Definition Trouble can arise when a writer assumes that ever the meaning of a technical term. Ty reader will understan¢ 3. How does the term aj 4. What special meanings does the term have? 5. How does the writer's use Of the term differ from other Previous uses the term? 'pPly to me and my work? 7. When was the term first Your audience and purpose will always is absolutely imperative to define & term whe not know its meaning. In gene, 126 affect your use of a definition. © never you think your reader Wi he Careful always to define scientific or127 Definition cal terms readers are not likely to know—eg., cultivars, inununoglobulins, pyroly- ‘sis, wrap around mortgage—and common words that have specialized meanings in your writing—e.g, crab (moving hoist on a travelling crane), stack (linear list in computer sciencel, yellowcake [material resulting from the first processing of uranium ore}. Definitions can be included in the text, in footnotes, or in a glossary. Some- times they may even comprise an entire report. ‘This chapter will show you how to write the kinds of definitions that are useful in technical writing. Those include: informal definitions formal definitions expanded definitions stipulative definitions INFORMAL DEFINITIONS ‘An informal definition is a brief explanation of an unfamiliar torm, usually a synonym or short phrase, included in the text of your report. An informal defin- tion is useful when your audience does not need a great deal of information about the term itself but must grasp its meaning quickly. Such definitions are placed in parentheses or set off by commas or dashes immediately after the unfamiliar word. You can define a word informally in,a variety of ways. One way is to give a more commonly known synonym after the technical one: flective March 16, the US. Department of Agriculture officials will require psittaci- formes—parrots and related birds~-shipped from California to be identified with leg bands. ‘The petrous (rock-hard quality of the material made it valuable for outside use. You also can point out a defining characteristic that is relevant for readers: Lithium, the lightest metal, has many uses in bioengineering, especially in the development of pacemakers. Finally, you can describe an object's appearance or identify its function: ‘The V stem (the tube that connects the exchanger to the storage tank) needs to bbe lubricated at least once each week. You will use informal definitions more often when writing to consumers than to experts. But whenever they are appropriate, informal definitions are a handy way to give the reader a small amount of information most conveniently.28 Definition FORMAL DEFINITIONS ‘A formal definition is more precise, complete, and logically structured than an informal one. Whereas an informal definition can be given in a word or phrase, 8 formal definition is always constructed as a sentence with three separate and necessary parts. The first part, callod the species, is the term you will define. ‘The second part is the genus, or the class in which that term belongs. The third part consists of the diférentiae, or the distinguishing features that separate the term from all other members of the same class. Think of a formal definition ‘as an equation in sentence form: DIFFERENTIAE (distinguishing features) weighing about 80 Is. with a heavy, fury coat usually white or ray that was origi- pally bred fn Siberia 10 haul sleds. SPECIES _ GENUS (he term) (the class) Altusky is a dog ‘To write a formal definition, first place the term into. its correct class. A Husky is a dog, Then identify the distinguishing characteristics of the Husky that separate it from every other breed of dog. If the features you assign to the Husky can apply to other dogs, your definition is not restricted or accurate. ‘To identify, as well as single out, one member of a class, corisider such features as color, size; function, location, cost, and composition. In the example of the Husky, its size, its type and color of fur, its origins, and its function distinguish the Husky from all other kinds of dogs. After all, collies have long fur and can weigh as much as Huskies, but collies do not come from Siberia, nor are they used principally to pull sleds. In the folléwing examples study the distinguishing features in each formal definition to see how the writer has identified and isolated each term. smcus = cewws /-+ —_pwvenevrian Artspeak 8 programming used in college courses language for nonmath or sci- cence students witich ‘would enable them to do computer pro- joets after learning a small amount of pro- gramming language gyntax.! that fs caused by inbala- tion of coal dust and Black isa respiratory Jans ailment Resilience isa property t of a material ‘Tips for Writing Formal Definitions ‘The effectiveness of a formal definition dep Therefore, it is important to avoid making | 1. Avoid repeating key words. Repeati want to define gives readers a circular defit ‘An attenuator is @ device that attenuates t Find another vero which will show what tL ‘An attenuator is a device that reduces tha ‘There are times when you may have to r phrase you are defining. For example, in de likely use the word “light; your reader wil 2. Avoid using language that is 100 tec technical word with another may baffle ev quoted definition of “network” from Dr. cighteenth-century dictionary, illustrates complicated language: ‘Anetwork is any thing reticulated or decus ‘between the intersections. Contrast this with the more helpful definiti Heritage Dictionary, which uses more famil ‘An openwork fabric or other structure in w ‘als cross at regular intervals. 