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configuration

 
American Heritage Dictionary:

con·fig·u·ra·tion

(kən-fĭg'yə-rā'shən) pronunciation
n.
    1. Arrangement of parts or elements.
    2. The form, as of a figure, determined by the arrangement of its parts or elements. See synonyms at form.
  1. Psychology. Gestalt.
  2. Chemistry. The structural arrangement of atoms in a compound or molecule.
  3. Computer Science.
    1. The way in which a computer system is set up: changed the configuration by resetting the parameters.
    2. The set of constituent components, such as memory, a hard disk, a monitor, and an operating system, that make up a computer system.
    3. The way that the components of a computer network are connected.
configurationally con·fig'u·ra'tion·al·ly adv.
configurative con·fig'u·ra'tive or con·fig'u·ra'tion·al adj.

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1. The arrangement of atoms or groups in a molecule. 2. The arrangement of electrons about the nucleus of an atom.




In chemistry, the arrangement in space of the atoms in a molecule. It is especially important in organic chemistry (see organic compound), in which each carbon atom in a molecule can form from two to four covalent bonds (see bonding) with as many as four other atoms. A carbon atom with four single bonds, for example, lies at the centre of a tetrahedron, with one bond extending to each corner; if three or all four atoms bonded to the carbon are different, the structure that results has two different mirror-image (see optical activity; isomer) forms, similar to left- and right-handed gloves. Configuration issues also apply to some inorganic compounds. Until late in the 20th century, chemists struggled to determine the true three-dimensional form (absolute configuration) of a molecule experimentally, but modern optical and chemical methods have greatly simplified the task. The term electronic configuration refers to the number of electrons in the various shells of an atom, which defines its chemical reactivity and the type of bonding in which it participates.

For more information on configuration, visit Britannica.com.

Roget's Thesaurus:

configuration

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noun

    The external outline of a thing: cast, figure, form, pattern, shape. See surface/depth.

The spatial arrangement of wood particles, chips, flakes, or fibers used in particleboard, fiberboard, etc.


A particular combination of the position of the moveable elements, such as wing flaps, landing gear, etc., which affect the aerodynamic characteristics of the airplane (ICAO).


classically, the arrangement of the atoms of a molecule in space, without regard to arrangements that differ only as after rotation about one or more single bonds; the term is now sometimes limited so that no regard is paid to π-bonds or to bonds of a partial order between one and two, and sometimes further limited so that no regard is paid to rotation about bonds of any order, including double bonds. Interconversion of molecules of different configurations requires the formal making and breaking of covalent bonds, no account being taken of changes to hydrogen bonds. Compare conformation. See also absolute configuration, pyrimidine dimer.
configurational adj.

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1. in anatomical terms the general form of a body.
2. in chemistry, the arrangement in space of the atoms of a molecule.

Random House Word Menu:

categories related to 'configuration'

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Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier
For a list of words related to configuration, see:
  • General Technology - configuration: computer and all devices connected to it; collection of set-up choices for software program
  • Relative Positions - configuration: arrangement of parts relative to one another


Wikipedia on Answers.com:

Configuration

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The term configuration has several meanings.

In computing it may refer to:

Other usages include:

See also

  • CONFIG.SYS, the primary configuration file for the MS-DOS and OS/2 operating systems.
  • Knowledge-based Configuration, intelligent techniques for complex products and services.

Translations:

Configuration

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - opbygning, konfiguration, form, aspekt

Nederlands (Dutch)
configuratie, gestalt

Français (French)
n. - configuration

Deutsch (German)
n. - Konfiguration, Gestalt

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - διαρθρωτική δομή, διαμόρφωση

Italiano (Italian)
configurazione

Português (Portuguese)
n. - configuração (f)

Русский (Russian)
конфигурация

Español (Spanish)
n. - configuración

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - gestalt, form, konfiguration (astron.), konfigurering (data.)

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
结构, 形态, 表面配置, 行星的方位

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 結構, 形態, 表面配置, 行星的方位

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 배치, 형태, 컴퓨터의 구성

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 配置, 外形, 形状

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) تشكيله, تركيبه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮מערך, צורה, תצורה, מבנה, קונפיגורציה‬


Best of the Web:

configuration

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Some good "configuration" pages on the web:


Math
mathworld.wolfram.com
 
 
 

 

Copyrights:

American Heritage Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Oxford Dictionary of Chemistry. A Dictionary of Chemistry. Sixth Edition. Copyright © Market House Books Ltd, 2008. All rights reserved.  Read more
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 1994-2012 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Roget's Thesaurus. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 byHoughton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Architecture & Construction. McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Architecture and Construction. Copyright © 2003 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Aviation. An Illustrated Dictionary of Aviation.. Copyright © 2005 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
 Oxford Dictionary of Biochemistry. Oxford University Press. Oxford Dictionary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology © 1997, 2000, 2006 All rights reserved.  Read more
Saunders Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved.  Read more
Random House Word Menu. © 2010 Write Brothers Inc. Word Menu is a registered trademark of the Estate of Stephen Glazier. Write Brothers Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia on Answers.com. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Configuration Read more
Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved.  Read more

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