English Dictionary: push button | by the DICT Development Group |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
| |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
| |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
| |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
| |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
| |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
| |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
| |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
| |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
| |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
| |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
| |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
| |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
| |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
| |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
| |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
| |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
| |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
| |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
| |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
| |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
| |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Pacify \Pac"i*fy\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Pacified}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Pacifying}.] [F. pacifier, L. pacificare; pax, pacis, peace + -ficare (in comp.) to make. See {Peace}, and {-fy}.] To make to be at peace; to appease; to calm; to still; to quiet; to allay the agitation, excitement, or resentment of; to tranquillize; as, to pacify a man when angry; to pacify pride, appetite, or importunity. [bd]Pray ye, pacify yourself.[b8] --Shak. To pacify and settle those countries. --Bacon. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Pass \Pass\, n. [Cf. F. pas (for sense 1), and passe, fr. passer to pass. See {Pass}, v. i.] 1. An opening, road, or track, available for passing; especially, one through or over some dangerous or otherwise impracticable barrier; a passageway; a defile; a ford; as, a mountain pass. [bd]Try not the pass![b8] the old man said. --Longfellow. 2. (Fencing) A thrust or push; an attempt to stab or strike an adversary. --Shak. 3. A movement of the hand over or along anything; the manipulation of a mesmerist. 4. (Rolling Metals) A single passage of a bar, rail, sheet, etc., between the rolls. 5. State of things; condition; predicament. Have his daughters brought him to this pass. --Shak. Matters have been brought to this pass. --South. 6. Permission or license to pass, or to go and come; a psssport; a ticket permitting free transit or admission; as, a railroad or theater pass; a military pass. A ship sailing under the flag and pass of an enemy. --Kent. 7. Fig.: a thrust; a sally of wit. --Shak. 8. Estimation; character. [Obs.] Common speech gives him a worthy pass. --Shak. 9. [Cf. {Passus}.] A part; a division. [Obs.] --Chaucer. {Pass boat} (Naut.), a punt, or similar boat. {Pass book}. (a) A book in which a trader enters articles bought on credit, and then passes or sends it to the purchaser. (b) See {Bank book}. {Pass box} (Mil.), a wooden or metallic box, used to carry cartridges from the service magazine to the piece. {Pass check}, a ticket of admission to a place of entertainment, or of readmission for one who goes away in expectation of returning. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Trust \Trust\, n. 1. An equitable right or interest in property distinct from the legal ownership thereof; a use (as it existed before the Statute of Uses); also, a property interest held by one person for the benefit of another. Trusts are active, or special, express, implied, constructive, etc. In a {passive trust} the trustee simply has title to the trust property, while its control and management are in the beneficiary. 2. A business organization or combination consisting of a number of firms or corporations operating, and often united, under an agreement creating a trust (in sense 1), esp. one formed mainly for the purpose of regulating the supply and price of commodities, etc.; often, opprobriously, a combination formed for the purpose of controlling or monopolizing a trade, industry, or business, by doing acts in restraint or trade; as, a sugar trust. A trust may take the form of a corporation or of a body of persons or corporations acting together by mutual arrangement, as under a contract or a so-called gentlemen's agreement. When it consists of corporations it may be effected by putting a majority of their stock either in the hands of a board of trustees (whence the name trust for the combination) or by transferring a majority to a holding company. The advantages of a trust are partly due to the economies made possible in carrying on a large business, as well as the doing away with competition. In the United States severe statutes against trusts have been passed by the Federal government and in many States, with elaborate statutory definitions. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Passivity \Pas*siv"i*ty\, n. [Cf. F. passivit[82].] 1. Passiveness; -- opposed to activity. --Jer. Taylor. 2. (Physics) The tendency of a body to remain in a given state, either of motion or rest, till disturbed by another body; inertia. --Cheyne. 3. (Chem.) The quality or condition of any substance which has no inclination to chemical activity; inactivity. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Ringed \Ringed\, a. 1. Encircled or marked with, or as with, a ring or rings. 2. Wearning a wedding ring; hence, lawfully wedded. [bd]A ringed wife.[b8] --Tennyson. {Ringed seal} (Zo[94]l.), a North Pacific seal ({Phoca f[d2]tida}) having ringlike spots on the body. {Ringed snake} (Zo[94]l.), a harmless European snake ({Tropidonotus natrix}) common in England. {Ringed worm} (Zo[94]l.), an annelid. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Seal \Seal\ (s[emac]l), n. [OE. sele, AS. seolh; akin to OHG. selah, Dan. s[91]l, Sw. sj[84]l, Icel. selr.] (Zo[94]l.) Any aquatic carnivorous mammal of the families {Phocid[91]} and {Otariid[91]}. Note: Seals inhabit seacoasts, and are found principally in the higher latitudes of both hemispheres. There are numerous species, bearing such popular names as {sea lion}, {sea leopard}, {sea bear}, or {ursine seal}, {fur seal}, and {sea elephant}. The bearded seal ({Erignathus barbatus}), the hooded seal ({Cystophora crustata}), and the ringed seal ({Phoca f[d2]tida}), are northern species. See also {Eared seal}, {Harp seal}, and {Fur seal}, under {Eared}, {Harp}, {Monk}, and {Fur}. Seals are much hunted for their skins and fur, and also for their oil, which in some species is very abundant. {Harbor seal} (Zo[94]l.), the common seal ({Phoca vitulina}). It inhabits both the North Atlantic and the North Pacific Ocean, and often ascends rivers; -- called also {marbled seal}, {native seal}, {river seal}, {bay seal}, {land seal}, {sea calf}, {sea cat}, {sea dog}, {dotard}, {ranger}, {selchie}, {tangfish}. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Floe \Floe\ (fl[omac]), n. [Cf. Dan. flag af iis, iisflage, Sw. flaga, flake, isflaga, isflake. See {Flag} a flat stone.] A low, flat mass of floating ice. {Floe rat} (Zo[94]l.), a seal ({Phoca f[d2]tida}). | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Seal \Seal\ (s[emac]l), n. [OE. sele, AS. seolh; akin to OHG. selah, Dan. s[91]l, Sw. sj[84]l, Icel. selr.] (Zo[94]l.) Any aquatic carnivorous mammal of the families {Phocid[91]} and {Otariid[91]}. Note: Seals inhabit seacoasts, and are found principally in the higher latitudes of both hemispheres. There are numerous species, bearing such popular names as {sea lion}, {sea leopard}, {sea bear}, or {ursine seal}, {fur seal}, and {sea elephant}. The bearded seal ({Erignathus barbatus}), the hooded seal ({Cystophora crustata}), and the ringed seal ({Phoca f[d2]tida}), are northern species. See also {Eared seal}, {Harp seal}, and {Fur seal}, under {Eared}, {Harp}, {Monk}, and {Fur}. Seals are much hunted for their skins and fur, and also for their oil, which in some species is very abundant. {Harbor seal} (Zo[94]l.), the common seal ({Phoca vitulina}). It inhabits both the North Atlantic and the North Pacific Ocean, and often ascends rivers; -- called also {marbled seal}, {native seal}, {river seal}, {bay seal}, {land seal}, {sea calf}, {sea cat}, {sea dog}, {dotard}, {ranger}, {selchie}, {tangfish}. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Phosphate \Phos"phate\, n. (Chem.) A salt of phosphoric acid. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Phosphatic \Phos*phat"ic\, a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, or containing, phosphorus, phosphoric acid, or phosphates; as, phosphatic nodules. {Phosphatic diathesis} (Med.), a habit of body which leads to the undue excretion of phosphates with the urine. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Phosphatic \Phos*phat"ic\, a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, or containing, phosphorus, phosphoric acid, or phosphates; as, phosphatic nodules. {Phosphatic diathesis} (Med.), a habit of body which leads to the undue excretion of phosphates with the urine. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Basic slag \Basic slag\ A by-product from the manufacture of steel by the basic process, used as a fertilizer. It is rich in lime and contains 14 to 20 per cent of phosphoric acid. Called also {Thomas slag}, {phosphatic slag}, and {odorless phosphate}. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Phosphide \Phos"phide\, n. (Chem.) A binary compound of phosphorus. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Phosphite \Phos"phite\, n. (Chem.) A salt of phosphorous acid. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Strawberry \Straw"ber*ry\, n. [AS. stre[a0]wberige; stre[a0]w straw + berie berry; perhaps from the resemblance of the runners of the plant to straws.] (Bot.) A fragrant edible berry, of a delicious taste and commonly of a red color, the fruit of a plant of the genus {Fragaria}, of which there are many varieties. Also, the plant bearing the fruit. The common American strawberry is {Fragaria virginiana}; the European, {F. vesca}. There are also other less common species. {Strawberry bass}. (Zo[94]l.) See {Calico bass}, under {Calico}. {Strawberry blite}. (Bot.) See under {Blite}. {Strawberry borer} (Zo[94]l.), any one of several species of insects whose larv[91] burrow in the crown or roots of the strawberry vine. Especially: (a) The root borer ({Anarsia lineatella}), a very small dark gray moth whose larv[91] burrow both in the larger roots and crown, often doing great damage. (b) The crown borer ({Tyloderma fragari[91]}), a small brown weevil whose larva burrows in the crown and kills the plant. {Strawberry bush} (Bot.), an American shrub ({Euonymus Americanus}), a kind of spindle tree having crimson pods and the seeds covered with a scarlet aril. {Strawberry crab} (Zo[94]l.), a small European spider crab ({Eurynome aspera}); -- so called because the back is covered with pink tubercles. {Strawberry fish} (Zo[94]l.), the amadavat. {Strawberry geranium} (Bot.), a kind of saxifrage ({Saxifraga sarmentosa}) having reniform leaves, and producing long runners like those of the strawberry. {Strawberry leaf}. (a) The leaf of the strawberry. (b) The symbol of the rank or estate of a duke, because the ducal coronet is twined with strawberry leaves. [bd]The strawberry leaves on her chariot panels are engraved on her ladyship's heart.[b8] --Thackeray. {Strawberry-leaf roller} (Zo[94]l.), any one of several species of moths whose larv[91] roll up, and feed upon, the leaves of the strawberry vine; especially, {Phoxopteris fragari[91]}, and {Eccopsis permundana}. {Strawberry moth} (Zo[94]l.), any one of several species of moth whose larv[91] feed on the strawberry vines; as: (a) The smeared dagger ({Apatela oblinita}), whose large hairy larva is velvety black with two rows of bright yellow spots on each side. (b) A geometrid ({Angerona crocataria}) which is yellow with dusky spots on the wings. Called also {currant moth}. {Strawberry pear} (Bot.), the red ovoid fruit of a West Indian plant of the genus Cereus ({C. triangularia}). It has a sweetish flavor, and is slightly acid, pleasant, and cooling. Also, the plant bearing the fruit. {Strawberry sawfly} (Zo[94]l.), a small black sawfly ({Emphytus maculatus}) whose larva eats the leaves of the strawberry vine. {Strawberry tomato}. (Bot.) See {Alkekengi}. {Strawberry tree}. (Bot.) See {Arbutus}. {Strawberry vine} (Bot.), the plant which yields the strawberry. {Strawberry worm} (Zo[94]l.), the larva of any moth which feeds on the strawberry vine. