Glossary L - Yenra

24 definitions in this view. Search all 509 terms by name, phrase or topic.

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NetworksLAN

Local area network: a network connecting devices within a limited site, such as a home, office or campus. Ethernet and Wi-Fi can provide different kinds of connections within the same LAN.

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Rocks & EarthLa Niña

The cool phase of ENSO, involving below-average sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific and associated changes in atmospheric circulation. Equatorial trade winds typically strengthen. La Niña can shift seasonal weather probabilities, but its effects vary by region, season and event; the phase name does not guarantee a particular day's weather.

Guide: La Niña Explained: ENSO, RONI and Seasonal Outlooks

Reference: NOAA National Weather Service: La Niña

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Science & measurementLAT

Large Area Telescope, the gamma-ray instrument aboard the Fermi space telescope. In astronomy reporting, identify the instrument and observing conditions when interpreting a measurement.

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NetworksLatency

The delay for a specified operation or communication. Network measurements may describe one-way delay or round-trip time, so keep that distinction and the units with the result. Low latency helps interactions respond promptly.

Read the guide: Technology Terms That Help You Read Product Specifications

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Historical names & systemsLCROSS

Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, NASA's lunar-impact mission used to investigate material near the Moon's south pole. Its results are evidence from a particular impact site and observing campaign.

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Health & careLDL

Low-density lipoprotein, a class of particles that carry cholesterol in blood. Elevated LDL cholesterol can contribute to plaque buildup in arteries; interpretation and treatment decisions use the person's broader clinical assessment.

Reference: NHLBI: blood cholesterol

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Transport & aerospaceLDW

Lane-departure warning: a driver-assistance function that warns when a vehicle may leave its lane under supported conditions. A warning function and an active steering intervention are different capabilities.

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Security & privacyLeast privilege

The principle of granting a person, device or process only the access needed for its assigned work. Apply it to allowed actions and resources, such as letting a guest network reach the internet while restricting access to internal administration. Review permissions when responsibilities change; successful authentication alone does not determine the appropriate access.

Guide: Secure Workplace Wi-Fi: Access Policies and Verification

Reference: NIST: least privilege

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Food & cookingLeavening

The expansion that makes a batter or dough rise as gas forms or expands within it. Depending on the recipe, yeast, chemical leaveners, incorporated air or steam provide the lift. Baking soda and baking powder have different compositions and reaction requirements; they are not interchangeable spoon for spoon. The mixture must hold the expanding gas as its structure sets.

Guide: Buttermilk and Fruit Pancakes: A Measured Method

Reference: King Arthur Baking: steam leavening and batter structure · King Arthur Baking: yeast, baking powder and baking soda

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Historical names & systemsLELA

Linksys EasyLink Advisor, a name used for network setup and management software in historical Linksys coverage. Supported devices and operating systems depend on the specific software release.

Related coverage: Cisco Linksys WRT160NL Media Router

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Science & measurementLight curve

A record or plot of an astronomical source's measured brightness over time. The quantity may be flux, magnitude or a detector count rate, with a stated wavelength or energy range. Check time bins, uncertainties and upper limits when interpreting a flare or dip; averaging over longer bins can smooth short-lived changes.

Guide: Fermi Gamma-ray Telescope: How to Read Its Sky and Alerts

Reference: NASA Fermi: light-curve measurements, time bins and interpretation

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Science & measurementLight-year

The distance light travels through a vacuum in one year, approximately 9.46 trillion kilometers. It is a unit of distance used for stars and galaxies. When reading a cosmological distance in light-years, check which distance definition is intended: the separation today can differ from the distance obtained by multiplying light's travel time by its speed.

Guide: The Most Distant Galaxies: Redshift, Lookback Time and Confirmation

Reference: NASA Space Place: light-years as a distance unit

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Transport & aerospaceLIN

Local Interconnect Network: a serial communication bus used for relatively simple connections among vehicle components. It provides a different cost and capability tradeoff from higher-speed automotive networks.

Reference: Microchip: Local Interconnect Network

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NetworksLine card

A module providing network interfaces and related functions within equipment such as a modular router. Port types, supported modules and software compatibility determine its role in a particular chassis.

