register

views updated May 21 2018

reg·is·ter / ˈrejəstər/ • n. 1. an official list or record, for example of births, marriages, and deaths, of shipping, or of historic places. ∎  a book or record of attendance, for example of students in a class or school or guests in a hotel.2. a particular part of the range of a voice or instrument: his voice moved up a register she plays a basset horn and relishes the duskiness of its lower register. ∎  a sliding device controlling a set of organ pipes that share a tonal quality. ∎  a set of organ pipes so controlled.3. Linguistics a variety of a language or a level of usage, as determined by degree of formality and choice of vocabulary, pronunciation, and syntax, according to the communicative purpose, social context, and social status of the user.4. Printing & Photog. the exact correspondence of the position of color components in a printed positive. ∎  Printing the exact correspondence of the position of printed matter on the two sides of a page.5. (in electronic devices) a location in a store of data, used for a specific purpose and with quick access time.6. an adjustable plate for widening or narrowing an opening and regulating a draft, esp. in a fire grate.7. short for cash register.8. Art one of a number of bands or sections into which a design is divided.• v. [tr.] 1. enter or record in an official list as being in a particular category, having a particular eligibility or entitlement, or in keeping with a requirement: the vessel is registered as Liberian her father was late in registering her birth | [as adj.] (registered) a registered trademark. ∎  [intr.] put one's name on an official list under such terms: 34,500 registered to vote. ∎  [intr.] put one's name in a register as a guest in a hotel. ∎  [intr.] (of a couple to be married) have a list of wedding gifts compiled and kept at a store for consultation by gift buyers. ∎  entrust (a letter or parcel) to a post office for transmission by registered mail: [as adj.] (registered) a registered letter. ∎  express (an opinion or emotion): I wish to register an objection.2. (of an instrument) detect and show (a reading) automatically: the electroscope was too insensitive to register the tiny changes. ∎  [intr.] (of an event) give rise to a specified reading on an instrument: the blast registered 5.4 on the Richter scale. ∎  properly notice or become aware of (something): he had not even registered her presence. ∎  [intr.] make an impression on a person's mind: the content of her statement did not register. ∎  [intr.] (of an emotion) show in a person's face or gestures: nothing registered on their faces. ∎  indicate or convey (a feeling or emotion) by facial expression or gestures: he did not register much surprise at this.3. Printing & Photog. correspond or cause to correspond exactly in position: [intr.] they are adjusted until the impressions register. DERIVATIVES: reg·is·tra·ble / -st(ə)rəbəl/ adj.

REGISTER

views updated May 21 2018

REGISTER. In SOCIOLINGUISTICS and STYLISTICS, a VARIETY of language defined according to social use, such as scientific, formal, religious, and journalistic. The term has, however, been used variously in different theoretical approaches, some giving it a broad definition (moving in the direction of variety in its most general sense), others narrowing it to certain aspects of language in social use (such as occupational varieties only). The term was first given broad currency by the British linguist Michael HALLIDAY, who drew a contrast between varieties of language defined according to the characteristics of the user (dialects) and those defined according to the characteristics of the situation (registers). Registers were then subclassified into three domains: field of discourse, referring to the subject matter of the variety, such as science or advertising; mode of discourse, referring to the choice between speech and writing, and the choice of format; and manner of discourse, referring to the social relations between the participants, as shown by variations in formality. See CONTEXT, JARGON, RESTRICTED LANGUAGE. For some specific registers, see ACADEMIC USAGE, BIBLICAL ENGLISH, COMPUTER USAGE, JOURNALESE, LEGAL USAGE, TECHNOSPEAK.

register

views updated May 23 2018

register1
A. volume in which particulars are systematically entered XIV;

B. slider in an organ XVI; plate for regulating the passage of air, heat, or smoke; adjustment of printing type XVII. ME. registre, -estre — (O)F. registre, †regestre or medL. registrum, -estrum, alt. of regestum, sg. of late L. regesta list, register, sb. use of n. pl. of pp. of L. regerere transcribe, record, f. RE- + gerere carry, carry out, execute; the senses under B are due to assoc. with F. régir guide, manage — L. regere guide, rule.
So register vb. XIV. — (O)F. régistrer or medL. registrāre. registration XVI. — obs. F. or medL. registry registration XVI; place of registration; register XVII. Reduced form of registery (XV) — medL. registerium. registrar one who keeps a register. XVII: superseding in general Eng. use older registrary XVI (- medL. registrārius), register2 XVI (app. alt. of †registrer (XIV) — AN. *registrere = OF. registreur, medL. registrātor; see -ER2).

register

views updated May 18 2018

register A group of (usually) bistable devices that are used to store information within a computer system for high-speed access. A register of n bistables can store a word of length n bits, which can represent any n bits of information. Different interpretations can be given to the bit configuration stored in the register; for example, the configuration could represent an instruction, a binary number, an alphanumeric character, etc. A register is often the same size as the computer word; it may also be byte- or character-size or some other size as required. Some registers can behave as counters as well, or they may behave as shift registers. See also memory hierarchy.

register

views updated May 23 2018

register.
1. Set of org. pipes belonging to a particular stop.

2. To ‘register’ a piece of mus. is to select the stops to be employed in its various sections; hence, ‘registration’, the art of selecting and using stops in playing org. and hpd.

3. The part of the compass of an instr. having a distinctive tonal quality, e.g. chalumeau register of cl.

4. Part of vocal compass, e.g. chest v., high register, etc.

Register

views updated Jun 27 2018

REGISTER

To record, or enter precisely in a designated place, certain information in the public records as is mandated by statute. A book of public records.

A register contains various types of information that is available to the public, such as births, dates, and marriages.

The term register is also used as a designation for the public official charged with the duty of maintaining such records.

Register

views updated May 18 2018

Register

a list or catalogueWilkes.

Examples : register of my belief, 1817; of fate, 1726.