transparent

views updated May 21 2018

trans·par·ent / tranˈspe(ə)rənt; -ˈspar-/ • adj. (of a material or article) allowing light to pass through so that objects behind can be distinctly seen: transparent blue water. ∎  easy to perceive or detect: the residents will see through any transparent attempt to buy their votes the meaning of the poem is by no means transparent. ∎  having thoughts, feelings, or motives that are easily perceived: you'd be no good at poker—you're too transparent. ∎  (of an organization or its activities) open to public scrutiny: if you had transparent government procurement, corruption would go away. ∎  Physics transmitting heat or other electromagnetic rays without distortion. ∎ Comput. (of a process or interface) functioning without the user being aware of its presence.DERIVATIVES: trans·par·ent·ly adv. a transparently feeble argument.

transparent

views updated Jun 11 2018

transparent
1. Denoting a property or a component of a computer system that provides some facilities without restrictions or interference arising from the way it is implemented. For example, if a machine with 32-bit wide words has an 8-bit wide ALU yet performs correct 32-bit arithmetic, then the ALU size is transparent in such use.

2. Denoting or using a transmission path that passes a signal, or some particular feature of a signal, without restricting or changing it. Note that nontransparent systems would not allow particular signals to be transmitted as data, reserving them for special purposes. See also data transparency.

transparent

views updated May 11 2018

transparent that can be seen through XV; (fig.) XVI. — (O)F. transparent — medL. transpārēns, -ent-, f. L. TRANS- + pārēre APPEAR.
So transparency XVI.

transparent

views updated May 08 2018

transparent Applied to a substance (e.g. a mineral) which transmits light and through which the outlines of objects can be seen clearly.