflop / terəflɒp/ noun one million million floating-point operations per second, a measure of computer speed terminal / t m n(ə)l/ noun 1. a device usually made up of a display unit and a keyboard which allows entry and display of information when on-line to a central computer system intelligent terminal, smart terminal a computer terminal which contains a CPU and memory, allowing basic data processing to be carried out, usually with the facility to allow the user to program it independently of the host computer The new intelligent terminal has a built-in text editor. 2. an electrical connection point 3. a point in a network where a message can be transmitted or received. source, sink adjective fatal or which cannot be repaired The computer has a terminal fault.

terminal adapter / t m n(ə)l əd ptə/ noun a device that connects a computer to a digital communications line; e.g., to link a PC to an ISDN line. A terminal adapter transfers digital signals from the computer to the line, whereas a modem is used to connect a computer to an analogue communications line, such as a telephone line, and needs to convert digital signals to and from an analogue form. terminal area / t m n(ə)l eəriə/ noun part of a printed circuit board at which edge connectors can be connected

terminal character set / t m n(ə)lk r ktə set/ noun the range of charac-

ters available for a particular type of terminal, which might include graphics or customized characters

terminal controller / t m n(ə)l kəntrəυlə/ noun a hardware device or IC

which controls a terminal including data communications and display

terminal emulation / t m n(ə)l emju le ʃ(ə)n/ noun the ability of a termi-

nal to emulate the functions of another type of terminal so that display codes can be correctly decoded and displayed and keystrokes correctly coded and transmitted

terminal emulation software

/ t m n(ə)l emjυ le ʃ(ə)n sɒftweə/ noun a software program that is used to allow a computer to interpret the special display codes used to control a specialist workstation, normally used with a modem to allow you to connect to a remote mainframe computer system

terminal identity / t m n(ə)l adent ti/ noun a unique code transmitted by a viewdata terminal to provide identification and authorisation of a user

terminal interface / t m n(ə)lntəfe s/ noun a hardware and software

combination required to control the functions of a terminal from a computer The network controller has 16 terminal interfaces.

terminal keyboard / t m n(ə)lki bɔ d/ noun a standard QWERTY or special keyboard allowing input at a terminal

terminal session / t m n(ə)lseʃ(ə)n/ noun a period of time when a

terminal is on-line or in use

terminal strip / t m n(ə)l str p/ noun a row of electrical connectors that allow pairs of wires to be electrically connected using a screw-down metal plate terminate / t m ne t/ verb to end

terminate and stay resident program / t m ne t ən ste rez d(ə)nt

prəυ r m/ noun a program which loads itself into main memory and carries out a function when activated When you hit Ctrl-F5, you will activate the TSR program and it will display your day’s diary.

Also called TSR program

terminate and stay resident software / t m ne t ən ste rez d(ə)ntsɒftweə/ noun a program that is started

from the command line, then loads itself into memory, ready to be activated by an action, and passes control back to the command line. Abbr TSR

termination / t m ne ʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of ending or stopping terminator / t m ne tə/ noun 1. (in a LAN) a resistor that fits onto each end of a coaxial cable in a bus network to create an electrical circuit 2. (in a SCSI installation) a resistor that fits onto the last SCSI device in the daisy-chain, creating an electrical circuit 3. same as rogue value

ternary / t nəri/ adjective referring to a number system with three possible states tessellate / tesəle t/ verb to reduce a complex shape into a collection of simple shapes, often triangles

test /test/ noun the action carried out on a device or program to establish whether it is working correctly, and if not, which component or instruction is not working verb to carry out an examination of a de-

vice or program to see if it is working correctly

test bed /test bed/ noun an environment used to test programs

test data /test de tə/ noun data with known results prepared to allow a new program to be tested

test equipment /test kw pmənt/ noun special equipment which tests hardware or software

test numeric / test nju mer k/ noun a check to ensure that numerical information is numerical

test run / test r n/ noun a program run with test data to ensure that the software is working correctly A test run will soon show up any errors.

texel / teksəl/ noun a collection of pixels that are treated as a single unit when applying a texture map over an object

text /tekst/ noun a set of alphanumeric characters that convey information text processing word-processing or the practice of using a computer to keyboard, edit and output text, in the forms of letters, labels, etc.

text compression /tekst kəmpreʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of reducing the space required by a section of text, using one code to represent more than one character, and removing spaces and punctuation marks, etc.

text-editing facilities / tekst ed t ŋ fə s l tiz/ plural noun a word-processing system which allows the user to add, delete, move, insert and correct sections of text

text-editing function / tekst ed t ŋ

f ŋkʃ(ə)n/ noun an option in a program which provides text-editing facilities

The program includes a built-in text-edit- ing function.

