Digital
- Displaying a readout in numerical digits rather than by a pointer or hands on a dial, as in a digital clock or speedometer.
- Of or relating to numerical calculations.
- Of or relating to data in the form of numerical digits, as in a digital image or device.
- Of or relating to information that is stored in the form of the binary numbers 0 and 1.
- Available in electronic form; readable and manipulatable by computer
- Pertaining to, noting, or making use of computers and computerized technologies, including the internet.
Digital versatile disc
Digital video disc (DVD)
A type of optical media used for storing digital data, a DVD is the same size as a compact disc (CD), but has a larger storage capacity. Some DVDs are formatted specifically for video playback, while others may contain software programs or computer files. The original format was standardized in 1995 by a joint project of several electronics companies including Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba and Philips. DVDs include a number of improvements over video tapes, including higher quality video and custom menus, as well as chapter markers, which allow you to jump to different sections within a video. DVDs can also be watched repeatedly without reducing the quality of the video, and they never need to be rewound.
DVDs can also store software programs. Since some applications and other software (such as clip art collections) are too large to fit on a single CD, DVDs provide a way to distribute large programs on a single disc. Writable DVDs also provide a way to store a large number of files and backup data. Sometimes referred to as “digital versatile disc.”
Digital video recorder (DVR)
First entering the home entertainment market in 1999, a digital video recorder is basically a VCR, but it records images onto a hard drive instead of video tapes. It can be used to record, save, and play movies and television shows. One added feature of a DVR, however, is that it can also pause live TV by recording the current show in real time. The user can choose to fast-forward (often during commercials) to return to, or “catch up to,” the live action. Also known as a “personal video recorder (PVR)” or “hard disk recorder.”
Dilbert
Created by Scott Adams and launched in 1989 in only a handful of newspapers, the Dilbert comic strip now appears in over 2,000 newspapers in 57 countries, and in 19 languages. Featuring the original characters of Dogbert, Catbert, and Phil, the Prince of Insufficient Light, the strip earned the Reuben award, cartooning’s highest honor, in 1997, and Dilbert.com was the first website created for a daily syndicated comic strip. After printing over 20 million books and calendars, the stoic character appeared in his own animated TV series, and Dilbert has been the top-selling page-a-day calendar for many years.
Dilithium
A rare crystalline element in the Star Trek universe that can be used to power the warp propulsion system of a starship’s engine. The dilithium regulates the matter/antimatter reactions necessary to build the energy for travel at faster-than-light speed (also known as warp speed). This fictional element, listed in one Star Trek episode as having atomic weight 87 (which would place it between rubidium and strontium if its atomic number followed normal convention), is extremely rare. It is located and mined on only a few known planets, which include Troyius, Rura Penthe and Coridan.
In the real world, an engine run on dilithium was under development at the University of Huntsville as of 2012 by a team led by Prof. Ross Cortez. Working in collaboration with Boeing, NASA and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the theoretical engine would be about twice as fast as our best current technology, and could one day cut the cost of travel to Mars by as much as 75%. According to General Electric’s online tech magazine Txchnologist, such a fusion reactor would be fueled by deuterium (a heavy isotope of hydrogen) and lithium-6 (a stable molecule of lithium) in a crystalline structure – hence the “dilithium crystal” concept. When the deuterium and the lithium-6 are forced together under high pressure, they undergo a fusion reaction – a process which they’re still trying to turn into a net producer of energy. The dilithium engine, dubbed the “Charger-1 Pulsed Power Generator,” has a potential top speed of over 100,000 km/h (or roughly the same speed at which the Earth orbits the sun). Txchnologist reports that the scientists are hoping to make impulse drive, which would be capable of taking a spacecraft from Earth to Mars in as little as six weeks, a reality by 2030.
Directory
Used to separate and organize files within a storage device. For example, a computer’s system files may be located in one directory, while a user’s personal files may be stored in another. While directories often contain files, they may also contain other directories, known as subdirectories. The user folder, for instance, may include directories such as Documents, Pictures and Videos. Each of these directories may contain files and other subdirectories. The terms “directory” and “folder” are sometimes used interchangeably, however a folder is technically the visual representation of a directory.
