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normal - 10 dictionary results

nor⋅mal

  [nawr-muhl]
Use normal in a Sentence
–adjective
1. conforming to the standard or the common type; usual; not abnormal; regular; natural.
2. serving to establish a standard.
3. Psychology.
a. approximately average in any psychological trait, as intelligence, personality, or emotional adjustment.
b. free from any mental disorder; sane.
4. Biology, Medicine/Medical.
a. free from any infection or other form of disease or malformation, or from experimental therapy or manipulation.
b. of natural occurrence.
5. Mathematics.
a. being at right angles, as a line; perpendicular.
b. of the nature of or pertaining to a mathematical normal.
c. (of an orthogonal system of real functions) defined so that the integral of the square of the absolute value of any function is 1.
d. (of a topological space) having the property that corresponding to every pair of disjoint closed sets are two disjoint open sets, each containing one of the closed sets.
e. (of a subgroup) having the property that the same set of elements results when all the elements of the subgroup are operated on consistently on the left and consistently on the right by any element of the group; invariant.
6. Chemistry.
a. (of a solution) containing one equivalent weight of the constituent in question in one liter of solution.
b. pertaining to an aliphatic hydrocarbon having a straight unbranched carbon chain, each carbon atom of which is joined to no more than two other carbon atoms.
c. of or pertaining to a neutral salt in which any replaceable hydroxyl groups or hydrogen atoms have been replaced by other groups or atoms, as sodium sulfate, Na2SO4.
–noun
7. the average or mean: Production may fall below normal.
8. the standard or type.
9. Mathematics.
a. a perpendicular line or plane, esp. one perpendicular to a tangent line of a curve, or a tangent plane of a surface, at the point of contact.
b. the portion of this perpendicular line included between its point of contact with the curve and the x-axis.
Origin:
1520–30; < L normālis made according to a carpenter's square, equiv. to norm(a) (see norm ) + -ālis -al 1

Related forms:
nor⋅mal⋅i⋅ty, nor⋅mal⋅ness, noun

Nor⋅mal

  [nawr-muhl]
–noun
a city in central Illinois. 35,672.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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nor·mal   (nôr'məl)   
adj.  
  1. Conforming with, adhering to, or constituting a norm, standard, pattern, level, or type; typical: normal room temperature; one's normal weight; normal diplomatic relations.
  2. Biology Functioning or occurring in a natural way; lacking observable abnormalities or deficiencies.
  3. Abbr. n or N Chemistry
    1. Designating a solution having one gram equivalent weight of solute per liter of solution.
    2. Designating an aliphatic hydrocarbon having a straight and unbranched chain of carbon atoms.
    3. Being at right angles; perpendicular.
    4. Perpendicular to the direction of a tangent line to a curve or a tangent plane to a surface.
    5. Relating to or characterized by average intelligence or development.
    6. Free from mental illness; sane.
  4. Mathematics
    1. Being at right angles; perpendicular.
    2. Perpendicular to the direction of a tangent line to a curve or a tangent plane to a surface.
    3. Relating to or characterized by average intelligence or development.
    4. Free from mental illness; sane.
    1. Relating to or characterized by average intelligence or development.
    2. Free from mental illness; sane.
n.  
  1. Something normal; the standard: scored close to the normal.
  2. The usual or expected state, form, amount, or degree.
    1. Correspondence to a norm.
    2. An average.
  4. Mathematics A perpendicular, especially a perpendicular to a line tangent to a plane curve or to a plane tangent to a space curve.

[Middle English, from Late Latin normālis, from Latin, made according to the square, from norma, carpenter's square; see gnō- in Indo-European roots.]
nor'mal·ly adv.
Nor·mal   (nôr'məl)   
A town of central Illinois north-northeast of Bloomington. It is the seat of Illinois State University (founded 1857). Population: 50,700.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Normal

Nor"mal\, a. [L. normalis, fr. norma rule, pattern, carpenter's square; prob. akin to noscere to know; cf. Gr. ? well known, ? gnomon, also, carpenter's square: cf. F. normal. See Known, and cf. Abnormal, Enormous.]

