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Questions tagged [terminology]

This tag is for questions seeking or discussing a term (or terms) belonging or peculiar to a science, art, or specialized subject (e.g. linguistics, mathematics, physics, biology, finance, theatre, music, philosophy, astronomy, medical, nautical etc.). Consider adding [single-word-requests] and [phrase-requests] tags also if relevant.

Terminology is defined by Dictionary.com as, "the system of terms belonging or peculiar to a science, art, or specialized subject; nomenclature."

Term is defined by OED as, "A word or phrase used in a precise sense in a particular subject or field, or by a particular group of people; a technical expression; a piece of jargon."

3522 questions
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What do I call a person who is participating in a survey?

I am writing about a survey I wrote to evaluate the usability of a program. When describing the methodology of the survey, I refer to the person conducting the survey as the investigator. What should I call the other person? The investigator gave…
fredley
  • 902
22
votes
1 answer

A word that means itself

Is there a term for a word that means itself? For example the word word means itself and is a word.
SophArch
  • 935
21
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12 answers

Name for phrase only understood by those who already know?

I'm having a hard time thinking of an example, except I remember someone making a recursive joke about it once. They explained the meaning of it by using its definition, hence the joke. Something like "An X is only an X for those who already…
Matt Thomas
  • 321
19
votes
6 answers

What's the term for "government worker"?

I'm looking for a term in English to describe a person working for the government of a country (for example France). I found "official" and in particular "government official" in wikipedia., though I'm not 100% sure it's the term I want. Does this…
Santropedro
  • 495
19
votes
5 answers

Is there a term for words that when reversed, form other words?

I'm aware of what a palindrome is. What do you call words that, when reversed, form other words, such as ton (not) and part (trap)?
Dark Star1
  • 517
18
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5 answers

Are Americans familiar with the term "mobile" when referring to a "cellphone"?

In the UK we call them "mobile phones", in the US "cellphones". However, would an American be familiar with the term "mobile" when referring to something pertaining to cellphones or would it sound completely alien to them? For example, a British…
Rory Harvey
  • 431
16
votes
5 answers

Term for minimum or maximum

I need to ask a user to request either a minimum or maximum value. What would be the appropriate label for this? I have considered extremum but I am not sure if this is commonly understood or appropriate. Example: Is the user interested in a…
row1
  • 361
15
votes
8 answers

What is the right term for students admitted to the school in previous years, if you are also a student? Do you call them "elder students"?

Say I am a third year student. I find myself frequently need to refer to "some student" in their fourth year and fifth year. For example, "A student of higher year than me" helped me with project. What is the right term to replace those in the…
Tony
  • 271
15
votes
3 answers

Why do we fluoridate but chlorinate water?

When we add fluoride ions to water, to make it good for teeth, it's called fluoridation. When we add chloride ions to water, to kill microorganisms, it's called chlorination. In the latter case, the generally used name for the process doesn't match…
Dan Hulme
  • 541
15
votes
3 answers

What is the term for repeating something in an A, B, A fashion? (e.g. "Just the facts, ma'am, just the facts.")

Is there a term for repeating something in an A, B, A fashion for emphasis or dramatic effect? Examples: Just the facts, ma'am, just the facts. Ain't it the truth, Joe... ain't it the truth. I've looked at epanalepsis, epistrophe, and anaphora,…
Sassan Sanei
  • 151
14
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0 answers

What is the aural equivalent to the word "appear"?

Appear means to come into visual consciousness, but what word do we use to indicate a sound has come into consciousness?
Lauren
  • 149
14
votes
5 answers

What is the proper way to say "queryer"

That is, the person who is querying. The person who sends can be a sender, the person who receives can be a receiver. Similarly the person who responds (to a query) can be a responder. But can the person who queries be a queryer? I've thought…
jedwards
  • 243
13
votes
4 answers

Is “pregnant couple” proper terminology?

According to Collins English Dictionary, and of course as everyone knows, a doula is a woman who is trained to provide support to women and their families during pregnancy, childbirth, and the period of time following the birth However, the…
James Waldby - jwpat7
  • 66,660
13
votes
8 answers

Term or phrase describing action occuring when not watching

I am an IT professional. More specifically in automation. I am looking for a term or phrase that describes the event when either: a. you are watching something closely and the issue doesn't occur or b. you are not watching something at all and the…
chonerman
  • 133
12
votes
7 answers

A word for a place that produces food from animals

I looking for a word, if exists, for a place where the animals like cow, pig and chicken are killed, cleaned and have its meat and parts processed into bagged foods like bacon, ham, beef, etc. In Portuguese we have a word "Frigorífico" for it, and…
Sertage
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