3. Be carefial the differentiae are not toc ‘must be sufficiently narrow so they cannot i ‘Tennis is @ game in which players use rei i ‘cause in the deaths of ‘many underground Resilience isa property that enables it to re: ‘of @ material sume its ofiginal shape or position af- ter being bent, atretehed, or compressed? — ‘Tips for Writing Formal Definitions ‘The effectiveness of a formal definition depends upon its clarity and pr ‘Therefore, it is important to avoid making the following common errors: 1. Avoid repeating key words. Repeating in the differentiac the word you want to define gives readers a circular definition that leads nowhere. ‘An attenuator ia @ dovice that attenuates the signal passing through it Find another verb which will show what the instrument does. {An attenuator is a device that reduces the frequency of the signal passing through it ‘There are times when you may have to repeat the less technical word in a phrase you are defining. For example, in defining “strobe light," you will most likely use the word “light"; your reader will obviously know what a light is. 2. Avoid using language that és t60 technical for your reader. Defining one technical word with another may bafile oven an audience of experts. The oft- quoted definition of “nétwork” from Dr. Johnson, the author of a famous eighteenth-century dictionary, illustrates the problem of using unnecessarily complicated language: ‘A network is any thing reticulated or decussated at equal distances, with interstices Detween the intersections. Contrast this with the more helpful definition of “network” from the American Heritage Dictionary, which uses more familiar terms: [An oponwork fabric or other structure in which rope, thread, wires, or other materi- als cross at regular intervals. 8, Be careful the differentiae are not too broad. Your distinguishing features must be sufficiently narraw so they cannot apply to any other object or process. ‘Tennis is a game in which players use rackets to hit a ball back and forth on a court “American Heritage Dietionary.Aside from omitting one of the most important parts of the game (the net!, this definition might also include jai alai, racketball, or squash—all games in which players use rackets and battle on courts, 4. Be careful the differentiae are not too narrow. When your differentiae are too narrow, you may exclude members of the class you want to define, ‘A chalkboard is a writing surface measuring # by 12° made out of black slate and found on the front wall of a classroom, ‘This definition excludes other functions, sizes, colors, compositions, and loca- tions of chalkboards, eg., a green hand-held chalkboard 5. Never start a definition with “is where,” “is when,” or “is a kind of.” Boginning with “is whero" or “is when’ violates the formal logic ofthe definition. ‘A hurricane is when turbulent storms cause severe damage. ‘This sentence does not tell readers what a hurricane is. ‘A compass is a kind of navigational instrument. This definition does not separate it from other types of navigational instra- ments—radar, sextants, or sonar. EXPANDED DEFINITIONS Sometimes readers need more information about a term than a mere synonym. or even a sentence alone can supply. In those cases, you need to expand, or amplify, your definition. Expanded definitions can be a few paragraphs long or they may even comprise an entire report. Expanded definitions explain ab- straet terms (cogeneration or supply-side economics, for example) that are too ‘complex to be adequately treated in a few words or sentences. This kind of definition gives you room to discuss such things as the origin, significance, and application of the term as well as to provide examples of its use for the reader. Expanded definitions are also necessary when a term (data processing) acquires new meanings; in order to explain the new you have to contrast it with the old. Words like compliance or construction management rapidly change ‘meanings in business and industry; even experts and decision makers nead to be told exactly how these words are being used. ‘Ten Ways to Expand a Definition Following are ten different ways in which you can write an expanded definition. 1. Etymology. Since many scientific and technical terms are derived from Greek or Latin words, one useful way to expand a definition might be with a discussion of etymology (or word history).131 Defntion Rhinitis—a word derived from two Greek words rhin (nose) and itis inflamma. tion!—is an inflaznmation of the membranous lining of the nose. Ifyou are defining a word that is an acronym (a word formed from the initial letters of the words comprising it), tell readers what the individual letters stand for: A laser is a device for producing an intense beam of light. The word is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. 2, Origin and Application. Sometimes it is necessary to supply background information about (1) the discovery of an object or process, (2) its early uses and any major problems, (3) changes in construction, design, or application, ‘and (4) how these changes may affect current and future use. In the following example the Bureau of Mines begins a definition of columbium by surveying the applications of this important mineral: Columbium (niobium) serves worldwide mostly as an alloying element in stools and in superalloys, and so is in greatest demand in the industrialized countries. Discovery of the strengthening effect of columbium in structural carbon steels has ed to a widespread and growing use for columbium in high-strength, low-alloy (HSLA) steels. Two of columbium’s more significant applications are in pipeline steels for transporting oil and gas and in structural steels. The use of columbium Jn the suparallays in jet engines has continued to be prominent; demand has fluctt ated along with the fortunes of the aerospace industry? 3, Exclusion. Sometimes you can define something by specifying what it is not. Software is the nonhardware components of a computer. “Aspecial order is one that has not been routed through the Purchasing Department. When you define by exclusion be sure that your audience understands the object or process being excluded. In the examples just cited, the reader would have to know the meaning of hardware or be familiar with the ordering procedures in the company. 4, Example. One of the best ways to define an object or a process is to provide an example of it, The following definition of abrasive materials includes many examples of the materials used to preserve historic properties. “Abrasive cleaning methods inelyde all techniques that physically abrade the building Sucface to remove soils, discolorations or coatings. Such techniques involve the tie of certain materials which impact or abrade the surface under pressure, or abrasive fools and equipment, Sand, because it is readily available, Is probably the most commonly used type of grt material, However, any of the following materi- tls may be substituted for sand, and all can be classified as abrasive substances: ground slag or volcanic ash, crushed (pulverized) walnut or almond shells, rice fusks, ground comoobs, ground coconut shells, crushed eggshells, silica flour, gyn- thetle particles, glass beads and microballoons. Even water under pressure can be an ebrasive eubstance. Tools and equipment that are abrasive to historic building 2 Lasry D. Cunningham, Columbium (Washington, D.C: Dept. ofthe Interior, Bureat of fines, 1979)materials include wire brushes, rotary wheels, power sanding disks, and belt sandors# 5. Comparison and Contrast. Comparisons establish likenesses; contrasts emphasize differences. Used together or separately, these techniques assist you in clarifying a term for the reader. The following paragraphs from a news release issued by the Bic Corporation use comparison and contrast to define a new product: ‘The roller pon is a writing instrument which combines in one unit many features found separately in older type products, without their individual craw- backs. For example, the roller pen writes smoothly, with the hard point of a ball pen, but does not use full-color, high viscosity ball pen ink. Instead it writes with bright, vivid colors. In this respect it is similar to a fine-line marker pen, but does not have the drawback of a fibrous marker point which may quickly lose its fine ‘writing qualities and wear into a brush. In its place, the roller pen has a durable, hard point which maintains ite writing qualities during the entire life span of the pen. It is also capable of making carbon copies, which most fine-line marker pens cannot do. ‘The roller pen writes with very fluid ink and has the free flowing qualities ff fountain pen ink. However, unlike a fountain pen, the roller pen has # large ink supply and never needs to be refilled, cleaned or fussed with in any way. ‘Thus, itis maintenance-free, with all the convenience features necessary in a modern writing instrument. 