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vector
[vek-ter]
noun
Mathematics.
a quantity possessing both magnitude and direction, represented by an arrow the direction of which indicates the direction of the quantity and the length of which is proportional to the magnitude.
such a quantity with the additional requirement that such quantities obey the parallelogram law of addition.
such a quantity with the additional requirement that such quantities are to transform in a particular way under changes of the coordinate system.
any generalization of the above quantities.
the direction or course followed by an airplane, missile, or the like.
Biology.
an insect or other organism that transmits a pathogenic fungus, virus, bacterium, etc.
any agent that acts as a carrier or transporter, as a virus or plasmid that conveys a genetically engineered DNA segment into a host cell.
Computers.an array of data ordered such that individual items can be located with a single index or subscript.
verb (used with object)
Aeronautics.to guide (an aircraft) in flight by issuing appropriate headings.
Aerospace.to change direction of (the thrust of a jet or rocket engine) in order to steer the craft.
vector
/ vɛkˈtɔːrɪəl, ˈvɛktə /
noun
Also called: polar vector.maths a variable quantity, such as force, that has magnitude and direction and can be resolved into components that are odd functions of the coordinates. It is represented in print by a bold italic symbol: F or ̄ Compare pseudoscalar pseudovector scalar tensor
maths an element of a vector space
Also called: carrier.pathol an organism, esp an insect, that carries a disease-producing microorganism from one host to another, either within or on the surface of its body
Also called: cloning vector.genetics an agent, such as a bacteriophage or a plasmid, by means of which a fragment of foreign DNA is inserted into a host cell to produce a gene clone in genetic engineering
the course or compass direction of an aircraft
any behavioural influence, force, or drive
verb
to direct or guide (a pilot, aircraft, etc) by directions transmitted by radio
to alter the direction of (the thrust of a jet engine) as a means of steering an aircraft
vector
A quantity, such as the velocity of an object or the force acting on an object, that has both magnitude and direction.
Compare scalar
An organism, such as a mosquito or tick, that spreads pathogens from one host to another.
A bacteriophage, plasmid, or other agent that transfers genetic material from one cell to another.
vector
In physics and mathematics, any quantity with both a magnitude and a direction. For example, velocity is a vector because it describes both how fast something is moving and in what direction it is moving. Because velocity is a vector, other quantities in which velocity is a factor, such as acceleration and momentum, are vectors also.
Other Word Forms
- vectorial adjective
- vectorially adverb
- ˈٴǰ adverb
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of vector1
Example Sentences
"We worry that there is a vector for fraud... we are concerned about a world where it would be a person who claims to be the owner who's asking."
One of the disease's nicknames, rat fever, reflects its key vector of infection.
They may be disease vectors, but no, the FBI did not think they were terrorists.
“But we were not set up in a way where we can cover this area and then continue to do our vector control work throughout the San Gabriel Valley.”
It’s like your body is the vector that tells you, and when you learn to ignore it, you don’t learn to really meaningfully understand your own feelings.
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