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Glossary · MWE Terms · A

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TermTypeDefinitionClassificationsUpdated
Aortic ArchnounMWEthe part of the aorta that arches and turns downwardverifiedMay 18, 2026
Aortic OrificenounMWEthe orifice from the lower left chamber of the heart to the aortaverifiedMay 18, 2026
Aortic PlexusnounMWEa plexus of lymph nodes in the lower portion of the abdominal aortaverifiedMay 18, 2026
Aortic StenosisnounMWEabnormal narrowing of the aortic valveverifiedMay 18, 2026
Aortic ValvenounMWEa semilunar valve between the left ventricle and the aortaverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apache DancenounMWEa violent fast dance in French vaudeville (an apache is a member of the French underworld)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Apache Devil DancenounMWEa ritual dance of the ApacheverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apartment BuildingnounMWEa building that is divided into apartmentsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apartment HousenounMWEa building that is divided into apartmentsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apatetic ColorationnounMWEcoloring serving as natural camouflageverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apetalous FlowernounMWEflower having no petalsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apex of the Sun's WaynounMWEthe point on the celestial sphere toward which the sun and solar system appear to be moving relative to the fixed starsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Aphid LionnounMWEcarnivorous larva of lacewing fliesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Aphis LionnounMWEcarnivorous larva of lacewing fliesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Aphthous UlcernounMWEa blister on the mucous membranes of the lips or mouth or gastrointestinal tractverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apical PlacentationnounMWEwhere one or few ovules develop at the top of a simple or compound ovaryverifiedMay 18, 2026
Aplastic AnaemianounMWEanemia characterized by pancytopenia resulting from failure of the bone marrowverifiedMay 18, 2026
Aplastic AnemianounMWEanemia characterized by pancytopenia resulting from failure of the bone marrowverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apocrine GlandnounMWEa large sweat gland that produces both a fluid and an apocrine secretionverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apodiform BirdnounMWEnonpasserine bird having long wings and weak feetverifiedMay 18, 2026
Aposematic ColorationnounMWEconspicuous coloration or markings of an animal serving to warn off predatorsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apostolic DelegatenounMWE(Roman Catholic Church) a representative of the Holy See in a country that has no formal diplomatic relations with itverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apothecaries' OuncenounMWEa unit of apothecary weight equal to 480 grains or one twelfth of a poundverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apothecaries' PoundnounMWEan apothecary weight equal to 12 ounces or 373.242 gramsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apothecaries' UnitnounMWEany weight unit used in pharmacyverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apothecaries' WeightnounMWEany weight unit used in pharmacyverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apothecary's ShopnounMWEa retail shop where medicine and other articles are soldverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apparatus UrogenitalisnounMWEthe system that includes all organs involved in reproduction and in the formation and voidance of urineverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apparel ChainnounMWEa chain of clothing storesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apparel IndustrynounMWEmakers and sellers of fashionable clothingverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apparent HorizonnounMWEthe line at which the sky and Earth appear to meetverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apparent MotionnounMWEan optical illusion of motion produced by viewing a rapid succession of still pictures of a moving objectverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apparent MovementnounMWEan optical illusion of motion produced by viewing a rapid succession of still pictures of a moving objectverifiedMay 18, 2026
Appeal BoardnounMWEa board of officials that are not judicial but are appointed to hear appealsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Appeals BoardnounMWEa board of officials that are not judicial but are appointed to hear appealsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Appeals CourtnounMWEa court whose jurisdiction is to review decisions of lower courts or agenciesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Appellate CourtnounMWEa court whose jurisdiction is to review decisions of lower courts or agenciesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Appendicular ArterynounMWEthe branch of the ileocolic artery that supplies the vermiform appendixverifiedMay 18, 2026
Appendicular SkeletonnounMWEthe part of the skeleton that includes the pectoral girdle and the pelvic girdle and the upper and lower limbsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Appendicular VeinnounMWEa vein that accompanies the appendicular artery and empties into the ileocolic veinverifiedMay 18, 2026
