active

active

1. (of a volcano) erupting periodically; not extinct

2. Astronomy (of the sun) exhibiting a large number of sunspots, solar flares, etc., and a marked variation in intensity and frequency of radio emission

3. Commerce

a. producing or being used to produce profit, esp in the form of interest

b. of or denoting stocks or shares that have been actively bought and sold as recorded in the Official List of the London Stock Exchange

4. Electronics

a. containing a source of power

b. capable of amplifying a signal or controlling some function

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

active

(1) Using some form of, or a greater amount of, electronic processing in a device. For example, "active 3D" glasses contain circuits that constantly synchronize with the monitor in contrast to "passive 3D" glasses that perform no processing. Active matrix displays have a transistor for each subpixel in contrast to their passive matrix counterpart, which uses far fewer transistors. See active 3D and active matrix. Contrast with passive.

(2) Physically involved in work or athletic endeavors. For example, Samsung phones designed for rugged activities are branded as Galaxy Active devices. See Galaxy S.

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