Glossary P - Yenra

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

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A unit of data carried through a packet network, with control information and a payload. The protocol determines its fields; not every packet contains all the information needed to order a complete application message.

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NetworksPacket switching

Sharing network links by transmitting data in separate packets. Different flows can use the same link; delivery, ordering and recovery from loss depend on the protocols used.

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Computers & specificationsPass-through charging

A supported power-bank operating mode that accepts input power while supplying a connected device. Available output and whether the battery gains charge depend on the model, input supply and load. Check the manufacturer’s stated arrangement and limits; this feature alone does not establish uninterrupted operation when input power is removed.

Guide: Laptop Batteries and Power Banks: Compatibility, Health, and Runtime

Reference: Anker: model-specific pass-through charging conditions

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Security & privacyPassword manager

Software that stores account credentials and helps create and fill unique passwords. It can reduce the need to remember a different complex password for every account. Features such as synchronization, sharing and passkey storage vary by product; understand how to unlock the manager and recover access before relying on it.

Guide: Antivirus Protection: What You Need and How to Check It

Reference: Apple: generating, storing and filling passwords

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Science & measurementPawsey stub

A transmission-line balancing arrangement used to connect an unbalanced coaxial feed to a balanced antenna. This is a specialized antenna term; construction dimensions depend on the design and operating frequency.

Reference: Eindhoven University: antenna research (PDF)

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Transport & aerospacePayload (vehicle)

The load a vehicle carries, including occupants, cargo and added equipment; a payload capacity states the permitted allowance for that load. Trailer tongue load supported by the vehicle also consumes the allowance. Use the actual vehicle's loading label and configuration, then check whole-vehicle, axle and towing limits separately.

Guide: 2008 Nissan Titan: Verify Configuration, Payload and Towing Limits

Reference: Nissan: vehicle loading and payload definitions (2008 Titan manual, PDF)

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NetworksPBX

Private branch exchange: a telephone switching system serving an organization and connecting its internal extensions with outside telephone services. Implementations may use traditional telephone circuits, IP networks or a hosted service.

Read the guide: Telephone Guides: Find Help by Task or Topic

Reference: NIST: private branch exchange

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Computers & specificationsPCIe

PCI Express: a serial interconnect used by devices such as graphics cards and NVMe SSDs. A link’s generation and active lane count determine its connection capacity; x4 describes four lanes. The host and device must support the connection, while actual transfer rates also depend on the device, workload and other system limits.

Guide: Toshiba XG5-P Client NVMe SSD: Compatibility and Upgrade Checks

Reference: PCI-SIG: PCI Express FAQ

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Audio & videoPCM (audio)

Pulse-code modulation: representing a sampled signal with a sequence of numerical sample values. Sample rate and bit depth describe different aspects of a PCM audio representation.

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Computers & specificationsPCM (memory)

Phase-change memory: storing information through distinguishable physical states of a material. The memory-device implementation determines its capacity, endurance and electrical interface.

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Historical names & systemsPDC

Professional Developers Conference, Microsoft's historical developer-event name. References to its announcements should retain the conference date and the software generation being discussed.

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Science & measurementPercentage point

A unit for the arithmetic difference between two percentages. An increase from 40% to 45% is five percentage points; relative to the starting value, it is a 12.5% increase because 5 ÷ 40 × 100 = 12.5. State which comparison you mean when describing rates, shares or study results.

Guide: Research Design Tools: Turn a Question into a Testable Experiment

Reference: Eurostat: percentage points (PDF)

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Web & documentsPercent-encoding

Representing a byte in a URL as % followed by two hexadecimal digits. For example, %20 represents a space; the correct treatment depends on which URL component is being encoded.

Read the guide: How to Read a URL: Domains, Paths, Queries, and Fragments

Reference: WHATWG URL standard

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Health & carePhenotyping (clinical data)

Characterizing observable traits or identifying clinical groups from information such as records, measurements or tests. The definition and validation of a phenotype determine what a study's groups actually represent.

Reference: Research: phenotyping clinical records

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Security & privacyPhishing

A deceptive communication that impersonates a trusted source to induce an action such as revealing credentials, sending money or opening a harmful link or attachment. Phishing can arrive through email, text or other channels. A familiar sender name or a message passing a filter is insufficient evidence that its request is legitimate.

Guide: SpamSquelcher and the Challenge of Accurate Spam Filtering

Reference: NIST: phishing

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Art & colorPigment

A coloring material dispersed in a medium such as paint. Its chemical and physical properties affect appearance and aging; a painted color can change through interactions involving pigment, binder, light and environment.

Read the guide: How to Look at Seurat’s La Grande Jatte

Reference: Art Institute: Seurat's materials

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Tools & workshopPilot hole

A preliminary hole that guides a later drilling or fastening operation. For a wood screw, it prepares the material that the threads will engage and can reduce splitting or excessive driving resistance. Select the size and depth from the fastener and material guidance; a clearance hole instead lets the fastener pass through a part.

