a variable quantity that can be resolved into components
any agent (person or animal or microorganism) that carries and transmits a disease; "mosquitos are vectors of malaria and yellow fever"; "fleas are vectors of the plague"; "aphids are transmitters of plant diseases"; "when medical scientists talk about vectors they are usually talking about insects"
a straight line segment whose length is magnitude and whose orientation in space is direction
(virology) ultramicroscopic infectious agent that replicates itself only within cells of living hosts; many are pathogenic; a piece of nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) wrapped in a thin coat of protein
a software program capable of reproducing itself and usually capable of causing great harm to files or other programs on the same computer; "a true virus cannot spread to another computer without human assistance"
a harmful or corrupting agency; "bigotry is a virus that must not be allowed to spread"; "the virus of jealousy is latent in everyone"
(genetics) an organism that possesses a recessive gene whose effect is masked by a dominant allele; the associated trait is not apparent but can be passed on to offspring
a rack attached to a vehicle; for carrying luggage or skis or the like
a self-propelled wheeled vehicle designed specifically to carry something; "refrigerated carriers have revolutionized the grocery business"
a person or firm in the business of transporting people or goods or messages
(medicine) a person (or animal) who has some pathogen to which he is immune but who can pass it on to others
a boy who delivers newspapers
someone whose employment involves carrying something; "the bonds were transmitted by carrier"
an inactive substance that is a vehicle for a radioactive tracer of the same substance and that assists in its recovery after some chemical reaction
of or on the left; "a sinistral gastropod shell with the apex upward has its opening on the left when facing the observer"; "a sinistral flatfish lies with the left eye uppermost"
preferring to use left foot or hand or eye; "sinistral individuals exhibit dominance of the left hand and eye"
roundabout or ambiguous; "attacks from that source amounted to a backhanded compliment to his integrity"; "a backhanded and dishonest way of reaching his goal"
the doctrine that kings derive their right to rule directly from God and are not accountable to their subjects; rebellion is the worst of political crimes; "the doctrine of the divine right of kings was enunciated by the Stuarts in Britain in the 16th century"
(of e.g. speech and writing) tending to depart from the main point or cover a wide range of subjects; "amusingly digressive with satirical thrusts at women's fashions among other things"; "a rambling discursive book"; "his excursive remarks"; "a rambling speech about this and that"
of superficial relevance if any; "a digressive allusion to the day of the week"; "a tangential remark"