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transparentmore about transparent

transparent

 

  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Transparent  \Trans*par"ent\,  a.  [F.,  from  LL  transparens, 
  -entis,  p.  pr  of  transparere  to  be  transparent;  L.  trans 
  across  through  +  parere  to  appear.  See  {Appear}.] 
  1.  Having  the  property  of  transmitting  rays  of  light,  so  that 
  bodies  can  be  distinctly  seen  through  pervious  to  light; 
  diaphanous;  pellucid;  as  transparent  glass;  a  transparent 
  diamond;  --  opposed  to  {opaque}.  ``Transparent  elemental 
  air.''  --Milton. 
 
  2.  Admitting  the  passage  of  light;  open  porous;  as  a 
  transparent  veil.  --Dryden. 
 
  Syn:  Translucent;  pellucid;  clear;  bright;  limpid;  lucid; 
  diaphanous.  See  {Translucent}.  --  {Trans*par"ent*ly}, 
  adv  --  {Trans*par"ent*ness},  n. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  transparent 
  adj  1:  transmitting  light;  able  to  be  seen  through  with  clarity; 
  "the  cold  crystalline  water  of  melted  snow";  "crystal 
  clear  skies";  "could  see  the  sand  on  the  bottom  of  the 
  limpid  pool";  "lucid  air";  "a  pellucid  brook"; 
  "transparent  cristal"  [syn:  {crystalline},  {crystal 
  clear},  {limpid},  {lucid},  {pellucid}] 
  2:  so  thin  as  to  transmit  light;  "a  hat  with  a  diaphanous 
  veil";  "filmy  wings  of  a  moth";  "gauzy  clouds  of  dandelion 
  down";  "gossamer  cobwebs";  "sheer  silk  stockings"; 
  "transparent  chiffon";  "vaporous  silks"  [syn:  {diaphanous}, 
  {filmy},  {gauzy},  {gossamer},  {see-through},  {sheer},  {vaporous}, 
  {cobwebby}] 
  3:  free  of  deceit  [syn:  {guileless}] 
  4:  easily  understood  or  seen  through  (because  of  a  lack  of 
  subtlety);  "a  transparent  explanation";  "a  transparent 
  lie" 
 
  From  The  Free  On-line  Dictionary  of  Computing  (13  Mar  01)  [foldoc]: 
 
  transparent 
 
  1.    Not  visible,  hidden;  said  of  a  system  which 
  functions  in  a  manner  not  evident  to  the  user.  For  example, 
  the  {Domain  Name  System}  transparently  resolves  a  {fully 
  qualified  domain  name}  into  an  {Internet  address}  without  the 
  user  being  aware  of  it 
 
  Compare  this  to  what  {Donald  Norman 
  (http://www.atg.apple.com/Norman/)}  calls  "invisibility", 
  which  he  illustrates  from  the  user's  point  of  view: 
 
  "You  use  computers  when  you  use  many  modern  automobiles, 
  microwave  ovens,  games,  CD  players  and  calculators.  You  don't 
  notice  the  computer  because  you  think  of  yourself  as  doing  the 
  task,  not  as  using  the  computer."  ["The  Design  of  Everyday 
  Things",  New  York,  Doubleday  1989,  p.  185]. 
 
  2.    Fully  defined,  known  predictable;  said  of  a 
  sub-system  in  which  matters  generally  subject  to  volition  or 
  stochastic  state  change  have  been  chosen,  measured,  or 
  determined  by  the  environment.  Thus  for  transparent  systems, 
  output  is  a  known  function  of  the  inputs,  and  users  can  both 
  predict  the  behaviour  and  depend  upon  it 
 
  (1996-06-04)




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