6. Cause and Effect. This technique tells the reader why something happens and what follows from its occurrence. In defining lightning, magnetism, a policy, ‘or a disoase, you might begin with the causes and then describe the effects. For example, you might list the conditions that produced a disease and then explain the symptoms as well as precautions. The following definition of patent, modified from a government pamphlet, explains what patents are (the cause) and then informs the reader about their advantages (the effects: AA patent is issued to prevent someone else from taking credit for or profiting from the inventor's creation. A patent is a grant, or printed document, issued by the US. Patent and Trademark Office, conferring on the inventor the right to exclude ‘others for 17 years from making, using, or selling the invention. After obtaining a patent, the inventor is the sole owner of the original process, machine, or composi- tion of material or plant and ean retain or sell the patent to it 7. Method of Operation. An explanation of how something works, is made, ‘or occurs is useful when you have to define a procedure, a manufacturing or construction process, or a natural occurrence. In the following example, the writer expands the definition of an echo sounder for U.S. Navy personnel by explaining how a conversion of energy takes place: “Most soundings are made by means of an echo sounder. in this instrument a pulse of electrical energy is converted periodically to sound energy and transmitted down- * preservation Brift 6, Washingion, D.C: Technical Preservation Service Dv. Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service, US. Dept of the Interior, 1978)133, Befiaiion ward by a transducer. When the energy strikes the bottom (or any other object hhaving acoustic properties different from those of water), a portion is reflected ‘ack to the transducer as an echo. This energy is reconverted to electrical energy for prosentation. Because the speed of sound in water is nearly constant, the amount Of time which elapses between the transmission of a pulse and the reception of its echo is a measure of the distance traveled, or in this ease, depths 8, Description. Physical description (discussed in detail in Chapter 2) can be indispensible to an expanded definition of an object. Often the reader's first question when confronted with a new term for an object is “What does it look like?" The description of the loquat tree that follows comes from a report assess- ing the ability of new crops to adapt to environmental stress. ‘The loquat tree is a small evergreen, reaching 25 feet in height, with a symmetrical, ‘compact, round crown. The leaves are large, alternate, 8 to 12 inches long, relatively: ‘narrow and without indentation, leathery and dark green when mature, The flowers, are small, to % inch across, white, fragrant, and borne in clusters at the end of branches. Blooming occurs from October through February. The fruit is a small pome growing in clusters of 4 to 10, It is oblang-pyriform to spherical in shape, 1 to 3 inches lang; when ripe, the skin is yellow or orange and the flesh is firm, juiey, white to orange. The flavor is tart to sweet and there are 1 to 6 seeds in & ‘central core (as in the applel® 9. Classification. A good way of explaining a complex term or concept Is to break it into logical units and consider each one individually. (See Chapter 3 for a detailed discussion of classification.) In the following dofinition, fire doors are classified into six distinct types. FIRE DOORS—Doors intended to prevent the passage of fire from room to room. ‘They are classified and "labeled" by Underwriters Laboratories according to their time-rated degree offre resistance. Class A doars are rated for three hours protection and are used in four-hour Division Walls. Class B doors are rated one or one and one-half hours and are usually used in tworhour division walls, stairwells, and levator shafla. Class C doors are rated three-quarter hours and usually used for doors opening into corridors and through one-hour fire separation walls. Class D doors are rated one and one-half hours and used for exterior doors subject to ‘exposure from an outside fire. Clase E and F doors are rated three-quarter hours and are used for Class D doors but in areas having less exposure.” 