INTERFACE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does interface mean? 

• INTERFACE (noun)
  The noun INTERFACE has 4 senses:

1. (chemistry) a surface forming a common boundary between two things (two objects or liquids or chemical phases)

2. (computer science) a program that controls a display for the user (usually on a computer monitor) and that allows the user to interact with the system

3. the overlap where two theories or phenomena affect each other or have links with each other

4. (computer science) computer circuit consisting of the hardware and associated circuitry that links one device with another (especially a computer and a hard disk drive or other peripherals)

  Familiarity information: INTERFACE used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• INTERFACE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(chemistry) a surface forming a common boundary between two things (two objects or liquids or chemical phases)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("interface" is a kind of...):

surface (the extended two-dimensional outer boundary of a three-dimensional object)

Domain category:

physical chemistry (the branch of chemistry dealing with the physical properties of chemical substances)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "interface"):

oil-water interface (an interface forming the boundary between the non-miscible liquids oil and water)

Derivation:

interfacial (relating to or situated at an interface)

Sense 2

Meaning:

(computer science) a program that controls a display for the user (usually on a computer monitor) and that allows the user to interact with the system

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

interface; user interface

Hypernyms ("interface" is a kind of...):

computer program; computer programme; program; programme ((computer science) a sequence of instructions that a computer can interpret and execute)

Domain category:

computer science; computing (the branch of engineering science that studies (with the aid of computers) computable processes and structures)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "interface"):

CLI; command line interface (a user interface in which you type commands instead of choosing them from a menu or selecting an icon)

graphical user interface; GUI (a user interface based on graphics (icons and pictures and menus) instead of text; uses a mouse as well as a keyboard as an input device)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The overlap where two theories or phenomena affect each other or have links with each other

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Context example:

the interface between chemistry and biology

Hypernyms ("interface" is a kind of...):

convergence; intersection; overlap (a representation of common ground between theories or phenomena)

Sense 4

Meaning:

(computer science) computer circuit consisting of the hardware and associated circuitry that links one device with another (especially a computer and a hard disk drive or other peripherals)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

interface; port

Hypernyms ("interface" is a kind of...):

computer circuit (a circuit that is part of a computer)

Domain category:

computer science; computing (the branch of engineering science that studies (with the aid of computers) computable processes and structures)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "interface"):

parallel interface; parallel port (an interface between a computer and a printer where the computer sends multiple bits of information to the printer simultaneously)

serial port (an interface (commonly used for modems and mice and some printers) that transmits data a bit at a time)

SCSI; small computer system interface (interface consisting of a standard port between a computer and its peripherals that is used in some computers)

 Context examples 

An action, exposed through a Grid Service's interface, which requests some service-side processing to occur, optionally taking one or more inputs, and under normal processing, optionally returning one or more outputs.

(Grid Service Operation, NCI Thesaurus)

Phenomena originating at the interface of material.

(Interfacial Phenomenon, NCI Thesaurus)

Issue associated with the failure to see direct anchorage of an implant by the formation of bony tissue around the implant without the growth of fibrous tissue at the bone-implant interface.

(Failure to Osseointegrate Associated with Medical Device, Food and Drug Administration)

AM fungi colonize plant roots, creating an interface where the plant trades fatty acids for phosphate and nitrogen.

(Plant gene discovery could help reduce fertilizer pollution in waterways, National Science Foundation)

Testing devices for problems with the mechanical, electrical, or communication interface between two or more separate devices or components.

(Device Interoperability Evaluation Method, Food and Drug Administration)

A problem with the mechanical, electrical, or communication interface between two or more separate devices or components.

(Device Interoperability Problem Evaluation Result, Food and Drug Administration)

A standard that specifies the nomenclature and shared semantics for a collection of data types commonly occurring in programming languages and software interfaces.

(ISO 11404, NCI Thesaurus)

A proprietary information management system designed as a vendor-neutral platform that collects radiation oncology and medical oncology patient data into a single user interface.

(MOSAIQ Oncology Information Management System, NCI Thesaurus)

The ephrins are also expressed on the cell surface, so that interaction between Eph kinases and ephrins occurs at the interface between neighboring cells.

(Platelet Aggregation Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

The Parameterizable interface encapsulates the association of Parameters with ParameterValues.

(Parameterizable Object, NCI Thesaurus)