text editor /tekst ed tə/ noun same as screen editor

text file /tekst fa l/ noun a file that contains text rather than digits or data

text formatter / tekst fɔ m tə/ noun a program that converts text to a new form or layout according to parameters or embedded codes such as line width, page size, justification, etc.

text management /tekstm n d'mənt/ noun facilities which al-

low text to be written, stored, retrieved, edited and printed

text manager / tekst m n d'ə/ noun facilities that allow text to be written, stored, retrieved, edited and printed

text manipulation /tekst mə n pjυle ʃ(ə)n/ noun facilities which allow text editing, changing, inserting and deleting text message / tekst mes d'/ noun a message sent in the form of text, especially one that appears on the viewing screen of a mobile phone or pager

text mode /tekst məυd/ noun an operating mode of a computer or display screen that will only display pre-defined characters and will not allow graphic images to be displayed

text processing / tekst prəυses ŋ/ noun the use of a computer to create, store, edit and print or display text

text register /tekst red' stə/ noun a temporary computer storage register for text characters only

text retrieval /tekst r tri v(ə)l/ noun an information retrieval system that allows the user to examine complete documents rather than just a reference to a document text screen /tekst skri n/ noun the area of a computer screen set up to display text text-to-speech converter /tekst tə, tυ spi tʃ/ noun an electronic device which uses a speech synthesiser to produce the spoken equivalent of a piece of text that has been entered

texture / tekstʃə/ noun a surface detail that is added to basic shapes

texture mapping / tekstʃə m p ŋ/ noun 1. a special computer graphics effect using algorithms to produce an image that looks like the surface of something such as marble, brick, stone or water 2. the process of covering one image with another to give the first a texture

text window /tekst w ndəυ/ noun a window in a graphics system, where the text is held in a small space on the screen before being allocated to a final area TFTP / ti ef ti pi / noun a simple form of the standard FTP (file transfer protocol) system, commonly used to load the operating system software onto a diskless workstation from a server when the workstation boots up when it is switched on. Full form trivial file transfer protocol. FTP

TFT screen / ti ef ti skri n/ noun a method of creating a high-quality LCD display often used in laptop computers. Full form thin film transistor screen

thermal dye diffusion / θ m(ə)l da d fju '(ə)n/ noun a method of printing

similar to thermal wax transfer, except that a dye is used instead of coloured wax. Thermal dye diffusion can print continuous colour to produce a near-photographic output.

thermal inkjet printer / θ m(ə)lnkd'et pr ntə/ noun a computer print-

er which produces characters by sending a stream of tiny drops of electrically charged ink onto the paper, the movement of the ink drops being controlled by an electric field. This is a non-impact printer with few moving parts.

COMMENT: This type of printer is very quiet in operation since the printing head does not strike the paper.

thermal paper / θ m(ə)l pe pə/ noun a special paper whose coating turns black when heated, allowing characters to be printed by using a matrix of small heating elements

thermal printer / θ m(ə)l pr ntə/ noun a printer where the character is formed on thermal paper with a printhead containing a matrix of small heating elements

thermal transfer, thermal wax, thermal wax transfer printer noun a method of printing where the colours are produced by melting coloured wax onto the paper

Thermal wax transfer technology still provides the best colour representation on paper for PC output.

thesaurus /θ sɔ rəs/ noun a file which contains synonyms that are displayed as alternatives to a misspelt word during a spell-check

thick-Ethernet /θ k i θə net/ noun a network implemented using thick coaxial cable and transceivers to connect branch cables. Ethernet, thin-Ethernet

thick film /θ k f lm/ noun a miniature electronic circuit design in which miniature components are mounted on an insulating base, then connected as required thimble printer / θ mb(ə)l pr ntə/ noun a computer printer using a printing head similar to a daisy wheel but shaped like a thimble

thin-Ethernet /θ n i θə net/ noun the most popular type of Ethernet network implemented using thin coaxial cable and BNC connectors. Ethernet, thickEthernet (NOTE: It is limited to distances of around 1000 m)

thin film /θ n f lm/ noun a method of constructing integrated circuits by depositing in a vacuum very thin patterns of various materials onto a substrate to form the

required interconnected components thin-film memory / θ n f lm

mem(ə)ri/ noun a high-speed access RAM device using a matrix of magnetic cells and a matrix of read/write heads to access them

thin-film transistor screen / θ n f lm tr n z stə skri n/ noun full form of

TFT screen

thin window /θ n w ndəυ/ noun a single line display window

third generation / θ d d'enəre ʃ(ə)n/ noun the latest specification for mobile communication systems, including mobile telephones. Abbr 3G

COMMENT: The third generation includes very fast data transfer rates of between 128 Kbps and 2 Mbps, depending on whether the person is walking, in a car or at his or her base station. This will allow high-speed Internet access and even live video links, to a portable telephone. The first generation of mobile telephones were analog cellular telephones, the second generation were digital PCS.

third generation computer / θ dd'enəre ʃ(ə)n kəm pju tə/ noun a com-

puter in which integrated circuits were

used instead of transistors

third party / θ d pɑ ti/ noun a company which supplies items or services for a system sold by one party, the seller, to another, the buyer

COMMENT: A third party might supply computer

maintenance or write programs, for example.