10, Partition, A complex mechanism or process can be easier to understand if it is explained in terms of parts or stages. (Partition is discussed more fully in Chapter 3.) In the following example, a manual on radar navigation starts, with a helpful breakdown of the functional requirements of the system: * Nathaniel Bowditch, American Practical Nevgator (Wat ‘Agency, Hydrographic Center, 1977), 151 ‘National Sciance Foundation, Fouibiliy of troducing Food Crops Better Adapted to Environmental Sires (NSPHA 750280), Vo. 1, 120. "Hugh Brooks, illustrated Eneyelopedic Dictionary of Building and Construction Terme (Englewood (Cs, NJ Prentice Hall, 37) ington, D.C: US. Defense Dept, Mapping‘Tha functional breakdown of a basic pulso:modulated radar system usually includes six major components. . . . The functions of the components may be summarized as follows: ‘Tha power supply furnishes all ACand DC voltages necassary for the operation of the system components. “The modulator produces the synchronizing signals that trigger the transmitter the required number of times per second. It also triggers the indicator sweep and ‘coordinates the other associated circuits. "The transmitter generates the radio-frequency energy in the form of short pawerful pulses. ‘The antenna system takes the radio-frequency energy from the transraitter, radiates it in a highly directional bear, receives any returning echoes, and passes these echoes to the receiver. ‘Tho receiver amplifies the weak radio-frequency pulses (echoes) retumed bby a target and reproduces them as video pulses passed to the indicator. "The indicator produces a visual indication of the echo pulses in a manner that furnishes the dasired information.® STIPULATIVE DEFINITIONS Stipulative definition as a method of expanded definition deserves separate dis- cussion. One definition of fo stipulate is “to make an agreement with an individ- tual to do or not to do something.” When you write a stipulative definition, ‘you make an agreement with your reader to use a word or term in a special way by restricting or broadening the meaning of that term in some sense— time, space, application, cost, or personnel. When you define “schools in Hart- ford” to mean “only junior high schools,” you restrict the ordinary meaning of schools. But when you define “schools in Hartford’ so asto include “bimonthly informal workshops sponsored by the local Junior Achievernent Association," you broaden the meaning most readers have of the word schools. Stipulative definitions are usually given at the beginning of a report to alert the reader from the start to how you are using the word. They are always given on the first use of the term. ‘The following stipulative definition of food industry is taken from a recent government report: ‘The combination of activities, institutions, technologies, and policies that collectively involve the production of basic raw food materials, the processing, preservation, land distribution of those food materials to the points where they are purchased for human consumption. ‘This definition includes land and marine based raw material production sys- toms, bath natural and man-made gystems utilizing traditional and nontraditional technologies. While our concer in this report is limited to the food industry within the continental US, there are, of necessity, some international connecting points that are critical to the analysis. emest B, Brown, Radar Navigation Manual (Washington, D.C: Defense Mapping Agency, 1879) visu AcH138 Deftion ‘This definition enlarges the meaning of the term to include many different phases of the food industry so that a reader will not assume it to be restricted to restaurants or grocery stores. As the report points out, “The food industry is ‘actually a constellation of subindustrios.’ A stipulative definition can restrict as well as broaden. One governmental report offered the following stipulative definition of rail rapid transit: “an eloctri- fied railway system operating in urban areas on oxclusive rights of way. Rail rapid transit is considered here to exclude commuter railroad systems and light rail systems, although the technology of train control is similar for all three.” Because the report concems train control, or the process by which the movement of rail rapid transit vehicles is regulated for safety and efficiency, the reader needs to be informed that not every type of rail system will be studied. A definition can be made clearer and more detailed with visuals. A picture (such as that of the TENS unit on page 148 or of terra cotta on page 151) or diagram. can be a helpful adjunet to a description of an abject or its method of operation. Achart can help clarify the classes of an object or make a comparison or contrast more specific. When you use visuals, follow the guidelines listed in Chapter 1 (page 16) and Chapter 2 (pages 65-66). CHECKLIST FOR WRITING DEFINITIONS 1. Define all terms the reader may not know. 2. Give an informal definition—with a word or phrase—when a brief and immediate explanation is needed. 3. Fora formal definition—-one that is complete and precise—write a statement defining a species in terms of genus and differentiae, 4. For terms too complex to be defined in a few sentences, give an expanded definition, relying on such strategies as etymology, origin and application, exclusion, example, comparison and contrast, cause and effect, method of operation, description, classification, and partition. 5. When you wish to use a term in a special way, give a stipulative definition, specifying exactly how a word is being used. 6. Use visuals when they are helpful in defining a term.