capacity

capacity
1. The potential cubic contents of a cavity or receptacle. 2. Power to do. SEE ALSO: volume. [L. capax, able to contain; fr. capio, to take]
- buffer c. the amount of hydrogen ion (or hydroxyl ion) required to bring about a specific pH change in a specified volume of a buffer. SEE ALSO: buffer value.
- carrying c. an estimate of the number of people that a region, a nation, or the planet can sustain.
- cranial c. the cubic content of the skull obtained by determining the cubage of small shot, seeds, or beads required to fill the skull.
- diffusing c. (symbol, D, followed by subscripts indicating location and chemical species) the amount of oxygen taken up by pulmonary capillary blood per minute per unit average oxygen pressure gradient between alveolar gas and pulmonary capillary blood; units are: ml/min/mm Hg; also applied to other gases such as carbon monoxide, which is used in the standard clinical measure of diffusing c..
- forced vital c. (FVC) vital c. measured with the subject exhaling as rapidly as possible; data relating volume, expiratory flow, and time form the basis for other pulmonary function tests, e.g., flow-volume curve, forced expiratory volume, forced expiratory time, forced expiratory flow.
- functional residual c. (FRC) the volume of gas remaining in the lungs at the end of a normal expiration; it is the sum of expiratory reserve volume and residual volume. SYN: functional residual air.
- heat c. the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of a system 1°C. SYN: thermal c..
- inspiratory c. the volume of air that can be inspired after a normal expiration; it is the sum of the tidal volume and the inspiratory reserve volume. SYN: complementary air.
- iron-binding c. (IBC) the c. of iron-binding protein in serum (transferrin) to bind serum iron.
- maximum breathing c. (MBC) SYN: maximum voluntary ventilation.
- oxygen c. the maximum quantity of oxygen that will combine chemically with the hemoglobin in a unit volume of blood; normally it amounts to 1.34 ml of O2 per g of Hb or 20 ml of O2 per 100 ml of blood.
- residual c. SYN: residual volume.
- respiratory c. SYN: vital c..
- thermal c. SYN: heat c..
- total lung c. (TLC) the inspiratory c. plus the functional residual c.; i.e., the volume of air contained in the lungs at the end of a maximal inspiration; also equals vital c. plus residual volume.
- vital c. (VC) the greatest volume of air that can be exhaled from the lungs after a maximum inspiration. SYN: respiratory c..

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ca·pac·i·ty kə-'pas-ət-ē, -'pas-tē n, pl -ties
1 a) the ability to hold, receive, store, or accommodate
b) a measure of content: the measured ability to contain: VOLUME <a beaker with a \capacity of one liter> see VITAL CAPACITY
c ) (1) CAPACITANCE (2) the quantity of electricity that a battery can deliver under specified conditions
2) legal qualification, competency, power, or fitness
3 a) power to grasp and analyze ideas and cope with problems
b) blended power, strength, and ability <encourage physical activity to the limit of the child's \capacity (Morris Fishbein)>

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ca·pac·i·ty (kə-pasґĭ-te) [L. capacitas, from capere to take] 1. power or ability to hold, retain, or contain, or the ability to absorb. 2. the volume or potential volume of material (solid, liquid, or gas) that can be held or contained. 3. capacitance. 4. mental ability to receive, accomplish, endure, or understand; sometimes specifically the cognitive ability to make informed medical decisions.

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • capacity — ca·pac·i·ty n pl ties 1: a qualification, power, or ability (as to give consent or make a testament) created by operation of law 2: an individual s ability or aptitude; esp: mental ability as it relates to responsibility for the commission of a… …   Law dictionary

  • Capacity — is the ability to hold, receive or absorb, or a measure thereof, similar to the concept of volume.Capacity may also refer to: *Capacity (economics), the point of production at which a firm or industry s average (or per unit ) costs begin to rise …   Wikipedia

  • Capacity — Ca*pac i*ty (k[.a]*p[a^]s [i^]*t[y^]), n.; pl. {Capacities} ( t[i^]z). [L. capacitus, fr. capax, capacis; fr. F. capacit[ e]. See {Capacious}.] 1. The power of receiving or containing; extent of room or space; passive power; used in reference to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • capacity — [kə pas′i tē] n. pl. capacities [ME & OFr capacite < L capacitas < capax: see CAPACIOUS] 1. the ability to contain, absorb, or receive and hold 2. a) the amount of space that can be filled; room for holding; content or volume [a tank with a …   English World dictionary

  • capacity — ► NOUN (pl. capacities) 1) the maximum amount that something can contain or produce. 2) (before another noun ) fully occupying the available space: a capacity crowd. 3) the total cylinder volume that is swept by the pistons in an internal… …   English terms dictionary

  • capacity — early 15c., from M.Fr. capacité (15c.), from L. capacitatem (nom. capacitas) breadth, capacity, from capax (gen. capacis) able to hold much, from capere to take (see CAPABLE (Cf. capable)). Meaning largest audience a place can hold is 1908. Verb… …   Etymology dictionary

  • capacity — [n1] volume; limit of volume held accommodation, amplitude, bulk, burden, compass, contents, dimensions, expanse, extent, full, holding ability, holding power, latitude, magnitude, mass, measure, proportions, quantity, range, reach, retention,… …   New thesaurus

  • Capacity —   [engl.], Kapazität …   Universal-Lexikon

  • capacity — *ability, capability Analogous words: amplitude, *expanse, spread: extent, magnitude, *size, volume: aptitude, *gift, faculty, talent, bent, turn, knack Antonyms: incapacity Contrasted words: powerlessness, impotence (see corresponding adjectives …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • capacity — n. ability to hold 1) to capacity (filled to capacity) 2) lung; seating; storage capacity 3) a capacity of (a capacity of twenty gallons) ability 4) intellectual, mental capacity 5) one s earning capacity 6) a capacity for (a capacity for making… …   Combinatory dictionary

  • capacity — A lending and credit analysis term that describes a borrower s or applicant s ability to meet debt service obligations. See debt service coverage. American Banker Glossary credit grantor s measurement of a person s ability to repay loans.… …   Financial and business terms

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