Incidence

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Incidence \In"ci*dence\, n. [Cf. F. incidence.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. A falling on or upon; an incident; an event; an
        occurrence. [Obs.] --Bp. Hall.
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     2. (Physics) The direction in which a body, or a ray of light
        or heat, falls on any surface.
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              In equal incidences there is a considerable
              inequality of refractions.            --Sir I.
                                                    Newton.
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     3. The rate or ratio at which something occurs; as, the
        incidence of murder in Los Angeles; the incidence of
        cancer in men over 50.
        [PJC]
  
     {Angle of incidence}, the angle which a ray of light, or the
        line of incidence of a body, falling on any surface, makes
        with a perpendicular to that surface; also formerly, the
        complement of this angle.
  
     {Line of incidence}, the line in the direction of which a
        surface is struck by a body, ray of light, and the like.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Angle \An"gle\ ([a^][ng]"g'l), n. [F. angle, L. angulus angle,
     corner; akin to uncus hook, Gr. 'agky`los bent, crooked,
     angular, 'a`gkos a bend or hollow, AS. angel hook, fish-hook,
     G. angel, and F. anchor.]
     1. The inclosed space near the point where two lines meet; a
        corner; a nook.
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              Into the utmost angle of the world.   --Spenser.
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              To search the tenderest angles of the heart.
                                                    --Milton.
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     2. (Geom.)
        (a) The figure made by. two lines which meet.
        (b) The difference of direction of two lines. In the lines
            meet, the point of meeting is the vertex of the angle.
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     3. A projecting or sharp corner; an angular fragment.
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              Though but an angle reached him of the stone.
                                                    --Dryden.
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     4. (Astrol.) A name given to four of the twelve astrological
        "houses." [Obs.] --Chaucer.
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     5. [AS. angel.] A fishhook; tackle for catching fish,
        consisting of a line, hook, and bait, with or without a
        rod.
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              Give me mine angle: we 'll to the river there.
                                                    --Shak.
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              A fisher next his trembling angle bears. --Pope.
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     {Acute angle}, one less than a right angle, or less than
        90[deg].
  
     {Adjacent} or {Contiguous angles}, such as have one leg
        common to both angles.
  
     {Alternate angles}. See {Alternate}.
  
     {Angle bar}.
        (a) (Carp.) An upright bar at the angle where two faces of
            a polygonal or bay window meet. --Knight.
        (b) (Mach.) Same as {Angle iron}.
  
     {Angle bead} (Arch.), a bead worked on or fixed to the angle
        of any architectural work, esp. for protecting an angle of
        a wall.
  
     {Angle brace}, {Angle tie} (Carp.), a brace across an
        interior angle of a wooden frame, forming the hypothenuse
        and securing the two side pieces together. --Knight.
  
     {Angle iron} (Mach.), a rolled bar or plate of iron having
        one or more angles, used for forming the corners, or
        connecting or sustaining the sides of an iron structure to
        which it is riveted.
  
     {Angle leaf} (Arch.), a detail in the form of a leaf, more or
        less conventionalized, used to decorate and sometimes to
        strengthen an angle.
  
     {Angle meter}, an instrument for measuring angles, esp. for
        ascertaining the dip of strata.
  
     {Angle shaft} (Arch.), an enriched angle bead, often having a
        capital or base, or both.
  
     {Curvilineal angle}, one formed by two curved lines.
  
     {External angles}, angles formed by the sides of any
        right-lined figure, when the sides are produced or
        lengthened.
  
     {Facial angle}. See under {Facial}.
  
     {Internal angles}, those which are within any right-lined
        figure.
  
     {Mixtilineal angle}, one formed by a right line with a curved
        line.
  
     {Oblique angle}, one acute or obtuse, in opposition to a
        right angle.
  
     {Obtuse angle}, one greater than a right angle, or more than
        90[deg].
  
     {Optic angle}. See under {Optic}.
  
     {Rectilineal} or {Right-lined angle}, one formed by two right
        lines.
  
     {Right angle}, one formed by a right line falling on another
        perpendicularly, or an angle of 90[deg] (measured by a
        quarter circle).
  
     {Solid angle}, the figure formed by the meeting of three or
        more plane angles at one point.
  
     {Spherical angle}, one made by the meeting of two arcs of
        great circles, which mutually cut one another on the
        surface of a globe or sphere.
  
     {Visual angle}, the angle formed by two rays of light, or two
        straight lines drawn from the extreme points of an object
        to the center of the eye.
  
     {For Angles of commutation}, {draught}, {incidence},
     {reflection}, {refraction}, {position}, {repose}, {fraction},
        see {Commutation}, {Draught}, {Incidence}, {Reflection},
        {Refraction}, etc.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  incidence
       n 1: the relative frequency of occurrence of something [syn: {relative
            incidence}]
       2: the striking of a light beam on a surface; "he measured the
          angle of incidence of the reflected light"

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  26 Moby Thesaurus words for "incidence":
     accident, amount, coming to be, common occurrence, commonness,
     contingency, contingent, degree, event, eventuality, eventuation,
     extent, frequence, frequency, habitualness, materialization,
     number, occurrence, oftenness, prevalence, quantity, rate,
     realization, relative incidence, routineness, usualness