'Vector' definitions:
Definition of 'vector'
(from WordNet)
noun
A variable quantity that can be resolved into components
noun
A straight line segment whose length is magnitude and whose orientation in space is direction
noun
Any agent (person or animal or microorganism) that carries and transmits a disease; "mosquitos are vectors of malaria and yellow fever"; "fleas are vectors of the plague"; "aphids are transmitters of plant diseases"; "when medical scientists talk about vectors they are usually talking about insects" [syn: vector, transmitter]
noun
(genetics) a virus or other agent that is used to deliver DNA to a cell
Definition of 'Vector'
From: GCIDE
- Vector \Vec"tor\, n. [L., a bearer, carrier. fr. vehere, vectum, to carry.]
- 1. Same as Radius vector. [1913 Webster]
- 2. (Math.) A directed quantity, as a straight line, a force, or a velocity. Vectors are said to be equal when their directions are the same and their magnitudes equal. Cf. Scalar. [1913 Webster]
- Note: In a triangle, either side is the vector sum of the other two sides taken in proper order; the process finding the vector sum of two or more vectors is vector addition (see under Addition). [1913 Webster]
Synonyms of 'vector'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- aerial infection,
- air line,
- airborne infection,
- axis,
- azimuth,
- beeline,
- biological vector,
- carrier,
- chord,
- communicability,
- compass bearing,
- compass direction,
- contagion,
- contagiousness,
- contamination,
- course,
- cryptogenic infection,
- diagonal,
- diameter,
- direct infection,
- direct line,
- directrix,
- droplet infection,
- dust infection,
- edge,
- epidemiology,
- great-circle course,
- hand infection,
- heading,
- indirect infection,
- infection,
- infectiousness,
- lee side,
- magnetic bearing,
- mechanical vector,
- normal,
- perpendicular,
- phytogenic infection,
- primary infection,
- pyogenic infection,
- radius,
- radius vector,
- relative bearing,
- right line,
- secant,
- secondary infection,
- segment,
- shortcut,
- side,
- straight,
- straight course,
- straight line,
- straight stretch,
- straightaway,
- streamline,
- subclinical infection,
- tack,
- taint,
- tangent,
- transversal,
- true bearing,
- vehicle,
- virus,
- waterborne infection,
- weather side,
- zoogenic infection