modal

4 definitions found

modal - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Modal \Mo"dal\, a. [Cf. F. modal. See Mode.]
     1. Of or pertaining to a mode or mood; consisting in mode or
        form only; relating to form; having the form without the
        essence or reality. --Glanvill.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Logic & Metaph.) Indicating, or pertaining to, some mode
        of conceiving existence, or of expressing thought, such as
        the modes of possibility or obligation.
        [1913 Webster +PJC]
  
     3. (Gram.) Pertaining to or denoting mood.
        [PJC]

  Modal \Mo"dal\(Gram.), n.
     A modal auxiliary.
     [PJC]

modal - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  modal
      adj 1: relating to or constituting the most frequent value in a
             distribution; "the modal age at which American novelists
             reach their peak is 30" [syn: modal(a), average]
      2: of or relating to a musical mode; especially written in an
         ecclesiastical mode
      3: relating to or expressing the mood of a verb; "modal
         auxiliary"
      n 1: an auxiliary verb (such as `can' or `will') that is used to
           express modality [syn: modal auxiliary verb, modal auxiliary
           , modal verb, modal]

modal - Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (26 May 2007) :

  modal
  
     1. (Of an interface) Having modes.  Modeless interfaces are
     generally considered to be superior because the user does not
     have to remember which mode he is in.
  
     2. See modal logic.
  
     3. In MS Windows programming, A window with the label
     "WS_MODAL" will stay on the screen and claim all the
     user-input.  Other windows can only be accessed if the MODAL
     window is closed.  Such a window would typically be used for
     an error dialog box to warn the user for something
     important, like "Critical error, shut down the system and
     restart".
  
     (1995-02-07)