vector

plural vectors

1. mathematicsA directed quantity, one with both magnitude and direction; the signed difference between two points.

   Velocity is a vector defined by the speed of an object and its direction.

   1 more example

   As examples of vector quantities may be mentioned the distance between any two given points, a velocity, a force, an acceleration, angular velocity, intensity of magnetization flux of heat.

   1914, The New Student's Reference Work

   1. mathematicsAny member of a (generalized) vector space.

      The vectors in #123;#92;mathbbQ#125;#91;X#93; are the single-variable polynomials with rational coefficients: one is #92;textstylex#123;42#125;#43;#92;frac1#123;137#125;x-1.

   2. computingAn ordered tuple, originally one representing a directed quantity, but by extension any one-dimensional matrix.

      Computers store many types of data as vectors for ease of processing.

      3 more examples

      A row vector is a matrix whose M dimension is 1. In fact, a row vector is a matrix consisting of a single row, and a column vector a matrix consisting of a single column.

      2003 February 26, Julio Sanchez, Maria P. Canton, The PC Graphics Handbook, CRC Press, →ISBN, page 62

      Color is stored as a vector attribute (R, G, B).

      2011 March 8, Lee Lanier, Advanced Maya Texturing and Lighting, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 97

      GPU cores are essentially vector-processing units, capable of applying the same instruction on a large collection of operands.

      2022 February 9, Gerassimos Barlas, Multicore and GPU Programming: An Integrated Approach, Morgan Kaufmann, →ISBN, page 398

   3. aeronauticsA chosen course or direction for motion, as of an aircraft.

      I was told to fly out on a vector of 100 degrees to meet a strong plot of aircraft 30 miles from the coast.

      2017, Mark Chambers, Tony Holmes, Nakajima B5N ‘Kate’ and B6N ‘Jill’ Units, page 32

2. computerA kind of dynamically resizable array.

   To create a vector of students in a class, you will want the vector to be large enough […]

   2004, Jesse Liberty, Bradley L. Jones, Sams Teach Yourself C++ in 21 Days, page 694

   1. operating systemscomputerA memory address containing the address of a code entry point, usually one which is part of a table and often one that is dereferenced and jumped to during the execution of an interrupt.
   2. attributivecomputerA graphical representation using outlines; vector graphics.

      a vector image, vector graphics

3. A carrier of a disease-causing agent.
   1. molecular biologyepidemiologyA DNA molecule used to carry genetic information from one organism into another.
   2. epidemiologyA person or entity that passes along an urban legend or other meme.

      These days, their primary job is to insist that Facebook is a fun place to share baby photos and sell old couches, not a vector for hate speech, misinformation, and violent extremist propaganda.

      2020 October 12, Andrew Marantz, “Why Facebook Can’t Fix Itself”, in The New Yorker

   3. epidemiologyA recurring psychosocial issue that stimulates growth and development in the personality.
4. historyForces, developments, phenomena, processes, systems, etc. which influence the trajectory of history (e.g. imperialism)

present singular third person vectors · participle present vectoring · participle past vectored · past vectored

1. To set (particularly an aircraft) on a course toward a selected point.

   […] if love is vectored toward an object and Elinor's here flies toward Marianne, Marianne's in turn toward Willoughby.

   1994, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, Tendencies

2. computingTo redirect to a vector, or code entry point.