bias

plural biases · plural biasses

1. countableuncountableInclination towards something.

   Morality […] give[s] a bias to all their [men's] actions.

   1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], chapter 4, in An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLC, book I, page 12

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   nature has pointed out a mixed kind of life as most suitable to the human race, and secretly admonished them to allow none of these biasses to draw too much

   1748, David Hume, Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral., London: Oxford University Press, published 1973, § 4

   Researchers worry that the people who are building artificial intelligence systems may be building their own biases into the technology.

   2020 December 3, Cade Metz, Daisuke Wakabayashi, “Google Researcher Says She Was Fired Over Paper Highlighting Bias in A.I.”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

   Reshaping [of British Railways] was far from perfect. It was tainted by statistical overreach, the unconscious biases of its author, and by the political demands being placed upon the BRB by government.

   2023 March 8, Gareth Dennis, “The Reshaping of things to come...”, in RAIL, number 978, page 49

   Synonyms: predisposition, partiality, prejudice, preference, predilection, parti pris · Antonyms: balance

2. countablebusinessThe diagonal line between warp and weft in a woven fabric.
3. countablebusinessA wedge-shaped piece of cloth taken out of a garment (such as the waist of a dress) to diminish its circumference.
4. countableuncountablebusinessA voltage or current applied to an electronic device, such as a transistor electrode, to move its operating point to a desired part of its transfer function.
5. countableuncountablemathematicsThe difference between the expectation of the sample estimator and the true population value, which reduces the representativeness of the estimator by systematically distorting it.
6. countableuncountablehobbiesIn the games of crown green bowls and lawn bowls: a weight added to one side of a bowl so that as it rolls, it will follow a curved rather than a straight path; the oblique line followed by such a bowl; the lopsided shape or structure of such a bowl. In lawn bowls, the curved course is caused only by the shape of the bowl. The use of weights is prohibited.First known use 1560s

   there is a concealed bias within the spheroid

   1822, [Walter Scott], Peveril of the Peak. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., →OCLC

7. countableuncountableSouth Korean idol fandomA person's favourite member of a K-pop band.

   The last thing you want is for your camera to die when you finally get that selca with your bias.

   2015, "Top 10 Tips For Travelling To Korea", UKP Magazine, Winter 2015, page 37

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   Sweet, sensitive, and impossibly sassy, V is many fans' bias, and an integral member of the group.

   2019, Katy Sprinkel, The Big Book of BTS: The Deluxe Unofficial Bangtan Book, unnumbered page

   One in particular, Minho, really caught my eye. He became what is called my bias or favorite member.

   2019 May 7, Joelle Weatherford, “Can't stop the K-Pop train”, in The Eagle, Northeast Texas Community College, page 8

present singular third person biases · present singular third person biasses · participle present biasing · participle present biassing · participle past biased · past biased · participle past biassed · past biassed

1. transitiveTo place bias upon; to influence.

   Our prejudices bias our views.

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   No doubt they overlook the L.M.R.'s allegedly faulty financial estimates for the Euston-Liverpool/Manchester scheme, which have biassed the Treasury, and perhaps the open-minded Dr. Beeching, against electrification without renewed examination of projects.

   1963 June, “News and Comment: Le Plan Beeching”, in Modern Railways, page 364

   Some scientists allege that the "pro-family," anti-gay stance of the Reagan administration biases the work of the AIDS Laboratory.

   1986 February 15, Elizabeth Pincus, “The CDC: When Politics & Egos Hamper Saving Lives”, in Gay Community News, volume 14, number 39, page 2

2. businessTo give a bias to.

   2002, H. Dijkstra, J. Libby, Overview of silicon detectors, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A 494, 86–93, p. 87. On the ohmic side n⁺ is implanted to provide the ohmic contact to bias the detector.

comparative more bias · superlative most bias

1. Inclined to one side; swelled on one side.

   Thou, trumpet, there’s my purſe; / Now cracke thy lungs, and ſplit thy braſen pipe: / Blow, villaine, till thy ſphered Bias cheeke / Out-ſwell the collicke of puft Aquilon: / Come, ſtretch thy cheſt, and let thy eyes ſpout bloud: / Thou bloweſt for Hector.

   c. 1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene v]

   Synonyms: biased

2. Cut slanting or diagonally, as cloth.
3. nonstandardSynonym of biased (“exhibiting bias; prejudiced”).

   Tom's vitality and energy were perfect for the role and I think Milos made the perfect choice! Am I bias? Certainly ... but for good reason!

   1999 January 3, <bantry_girl@my-dejanews.com>, “WEHT Elizabeth Berridge?”, in alt.showbiz.gossip (Usenet), archived from the original on 01 Apr 2026

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   I wont deny I'm bias to Godzilla, and I guess that got mixed in my post, though I tried not to. But I really did mean to point out that we're getting mixed reviews on the film, and not to give up hope because of what Norman had to say.

   1999 November 14, <world_godzilla@hotmail.com>, “Godzilla 2000 Millennium”, in alt.movies.monster (Usenet), archived from the original on 01 Apr 2026

   Viewing HHH's early works (when his filmic style didn't completely mature), I'm "bias" to love them because they gave me the Taiwanese flavor which I couldn't get from mainland China directors' works.

   2001 January 12, deadmead, “Great Director: Zhang Yimou”, in alt.asian-movies (Usenet), archived from the original on 01 Apr 2026

   Waddaya want, he sounds like a sales guy whose main customers are contractors. Of course he's bias and ready to defend his bread and butter.

   2005 September 16, PipeDown, “PRICE PER FIXTURE”, in pdaxs.services.plumbing (Usenet), archived from the original on 01 Apr 2026

   Synonyms: biased

1. not comparableIn a slanting manner; crosswise; obliquely; diagonally.

   to cut cloth bias

1. historicalOne of the Seven Sages of Greece from Priene, living in the 6th century BCE.

plural Biases

1. A surname.