module

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For more information on module, visit Britannica.com.

[Etymology: Lat: modus, ‘measure’] A standard length or other measurement set within an industry, for instance 8 inches has been used widely in the building industry, for bricks, door-frames, panelling, etc., these having integer multiples of the said module for all their gross dimensions. In grander architecture, the module might be the arbitrary, even indefinite, size of a major component, for instance the base diameter of the characterizing columns. An example of a less direct use is with metric-sized gear wheels, where the module is the effective diameter divided by the number of teeth.

A self-contained hardware or software component that interacts with a larger system. A software module (program module) comes in the form of a file and typically handles a specific task within a larger software system. Hardware modules are units that often plug into a main system. See memory module, ROM card, MCM and modular programming.

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1. A distinct component forming part of an ordered system.
2. A repetitive dimensional or functional unit used in planning, recording, or constructing buildings or other structures.
3. A standard, usually of length, by which the proportions of a building are determined.
4. A unit of a building structure which is based on a standard pattern of standard dimensions.

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IN BRIEF: Any of a set of units that can be arranged together in various ways. Also: A section of a machine or device that can be detached.

The space module detached from the main spacecraft and landed on Mars.

Tutor's tip: With the "model," (a small object, usually built to scale, that represents in detail another, often larger object) transportation city planners were able to devise modal (of or relating to mode without referring to substance) transportation system.

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a standardized or self-contained part or unit of construction, especially one that can be used in alternative combinations with others; e.g. one of a set of such assemblies of electronic components that comprise a larger piece of equipment or one of a number of autonomous protein folding units (or building blocks) that are often used to confer a variety of complex functions on a parent protein, either by multiple combinations of the same unit or by combinations of different units to form mosaics; the spread of protein modules is believed to involve genetic shuffling mechanisms (e.g. a kringle or SH3 domain).
—modular adj.

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For a list of words related to module, see:

• Space Exploration and Rocketry - module: self-contained unit attached to launch vehicle or spacecraft; pressurized manned laboratory
• Hardware and Peripherals - module: computer circuit board with specific function, used as building block in system
• Building Construction and Design - module: standardized unit of measurement for determining building proportions

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See words rhyming with "module."

Dansk (Danish)
n. - modul

Nederlands (Dutch)
module, modulus, watermeter

Français (French)
n. - (Aérosp, Comput, Constr, Électron) module, (École) module, (Univ) module, unité de valeur

Deutsch (German)
n. - Modul, Bauelement

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (τεχνολ.) θαλαμίσκος διαστημικού οχήματος, σεληνάκατος, τμήμα πολυσύνθετης κατασκευής

Italiano (Italian)
modulo

Português (Portuguese)
n. - módulo (m)

Русский (Russian)
модуль, элемент конструкции, модель чего-л.

Español (Spanish)
n. - módulo

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - modul

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
模数, 组件, 预制件, 单元

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 模數, 組件, 預製件, 單元

한국어 (Korean)
n. - (유수의 측정 단위) 모듈, (건축 등의) 기준 치수

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - モジュール, 測定基準, 加群

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) معيار, مقياس,‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮מודול, יחידה תקנית נפרדת המשמשת בהקמת מבנים והרכבת ריהוט, מערכת אלקטרונית, תוכנה ועוד, יחידת-מידה תקנית, יחידה עצמאית של חללית, יחידת הוראה או הדרכה‬

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