释义 |
nor·mal I. \ˈnȯrməl, ˈnȯ(ə)m-\ adjective Etymology: in sense 1, from Latin normalis according to a square, forming a right angle, from norma carpenter's square, pattern, rule (probably from Greek gnōmona, accusative of gnōmōn interpreter, discerner, pointer on a sundial, carpenter's square) + -alis -al; in senses 2-7 and 9-10, from Late Latin normalis according to rule, from Latin, according to a square; in sense 8, translation of French normale (in école normale normal school) — more at gnomon 1. : forming a right angle : perpendicular 2. : according to, constituting, or not deviating from an established norm, rule, or principle : conformed to a type, standard, or regular pattern : not abnormal : regular < normal word order of subject and verb > < normal working hours > < normal pronunciation > 3. a. : unaffected by or not exposed to any particular infection or experimental treatment < a normal control animal > b. : occurring naturally and not because of disease, inoculation, or any experimental treatment < normal immunity > 4. a. : of, relating to, or characterized by average intelligence or development : free from intellectual defect b. : free from mental disorder : having neither neurosis, personality disorder, nor psychosis : sane c. : characterized by balanced, well-integrated functioning of the organism as a whole within the limits imposed by the environment and in accord with the pattern of one's biological endowment 5. : relating to or conforming with long-run expectations or to a permanent standard deviations from which on the part of individual economic phenomena are to be regarded as self-corrective < a normal price corresponds to long-run costs of production > 6. a. : approximating the statistical norm or average < a normal infant mortality rate > < normal rainfall of the region > b. : consistent with the social norm < normal married life > 7. : average over many years at a particular place and for a definite time, a certain day, or some other specified period — used of a meteorological element 8. : of or relating to the training of teachers < normal college > < normal department > 9. : of, relating to, or characterized by full ablaut grade 10. a. of a solution : having a concentration of one gram equivalent of solute per liter < normal hydrochloric acid > — abbr. N b. : being an assumed fundamental compound (as an acid from which the known acids are obtained by dehydration) < normal sulfuric acid S(OH)6 > — compare orth- 3a c. : containing neither basic hydroxyl nor acid hydrogen < normal silver phosphate Ag3PO4 > — used of a compound (as a salt, ester, or amide) d. : not associated < normal liquids > < normal molecules > e. : having a straight-chain structure < normal pentane > < normal butyl alcohol > — abbr. n; used of an aliphatic hydrocarbon, one of its derivatives, or an alkyl radical; compare is- 2b f. : cis — used especially of stereoisomeric compounds containing two fused saturated rings; contrasted with allo < the allo and normal forms of steroids > Synonyms: see regular II. noun (-s) 1. mathematics a. : perpendicular: (1) : a line perpendicular to the tangent line to a curve at a point of the curve (2) : a plane perpendicular to the tangent plane to a surface at a point on the surface b. : the intercept on the normal line between a curve and the x-axis 2. : one that is normal: as a. : a normal person or organism b. : a normal level (as of temperature, pressure, rainfall, price) : mean, average c. : normal school 3. : a form or state regarded as the norm : standard III. adjective 1. of a subgroup : having the property that every coset produced by operating on the left with a given element is equal to the coset produced by operating on the right with the same element 2. : relating to, involving, or being a normal curve or normal distribution < normal approximation to the binomial distribution > 3. of a matrix : having the property of commutativity under multiplication by the transpose of a matrix each of whose elements is a conjugate complex number with respect to the corresponding element of the given matrix |