Appetite SuppressantnounMWEa drug that suppresses appetiteverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apple AphidnounMWEbright green aphidverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apple BlightnounMWEa disease of apple treesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apple ButternounMWEthick dark spicy puree of applesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apple CankernounMWEa disease of apple treesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apple DumplingnounMWEapples wrapped in pastry and bakedverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apple FritternounMWEfritter containing sliced appleverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apple GeraniumnounMWEgeranium with round fragrant leaves and small white flowersverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apple JellynounMWEjelly made from apple juiceverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apple JuicenounMWEthe juice of applesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apple MaggotnounMWElarvae bore into and feed on applesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apple MintnounMWEmint with apple-scented stems of southern and western EuropeverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apple NutnounMWEnutlike seed of a South American palmverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apple of DiscordnounMWE(classical mythology) a golden apple thrown into a banquet of the gods by Eris (goddess of discord--who had not been invited)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Apple of PerunounMWEintensely poisonous tall coarse annual tropical weed having rank-smelling foliage, large white or violet trumpet-shaped flowers and prickly fruitsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apple OrchardnounMWEa grove of apple treesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apple PolishernounMWEsomeone who humbles himself as a sign of respectverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apple RustnounMWErust fungus causing rust spots on apples and pears etcverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apple TartnounMWEa small open pie filled with sliced apples and sugarverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apple TreenounMWEany tree of the genus Malus especially those bearing firm rounded edible fruitsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Applesauce CakenounMWEmoist spicy cake containing applesauceverifiedMay 18, 2026
applicable requirementnounMWEThe relevant or appropriate necessary condition or conditions.verifiedAug 30, 2026
application controlnounMWEControls related to transactions and data within application systems. Application controls ensure the completeness and accuracy of the records and the validity of the entries made resulting from both programmed processing and manual data entry. Examples of application controls include data input validation, agreement of batch totals and encryption of data transmitted.verifiedAug 30, 2026
application developmentnounMWEThe process of designing and building code to create a computer program (software) used for a particular type of job.verifiedMay 9, 2026
application domainnounMWEA grouping or bounded environment defined by the scope of a particular software application or set of applications, within which resources, data, functions, and access controls are managed under a common operational context. It is distinguished from a physical system boundary or an organizational boundary in that the boundary is drawn around application-layer functionality rather than hardware, network perimeters, or administrative units. In security and compliance practice — as seen in access-control and separation-of-duties analysis — it is used to name one of several non-coextensive planes across which a single policy violation (such as a privilege conflict) may need to be traced, underscoring that controls cannot be assessed in isolation within one system alone. Because violations such as separation-of-duty failures can span systems and application domains, organizations must consider the entirety of their systems and system components when developing such policies. The NIST CSRC glossary reinforces the compositional reading: "domain separation" is defined as "a partitioning of the inputs to different application domains so that no input is assigned to more than one domain," trverifiedSep 1, 2026
Application FormnounMWEa form to use when making an applicationverifiedMay 18, 2026
Application layernounMWEIn the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) communications model, the application layer provides services for an application program to ensure that effective communication with another application program in a network is possible. Scope Note: The application layer is not the application that is doing the communication; a service layer that provides these services.verifiedMay 9, 2026
Application ProgramnounMWEa program that gives a computer instructions that provide the user with tools to accomplish a taskverifiedMay 18, 2026
Application Programming Interface (api)nounMWEa software contract between the application and client, expressed as a collection of methods or functions. . . it defines the available functions you can execute; . . . the intermediary interface between the client and the application.verifiedAug 28, 2026
Application systemnounMWEAn integrated set of computer programs designed to serve a well- defined function and having specific input, processing, and output activities (e.g., general ledger, manufacturing resource planning, human resource management).verifiedMay 9, 2026
application whitelistingnounMWEApplication whitelisting is a computer administration practice used to prevent unauthorized programs from running. The purpose is primarily to protect computers and networks from harmful applications, and, to a lesser extent, to prevent unnecessary demand for resources. The whitelist is a simple list of applications that have been granted permission by the user or an administrator. When an application tries to execute, it is automatically checked against the list and, if found, allowed to run. An integrity check measure, such as hashing, is generally added to ensure that the application is in fact the authorized program and not a malicious or otherwise inappropriate one with the same name.verifiedAug 30, 2026
