<B>Polack, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>(Slang.) a person of Polish descent (usually used in an unfriendly way). <DD><B> 2. </B>(Obsolete.) <DD><B> a. </B>a native or inhabitant of Poland; Pole. <DD><B> b. </B>the king of Poland. </DL>
<A NAME="polacolor">
<B>Polacolor, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Trademark.) a special color film with its own developing and printing agents, from which a finished positive color print may be obtained in less than a minute after exposure. </DL>
<A NAME="polacre">
<B>polacre, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a two- or three-masted ship; polacca. </DL>
<A NAME="polandchinahog">
<B>Poland China hog,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any one of an American breed of large black-and-white hogs. </DL>
<A NAME="polar">
<B>polar, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>of or near the North or South Pole. <BR> <I>Ex. a polar wind. It is very cold in the polar regions.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>having to do with a pole or poles. <DD><B> 3. </B>of the poles of a magnet, electric battery, or other charged source or matter. <DD><B> 4. </B>(Figurative.) opposite in character, like the poles of a magnet. <BR> <I>Ex. Love and hatred are polar feelings or attitudes.</I> (SYN) contrary. <DD><B> 5. </B>(Geometry.) having to do with or reciprocal to a pole. <DD><B> 6. </B>(Chemistry.) ionizing when dissolved or fused; ionic. <DD><B> 7. </B>serving to guide; guiding. </DL>
<A NAME="polaraxis">
<B>polar axis,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the axis in the mounting of an equatorial telescope that is parallel to the earth's axis. </DL>
<A NAME="polarbear">
<B>polar bear,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a large white bear of the arctic regions. </DL>
<A NAME="polarbody">
<B>polar body</B> or <B>cell,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Biology.) one of the tiny cells that arise by a very unequal meiotic division of the ovum at or near the time of fertilization. </DL>
<A NAME="polarcap">
<B>polar cap,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Astronomy.) a white area at each pole of the planet Mars, resembling ice or snow, which increases and decreases with the changes of the planet's so-called seasons. </DL>
<A NAME="polarcircle">
<B>polar circle,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> either of two circles of the earth parallel to the equator, one of which is everywhere distant 23 degrees 30 minutes from the North Pole and the other equally distant from the South Pole; Arctic or Antarctic Circle. </DL>
<A NAME="polarcoordinates">
<B>polar coordinates,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Mathematics.) coordinates defining a point in a plane, being the length of the straight line drawn to it from a fixed point and the angle which this line makes with a fixed initial line or axis. </DL>
<A NAME="polardistance">
<B>polar distance,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Astronomy.) the complement of the declination of a heavenly body; codeclination. </DL>
<A NAME="polareasterly">
<B>polar easterly,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a prevailing wind which blows from east to west between each of the poles and 60 degrees north or south latitude. </DL>
<A NAME="polarfront">
<B>polar front,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the boundary or boundary region between the cold polar winds and the warmer winds of tropical origin. </DL>
<A NAME="polarhare">
<B>polar hare,</B> <B>=arctic hare.</B></DL>
<A NAME="polarimeter">
<B>polarimeter, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>an instrument used to measure the amount of polarized light received from a given source. <DD><B> 2. </B>a form of polariscope for measuring the amount of rotation of the plane of polarization. </DL>
<A NAME="polarimetric">
<B>polarimetric, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with a polarimeter or polarimetry. </DL>
<A NAME="polarimetry">
<B>polarimetry, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the use of a polarimeter; art or process of measuring or analyzing the polarization of light. </DL>
<A NAME="polaris">
<B>Polaris, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the North Star; polestar. </DL>
<A NAME="polariscope">
<B>polariscope, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an instrument for showing the polarization of light, or for examining substances in polarized light. </DL>
<A NAME="polariscopic">
<B>polariscopic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with a polariscope. </DL>
<B>polarity, </B>noun, pl. <B>-ties.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the possession of two opposed poles. A magnet or battery has polarity. <DD><B> 2. </B>a positive or negative polar condition, as in electricity. <BR> <I>Ex. Reversing the polarity of an applied voltage, for instance, means interchanging the positive and negative conditions of the terminals to which it is applied (Roy F. Allison).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Figurative.) the possession of two opposite or contrasted principles or tendencies. <BR> <I>Ex. Many psychologists view polarity as an obvious factor in human behavior.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="polarizability">
<B>polarizability, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the quality of being polarizable. </DL>
<A NAME="polarizable">
<B>polarizable, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> that can be polarized. </DL>
<A NAME="polarization">
<B>polarization, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the act or process of polarizing or state of being polarized; production or acquisition of polarity. <DD><B> 2. </B>the process by which gases produced during electrolysis are deposited on electrodes of a cell, giving rise to a reverse electromotive force. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Optics.) <DD><B> a. </B>a state, or the production of a state, in which rays of light exhibit different properties in different directions, as when they are reflected from glass in a particular way, or when they are passed through a crystal of tourmaline that confines the light vibrations to a single plane. <DD><B> b. </B>the state in which all the vibrations of the waves take place in only one plane. <BR> <I>Ex. All light sources of practical importance emit radiation that exhibits little evidence of polarization. For this reason, the optical instruments based on the phenomena of polarization are provided with some element, such as a Nicol prism, for polarizing the natural light supplied by the source (Hardy and Perrin).</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>(Figurative.) a splitting into opposing sides or extremes; division into opposite factions. <BR> <I>Ex. The polarization of the GOP into conservative and less-conservative wings has become increasingly certain (Wall Street Journal).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="polarize">
<B>polarize, </B>verb, <B>-ized,</B> <B>-izing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to give polarity to; cause polarization in. <BR> <I>Ex. Some natural crystals, such as tourmaline, can polarize light. Tourmaline transmits the components that lie in one vibration-direction, and holds back others by absorbing them internally (Richard T. Kriebel).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to give an arbitrary direction, or a special meaning or application, to. <BR> <I>Ex. to polarize a discussion.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Figurative.) to divide into opposing sides or extremes; split into opposite camps or factions. <BR> <I>Ex. People are tired of being polarized on emotional issues (Time).</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> to acquire polarity. noun <B>polarizer.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="polarizingangle">
<B>polarizing angle,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Optics.) the angle of incidence at which the maximum polarization of incident light takes place. </DL>
<A NAME="polarlights">
<B>polar lights,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> aurora borealis or australis. </DL>
<A NAME="polarogram">
<B>polarogram, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a record made by a polarograph. </DL>
<A NAME="polarograph">
<B>polarograph, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a device for measuring and making records (polarograms) of changes in the strength of a current in an electrolytic solution between a very large and a very small electrode as a result of changing the voltage difference between the electrodes, used in the qualitative and quantitative analysis of chemical mixtures. </DL>
<A NAME="polarographic">
<B>polarographic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with a polarograph. adv. <B>polarographically.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="polarography">
<B>polarography, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the analysis of chemicals with the polarograph. </DL>
<A NAME="polaroid">
<B>Polaroid, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>(Trademark.) a thin, transparent material that polarizes light, used especially in lamps, eyeglasses, and automobile glass, to reduce glare. <DD><B> 2. </B><B>=Polaroid Land Camera.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="polaroidlandcamera">
<B>Polaroid Land Camera,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Trademark.) a type of camera whose special film contains its own developing and printing agents so that a finished positive print is available about a minute after exposure. </DL>
<A NAME="polaron">
<B>polaron, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Physics.) a conducting electron trapped by polarization charges in an ionic crystal lattice. </DL>
<A NAME="polarorbit">
<B>polar orbit,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> an orbit in which an earth satellite passes over or near the earth's poles instead of the equator. </DL>
