spike (redirected from capitulum)

spike

A burst of extra voltage in a power line that lasts only a few nanoseconds. See power surge, power swell, sag and surge suppression.

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spike¹

1. a long metal nail

2. Physics

a. a transient variation in voltage or current in an electric circuit

b. a graphical recording of this, such as one of the peaks on an electroencephalogram

3. the straight unbranched antler of a young deer

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spike² Botany

1. an inflorescence consisting of a raceme of sessile flowers, as in the gladiolus and sedges

2. an ear of wheat, barley, or any other grass that has sessile spikelets

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(jargon)

spike - To defeat a selection mechanism by introducing a (sometimes temporary) device that forces a specific result. The word is used in several industries; telephone engineers refer to spiking a relay by inserting a pin to hold the relay in either the closed or open state, and railroaders refer to spiking a track switch so that it cannot be moved. In programming environments it normally refers to a temporary change, usually for testing purposes (as opposed to a permanent change, which would be called hard-coded).