Application-Oriented LanguagenounMWEa language whose statements resemble terminology of the userverifiedMay 18, 2026
Applications ProgrammenounMWEa program that gives a computer instructions that provide the user with tools to accomplish a taskverifiedMay 18, 2026
Applied AnatomynounMWEthe practical application of anatomical knowledge to diagnosis and treatmentverifiedMay 18, 2026
Applied MathnounMWEthe branches of mathematics that are involved in the study of the physical or biological or sociological worldverifiedMay 18, 2026
Applied MathematicsnounMWEthe branches of mathematics that are involved in the study of the physical or biological or sociological worldverifiedMay 18, 2026
Applied PsychologynounMWEany of several branches of psychology that seek to apply psychological principles to practical problems of education or industry or marketing etc.verifiedMay 18, 2026
Applied SciencenounMWEthe discipline dealing with the art or science of applying scientific knowledge to practical problemsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Applied ScientistnounMWEa person who uses scientific knowledge to solve practical problemsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Appointment BooknounMWEa book containing a calendar and space to keep a record of appointmentsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Appointment CalendarnounMWEa book containing a calendar and space to keep a record of appointmentsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Approach PathnounMWEthe final path followed by an aircraft as it is landingverifiedMay 18, 2026
Approach PatternnounMWEthe path that is prescribed for an airplane that is preparing to land at an airportverifiedMay 18, 2026
Approach ShotnounMWEa relatively short golf shot intended to put the ball onto the putting greenverifiedMay 18, 2026
Approach TrenchnounMWEa trench that provides protected passage between the rear and front lines of a defensive positionverifiedMay 18, 2026
appropriate personnelnounMWEThe suitable or proper person or persons employed in an organization.verifiedAug 30, 2026
Appropriation BillnounMWEa legislative act proposing to authorize the expenditure of public funds for a specified purposeverifiedMay 18, 2026
Approval to OperatenounMWEThe official management decision issued by a DAA or PAA to authorize operation of an information system and to explicitly accept the residual risk to agency operations (including mission, functions, image, or reputation), agency assets, or individuals.verifiedMay 9, 2026
approved authorizationnounMWEA set of access permissions or privileges — granted to users, programs, or processes — that has been formally sanctioned through an organization's governance process (e.g., by a manager, system owner, or authorizing official) in accordance with applicable policy. What distinguishes it from authorization in general is the explicit "approved" qualifier: the rights must have passed through a defined review and approval workflow before they may be acted upon, tying individual entitlements back to a documented decision rather than informal or self-granted access. In practice, standards bodies such as NIST use the expression as the object of enforcement controls — systems must "enforce approved authorizations for logical access to information and system resources in accordance with applicable access control policies" — and equally as the basis for controlling information flows, as in controlling "the flow of CUI in accordance with approved authorizations." The expression is compositional in structure (adjective + noun), but it functions as a recurring technical phrase of art within NIST's access-control family, where authorization means "access privileges granted to a user, program, or pverifiedAug 30, 2026
Approved Mode of OperationnounMWEA mode of the cryptographic module that employs only Approved security functions (not to be confused with a specific mode of an Approved security function, e.g., Data Encryption Standard Cipher-Block Chaining (DES CBC) mode).verifiedAug 30, 2026
Approved Security FunctionnounMWEA security function (e.g., cryptographic algorithm, cryptographic key management technique, or authentication technique) that is either a) specified in an Approved Standard; b) adopted in an Approved Standard and specified either in an appendix of the Approved Standard or in a document referenced by the Approved Standard; or c) specified in the list of Approved security functions.verifiedMay 9, 2026
Approximate RangenounMWEnear to the scope or range of somethingverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apricot BarnounMWEfruit bar containing apricot jamverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apricot SaucenounMWEfor Chinese dishes: apricot preserves and chutneyverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apricot TreenounMWEAsian tree having clusters of usually white blossoms and edible fruit resembling the peachverifiedMay 18, 2026
April FoolnounMWEa practical joke or trick played on the first day of AprilverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apron StringnounMWE(usually used in the plural) a cord used to tie an apron at the waistverifiedMay 18, 2026
Apyretic TetanusnounMWEclinical neurological syndrome characterized by muscular twitching and cramps and (when severe) seizuresverifiedMay 18, 2026
Aqua FortisnounMWEacid used especially in the production of fertilizers and explosives and rocket fuelsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Aqua VitaenounMWEstrong distilled liquor or brandyverifiedMay 18, 2026