component

View more Science videos

A distinct chemical species in a mixture. If there are no reactions taking place, the number of components is the number of separate chemical species. A mixture of water and ethanol, for instance, has two components (but is a single phase). A mixture of ice and water has two phases but one component (H₂O). If an equilibrium reaction occurs, the number of components is taken to be the number of chemical species minus the number of reactions. Thus, in

there are two components. See also phase rule.

---

One element of a larger system. A hardware component can be a device as small as a transistor or as large as a disk drive as long as it is part of a larger system. Software components are routines or modules within a larger system. See component software and component video.

Download Computer Desktop Encyclopedia to your PC, iPhone or Android.

Physical element of a direct-mail package such as a reply envelope, outer envelope, letter, lift letter , or order form. Each component has an impact on the success of the promotion through the unique function it serves. Most components include copy and illustrations that support their particular function. The outer envelope for example, includes teaser copy that induces the recipient to open the envelope.

The profitability of a package is partially determined by the cost to produce each component and to insert all the components into the outer envelope. The more components used, the greater the inserting cost. Marketers experiment with different combinations of components and with various paper weights and printing techniques to keep costs as low as possible without negatively impacting response. Package design, list rental , and postage costs also figure highly in the profitability of a package. See also component test.

noun

One of the individual entities contributing to a whole: building block, constituent, element, factor, ingredient, integrant, part. See part/whole.

adjective

Serving as part of a whole, as a nondetachable part of a larger unit: built-in, constituent, incorporated. See include/exclude.

n

Definition: part, element
Antonyms: whole

[Ge]

In North American archaeology this term refers to a culturally homogenous stratigraphic unit within a site. Defined by W. C. McKern in 1939 as ‘the manifestation of a given archaeological focus at a specific site’. Thus a site with one period of occupation will have just one component; a site occupied five times will have five components. A component is site-specific and broadly equates with the concept of a ‘phase’ in European archaeology.

(DOD) 1. One of the subordinate organizations that constitute a joint force. Normally a joint force is organized with a combination of Service and functional components. 2. In logistics, a part or combination of parts having a specific function, which can be installed or replaced only as an entity. Also called COMP. See also functional component command; Service component command.

Any instrument, mechanism, equipment, part, or accessory that is used, or is intended to be used, in operating or controlling an aircraft in flight. It is installed in, or attached to, the aircraft. A component has a part number or a serial number allocated by the product manufacturer, unless the manufacturer has designated it as a standard part.

---

Some chemicals can be found at extremely low concentrations and still be flavor effective. Some examples are isobutyl methoxy pyrazine (green bell pepper), ionones (raspberry), some mercaptans (furfuryl mercaptan, i.e., coffee). The components can be detected at parts per billion in liquid media and far lower than that in the atmosphere. These trace components while still flavor-significant via the human sensory mechanism, might not be recognizable by current instrumental detector systems. For this reason the flavorist's sensory input is still vital when doing flavor-based gas chromatographic analysis/mass spectroscopic duplication.

---

n

A part or element.

For a list of words related to component, see:

• Building and Machine Parts - component: part or element of structure
• Order, Hierarchy, and Systems - component: element or facet

---

See words rhyming with "component."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Component.

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
n. - komponent
adj. - del-

Nederlands (Dutch)
onderdeel, component

Français (French)
n. - (gén, Math) composante, (Aut, Tech) pièce, (Électron) composant, (Chim) constituant
adj. - constituant, composant

Deutsch (German)
n. - Teil, Bestandteil, Komponente
adj. - einen Teil bildend, zusammensetzend

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - συστατικό, (φυσ.) συνιστώσα

Italiano (Italian)
componente

Português (Portuguese)
n. - componente (m)

Русский (Russian)
компонент

Español (Spanish)
n. - componente
adj. - componente

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - komponent, komposant (fys. matem.)

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
构成要素, 成分, 零件, 组成的, 构成的

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 構成要素, 成分, 零件
adj. - 組成的, 構成的

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 성분, 부품
adj. - 구성하고 있는

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 構成している
n. - 成分, 構成部分

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) عنصر, جز, قطعه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮רכיב, מרכיב, פריט‬
adj. - ‮היה חלק ממכלול‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.

Some good "component" pages on the web: