competence

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com·pe·tence / ˈkämpətəns/ (also com·pe·ten·cy / -tənsē/ ) • n. 1. the ability to do something successfully or efficiently. ∎  the scope of a person's or group's knowledge or ability. ∎  a skill or ability. ∎  the legal authority of a court or other body to deal with a particular matter. ∎  the ability of a criminal defendant to stand trial, as gauged by their mental ability to understand the proceedings and to assist defense lawyers. ∎  (also linguistic or language competence) Linguistics a speaker’s subconscious, intuitive knowledge of the rules of their language. Often contrasted with performance. ∎  Biol. & Med. effective performance of the normal function. 2. dated an income large enough to live on, typically unearned.

competence
1. The maximum size of rock particle transported by a particular flow of ice, water, or air. Ice has a high competence, because of its viscosity; flowing water has a lower competence, though this increases sharply as velocity increases. Wind has the least competence.

2. The relative rheological (see RHEOLOGY) properties of different rock types that are adjacent to one another. Typically, a competent rock is more viscous than an incompetent rock, more prone to fracture, and maintains its thickness on deformation. An incompetent rock is usually more ductile than a competent rock and therefore flows more easily.

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