1. According to an established norm, rule, or principle; conformed to a type, standard, or regular form; performing the proper functions; not abnormal; regular; natural; analogical.

Deviations from the normal type. --Hallam.

2. (Geom.) According to a square or rule; perpendicular; forming a right angle. Specifically: Of or pertaining to a normal.

3. (Chem.) Standard; original; exact; typical. Specifically: (a) (Quantitative Analysis) Denoting a solution of such strength that every cubic centimeter contains the same number of milligrams of the element in question as the number of its molecular weight. (b) (Chem.) Denoting certain hypothetical compounds, as acids from which the real acids are obtained by dehydration; thus, normal sulphuric acid and normal nitric acid are respectively S(OH)6, and N(OH)5. (c) (Organ. Chem.) Denoting that series of hydrocarbons in which no carbon atom is united with more than two other carbon atoms; as, normal pentane, hexane, etc. Cf. Iso-.

Normal equations (Method of Least Squares), a set of equations of the first degree equal in number to the number of unknown quantities, and derived from the observations by a specified process. The solution of the normal equations gives the most probable values of the unknown quantities.

Normal group (Geol.), a group of rocks taken as a standard. --Lyell.

Normal place (of a planet or comet) (Astron.), the apparent place in the heavens of a planet or comet at a specified time, the place having been determined by a considerable number of observations, extending perhaps over many days, and so combined that the accidental errors of observation have largely balanced each other.

Normal school, a school whose methods of instruction are to serve as a model for imitation; an institution for the training of teachers.

Syn: Normal, Regular, Ordinary.

Usage: Regular and ordinary are popular terms of well-known signification; normal has now a more specific sense, arising out of its use in science. A thing is normal, or in its normal state, when strictly conformed to those principles of its constitution which mark its species or to the standard of a healthy and natural condition. It is abnormal when it departs from those principles.

Normal

Nor"mal\, n. [Cf. F. normale, ligne normale. See Normal, a.]

1. (Geom.) Any perpendicular.

2. (Geom.) A straight line or plane drawn from any point of a curve or surface so as to be perpendicular to the curve or surface at that point.

Note: The term normal is also used to denote the distance along the normal line from the curve to the axis of abscissas or to the center of curvature.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : normal
Spanish: normal,
German: gewöhnlich,
Japanese: 普通の
More Translations »

normal 
1650, "standing at a right angle," from L.L. normalis "in conformity with rule, normal," from L. normalis "made according to a carpenter's square," from norma "rule, pattern," lit. "carpenter's square" (see norm). Meaning "conformingt to common standards, usual" is from 1828. Normalcy is first attested 1857, originally as a mathematical term; normality is first attested 1849. Normal school (1834) is from Fr. école normale (1794), a republican foundation.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Main Entry: 1nor·mal
Pronunciation: 'nor-m&l
Function: adjective
1 a : according with, constituting, or not deviating from anorm, rule, or principle b : conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern
2 : occurring naturally and not because of disease, inoculation, or anyexperimental treatment <normal immunity>
3 a : of, relating to, or characterized by average intelligence or development b : free from mental disorder : SANE c : characterized by balanced well-integrated functioning of the organism as a whole
4a of a solution : having a concentration of one gram equivalent of solute per liter b : containing neither basic hydrogen nor acid hydrogen <normalphosphate of silver> c : not associated <normal molecules> d : having a straight-chain structure <normal pentane> <normal butylalcohol> —nor·mal·ly /'nor-m&-lE/ adverb

Main Entry: 2normal
Function: noun
: a subject who is normal
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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normal nor·mal (nôr'məl)
adj.

  1. Conforming with, adhering to, or constituting a norm, standard, pattern, level, or type; typical.
  2. Functioning or occurring in a natural way; lacking observable abnormalities or deficiencies.
  3. Occurring naturally and not because of disease, inoculation, or any experimental treatment. Used of immunity.
  4. Of, relating to, or being a solution having one gram equivalent weight of solute per liter of solution.
  5. Of, relating to, or being an aliphatic hydrocarbon having a straight and unbranched chain of carbon atoms.
  6. Of, relating to, or characterized by average intelligence or development.
n.
The usual or the expected state, form, amount, or degree.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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