Glossary · MWE Terms · D
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TermTypeDefinitionClassificationsUpdated
Defense MechanismnounMWE(psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desiresverified
Defense ReactionnounMWE(psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desiresverified
Defensive AttitudenounMWEan attitude of defensiveness (especially in the phrase `on the defensive')verified
Defensive MeasurenounMWEAn action taken to avoid or prevent danger from outside threats. Often used in a military or natural-disaster context.verified
Deficiency DiseasenounMWEany disease caused by a lack of an essential nutrient (as a vitamin or mineral)verified
define and assign roles and responsibilitiesverbMWETo specify and designate roles and responsibilities for functions within an organization.verified
defined periodnounMWEA policy-established, organization-configurable duration of elapsed time—measured in minutes, hours, or days—that serves as a threshold triggering an automated security enforcement action when that duration expires without the expected activity. Across NIST SP 800-53/800-171, CIS Controls, PCI DSS, ISO/IEC 27001, and HIPAA, it functions as the configurable variable inside controls such as session locking, session termination, account disablement, and token expiry: the control specifies *that* enforcement must occur automatically, while the defined period is the organization-set value governing *when* it fires. It is intentionally left as a parameter rather than a fixed value in most frameworks because the appropriate threshold varies by asset type, data sensitivity, and risk posture—though regulators sometimes cap it (e.g., PCI DSS at 15 minutes for idle sessions, CIS Controls at 15 minutes for general-purpose OSes and 2 minutes for mobile devices).verified
Definite ArticlenounMWEa determiner (as `the' in English) that indicates specificity of referenceverified
Deflationary SpiralnounMWEan episode of deflation in which prices and wages decrease at an increasing rate and currency gains in valueverified
Degree of a PolynomialnounMWEthe degree of the term in the polynomial that has the highest degreeverified
Degree of FreedomnounMWEone of the minimum number of parameters needed to describe the state of a physical systemverified
Degressive TaxnounMWEany tax in which the rate decreases as the amount subject to taxation increasesverified
Deictic WordnounMWEa word specifying identity or spatial or temporal location from the perspective of a speaker or hearer in the context in which the communication occursverified
Delay LinenounMWEa circuit designed to introduce a calculated delay into the transmission of a signalverified
Delayed ActionnounMWEa mechanism that automatically delays the release of a camera shutter for a fixed period of time so that the photographer can appear in the pictureverified
Delegated Development ProgramnounMWEINFOSEC program in which the Director, NSA, delegates, on a case-by-case basis, the development and/or production of an entire telecommunications product, including the INFOSEC portion, to a lead department or agency.verified
delegation procedurenounMWEA detailed description of the steps necessary to assign a task or responsibility to another role in conformance with applicable standards.verified
Deleted FilenounMWEA file that has been logically, but not necessarily physically, erased from the operating system, perhaps to eliminate potentially incriminating evidence. Deleting files does not always necessarily eliminate the possibility of recovering all or part of the original data.verified
Deliberate DefencenounMWEa defense organized before contact is made with the enemy and while time for organization is availableverified
Deliberate DefensenounMWEa defense organized before contact is made with the enemy and while time for organization is availableverified
Deliberative AssemblynounMWEan assembly of people for the purpose of unhurried consideration and discussionverified
Delta IronnounMWEan allotrope of iron that is stable between 1403 degrees centigrade and the melting point (= 1532 degrees)verified
Delta RhythmnounMWEthe normal brainwave in the encephalogram of a person in deep dreamless sleepverified
Delta WavenounMWEthe normal brainwave in the encephalogram of a person in deep dreamless sleepverified
Delta WingnounMWEan airplane with wings that give it the appearance of an isosceles triangleverified
Deltoid EminencenounMWEa bump on the outside of the humerus where the deltoid muscle attachesverified
Deltoid MusclenounMWEa large triangular muscle covering the shoulder joint and serving to abduct and flex and extend and rotate the armverified
Deltoid TuberositynounMWEa bump on the outside of the humerus where the deltoid muscle attachesverified
Delusions of GrandeurnounMWEa delusion (common in paranoia) that you are much greater and more powerful and influential than you really areverified
Delusions of PersecutionnounMWEa delusion (common in paranoia) that others are out to get you and frustrate and embarrass you or inflict suffering on youverified
Demand-Pull InflationnounMWEinflation caused by an increase in demand or in the supply of moneyverified
Demeclocycline HydrochloridenounMWEtetracycline antibacterial (trade name Declomycin) effective in the treatment of some bacterial and rickettsial and other infectionsverified
Dementia PraecoxnounMWEany of several psychotic disorders characterized by distortions of reality and disturbances of thought and language and withdrawal from social contactverified
Demilitarized zonenounMWEPerimeter network segment that is logically between internal and external networks. Its purpose is to enforce the internal network’s Information Assurance policy for external information exchange and to provide external, untrusted sources with restricted access to releasable information while shielding the internal networks from outside attacks.verified
Demilitarized zone (DMZ)nounMWEA computer or small subnetwork that sits between a trusted internal network, such as a corporate private LAN, and an untrusted external network, such as the public Internet.verified
Denatured AlcoholnounMWEethyl alcohol that is unfit for drinking but is still useful for other purposesverified
Dengue FevernounMWEan infectious disease of the tropics transmitted by mosquitoes and characterized by rash and aching head and jointsverified
denial of servicenounMWEThe prevention of authorized access to resources or the delaying of time-critical operations. (Time-critical may be milliseconds or it may be hours, depending upon the service provided.)verified
Denial-of-service attacknounMWEAn assault on a service from a single source that floods it with so many requests that it becomes overwhelmed and is either stopped completely or operates at a significantly reduced rateverified
Dense Blazing StarnounMWEperennial of southeastern and central United States having very dense spikes of purple flowersverified
Dense-Leaved ElodeanounMWEaquatic plant with deep green foliage useful to oxygenate an aquariumverified
Dent CornnounMWEcorn whose kernels contain both hard and soft starch and become indented at maturityverified
Dental AmalgamnounMWEan alloy of mercury with another metal (usually silver) used by dentists to fill cavities in teethverified
Dental ConsonantnounMWEa consonant articulated with the tip of the tongue near the gum ridgeverified
Dental HygienistnounMWEsomeone trained to provide preventive dental service (cleaning teeth or taking x-rays)verified
Dental MedicinenounMWEthe branch of medicine dealing with the anatomy and development and diseases of the teethverified