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Leaf \Leaf\, n.; pl. {Leaves}. [OE. leef, lef, leaf, AS. le[a0]f; akin to S. l[?]f, OFries. laf, D. loof foliage, G. laub,OHG. loub leaf, foliage, Icel. lauf, Sw. l[94]f, Dan. l[94]v, Goth. laufs; cf. Lith. lapas. Cf. {Lodge}.] 1. (Bot.) A colored, usually green, expansion growing from the side of a stem or rootstock, in which the sap for the use of the plant is elaborated under the influence of light; one of the parts of a plant which collectively constitute its foliage. Note: Such leaves usually consist of a blade, or lamina, supported upon a leafstalk or petiole, which, continued through the blade as the midrib, gives off woody ribs and veins that support the cellular texture. The petiole has usually some sort of an appendage on each side of its base, which is called the stipule. The green parenchyma of the leaf is covered with a thin epiderm pierced with closable microscopic openings, known as stomata. 2. (Bot.) A special organ of vegetation in the form of a lateral outgrowth from the stem, whether appearing as a part of the foliage, or as a cotyledon, a scale, a bract, a spine, or a tendril. Note: In this view every part of a plant, except the root and the stem, is either a leaf, or is composed of leaves more or less modified and transformed. 3. Something which is like a leaf in being wide and thin and having a flat surface, or in being attached to a larger body by one edge or end; as : (a) A part of a book or folded sheet containing two pages upon its opposite sides. (b) A side, division, or part, that slides or is hinged, as of window shutters, folding doors, etc. (c) The movable side of a table. (d) A very thin plate; as, gold leaf. (e) A portion of fat lying in a separate fold or layer. (f) One of the teeth of a pinion, especially when small. {Leaf beetle} (Zo[94]l.), any beetle which feeds upon leaves; esp., any species of the family {Chrysomelid[91]}, as the potato beetle and helmet beetle. {Leaf bridge}, a draw-bridge having a platform or leaf which swings vertically on hinges. {Leaf bud} (Bot.), a bud which develops into leaves or a leafy branch. {Leaf butterfly} (Zo[94]l.), any butterfly which, in the form and colors of its wings, resembles the leaves of plants upon which it rests; esp., butterflies of the genus {Kallima}, found in Southern Asia and the East Indies. {Leaf crumpler} (Zo[94]l.), a small moth ({Phycis indigenella}), the larva of which feeds upon leaves of the apple tree, and forms its nest by crumpling and fastening leaves together in clusters. {Leaf cutter} (Zo[94]l.), any one of various species of wild bees of the genus {Megachile}, which cut rounded pieces from the edges of leaves, or the petals of flowers, to be used in the construction of their nests, which are made in holes and crevices, or in a leaf rolled up for the purpose. Among the common American species are {M. brevis} and {M. centuncularis}. Called also {rose-cutting bee}. {Leaf fat}, the fat which lies in leaves or layers within the body of an animal. {Leaf flea} (Zo[94]l.), a jumping plant louse of the family {Psyllid[91]}. {Leaf frog} (Zo[94]l.), any tree frog of the genus {Phyllomedusa}. {Leaf green}.(Bot.) See {Chlorophyll}. {Leaf hopper} (Zo[94]l.), any small jumping hemipterous insect of the genus {Tettigonia}, and allied genera. They live upon the leaves and twigs of plants. See {Live hopper}. {Leaf insect} (Zo[94]l.), any one of several genera and species of orthopterous insects, esp. of the genus {Phyllium}, in which the wings, and sometimes the legs, resemble leaves in color and form. They are common in Southern Asia and the East Indies. {Leaf lard}, lard from leaf fat. See under {Lard}. {Leaf louse} (Zo[94]l.), an aphid. {Leaf metal}, metal in thin leaves, as gold, silver, or tin. {Leaf miner} (Zo[94]l.), any one of various small lepidopterous and dipterous insects, which, in the larval stages, burrow in and eat the parenchyma of leaves; as, the pear-tree leaf miner ({Lithocolletis geminatella}). {Leaf notcher} (Zo[94]l.), a pale bluish green beetle ({Artipus Floridanus}), which, in Florida, eats the edges of the leaves of orange