local

Home > Science and Technology > Computers and Electrical Engineering > Computers and Computing

lo·cal / ˈlōkəl/ • adj. belonging or relating to a particular area or neighborhood, typically exclusively so: researching local history the local post office. ∎  denoting a telephone call made to a nearby place and charged at a relatively low rate. ∎  denoting a train or bus serving a particular district, with frequent stops: the town has an excellent local bus service. Compare with express² . ∎  (in technical use) relating to a particular region or part, or to each of any number of these: a local infection migration can regulate the local density of animals. ∎  Comput. denoting a variable or other entity that is only available for use in one part of a program. ∎  Comput. denoting a device that can be accessed without the use of a network. Compare with remote. • n. a local person or thing, in particular: ∎  an inhabitant of a particular area or neighborhood: the street was full of locals and tourists. ∎  a local train or bus service: catch the local into New Delhi. ∎  a local branch of an organization, esp. a labor union. ∎  short for local anesthesia. ∎ Stock Exchange slang a floor trader who trades on their own account, rather than on behalf of other investors. DERIVATIVES: lo·cal·ly adv. lo·cal·ness n.

local A term applied to entities that are accessible only in a restricted part of a program, typically in a procedure or function body. By contrast, nonlocal entities are accessible in a wider scope and global entities are accessible throughout a program. The use of local entities can help to resolve naming conflicts, and may lead to a more efficient use of memory.

local XV. — (O)F. — late L. locālis, f. locus place; see -AL1.
So locale XIX, later form of local sb. XVIII. — F. local, sb. use of the adj. locality XVII. — F. or late L. locate appoint the place OF. XVIII. f. L. locāre, locāt-, location hiring; placing. XVI. — L. locative (gram.). XIX.

local •cackle, crackle, grackle, hackle, jackal, mackle, shackle, tackle •ankle, rankle •Gaskell, mascle, paschal •tabernacle • ramshackle •débâcle, diarchal, matriarchal, monarchal, patriarchal, sparkle •rascal •deckle, freckle, heckle, Jekyll, shekel, speckle •faecal (US fecal), treacle •chicle, fickle, mickle, nickel, pickle, prickle, sickle, strickle, tickle, trickle •besprinkle, crinkle, sprinkle, tinkle, twinkle, winkle, wrinkle •fiscal •laical, Pharisaical •vehicle • stoical • cubicle • radical •medical, paramedical •Druidical, juridical, veridical •syndical •methodical, periodical, rhapsodical, synodical •Talmudical • graphical • pontifical •magical, tragical •strategical •alogical, illogical, logical •dramaturgical, liturgical, metallurgical, surgical •anarchical, hierarchical, monarchical, oligarchical •psychical •angelical, evangelical, helical •umbilical • biblical • encyclical •diabolical, follicle, hyperbolical, symbolical •dynamical, hydrodynamical •academical, agrochemical, alchemical, biochemical, chemical, petrochemical, photochemical, polemical •inimical • rhythmical • seismical •agronomical, anatomical, astronomical, comical, economical, gastronomical, physiognomical •botanical, Brahmanical, mechanical, puritanical, sanicle, tyrannical •ecumenical •geotechnical, pyrotechnical, technical •clinical, cynical, dominical, finical, Jacobinical, pinnacle, rabbinical •canonical, chronicle, conical, ironical •tunicle • pumpernickel • vernicle •apical • epical •atypical, prototypical, stereotypical, typical •misanthropical, semi-tropical, subtropical, topical, tropical •theatrical •chimerical, clerical, hemispherical, hysterical, numerical, spherical •calendrical •asymmetrical, diametrical, geometrical, metrical, symmetrical, trimetrical •electrical • ventricle •empirical, lyrical, miracle, panegyrical, satirical •cylindrical •ahistorical, allegorical, categorical, historical, metaphorical, oratorical, phantasmagorical, rhetorical •auricle • rubrical • curricle •classical, fascicle, neoclassical •farcical • vesicle •indexical, lexical •commonsensical, nonsensical •bicycle, icicle, tricycle •paradoxical • Popsicle • versicle •anagrammatical, apostatical, emblematical, enigmatical, fanatical, grammatical, mathematical, piratical, prelatical, problematical, sabbatical •impractical, practical, syntactical, tactical •canticle •ecclesiastical, fantastical •article, particle •alphabetical, arithmetical, heretical, hypothetical, metathetical, metical, parenthetical, poetical, prophetical, reticle, synthetical, theoretical •dialectical •conventicle, identical •sceptical (US skeptical) • testicle •analytical, apolitical, critical, cryptanalytical, diacritical, eremitical, geopolitical, hypercritical, hypocritical, political, socio-political, subcritical •deistical, egoistical, logistical, mystical, papistical •optical, synoptical •aeronautical, nautical, vortical •cuticle, pharmaceutical, therapeutical •vertical • ethical • mythical • clavicle •periwinkle • lackadaisical •metaphysical, physical, quizzical •whimsical • musical •Carmichael, cervical, cycle, Michael •unicycle • monocycle • motorcycle •cockle, grockle •corncockle • snorkel •bifocal, focal, local, univocal, varifocal, vocal, yokel •archducal, coucal, ducal, pentateuchal •buckle, chuckle, knuckle, muckle, ruckle, suckle, truckle •peduncle, uncle •parbuckle • carbuncle • turnbuckle •pinochle • furuncle • honeysuckle •demoniacal, maniacal, megalomaniacal, paradisiacal, zodiacal •manacle • barnacle • cenacle •binnacle • monocle • epochal •reciprocal •coracle, oracle •spectacle •pentacle, tentacle •receptacle • obstacle • equivocal •circle, encircle •semicircle