32-bit / θ ti tu b t/ data that is transferred thirty-two bits at a time along thirtytwo parallel conductors; in a processor this refers to its ability to manipulate numbers

that are thirty-two bits long

thirty-two bit system / θ ti tu b ts stəm/, 32-bit system noun a micro-

computer system or CPU that handles data in 32 bit words

thrashing / θr ʃ ŋ/ noun 1. excessive disk activity 2. a configuration or program fault in a virtual memory system that results in a CPU wasting time moving pages of data between main memory and disk or backing store

thread /θred/ noun a program which consists of many independent smaller sections or beads

‘WigWam makes it easier for a user to follow a thread in a bulletin-board conference topic by ordering responses using a hierarchical indent similar to that found in outline processor.’ [Computing]

threaded file / θred d fa l/ noun a file in which an entry contains data and an address to the next entry that contains the same data, allowing rapid retrieval of all identical entries

threaded language / θred dl ŋ w d'/ noun a programming language which allows many small sections of code to be written then used by a main program

threaded tree / θred d tri / noun a structure in which each node contains a pointer to other nodes

three-address instruction / θri ədres n str kʃən/ noun an instruction

which contains the addresses of two operands and the location where the result is to be stored

3D / θri di / adjective referring to an image which has three dimensions (width, breadth and depth), and therefore gives the impression of being solid. Full form three-dimensional

three-dimensional / θri damenʃ(ə)nəl/ adjective full form of 3D

three-dimensional array /θri damenʃ(ə)nəl ə re / noun an array made up

of a number of two-dimensional arrays, arranged in parallel, giving rows, columns and depth

3G / θri d'i / noun third generation three input adder / θri npυt də/ noun full adder

three state logic / θri ste t lɒd' k/ noun a logic gate or IC which has three possible output states, logic high, logic low and high impedance (NOTE: Most logic gates and ICs have only two possible output states.)

threshold / θreʃhəυld/ noun a preset level which causes an action if a signal exceeds or drops below it

throughput / θru pυt/ noun the rate of production by a machine or system, measured as total useful information processed in a set period of time For this machine throughput is 1.3 inches per second scanning speed.

thumbnail / θ m ne l/ noun a miniature graphical representation of an image, used as a quick and convenient method of viewing the contents of graphics or DTP files before they are retrieved

TIFF /t f/ noun standard file format used to store graphic images. Full form tag image file format

tile /ta l/ verb (in a GUI) to arrange a group of windows so that they are displayed side by side without overlapping

(NOTE: tiles – tiling – tiled)

tilt and swivel / t lt ən sw v(ə)l/ adjective referring to a monitor which is mounted on a pivot so that it can be moved to point in the most convenient direction for the operator

timbre / t mbə/ noun the shape of a particular sound that can be identified by the human ear (NOTE: The same musical note played on two different musical instruments will not sound the same.)

time /ta m/ verb to measure the time taken by an operation

time base /ta m be s/ noun 1. a signal used as a basis for timing purposes 2. a regular sawtooth signal used in an oscilloscope to sweep the beam across the screen time bomb / ta m bɒm/ noun a computer virus that is designed to take effect on a particular date or when a computer application is used for a particular length of time

time code /ta m kəυd/ noun a sequence of timing information recorded on an audio track in a videotape

timed backup /ta md b k p/ noun a backup which occurs automatically after a period of time or at a particular time each day

time division multiplexing / ta m dv '(ə)n m lt pleks ŋ/ noun full form of

TDM

time domain reflectometry / ta m dəυ me n r flek tɒmətri/ noun full

form of TDR

time of peak demand / ta m əv pi k d mɑ nd/ noun the time when something is being used most

timeout / ta maυt/ noun 1. a logoff procedure carried out if no data is entered on an online terminal 2. a period of time reserved for an operation

timer / ta mə/ noun a device which records the time taken for an operation to be completed

time-sharing / ta m ʃeər ŋ/ noun an arrangement which allows several independent users to use a computer system or be online at the same time

COMMENT: In time-sharing, each user appears to be using the computer all the time, when in fact each is using the CPU for a short time slice only. The CPU processes one user for a short time then moves on to the next.