Guide: Drill Bits: Match the Material, Hole and Drill

Reference: Bosch: pilot and clearance holes for screw fastening (PDF)

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Rocks & EarthPlagioclase

A group of feldspar minerals forming a compositional series between sodium-rich and calcium-rich end members. It is common in many igneous rocks, including tonalite; composition and mineral proportions help distinguish rock types.

Read the guide: Tonalite: Composition, Formation, and Comparison with Granite

Reference: National Park Service: minerals

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Science & measurementPlanetesimal

A small solid body formed during planetary assembly that can contribute material to larger bodies through growth and collisions. Surviving remnants help researchers investigate early planetary systems. Describing an object as a planetesimal concerns its origin and role; later heating, impacts or capture can alter it, as models of Saturn's moon Phoebe illustrate.

Guide: Phoebe: What Cassini Revealed About a Captured Moon

Reference: NASA: Phoebe as an evolved planetary building block

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Audio & videoPLC (audio)

Packet-loss concealment: techniques that estimate or substitute audio when expected packets are missing. Concealment can reduce the audible effect of loss, but cannot reconstruct every missing sound exactly.

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Science & measurementPLM (microscopy)

Polarized light microscopy: examining a specimen using polarized light to reveal optical properties and structure. Interpretation depends on the specimen preparation, instrument arrangement and material.

Reference: Nikon: polarized light microscopy

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Business & organizationsPLM (product data)

Product lifecycle management: organizing product information and changes across design, manufacturing, service and retirement. Traceable versions and responsibilities help people work from the same product record.

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Transport & aerospacePND

Personal navigation device: a dedicated portable device for route guidance and position display. Positioning signals, map data and traffic information are separate inputs with separate update requirements.

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NetworksPoE

Power over Ethernet: supplying electrical power to compatible equipment through Ethernet cabling. The power standard, available budget and powered device's needs must agree.

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Art & colorPointillism

A painting technique using small, distinct touches or dots of color to build an image. It is associated with Neo-Impressionist artists including Georges Seurat; viewing distance affects how the marks and colors are perceived.

Read the guide: How to Look at Seurat’s La Grande Jatte

Reference: Art Institute of Chicago: La Grande Jatte

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NetworksPoP

Point of presence: a location where a provider makes network connectivity or related services available. The equipment and interconnections at that location determine its role.

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NetworksPort (physical network interface)

A physical connection point for a network interface, such as an Ethernet socket or optical-module slot. Its connector, signaling standard and supported equipment must be considered together.

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PhotographyPPI

Pixels per inch: the number of image pixels assigned to each inch of printed or displayed size. A 3,000-pixel-wide image at 300 ppi spans 10 inches; printer ink-dot resolution is a different measurement.

Read the guide: Print Photos from Your Phone: Files, Crops and Connections

Reference: Adobe: printed image resolution

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NetworksPPPoE

Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet: carrying PPP sessions inside Ethernet frames, often for subscriber access. The extra encapsulation affects the available packet size; the supported MTU depends on the service and equipment.

Read the guide: PPP and PPPoE: Sessions, Authentication, and Troubleshooting

Reference: PPP over Ethernet (RFC 2516)

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Art & colorProfiling (color)

Measuring and describing a device's color behavior, commonly in an ICC profile. The profile helps color-management software translate colors between spaces; it must correspond to the device and settings in use.

Read the guide: Color Management for Digital Art and Printing

Reference: International Color Consortium: profiles

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Audio & videoProgressive scan

Scanning each frame’s lines in sequence as a complete image, rather than alternating between two interlaced fields. The p in a label such as 720p indicates progressive scanning. Resolution and frame rate describe additional properties, so compare the full format when deciding how to play, edit or convert a recording.

Guide: HDV Format: Identify, Capture and Edit Older HD Video

Reference: Adobe: progressive scanning and noninterlaced frames

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NetworksProtocol

An agreed set of rules for exchanging information between systems. A protocol specifies behavior or message structure; a connector specifies a physical connection.

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Art & colorProvenance (art)

The documented history of an artwork's ownership and custody. Dates, identities and gaps matter when assessing that history; provenance contributes evidence alongside examination and other research.

Read the guide: How the Art Business Works: People, Records and Provenance

Reference: Getty: provenance research

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Audio & videoPSD (HD Radio)

Program service data: information accompanying an HD Radio program, such as title and artist text. The station supplies the data and the receiver determines which fields it displays.

Reference: HD Radio: program service data

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Tools & workshopPSI

Pounds-force per square inch: a unit of pressure, usually written psi or PSI. In a pressure-washer specification it describes pressure at stated operating or test conditions. Read it alongside water flow in GPM and the fitted nozzle; a momentary maximum pressure and a working-pressure rating can describe different conditions.

Guide: Pressure Washers: Match the Machine to the Surface

Reference: NIST: pressure units and conversions (PDF) · Generac: pressure and flow rating conditions (PDF)

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Science & measurementPVD

Physical vapor deposition: forming a coating by transferring material through a vapor phase onto a surface. The process and material determine the resulting film's properties.

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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