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
a score in American football; a player is tackled behind his own goal line
a safe place; "He ran to safety"
the state of being certain that adverse effects will not be caused by some agent under defined conditions; "insure the safety of the children"; "the reciprocal of safety is risk"