Disk Operating System (DOS)
Developed for IBM by Bill Gates and his then-new Microsoft Corporation, and originally called “PC-DOS,” the operating system (which is typically referred to simply as “DOS”) is a non-graphical line-oriented command- or menu-driven operating system, with a relatively simple interface. Today, Windows operating systems continue to support DOS (or a DOS-like user interface) for special purposes by emulating the operating system. In the 1970s before the personal computer was invented, International Business Machines (IBM) had a different and unrelated DOS (Disk Operating System) that ran on smaller business computers. It was replaced by IBM’s VSE operating system.
Display card
See Video card.
Ditko, Steve
Dubbed “Sturdy Steve” at Marvel Comics, the co-creator (with Stan Lee) of Spider-Man and Doctor Strange was born November 2, 1927 in Johnstown, PA. He studied at Cartoonists and Illustrators School under Jerry Robinson, who was the second artist to draw Batman (after the character’s creator Bob Kane). His first published comic book work was for DC Comics in 1953, then in 1954, he was hired at Charlton Comics for whom he continued to work intermittently until the company’s demise in 1986. One year later, Ditko met editor Stan Lee at Atlas Comics (the precursor of Timely Comics, which would become Marvel Comics). In the late 1950s, he began working for Atlas, in addition to his duties at Charlton, where he worked on such characters as Captain Atom, Blue Beetle and The Question, as well as their science-fiction and horror titles. In addition, Ditko drew 16 stories for Warren Publishing’s horror-comic magazines. Ditko’s art appeared in Journey Into Mystery (the comic line which would eventually feature Thor). In the early 1960s, Ditko was part of Marvel’s “comics explosion,” along with Lee and Kirby. Right after Kirby’s Fantastic Four appeared, Ditko’s new character Spider-Man debuted in Amazing Fantasy #15. Ditko’s cleanly detailed, instantly recognizable art style emphasized mood and anxiety, found great favor with readers. The character of Spider-Man and his troubled social life meshed well with Ditko’s personal style and interests, which Lee eventually acknowledged by giving the artist plotting credits on the latter part of their 38-issue run together. But after four years on the title, Ditko left Marvel; he and Lee had not been on speaking terms for some time, though the details remain uncertain. The last straw is often alleged to have been a disagreement as to the secret identity of the Green Goblin, but Ditko himself has stated in print that this was not the case.
A falling out with Lee in 1966 led Ditko to leave Marvel. Ironically, just one year after Ditko left Marvel, his character Spider-Man was made into a hit animated TV series, which ran from September 9, 1967 to June 14, 1970. By 1968, Ditko was producing his first work for DC Comics with The Creeper (with scripter Don Segall for Showcase #73), and The Hawk and the Dove with writer Steve Skeates. Unusual for the time, plotter and penciller Ditko used these fondly remembered superhero features to explore complicated ethical issues. Ditko’s stay at DC was only about a year, then through the mid-1970s, he worked exclusively for Charlton and various small press/independent publishers. However, Ditko returned to DC in the mid-‘70s, creating one short-lived title, Shade, the Changing Man, which was later successfully revived without Ditko’s involvement, and was one of the longer-running titles in the DC Vertigo line. He returned to Marvel in 1979, taking over Jack Kirby’s Machine Man title. He worked regularly for both companies until his retirement from mainstream comics, producing a wealth of work showcasing his unique take on everything from such established characters as Namor The Sub-Mariner (in Marvel Comics Presents) to the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Ditko basically made no regular appearances on any Marvel titles until the early ‘80s. These included Marvel Spotlight, Indiana Jones, Rom, Speedball, and more work on Machine Man. Ditko retired from mainstream comics work in 1998. Since then, his strictly solo work has been published intermittently by independent publisher and long-time friend Robin Snyder, who was his editor at Charlton, Archie Comics (where Snyder scripted Ditko’s plots on a revival of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby’s The Fly), and Renegade Press in the 1980s. A very private person, Ditko hasn’t done a formal interview since the 1960s, and says “The work speaks for me.”
