Scientific and Technical Acronyms, Symbols, and Abbreviations

Book excerpt: With 200,000 entries in over eighty different fields, Scientific and Technical Acronyms, Symbols, and Abbreviations is the most comprehensive reference of its type, covering more scientific and technical disciplines than any other available book. This invaluable resource will help scientists, engineers, and researchers understand and utilize current terminology in almost any field-from aeronautics to zoology. All accepted abbreviations, acronyms, and symbols are included, from the most obscure to the most common, as well as an appendix that provides important lists of units, systems of units, conversion factors, and prefixes. Science writers, journalists, translators, interpreters-anyone working in or around the sciences-will find this a helpful, easy-to-use guide to difficult technical jargon. Entries are listed in alphabetical order and are defined according to the field in which they are currently in use. Multiple definitions are listed for abbreviations and acronyms that may be in use in more than one field. For instance, the entry for the abbreviation "cb" would show several meanings: "CB" for Canada Balsam, "Cb" for cerebellum, and "c-B" for crystalline boron, among others. Entries for terms in languages other than English are included, as well as abbreviations for all known scientific and technical journals. Simple, comprehensive, and up-to-date, Scientific and Technical Acronyms, Symbols, and Abbreviations is a complete and vital reference for professionals in almost any scientific or technical discipline.