trees. {Leaf roller} (Zo[94]l.), the larva of any tortricid moth which makes a nest by rolling up the leaves of plants. See {Tortrix}. {Leaf scar} (Bot.), the cicatrix on a stem whence a leaf has fallen. {Leaf sewer} (Zo[94]l.), a tortricid moth, whose caterpillar makes a nest by rolling up a leaf and fastening the edges together with silk, as if sewn; esp., {Phoxopteris nubeculana}, which feeds upon the apple tree. {Leaf sight}, a hinges sight on a firearm, which can be raised or folded down. {Leaf trace} (Bot.), one or more fibrovascular bundles, which may be traced down an endogenous stem from the base of a leaf. {Leaf tier} (Zo[94]l.), a tortricid moth whose larva makes a nest by fastening the edges of a leaf together with silk; esp., {Teras cinderella}, found on the apple tree. {Leaf valve}, a valve which moves on a hinge. {Leaf wasp} (Zo[94]l.), a sawfiy. {To turn over a new leaf}, to make a radical change for the better in one's way of living or doing. [Colloq.] They were both determined to turn over a new leaf. --Richardson. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Sewer \Sew"er\, n. 1. One who sews, or stitches. 2. (Zo[94]l.) A small tortricid moth whose larva sews together the edges of a leaf by means of silk; as, the apple-leaf sewer ({Phoxopteris nubeculana}) | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Physopod \Phy"so*pod\, n. (Zo[94]l.) One of the Physopoda; a thrips. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
d8Thysanoptera \[d8]Thy`sa*nop"te*ra\, n. pl. [NL., from Gr. [?] a fringe + [?] a wing.] (Zo[94]l.) A division of insects, considered by some writers a distinct order, but regarded by others as belonging to the Hemiptera. They are all of small size, and have narrow, broadly fringed wings with rudimentary nervures. Most of the species feed upon the juices of plants, and some, as those which attack grain, are very injurious to crops. Called also {Physopoda}. See {Thrips}. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Pig \Pig\, n. [Cf. D. big, bigge, LG. bigge, also Dan. pige girl, Sw. piga, Icel. p[c6]ka.] 1. The young of swine, male or female; also, any swine; a hog. [bd]Two pigges in a poke.[b8] --Chaucer. 2. (Zo[94]l.) Any wild species of the genus {Sus} and related genera. 3. [Cf. {Sow} a channel for melted iron.] An oblong mass of cast iron, lead, or other metal. See {Mine pig}, under {Mine}. 4. One who is hoggish; a greedy person. [Low] {Masked pig}. (Zo[94]l.) See under {Masked}. {Pig bed} (Founding), the bed of sand in which the iron from a smelting furnace is cast into pigs. {Pig iron}, cast iron in pigs, or oblong blocks or bars, as it comes from the smelting furnace. See {Pig}, 4. {Pig yoke} (Naut.), a nickname for a quadrant or sextant. {A pig in a poke} (that is, bag), a blind bargain; something bought or bargained for, without the quality or the value being known. [Colloq.] | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Pigfoot \Pig"foot`\, n. (Zo[94]l.) A marine fish ({Scorp[91]na porcus}), native of Europe. It is reddish brown, mottled with dark brown and black. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Pissabed \Piss"a*bed`\, n. (Bot.) A name locally applied to various wild plants, as dandelion, bluet, oxeye daisy, etc. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Pock-pitted \Pock"-pit`ted\, a. Pockmarked; pitted. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Pock-pudding \Pock"-pud`ding\, n. A bag pudding; a name of reproach or ridicule formerly applied by the Scotch to the English. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Pokebag \Poke"bag`\, n. [So called in allusion to its baglike nest.] (Zo[94]l.) The European long-tailed titmouse; -- called also {poke-pudding}. [Prov. Eng.] | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Push button \Push button\ (Elec.) A simple device, resembling a button in form, so arranged that pushing it closes an electric circuit, as of an electric bell. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Pygopod \Py"go*pod\, n. [Gr. [?] rump + -pod.] 1. (Zo[94]l.) One of the Pygopodes. 2. (Zo[94]l.) Any species of serpentiform lizards of the family {Pygopodid[91]}, which have rudimentary hind legs near the anal cleft, but lack fore legs. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Pygopodous \Py*gop"o*dous\, a. (Zo[94]l.) Of or pertaining to the Pygopodes. | |