DM
See Dungeon master.
DNA
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Written by sci fi giant Philip K. Dick and published in 1968, this novel, which inspired the 1982 film Blade Runner, is the story of bounty hunter Rick Deckard, assigned to hunt down fugitive androids known as “replicants” in a world where all animals are extinct and replaced with man-made versions.
Dr. Evil
Born Douglas “Dougie” Powers but raised unaware of his birth family, Dr. Evil is the villain in the Bond-spoofing Austin Powers trilogy of films featuring Mike Meyers. He is a graduate of the British Intelligence Academy and Evil Medical School. Between 1967 and 1997, he spent his time cryogenically frozen inside a rocket shaped like a Big Boy statue. He emerged to pursue his long-term goals of world domination and the acquisition of one million dollars.
The comic villain was portrayed by Mike Meyers.
Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog
Written by Joss Whedon, Zack Whedon, Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen, and directed by Joss Whedon, the musical comedy, told in three 14-minute webisodes, was released in July 2008. Produced during that year’s Hollywood writers’ strike and initially released on drhorrible.com, the trilogy of film shorts, featuring wannabe supervillain Dr. Horrible (Neil Patrick Harris), macho and arrogant superhero Captain Hammer (Nathan Fillion) and the girl they are both pursuing (Felicia Day) became an internet sensation and stood as proof that films could be successfully produced outside of the studios, even though the strike ended before shooting started on the miniseries. It spawned a comic book series as well as a comic “sequel” one-shot, Dr. Horrible: Best Friends Forever.
Dr. Octopus
One of Spider-Man’s most dangerous archenemies, Dr. Octopus, also known as “Doc Ock,” was born Otto Octavius, and had a rather turbulent upbringing. Determined not to become like his abusive father, Otto threw all his efforts into his education, regularly scoring top marks. His father’s death in an industrial accident pushed Otto further towards the study of, and obsession with, physical science. Otto was a brilliant and respected nuclear physicist, inventor and lecturer. He became the youngest person to serve on the National Board of Nuclear Science. He designed a set of highly advanced mechanical arms to assist him with his research into atomic physics. The tentacled arms, resistant to radiation and capable of great strength and highly precise movement, were attached to a harness that fit around his body. Later, he learned that either the radiation or his own internal low-level mutation had allowed his brain to control the movement of the arms. The accident also affected his brain, either by damaging it or by causing his brain to adapt to his body’s four new extra limbs, and the scientist turned to a life of crime. The tentacles have since been surgically removed from his body, although Octavius retains the power to control them telepathically from a great distance.
Once legally blind without the aid of his extremely thick eyeglasses, recent depictions of Doc Ock have shown him without lenses at all, presumably through laser surgery. With his harness attached, he is physically superior to Spider-Man; in his first appearance (in Marvel Comics’ The Amazing Spider-Man #3, July 1963), he beat Spider-Man so badly that the wall-crawler considered giving up his heroic career
Over the years, Dr. Octopus has remained one of Spider-Man’s most dangerous foes. His crowning achievement was the near-fatal stabbing of Spider-Man’s then-partner/lover, the Black Cat, who was placed in critical condition. This led to Spider-Man beating Dr. Octopus within an inch of his life. The trauma of the beating he received from Spider-Man left Octavius severely phobic of Spider-Man and spiders in general for years. Doctor Octopus has also worked with other supervillains on several occasions, most notably as the leader of the original incarnation of the Sinister Six.
Doctor Octopus was murdered by the insane Peter Parker clone named Kaine, but resurrected by a branch of the mystical ninja cult known as the Hand. The villain has appeared in comics and animated series, and on the big screen, Dr. Octopus appeared in 2004’s Spider-Man 2, portrayed by Alfred Molina.
