Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web

statics

 - 7 dictionary results

stat⋅ics

[stat-iks]
–noun (used with a singular verb)
the branch of mechanics that deals with bodies at rest or forces in equilibrium.

Origin:
1650–60; see static, -ics

stat⋅ic

[stat-ik]
–adjective Also, stat⋅i⋅cal.
1. pertaining to or characterized by a fixed or stationary condition.
2. showing little or no change: a static concept; a static relationship.
3. lacking movement, development, or vitality: The novel was marred by static characterizations, especially in its central figures.
4. Sociology. referring to a condition of social life bound by tradition.
5. Electricity. pertaining to or noting static electricity.
6. noting or pertaining to atmospheric electricity interfering with radar, radio, the sending and receiving of wireless messages, etc.
7. Physics. acting by mere weight without producing motion: static pressure.
8. Economics. pertaining to fixed relations, or different combinations of fixed quantities: static population.
–noun
9. Electricity.
a. static or atmospheric electricity.
b. interference due to such electricity.
10. Informal. difficulty; trouble: Will your dad give you any static on using the car?

Origin:
1560–70; < NL staticus < Gk statikós, equiv. to sta- (s. of histánai to make stand ) + -tikos -tic


stat⋅i⋅cal⋅ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To statics
stat·ics   (stāt'ĭks)   
n.   (used with a sing. or pl. verb)
The equilibrium mechanics of stationary bodies.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Slang Dictionary
static

  1. n.
    complaints. : I don't expect any static because of the noise. I warned the neighbors about the party.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

static  (adj.)
1646 (earlier statical, 1570), "pertaining to the science of weight and its mechanical effects," from Mod.L. statica, from Gk. statikos "causing to stand, skilled in weighing," from stem of histanai "to cause to stand, weigh," from PIE base *sta- "stand" (see stet). The sense of "having to do with bodies at rest or with forces that balance each other" is first recorded 1802. Applied to frictional electricity from 1839. The noun meaning "radio noise" is first recorded 1913; fig. sense of "aggravation, criticism" is attested from 1926.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: stat·ic
Pronunciation: 'stat-ik
Function: adjective
1 : characterized by a lack of movement or change staticcondition>
2 :
ELECTROSTATICstat·i·cal·ly /-i-k(&-)lE/ adverb
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Encyclopedia

statics

in physics, the subdivision of mechanics that is concerned with the forces that act on bodies at rest under equilibrium conditions. Its foundations were laid more than 2,200 years ago by the ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes and others while studying the force-amplifying properties of simple machines such as the lever and the axle. The methods and results of the science of statics have proved especially useful in designing buildings, bridges, and dams, as well as cranes and other similar mechanical devices. To be able to calculate the dimensions of such structures and machines, architects and engineers must first determine the forces that act on their interconnected parts. Statics provides the analytical and graphical procedures needed to identify and describe these unknown forces.

Learn more about statics with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see statics on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us: