| 释义 |
on-line, a., adv., and phr.
(stress variable)
Also online.
[f. on prep. + line n.2]
A. adj. (Usu. stressed ˈon-line.)
1. Computers. Directly connected, so that a computer receives an input from or sends an output to a peripheral device, process, etc., as soon as it is produced; carried out while so connected or under direct computer control.
1950W. W. Stifler High-Speed Computing Devices ii. 7 For some applications, of which the most prominent are those in which the reduced data are used to control the process being measured, the input must be developed for on-line operation. In on-line operation the input is communicated directly..to the data-reduction device. 1957[see off-line a. 2]. 1959[see in-line a. 3 c]. 1964T. W. McRae Impact of Computers on Accounting i. 17 If we are processing..a payroll,..and the output printer is directly hooked up to the computer store so that each payslip is printed immediately after it is calculated, we use the term on-line processing. 1965Math. in Biol. & Med. (Med. Res. Council) VI. 295 Without time-sharing, the ‘on-line’ use of a fast modern machine would be unthinkably costly. 1968Times 26 Oct. 4/4 It was found..by radio astronomers using the 250 ft. dish telescope connected to an on-line computer. 1971Computers & Humanities V. 192 The shoebox is an automatic text-processing and retrieval system implemented for on-line operation on an ibm 360/50 computer. 1972Accountant 27 Apr. 549/1 A completely integrated computer data system which..through a built-in system of analysis and recording enables managers at any level to have immediate ‘on-line’ access to that part of the information which is relevant.
2. Occurring or effected on the current authorized routes of an airline.
1969Jane's Freight Containers 1968–69 429/2 Online and interline use [sc. of air cargo pallets] by JAL. 1973E. Rath Container Systems x. 285 Those airlines who had purchased both the 747 and either the DC-10 or the L-1011 realized that standardization of lower-deck containers would permit them to effect on-line and interline transfers of complete containers between these different types of aircraft.
3. = in-line a. 2.
1972Physics Bull. Jan. 29/3 Dr. K. A. Andrews..described the progress which was being made with the problem of on-line ultrasonic testing of hot steel. 1976Gramophone Aug. 354/2 Mass production calls for high speed working, sophisticated on-line testing and..a high degree of automation.
B. adv. (Usu. stressed on-ˈline.) With processing of data carried out simultaneously with its production; while connected to a computer, or under direct computer control.
1950[see off-line adv.]. 1964Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. CXV. 654 The goal of the development has been a machine which..is fast enough for simple data-processing ‘on-line’ while the experiment is in progress. 1966Economist 23 July 382/3 Information will be available ‘on-line’..to 100 BOAC centres throughout the world. 1966New Scientist 27 Oct. 161/2 All the files of the users of the system are put on-line—that is, made directly accessible to the central processor. 1968Amer. Documentation Jan. 72/1 Editing will be done on-line with a display scope and keyboard. 1977Catalogue & Index xlvi. 8 Those who want to work on-line will be able to work in a format designed to reflect..the way the data is stored in the computer.
C. phr. (Written as two words.) = on stream adv. phr. a.
1968Daily Colonist (Victoria, B.C.) 28 Nov. 13/6 The Skookumchuck mill recently came on line, but none of the B.C.-produced pulp destined for Japan is in the present cardboard packages. 1975Nature 9 Oct. 435/3 Domestic uranium reserves will be totally committed to those nuclear reactors which are brought on line in the next 20 years.
▸ a. U.S. Situated on the route of a railway line; in use on a railway line.
1926Econ. Geogr. 2 15 Approximately two-thirds of the coal handled by the system originated at on-line mines, and one-third was received from connections. 1942Fortune Nov. 121/1 Some railroad men anticipate a 20 or 25 per cent increase in 1943's freight and passenger volume. But the most they can hope for in new equipment is a 5 per cent addition to the 1,981,000 freight cars on line. 1985Jrnl. Amer. Hist. 72 733 The railroad enterprise did not promote agriculture and industry for altruistic reasons; a prosperous on-line economy meant increased carloadings.
b. Situated or occurring on the current authorized routes of an airline.
1947M. B. Baker Airline Traffic Operations ii. 46 The city is an on-line station to these airlines. 1969Jane's Freight Containers 1968–9 429/2 Online and interline use [of air cargo pallets] by JAL. 1992Jrnl. Industr. Econ. 40 117 In airline travel, both online and inter-line one-stop trips are often possible.
▸ Computing. a. Of an operation or process: carried out while connected to a computer and under its direct control. Of a device: directly connected to a computer and receiving input from it and sending an output to it as soon as it is generated.
1950W. W. Stifler High-speed Computing Devices (Engin. Res. Associates) ii. 7 In on-line operation the input is communicated directly..to the data-reduction device. 1957D. D. McCracken Digital Computer Programming xii. 157 The reel of tape may then be removed from the auxiliary (‘off-line’) tape unit, placed on a tape unit which is connected to the computer (‘on-line’), and read in at high speeds. 1968Times 26 Oct. 4/4 It was found..by radio astronomers using the 250 ft. dish telescope connected to an on-line computer. 1971Computers & Humanities 5 192 The shoebox is an automatic text-processing and retrieval system implemented for on-line operation on an ibm 360/50 computer. 1998T. Sheldon Encycl. Networking (new ed.) 990 In online transaction processing, transactions are executed immediately, as opposed to batch processing.
b. Designating or relating to a service, resource, etc., available on or performed using a computer network (esp. the Internet), or a person or organization that can operate or accesses this.
1979Public Opinion Q. 43 563 The notebook is the participant's personal, on-line computer space for composing, storing, and reorganizing items on which he or she is working. 1989R. Lester & J. Waters Environmental Scanning & Business Strategy (BNC) 26 The other group of three departments retain most information in hard copy but use online services to supplement it. 1995SalesForce Mag. Feb.–Mar. 15/3 With all this high-tech gadgetry, Williams is able to communicate easily with her office and clients, some of whom she contacts via online bulletin board services. 2001N.Y. Times 4 Jan. g3/3 Women now make up the majority of online gamers by a slim margin.
▸ Computing. a. With processing of data carried out simultaneously with its production; while connected to a computer, or under direct computer control.
1950W. W. Stifler High-speed Computing Devices (Engin. Res. Associates) ii. 7 Some teletype machines operate on line. Their operators are in instantaneous communication. Other teletype machines are operated off line, through the intervention of punched paper tape. 1964Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 115654 The goal of the development has been a machine which..is fast enough for simple data-processing ‘on-line’ while the experiment is in progress. 1966Economist 23 July 382/3 Information will be available ‘on-line’..to 100 BOAC centres throughout the world. 1966New Scientist 27 Oct. 161/2 All the files of the users of the system are put on-line—that is, made directly accessible to the central processor. 1968Amer. Documentation Jan. 72/1 Editing will be done on-line with a display scope and keyboard. 1977Catal. & Index xlvi. 8 Those who want to work on-line will be able to work in a format designed to reflect..the way the data is stored in the computer. 1999N.Y. Times 2 Sept. g12/5 The printer keeps these jobs in its buffer until it is ready to deal with them. That is sometimes called spooling. (Spool is short for simultaneous peripheral operations on line.)
b. By means of or over a computer network, esp. the Internet; while connected to or using the Internet, etc.; to go online: to establish connection with the Internet, to begin using the Internet; to get online: (a) intr. = to go online at B. 1b; (b) trans., to enable (a person) to access the Internet; to make accessible via the Internet.
1987Wilson Libr. Bull. Mar. 10/3 Thirteen libraries and their branches are represented in the network, enabling irving users to search for 3.5 million books online on twenty-eight terminals located across Colorado. 1990Computer Lang. Oct. 4 (advt.) Go online with ease with our new high-level modem control routines. 1991A. R. Stone in M. Benedikt Cyberspace 93 The technology at the user interface was intended to be simple, this in order to minimize the costs of getting on-line. 1991Life Nov. 9/2 (advt.) You can use it to figure out what to buy, make purchases, and even pay your bills online. 1997J. Seabrook Deeper iv. 119 What I see is new users getting on-line, promptly getting flamed by the older users. 1998N.Y. Times 23 Aug. iii. 5/1 The large volume of computer products now sold on line. 1998World in 1998 (Economist Publ.) 144/3 In 1998 a programme is being launched..to get one billion children ‘online’. 2000S. Elgin in Linguistics & Sci. Fiction Newslet. July–Aug. I can't help wondering about..the amount of labor that would have been involved in getting it online and searchable.
▸ online dating n. the use of a computer network (now usually the Internet) to find potentially compatible romantic partners, esp. when offered as a commercial service; cf. computer dating n. at computer n. Compounds 5 Internet dating n. at Compounds.
1984InfoWorld 9 July 28/1 As more women began to use computers, the concept of *on-line dating became a viable alternative to the bar and party scene. 1992Washington Post (Nexis) 27 Dec. b1 A recent advertisement for ‘on-line dating’ in a computer magazine began, ‘I met five guys on-line last night and I just loved them all.’ 2005N.Y. Times (National ed.) 14 Aug. ix. 9/3, I encouraged her to try online dating, which produced for her a summer of e-mail administrivia: she filled out forms, stared at electronic suitors, corresponded with them. |