- Expression
- Expression Ex*pres"sion ([e^]ks*pr[e^]sh"[u^]n), n. [L.
expressio: cf. F. expression.]
1. The act of expressing; the act of forcing out by pressure;
as, the expression of juices or oils; also, of extorting
or eliciting; as, a forcible expression of truth.
[1913 Webster]
2. The act of declaring or signifying; declaration; utterance; as, an expression of the public will. [1913 Webster]
With this tone of philosophy were mingled expressions of sympathy. --Prescott. [1913 Webster]
3. Lively or vivid representation of meaning, sentiment, or feeling, etc.; significant and impressive indication, whether by language, appearance, or gesture; that manner or style which gives life and suggestive force to ideas and sentiments; as, he reads with expression; her performance on the piano has expression. [1913 Webster]
The imitators of Shakespeare, fixing their attention on his wonderful power of expression, have directed their imitation to this. --M. Arnold. [1913 Webster]
4. That which is expressed by a countenance, a posture, a work of art, etc.; look, as indicative of thought or feeling. ``The expression of an eye.'' --Tennyson. [1913 Webster]
It still wore the majesty of expression so conspicuous in his portraits by the inimitable pencil of Titian. --Prescott. [1913 Webster]
5. A form of words in which an idea or sentiment is conveyed; a mode of speech; a phrase; as, a common expression; an odd expression. [1913 Webster]
6. (Math.) The representation of any quantity or relation by appropriate characters or symbols, usually in a specific order. [1913 Webster +PJC]
7. (Genetics) the production of products by a gene that cause the appearance of the corresponding protein or phenotype; -- of a gene or of an organism with a specific gene; as, the expression the beta-galactosidase positive phenotype, [PJC]
8. (Computers) a combination of characters linked by operators, occurring as part of the code of a computer program, which must be evaluated according to the rules of the computer language in order to produce a resulting value. [PJC]
Note: In most programming languages, (a + b) is an expression indicating simple arithmetic addition, if the variables a and b are real numbers. Many other types of operation may be used in programs, and each set of symbols indicating an operation is an expression in that program. [PJC]
{Past expression}, {Beyond expression}, beyond the power of description. ``Beyond expression bright.'' --Milton. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
