castration

n 1: surgical removal of the testes or ovaries (usually to

inhibit hormone secretion in cases of breast cancer in

women or prostate cancer in men); "bilateral castration

results in sterilization"

2: neutering a male animal by removing the testicles [syn: {emasculation}]

abstraction

1. Generalisation; ignoring or hiding details to capture some

kind of commonality between different instances. Examples are

{abstract data types} (the representation details are hidden),

{abstract syntax} (the details of the {concrete syntax} are

ignored), {abstract interpretation} (details are ignored to

analyse specific properties).

2. Parameterisation, making something a function

of something else. Examples are {lambda abstractions} (making

a term into a function of some variable), {higher-order

function}s (parameters are functions), {bracket abstraction}

(making a term into a function of a variable).

Opposite of {concretisation}.

(1998-06-04)