Vector (Noun)
Meaning 1
(genetics) a virus or other agent that is used to deliver DNA to a cell.
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Meaning 2
Any agent (person or animal or microorganism) that carries and transmits a disease; "mosquitos are vectors of malaria and yellow fever"; "fleas are vectors of the plague"; "aphids are transmitters of plant diseases"; "when medical scientists talk about vectors they are usually talking about insects".
Classification
Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made).
Synonyms
Hyponyms
Meaning 3
A variable quantity that can be resolved into components.
Classification
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents.
Examples
- The force of gravity acting on an object is a vector that can be resolved into vertical and horizontal components.
- In physics, velocity is a vector quantity that has both magnitude and direction.
- The direction of the electric field is a vector that can be resolved into x, y, and z components.
- The displacement of an object is a vector that can be represented in terms of its components along the x and y axes.
- The weight of an object is a vector that can be resolved into components perpendicular and parallel to the inclined plane.
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Meaning 4
A straight line segment whose length is magnitude and whose orientation in space is direction.
Classification
Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes.