abrin

abrin [BIOL] A highly poisonous protein found in the seeds of Abrus precatorius, the rosary
pea. { a·brin }
abs See absolute.
abscission [BOT] A physiological process promoted by abscisic acid whereby plants
shed a part, such as a leaf, flower, seed, or fruit. { ab sizh·ən }
absolute [METEOROL] Referring to the highest or lowest recorded value of a meteoro-
logical element, whether at a single station or over an area, during a given period.
Abbreviated abs. { ab·sə lüt }
absolute drought [METEOROL] In Britain, a period of at least 15 consecutive days during
which no measurable daily precipitation has fallen. { ab·sə lüt drau̇t }
absolute instability [METEOROL] The state of a column of air in the atmosphere when it
has a superadiabatic lapse rate of temperature, that is, greater than the dry-adiabatic
lapse rate. Also known as autoconvective instability; mechanical instability. { ab·sə
lüt in·stə bil·ə·d ē }
absolute stability [METEOROL] The state of a column of air in the atmosphere when
its lapse rate of temperature is less than the saturation-adiabatic lapse rate. { ab·sə
lüt stə bil·ə·d ē }
absorb [CHEM] To take up a substance in bulk. [PHYS] To take up energy from
radiation. { əb sȯrb }
absorbed-dose rate [PHYS] The absorbed dose of ionizing radiation imparted at a given
location per unit of time (second, minute, hour, or day). { əb sȯrbd dōs rāt }
absorber [ENG] The surface on a solar collector that absorbs the solar radiation.
{ əb sȯr·bər }
absorber plate [ENG] A part of a flat-plate solar collector that provides a surface for
absorbing incident solar radiation. { əb sȯr·bər plāt }
absorption [HYD] Entrance of surface water into the lithosphere. { əb sȯrp·shən }
absorption spectrum [CHEM] A plot of how much radiation a sample absorbs over a
range of wavelengths; the spectrum can be a plot of either absorbance or transmittance
versus wavelength, frequency, or wavenumber. { əb sȯrp·shən spek·trəm }
abstraction [HYD] 1. The draining of water from a stream by another having more rapid
corroding action. 2. The part of precipitation that does not become direct runoff.
{ ab strak·shən }
abundance [GEOCHEM] The relative amount of a given element among other elements.
{ ə bən·dəns }
abyssal [OCEANOGR] Pertaining to the abyssal zone. { ə bis·əl }
abyssal-benthic [OCEANOGR] Pertaining to the bottom of the abyssal zone. { ə bis·əl
ben·thik }
abyssal floor [GEOL] The ocean floor, or bottom of the abyssal zone. { ə bis·əl flȯr }
abyssal plain [GEOL] A flat, almost level area occupying the deepest parts of many of
the ocean basins. { ə bis·əl plān }
abyssal zone [OCEANOGR] The biogeographic realm of the great depths of the ocean
beyond the limits of the continental shelf, generally below 1000 meters. { ə bis·əl
zōn }
abyssopelagic [OCEANOGR] Pertaining to the open waters of the abyssal zone.
{ ə bis·ō·pə la·jik }
Ac See altocumulus cloud.