vector

vector
    n 1: a variable quantity that can be resolved into components
    2: a straight line segment whose length is magnitude and whose
       orientation in space is direction
    3: 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"
       [syn: {vector}, {transmitter}]
    4: (genetics) a virus or other agent that is used to deliver DNA
       to a cell
    

Vector \Vec"tor\, n. [L., a bearer, carrier. fr. vehere, vectum,
   to carry.]
   1. Same as {Radius vector}.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. (Math.) A directed quantity, as a straight line, a force,
      or a velocity. Vectors are said to be equal when their
      directions are the same and their magnitudes equal. Cf.
      {Scalar}.
      [1913 Webster]

   Note: In a triangle, either side is the vector sum of the
         other two sides taken in proper order; the process
         finding the vector sum of two or more vectors is vector
         addition (see under {Addition}).
         [1913 Webster]
    

vector

   1. <mathematics> A member of a {vector space}.

   2. <graphics> A line or movement defined by its end points, or
   by the current position and one other point.  See {vector
   graphics}.

   3. <operating system> A memory location containing the address
   of some code, often some kind of {exception} handler or other
   {operating system} service.  By changing the vector to point
   to a different piece of code it is possible to modify the
   behaviour of the operating system.

   Compare {hook}.

   4. <programming> A one-dimensional {array}.

   (1996-09-30)
    

66 Moby Thesaurus words for "vector":
      aerial infection, air line, airborne infection, axis, azimuth,
      beeline, biological vector, carrier, chord, communicability,
      compass bearing, compass direction, contagion, contagiousness,
      contamination, course, cryptogenic infection, diagonal, diameter,
      direct infection, direct line, directrix, droplet infection,
      dust infection, edge, epidemiology, great-circle course,
      hand infection, heading, indirect infection, infection,
      infectiousness, lee side, magnetic bearing, mechanical vector,
      normal, perpendicular, phytogenic infection, primary infection,
      pyogenic infection, radius, radius vector, relative bearing,
      right line, secant, secondary infection, segment, shortcut, side,
      straight, straight course, straight line, straight stretch,
      straightaway, streamline, subclinical infection, tack, taint,
      tangent, transversal, true bearing, vehicle, virus,
      waterborne infection, weather side, zoogenic infection