Vocabulary list for engineering, construction, and architecture

David Bar-Tzur


accuracy accurate adjustable angular acceleration angular velocity approximate
approximately approximately equal approximation average bid blockage
blower bore braces (for formulas) brackets (for formulas) British thermal units bucket-brigade device
build building bulk-channel charge-coupled device buried-channel charge-coupled device burn out button (machine)
by ("four ~ six feet") cable capacity cause celsius channel
characteristic(s) clockwise closed circuit television coefficient of viscosity coil spring compatible
compressor configuration consistency consultant constant-> hold/held ~
remains ~ conversion convert cross multiply cross-section crude oil
cubic feet per minute cycle damping constant decibels - adjusted decibels - referred to 1 Kilowatt decibels - above or below 1 milliwatt
decibels - voltage decibels - above reference coupling decode defer Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency degree celsius
degree fahrenheit dense density Department of Defense Department of Transportation depth
detector deteriorate determine (a value) deviate, deviation device diagonal
diagram diameter directional dirty divide ~ both sides by
do (calculate) it in your head double pole double throw draft drafting drain eccentricity
efficiency efficient electrical overstress electron volt electrostatic discharge electrostatic-discharge- sensitive
electrostatic sensitive device energy energy source engine engineering engineering change order
equation drop out (of an ~) estimate expand Fahrenheit feedback
fiber distributed data interface field-replaceable unit figure (illustration) filament filter finish (of a surface)
fixed (stationary) foot foot-pound formation Fourier transform frequency-shift keying
full scale deflection gallium arsenide gauge geek generate generator
gigahertz glossy gram graphically expressed heat heat up
hierarchic, hierarchical hierarchy horizontal horizontal component horsepower hybrid
impulse increment induce induced industry infrared
instrumentation Instrument Society of America insulation displacement connector Integrated Drive Electronics in terms of International Standards Organization
invent invention Joint Electron Device Engineering Council joist kelvin kilocalorie
kilogram kilojoule kilometer per hour kilowatt-hour laser-induced fluorescence leaf spring
leak least/lowest common multiple least-recently used lift off liner liquid crystal display
liter long range navigation long wave look up table magnetic resonance mechanical advantage
mechanics mechanism medium scale intergration meter micro channel architecture micrometer
micron microscope milligram millimeter millisecond modulate
modulation modulus motor nanometer nanosecond National Bureau of Standards
National Electronics Distributors Association National Electrical Manufacturers Association National Society of Professional Engineers needle (gauge) negative temperature coefficient negligible (error)
newton per square meter no connection node non-zero normal normally closed
normally open normal strain notation not-frequently used not-recently used nuclear magnetic resonance
obsolete operate original equipment manufacturer output over (as in "A over B") panel
penetrometer perpendicular petroleum pipe places (in a number) plasma
plugged polymer pound-force per square inch pound per square inch precise precision
pressure preventive maintenance processing produce production protractor
pulse radar radian radio controlled recursive remote (control)
research and development resistance temperature detector revolution revolutions per minute revolutions per second right angle
right-hand rule rigid ring laser gyroscope rise robot rough
round off run (operate) sample scanning electron microscope schematic(s) scientific notation
second sensitive sensor short wave shut down sign
signed significant figures simulate, simulation simulator single pole double throw size (v)
sleeve source spark spec(s) spring square centimeter
square foot square inch square meter square yard stabilize stopped up
subscript substance surface surge table Telecomm. Industry Assocation
Texas Instruments thermal thin film detector thin film electroluminescent thin small outline package thread (a screw)
torque (v) ultra high vacuum ultra high voltage ultra large scale integration Underwriters Laboratories upgrade
vent vertical sync very large scale integration volumetric density warp weigh
weight Western Digital volumetric expansion zero (a gauge/meter)


See also Health under "Hearing loss" and Physics under "Wave mechanics".

acoustics amplification amplifier amplify attenuation audio frequency auditory canal
auditory nerve bel console consonance consultant decibel decibel referred to one milliwatt
dissonance equalizer feedback loudness medium middle ear monotone
newton per square meter outer ear pinna pressure reverberate revolutions per minute revolutions per second
sound sound pressure level sound source sound wave speech surface acoustic wave theorem
theory tight toggle valve vibrate, vibration volume


buoyancy buoyant channel compress cubic feet per minute current diameter
expand flow fluid laminar liter liter per second medium
newton per square meter nosedive pascal pipe pipeline pitch pressure
prop propeller(s) rocket rocket launch satellite space spacecraft/spaceship
take off turbulence vibrate, vibration vibrating body


aggregate aluminium American Stanbdars Association anchor arch architecture asphalt
asymmetry beam bearing bend blast board bolt
brace brick buckle bulldoze bulldozer cantilever carpenter
cast caulking cement chimney coarse column compress
compression column concrete consultant construction construction crew contraction
contractor copper court(yard) cross-section cusp dam decorate
deflection detail design diagonal diameter dome drafting
dry wall elevation-> ~ (measurement) ~ (view) excavate facade flange
floor floor plan footing force forklift foundation framing
glass grade gradeline graphic gravel heat up insulation
iron isometric legend key jamb lettering level liner
liter liter per second load maintenance masonry materials measuring tape
metal moment mortar mullion newton per square meter north arrow Occupational Safety and Health Administration
oil (crude) original orthographic projection overhang paint parallel parapet
pascal pave perpendicular perspective pier pilaster pillar
pipe pipeline plan plane plaster plastic plywood
poche precast pressure reinforce retaining wall rigid riser
robot scale section sediment shear shearing strain silicon
sill site sketch slab sleeve stairs steel
stone structure stud sub-contractor survey symmetry volumetric expansion
tension theodolite tape tile torsion trace tread
tripod vent wall web wood zoning


ammeter anode application-specific integrated circuit attenuation attenuation constant automatic fine tuning
automatic flow controller automatic frequency control automatic gain control automatic phase control automatic volume control average power
average voltage baby N connector base (transistor)-> bayonet nut connector beat frequency oscillator billion electron volts
bipolar complementary metal-oxide semiconductor bipolar field-effect transistor bipolar junction transistor capacitance-> equivalent ~ total ~
capacitive reactance capacitive voltage capacitor-> parallel ~ parallel plate ~ right plate of the ~
series ~ cathode cathode ray oscilloscope channel charge coupled device charge transfer device
circuit-> open (~) short (~) ~ breaker circular mil coefficient of coupling
collector common base configuration common collector common emitter complementary metal-oxide semiconductor conductance
conductivity conduct electricity conductor console constant voltage transformer consumer electronics show
coulomb Coulomb's Laws counter clock-wise counter electromotive force current-> ~ gain
conventional (~ flow) DC base current DC collector current DC voltage base to emitter DC voltage collector to emitter diameter
diffused metal-oxide semiconductor Digital Equipment Corporation digital multimeter digital voltmeter diode diode transistor logic
direct current discharge dual in-line package dual-layer capacitor effective current electric outlet
electric plug electrode electromagnet electromagnetic pulse Electronics Industries Association emitter
emitter coupled logic equivalent series resistance exclusive-or extra high voltage farad fast Fourier transform
field effect transistor film-integrated circuit flow frequency shift keying frequency to voltage converter fuse
gain ground ground fault circuit interrupter ground fault interrupter hertz high efficiency red (as in a LED)
high voltage high voltage direct current high voltage power supply hybrid integrated circuit impedance-> input ~
output ~ primary ~ secondary ~ total ~ in-circuit emulation inductance->
~-capacitance ~-capacitance-resistance mutual ~ total ~ inductive reactance inductive voltage
inductor infrared-emitting diode input input impedance input/output input voltage
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers instrumentation amplifier insulated-gate bipolar transistor insulated-gate field-effect transistor insulate from electricity insulator
integrated circuit integrated device electronics integrated instrumentation and incircuit emulation joule junction junction-gate field-effect transistor
kiloampere kiloelectron volts kilohertz kilohm kilovolt kilovoltampere
Kirchoff's Current Law Kirchoff's rules Kirchoff's Voltage Law Laplace transform light activated silicon controlled rectifier light-dependent resistor
light emitting diode load load resistor local oscillator logic level field effect transistor low frequency
low noise amplifier low pass master oscillator maximum current maximum voltage medium frequency
megahertz megaohm mesh (analysis) metal oxide semiconductor metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor metal oxide varistor
mho microampere microfarad microhenry micromho microvolt
mil milliampere millihenry millisiemens millivolt minimum current
modified frequency modulation modulation-doped field-effect transistor multiplex mutual conductance mutual inductance nanoampere
nanofarad nanohenry n-channel metal oxide semiconductor negative-positive- negative (transistor) negative positive 0 temperature coefficient nickel cadmium
nodal analysis nodal points node Norton's Theorem not connected ohm
ohmmeter Ohm's Law open collector operational amplifier oscillator oscilloscope
outlet output impedance output voltage over voltage protection parallel passive sign convention
peak inverse voltage peak operating voltage phase locked loop phase modulation photoelectric cell photovoltaic
picoampere picofarad polarity polystyrene film capacitor positively doped metal-oxide semiconductor positive-negative- positive (transistor)
potential difference potentiometer power-> lose ~ power amplifier power factor
power gain power source power surge primary impedance primary voltage printed circuit board
private branch exchange programmable unijunction transistor pseudo noise pseudo random pseudo random noise pulse amplitude modulation
pulse-code modulation pulse-count modulation pulse-duration modulation pulse-position modulation pulse repetition frequency pulse repetition rate
pulse repetition time pulse-time modulation pulse width pulse width modulation radio frequencies radio frequency interference
reactance reaction rectifier reference relative dielectric constant relative permittivity
reluctance reluctivity resistance resistance-capacitance resistance-capacitance- inductance resistivity
resistor resistor current rheostat right hand decimal point root mean square run down (power)
sag sample and hold subcarrier adapter secondary current secondary impedance semiconductor
Semiconductor Equipment and Materials Institute series (circuit) short circuit siemens signal signal-to-noise ratio
silicon controlled rectifier single layer ceramic (capacitor) small outline small outline integrated circuit solenoid valve solid state
solid state relay source source voltage super high frequency surface-channel charge-cooled device surface mount
surface mount device switch terahertz Thevenin's Theorem thevenize thin film transistor
transform transient transient voltage suppressor transistor transistor-transistor logic triangular (wave)
tunnel diode twisted nematic ultra high frequency unijunction transistor uninterruptible power supply vacuum tube volt meter
variable capacitance diode variable crystal oscilator variable frequency oscillator very high frequency very-high-speed intergrated circuit very low frequency
volt voltage voltage controlled oscillator voltage gain voltage regulator voltage to frequency converter
volt ampere voltmeter volt-ohmmeter volts alternating current volts direct current voltage standing wave ratio
voltimeter volt milliammeter watt hour wire wound wire wire wrap
working voltage zener (diode)


assemble (parts) assembly line asymmetry automatic automatically automation automaton
ball and socket joint bid cast (into mold) console defective diameter feedback
flow flush forklift formula formulate grind heat up
hinge hinge joint install Japanese Industrial Standard liner liter liter per second
maintenance manufacture newton per square meter Occupational Safety and Health Administration oil (crude) parallel perpendicular
pipe pipeline plastic pressure quality assurance quality control rigid
robot rough score (scratch) scoring silicon sleeve solvent
structure symmetry torque vibrate, vibration viscosity viscous volumetric expansion
weight density zero defects

For the signs for these terms, see Signs for technical/specialized vocabulary.

For additional relevant terms, see Representing the Greek alphabet, Vocabulary list for automotive under "Tools", Vocabulary list for information techonology (computers), Vocabulary list for physics (especially "Electricity and magnetism" and "Wave mechanics"), and Vocabulary list for units of measurement.