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Audio & videoLine output

An analog audio output intended to feed a line-level input on another device. Check level, connector and whether volume is fixed or adjustable; a passive loudspeaker requires a suitable amplifier.

Read the guide: Internet Radios: Choose a Receiver, Find Stations, and Set It Up

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NetworksLink bonding

Combining multiple connections into a logical transport using cooperating equipment or endpoints. Some internet bonding systems distribute packets from one session across several links and reassemble them at the other end. Useful capacity depends on the implementation, endpoint, overhead and link behavior; verify single-transfer performance separately from total traffic across many sessions.

Guide: Wireless Bandwidth Aggregation: Bonding, Balancing and Failover

Reference: Peplink: packet-level bandwidth bonding

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Audio & videoLip sync

The timing alignment between sound and the visible action it accompanies, such as speech matching a person’s mouth movements. Different audio and video processing paths can create an offset. An audio-delay setting can correct some mismatches; the appropriate adjustment depends on which signal arrives first and the available controls.

Guide: HDMI: Choose the Right Connection and Troubleshoot It

Reference: Yamaha: lip-sync adjustment

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NetworksLoad balancing

Distributing work or traffic among available resources. For multiple internet connections, a router often assigns sessions to different links according to a policy, improving capacity across simultaneous users or transfers. The speed of one session can remain limited to its assigned path; check how the implementation handles new sessions, failures and applications needing a stable address.

Guide: Wireless Bandwidth Aggregation: Bonding, Balancing and Failover

Reference: Peplink: internet load balancing and traffic policies

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Science & measurementLookback time

The elapsed time between light's emission and its arrival at the observer. It describes how far into the past an astronomical observation reaches. For distant galaxies, deriving lookback time from redshift requires a cosmological model. Keep this travel time separate from the universe's age at emission and from the galaxy's present-day distance.

Guide: The Most Distant Galaxies: Redshift, Lookback Time and Confirmation

Reference: NASA Webb: why distant observations reveal earlier epochs

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Computers & specificationsLoopback test

A test that returns transmitted data to its sender so the returned data can be compared with what was sent. A serial loopback can help isolate an interface or connection fault. Use the documented test arrangement for the equipment and record which part of the path it covers; a passing result leaves the remaining application path to check.

Guide: Bluetooth Serial Adapters: Compatibility, Setup, and Testing

Reference: Digi: testing a serial connection with a loopback plug

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Audio & videoLossless compression

Compression that allows the data supplied to the compression stage to be reconstructed exactly. It reduces storage needs while preserving that input. A lossless copy of a previously lossy recording retains the data it receives; detail discarded earlier stays missing. For video workflows, check that surrounding conversions also preserve the required data.

Guide: Lossless Video Codecs: Masters, Editing and Viewing Copies

Reference: Library of Congress: lossless FFV1 video

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Audio & videoLossy compression

Compression that discards some information to reduce the amount of data. Audio or video quality depends on the source, codec and encoding settings; artifacts can become visible or audible as information is lost. Repeated decoding and lossy re-encoding can add further loss, so keep a suitable master for future edits.

Guide: Lossless Video Codecs: Masters, Editing and Viewing Copies

Reference: MDN: video codecs and compression

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NetworksLTE

Long Term Evolution, a family of mobile-network radio technologies associated with 4G service. Frequency bands, device support and network configuration determine the capabilities available on a connection.

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Computers & specificationsLTFS

Linear Tape File System: a format and file-system approach that presents compatible tape contents as files and directories, using separate index and data partitions. Reading an LTFS tape requires compatible media, a drive and supported software. An application-specific backup tape may instead need that application's restore tools and catalog, so record the format alongside the media generation.

Guide: LTO-8 Tape Archives: Compatibility, LTFS, and Restore Planning

Reference: LTO Program: Linear Tape File System · LTO Program: media and drive compatibility

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A starting point for understanding

Each entry gives a concise meaning and, where useful, a distinction or practical example. Topic labels identify the context; the same acronym can have several meanings. Historical names remain useful when reading older coverage.

Follow the linked Yenra guides for fuller explanations and the reference links for supporting documentation. Health, technical and regulatory terms describe concepts; individual decisions depend on the applicable evidence, equipment and circumstances.

Collection updated October 13, 2026. Full glossary · AI Glossary