class (redirected from social class)

class, in taxonomy: see classification.

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class

(1) In object technology, a user-defined data type that defines a collection of objects that share the same characteristics. An object, or class member, is one instance of the class. Concrete classes are designed to be instantiated. Abstract classes are designed to pass on characteristics through inheritance. See instantiate.

(2) In networking, a categorization of a packet based on attributes such as protocol, port and source and destination addresses.

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class

1. (in Marxist theory) a group of persons sharing the same relationship to the means of production

2. 

a. a group of pupils or students who are taught and study together

b. a meeting of a group of students for tuition

3. Chiefly US a group of students who graduated in a specified year

4. Brit a grade of attainment in a university honours degree

5. 

a. outstanding speed and stamina in a racehorse

b. (as modifier): the class horse in the race

6. Biology any of the taxonomic groups into which a phylum is divided and which contains one or more orders. Amphibia, Reptilia, and Mammalia are three classes of phylum Chordata

7. Maths Logic

a. another name for set

b. proper class a class which cannot itself be a member of other classes

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class [klas]

(computer science)

In object-oriented programming, a description of the structure and operations of an object. A new class is defined by stating how it differs from an existing class. The new (more specific) class is said to inherit from the original (general) class and is referred to as a subclass of the original class. The original class is referred to as the superclass of the new class.

(mathematics)

A set that consists of all the sets having a specified property.

The class of a plane curve is the largest number of tangents that can be drawn to the curve from any point in the plane that is not on the curve.

(statistics)

A collection of adjacent values of a random variable.

(systematics)

A taxonomic category ranking above the order and below the phylum or division.

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1.	(programming)	class - The prototype for an object in an object-oriented language; analogous to a derived type in a procedural language. A class may also be considered to be a set of objects which share a common structure and behaviour. The structure of a class is determined by the class variables which represent the state of an object of that class and the behaviour is given by a set of methods associated with the class. Classes are related in a class hierarchy. One class may be a specialisation (a "subclass") of another (one of its "superclasses") or it may be composed of other classes or it may use other classes in a client-server relationship. A class may be an abstract class or a concrete class. See also signature.
2.	(programming)	class - See type class.
3.	(networking)	class - One of three types of Internet addresses distinguished by their most significant bits.
4.	(language)	class - A language developed by the Andrew Project. It was one of the first attempts to add object-oriented features to C.