differentiation

dif·fer·en·ti·a·tion

(dĭf′ə-rĕn′shē-ā′shən)

a. The act or process of differentiating.

b. The state of becoming differentiated.

2. Mathematics The process of computing a derivative.

3. Biology The process by which cells or tissues undergo a change toward a more specialized form or function, especially during embryonic development.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

differentiation

(ˌdɪfəˌrɛnʃɪˈeɪʃən)

1. the act, process, or result of differentiating

2. (Mathematics) maths an operation used in calculus in which the derivative of a function or variable is determined; the inverse of integration. See integration⁶

3. (Geological Science) any process in which a mixture of materials separates out partially or completely into its constituent parts, as in the cooling and solidification of a magma into two or more different rock types or in the gradual separation of an originally homogeneous earth into crust, mantle, and core

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

dif·fer·en·ti·a·tion

(dĭf′ə-rĕn′shē-ā′shən)

1. In calculus, the process of computing the derivative of a function. Compare integration.

2. The process by which cells or developing body or plant parts change in order to serve a specific function.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Differentiation

funny-peculiar or funny ha-ha Most often heard interrogatively, this expression serves to distinguish between two meanings of the word funny—‘peculiar’ and ‘amusing or humorous.’ In 1938, I. Hay used this expression in a play entitled Housemaster. Since then, funny-peculiar or funny ha-ha has gained currency and is frequently heard today.

know a hawk from a handsaw See PERCEPTIVENESS.

know chalk from cheese See PERCEPTIVENESS.

make head or tail of To make sense of, to understand or decipher; also make heads or tails of. The head and the tail are opposite sides of a coin. Tossing a coin is a common method of deciding by chance; the outcome is determined by which side is up when the coin lands. It is easy to see how a coin landing in such a way that it cannot clearly be called either heads or tails gave rise to the frequently heard negative not make head nor tail of, implying confusion and senselessness.

Pray what is the design or plot? for I could make neither head nor tail on’t. (Henry Fielding, The Author’s Farce, 1729)

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

differentiation - a discrimination between things as different and distinct; "it is necessary to make a distinction between love and infatuation"

contradistinction - a distinction drawn on the basis of contrast; "sculpture in contradistinction to painting"

hairsplitting, word-splitting - making too fine distinctions of little importance; "they didn't take his hairsplitting seriously"

differentiation - the mathematical process of obtaining the derivative of a function

mathematical operation, mathematical process, operation - (mathematics) calculation by mathematical methods; "the problems at the end of the chapter demonstrated the mathematical processes involved in the derivation"; "they were learning the basic operations of arithmetic"

differentiation - (biology) the structural adaptation of some body part for a particular function; "cell differentiation in the developing embryo"

differentiation

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

differentiation

noun

The act or an instance of distinguishing:

Translations

تَفْريق، تَمْييز

rozlišování

differentieringskelnen

eristamine

sundurgreining, aîgreining

分化区別微分

rozlišovanie

razlikovanje

ayırt etmefark etme

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

differentiation

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

difference

(ˈdifrəns) noun

1. what makes one thing unlike another. I can't see any difference between these two pictures; It doesn't make any difference to me whether you go or stay; There's not much difference between them.

2. an act of differing, especially a disagreement. We had a difference of opinion; Have they settled their differences? (= Have they stopped arguing?).

3. the amount by which one quantity or number is greater than another. If you buy it for me I'll give you $6 now and make up the difference later.

ˈdifferent adjective

(often with from) not the same. These gloves are not a pair – they're different; My ideas are different from his.

ˌdiffeˈrentiate (-ˈrenʃieit) verb

1. to see or be able to tell a difference (between). I cannot even differentiate a blackbird and a starling.

2. (with between) to treat differently. She does not differentiate between her two children although one is adopted.

ˈdiffeˌrentiˈation noun

different is followed by from (not than).

dif·fer·en·ti·a·tion

n. diferenciación, comparación y distinción de una sustancia, enfermedad o entidad con otra o de otra.