From U.S. Gazetteer (1990) [gazetteer]: | |
Peach Bottom, PA Zip code(s): 17563 | |
From Jargon File (4.2.0, 31 JAN 2000) [jargon]: | |
phase of the moon n. Used humorously as a random parameter on which something is said to depend. Sometimes implies unreliability of whatever is dependent, or that reliability seems to be dependent on conditions nobody has been able to determine. "This feature depends on having the channel open in mumble mode, having the foo switch set, and on the phase of the moon." See also {heisenbug}. True story: Once upon a time there was a program bug that really did depend on the phase of the moon. There was a little subroutine that had traditionally been used in various programs at MIT to calculate an approximation to the moon's true phase. GLS incorporated this routine into a LISP program that, when it wrote out a file, would print a timestamp line almost 80 characters long. Very occasionally the first line of the message would be too long and would overflow onto the next line, and when the file was later read back in the program would {barf}. The length of the first line depended on both the precise date and time and the length of the phase specification when the timestamp was printed, and so the bug literally depended on the phase of the moon! The first paper edition of the Jargon File (Steele-1983) included an example of one of the timestamp lines that exhibited this bug, but the typesetter `corrected' it. This has since been described as the phase-of-the-moon-bug bug. However, beware of assumptions. A few years ago, engineers of CERN (European Center for Nuclear Research) were baffled by some errors in experiments conducted with the LEP particle accelerator. As the formidable amount of data generated by such devices is heavily processed by computers before being seen by humans, many people suggested the software was somehow sensitive to the phase of the moon. A few desperate engineers discovered the truth; the error turned out to be the result of a tiny change in the geometry of the 27km circumference ring, physically caused by the deformation of the Earth by the passage of the Moon! This story has entered physics folklore as a Newtonian vengeance on particle physics and as an example of the relevance of the simplest and oldest physical laws to the most modern science. | |
From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (15Feb98) [foldoc]: | |
phase of the moon Used humorously as a random parameter on which something is said to depend. Sometimes implies unreliability of whatever is dependent, or that reliability seems to be dependent on conditions nobody has been able to determine. "This feature depends on having the channel open in mumble mode, having the foo switch set, and on the phase of the moon." See also {heisenbug}. True story: Once upon a time there was a {bug} that really did depend on the phase of the moon. There was a little subroutine that had traditionally been used in various programs at {MIT} to calculate an approximation to the moon's true phase. {GLS} incorporated this routine into a {Lisp} program that, when it wrote out a file, would print a timestamp line almost 80 characters long. Very occasionally the first line of the message would be too long and would overflow onto the next line, and when the file was later read back in the program would {barf}. The length of the first line depended on both the precise date and time and the length of the phase specification when the timestamp was printed, and so the bug literally depended on the phase of the moon! The first paper edition of the {Jargon File} (Steele-1983) included an example of one of the timestamp lines that exhibited this bug, but the typesetter "corrected" it. This has since been described as the phase-of-the-moon-bug bug. [{Jargon File}] (1995-02-22) | |
From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (15Feb98) [foldoc]: | |
push-button to a spring-loaded, normally-open switch, which, when pressed, closes the switch. Typical examples are the keys on a computer or calculator keyboard and {mouse} buttons. (1997-07-07) |