| Library / English Dictionary |
COUPLING
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
The act of pairing a male and female for reproductive purposes
Example:
the mating of some species occurs only in the spring
Synonyms:
conjugation; coupling; mating; pairing; sexual union; union
Classified under:
Nouns denoting acts or actions
Hypernyms ("coupling" is a kind of...):
sex; sex activity; sexual activity; sexual practice (activities associated with sexual intercourse)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "coupling"):
assortative mating (mating of individuals having more traits in common than likely in random mating)
disassortative mating (mating of individuals having traits more dissimilar than likely in random mating)
cross; crossbreeding; crossing; hybridisation; hybridization; hybridizing; interbreeding ((genetics) the act of mixing different species or varieties of animals or plants and thus to produce hybrids)
inbreeding (the act of mating closely related individuals)
service; servicing (the act of mating by male animals)
Derivation:
couple (engage in sexual intercourse)
Sense 2
Meaning:
A mechanical device that serves to connect the ends of adjacent objects
Synonyms:
coupler; coupling
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("coupling" is a kind of...):
mechanical device (mechanism consisting of a device that works on mechanical principles)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "coupling"):
clevis (a coupler shaped like the letter U with holes through each end so a bolt or pin can pass through the holes to complete the coupling; used to attach a drawbar to a plow or wagon or trailer etc.)
clutch (a coupling that connects or disconnects driving and driven parts of a driving mechanism)
fluid drive (an automotive power coupling)
swivel (a coupling (as in a chain) that has one end that turns on a headed pin)
turnbuckle (an oblong metal coupling with a swivel at one end and an internal thread at the other into which a threaded rod can be screwed in order to form a unit that can be adjusted for length or tension)
universal; universal joint (coupling that connects two rotating shafts allowing freedom of movement in all directions)
Derivation:
couple (link together)
Sense 3
Meaning:
A connection (like a clamp or vise) between two things so they move together
Synonyms:
coupling; yoke
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("coupling" is a kind of...):
connecter; connection; connective; connector; connexion (an instrumentality that connects)
Derivation:
couple (bring two objects, ideas, or people together)
II. (verb)
Sense 1
-ing form of the verb couple
Context examples:
Dantrolene depresses excitation-contraction coupling in skeletal muscle by binding to the ryanodine receptor 1, and decreasing intracellular calcium concentration.
(Dantrolene, NCI Thesaurus)
Any device or coupling designed to serve as a link between devices.
(Connector Device Component, NCI Thesaurus)
The ryanodine receptor plays a crucial part in electromechanical coupling by control of release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum into the cytosol.
(Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/KEGG)
Upon intravenous administration, MNRP1685A specifically targets and binds to NRP1; the antibody-NRP1 complex prevents the subsequent coupling of NRP1 to VEGFR2, thereby potentially inhibiting VEGF-mediated signaling and potentially preventing angiogenesis.
(Anti-Neuropilin-1 Monoclonal Antibody MNRP1685A, NCI Thesaurus)
Contraction of the heart is a complex process initiated by the electrical excitation of cardiac myocytes (excitation-contraction coupling, ECC).
(Cardiac Muscle Contraction Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/KEGG)
This allele, which encodes T-cell surface glycoprotein CD3 zeta chain protein, is involved in coupling antigen recognition to several intracellular signal transduction pathways in T cells.
(CD247 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)
Caveolin 1 links integrin subunits to the tyrosine kinase FYN, an initiating step in coupling integrins to the Ras-ERK pathway and promoting cell cycle progression.
(Caveolin 1, NCI Thesaurus)
A class of genes that encode signaling pathway proteins that function to mediate the coupling of multiple cell surface receptors to downstream signaling pathways in the regulation of various cellular functions.
(Adaptor Signaling Protein Gene, NCI Thesaurus)
Receptors coupling to Gs stimulate AC, resulting in elevated cAMP levels and activation of Epac1.
(Phospholipase C-Epsilon Signaling Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)
A class of signaling pathway proteins that function to mediate the coupling of multiple cell surface receptors to downstream signaling pathways in the regulation of various cellular functions.
(Adaptor Signaling Protein, NCI Thesaurus)
