Engineering and Research: English Vocabulary List

tools or machines that are designed for a specific purpose

"The apparatus is complex."

"The laboratory apparatus included beakers test tubes and a Bunsen burner for experiments."

a small piece of material that is a semiconductor, used to make an integrated circuit

"A tiny microchip contains the entire computer processor."

"A microchip implant is a small identifying integrated circuit placed under the skin of an animal; it is passive"

a piece of equipment by which the far objects, particularly those in space, are made clearly visible

"He looked at the stars through his telescope."

"The Hubble Space Telescope has provided breathtaking images of the distant universe."

a machine or device that detects any changes in the environment and sends the information to other electronic devices

"The motion sensor detected movement and turned on the light."

"A charge-coupled device is a type of light sensor found in a digital camera"

a small pointy piece of metal that can be fasten into wooden or metal objects using a screwdriver to hold things together

"Tighten the screw."

"He used a screw to fasten the two pieces of wood together securely."

machines, especially large ones, considered collectively

"The machinery is loud."

"The factory floor was filled with the hum and clatter of advanced manufacturing machinery working tirelessly."

to maintain, repair, or prepare something so that it is fit for use

"He services cars for a living."

"The mechanic will service your car by checking the engine oil brakes tires and other important components for safety."

a device used for connecting two pieces of equipment that are not compatible with each other

"The adapter connects devices."

"You will need a universal adapter to connect your foreign electronics to the local power outlets."

a specific way or process of doing something, particularly an established or systematic one

"This method works very well."

"The researcher developed a new method for analyzing data that significantly improved the accuracy of the experiment results."

a judgment on the quantity and quality of something after careful consideration

"The evaluation was fair."

"A heuristic evaluation is a usability inspection method where a few expert evaluators examine an interface to judge its compliance with a set of recognized and proven usability principles."

relating to or involving scientific experiments, especially those designed to test hypotheses or explore new ideas

"The drug is experimental."

"The experimental drug showed promising results in clinical trials and the researchers hope to make it available to patients soon."

an explanation based on limited facts and evidence that is not yet proved to be true

"Test the hypothesis now."

"The scientist formulated a testable hypothesis to explain the observed phenomenon."

to notice or discover something that is difficult to find

"Dogs can detect drugs at airports."

"The advanced security system is designed to detect even the smallest movement inside the building during the nighttime hours when it is dark."

a person whose job is to study ancient societies using facts, objects, buildings, etc. remaining in excavation sites

"She is an archeologist."

"The archeologist discovered important ancient ruins during the excavation in the desert area."

a device or tool that requires specific knowledge on how to be used

"The violin is a beautiful instrument."

"The surgeon carefully placed the delicate instrument back on the sterile tray after the operation."

a long and thin piece of metal that carries an electric current

"The wire is too thin."

"A copper wire connected the battery to the small motor."

something such as a button or key that turns a machine, lamp, etc. on or off

"Press the light switch."

"He flipped the light switch several times but nothing happened so he realized the electricity had probably been cut off due to an unpaid bill."

the complete circle through which an electric current flows, typically consists of the source of electric energy

"The circuit is broken."

"The technician checked the circuit and replaced the damaged component."

(of an object) powered by machinery or an engine

"This is mechanical."

"The mechanical problem with the engine caused the car to break down on the highway yesterday."

a group of wires bundled together for transmitting electricity that is protected within a rubber case

"The cable is very long."

"We discovered that the damaged cable was the cause of the power outage."

a very large tall machine used for lifting heavy objects

"The crane lifted steel."

"The construction crane lifted heavy steel beams high into the air to build the skyscraper frame."

the quantity that is possible by a machine, etc. to produce

"High capacity."

"The factory's increased production capacity allows it to meet the growing global demand."

an early or preliminary model of something from which other forms are developed or copied

"The engineers tested a prototype of the new electric engine."

"The team built a working prototype to test the new software's core functionalities before full development."

a flow of electricity resulted from the movement of electrically charged particles in a direction

"The current is strong."

"A steady current flowed through the wires, powering the device."

to make a representation of something, especially one based on mathematics

"We model the data."

"Scientists use complex mathematical equations to model the behavior of planetary systems."

a place where people do scientific experiments, manufacture drugs, etc.

"The laboratory has many tools."

"The chemistry students wore safety goggles and white lab coats while working in the laboratory on their assigned experiment."

a small amount of a substance taken from a larger amount used for scientific analysis or therapeutic experiment

"Take a sample."

"The laboratory technician collected a blood sample for comprehensive testing to diagnose the patient's condition accurately."

to direct or participate in the management, organization, or execution of something

"They conduct the meeting."

"The orchestra conductor will conduct the symphony with precision and passion."

a piece of information discovered as a result of a research

"The finding surprised all scientists."

"The finding of the research showed that children who read more books tend to perform better in school."

someone on whom scientific experiments are tested

"He was a guinea pig."

"Unwittingly, the volunteer became a guinea pig for a highly experimental and untested medical procedure."

to put people or things in different categories or groups

"Biologists classify animals into different groups."

"The library uses a special system to classify books by genre so that patrons can find them easily."

the act of finding something for the first time and before others

"The discovery of oil changed the country."

"The scientist's discovery of a new species made international headlines last week."