Doctor Who
Debuting on British television in 1963, Doctor Who features the exploits of a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. Time Lords travel through space and time in what is known as a TARDIS, which is supposed to be able to change its appearance to suit its surroundings. The Doctor’s, however, only appears as a blue British police box wherever he goes. The Doctor has amassed many foes and many companions throughout his exploits. Chief among his enemies are Daleks and The Master, another Time Lord. Time Lords’ biology allows them to regenerate rather than die, a device used to explain how several actors of varying physical appearances have portrayed The Doctor over the decades.
Dogbert
Business consultant, management consultant, megalomaniac … as pets go, Dilbert’s dog is not what you would call typical. He talks, he schemes, he scams, and he finds humans to be mere fodder for sarcasm and abuse. Spouting such gems as “You’re not entitled to your opinion” and “Vote for me or the terrorists will use your skulls as a salad bowl,” the only thing he really has in common with other dogs is his inability to keep his tail from wagging when he is happy. (He seems to be happy only when he is scamming a human.) This co-star of Scott Adams’ Dilbert comic strip, page-a-day calendars and 1999-2000 animated TV series is also the “author” of Dogbert’s Top Secret Management Handbook, Clues for the Clueless: Dogbert’s Big Book of Manners, and Build a Better Life by Stealing Office Supplies.
Domain
- A group of computers and devices on a network that are administered as a unit with common rules and procedures. Within the internet, domains are defined by the internet protocol (IP) address. All devices sharing a common part of the IP address are said to be in the same domain.
- In database technology, domain refers to the description of the values of one or more IP addresses. For example, the domain name microsoft.com represents about a dozen IP addresses. Domain names are used in web addresses to identify particular webpages. For example, in the address http://nerdictionary.com/index.php/dn-dz/, the domain name is nerdictionary.com. Every domain name has a suffix that indicates which top level domain (TLD) it belongs to. There are only a limited number of such domains. For example:
gov – government agencies
edu – educational institutions
org – organizations (nonprofit)
mil – military
com – commercial business
net – network organizations
Domains can also be from other countries of origin:
ca – Canada
th – Thailand
Donovan, Claudia
At first a cyber-intruder into Warehouse 13 on the SyFy Channel series of the same name, the hip and brilliant techie became a trusted part of the core team. With a flair for hacking, a love of gadgets and an arsenal of sarcasm, Claudia became a fan favorite of the 2009-14 show. She was portrayed by actress Allison Scagliotti.
Doomsday
Notorious among all comic book villains for having killed Superman, Doomsday debuted in DC Comics’ Superman: Man of Steel #18 in December 1992. The Death of the Superman was a multi-part storyline published in alternating Superman titles, including Superman: The Man of Steel; Justice League of America; Superman (Volume 2);Adventures of Superman; and Action Comics, from December 1992 to January 1993. (The single-issue story arcs were later compiled and resold in bound volumes: The Death of Superman; Superman: The Death and Return of Superman; and Superman: The Death and Return of Superman Omnibus.)
Created by Mike Carlin, Dan Jurgens, Roger Stern, Louise Simonson, Jerry Ordway and Karl Kesel, the story starts as a green-clad humanoid creature beats its way out of an underground chamber, and up to the surface. Once above ground, it instantly starts to destroy every living thing it encounters. As the creature continues its rampage, heroes from the Justice League International American are alerted, and answer the call to action. Doomsday plows through Superman and the Justice League of America, and inevitably, the brawl boils down to a street fight between Superman and the creature. During the battle, its protective garb is torn little by little to reveal a massive creature covered in sharp, jagged bone, which wounds Superman repeatedly, showing the reader the very rare sight of Superman bleeding. After Superman and his love Lois Lane share a kiss, Superman lunges at the creature one last time, ending in the Man of Steel lying bloodied and still in the street.
After more than 150 appearances (as of 2015) in various DC comic issues, Doomsday was ultimately destroyed by Imperiex’s atomic-explosion capability.
DOS
Dot matrix
A two-dimensional pattern of dots, from which images, symbols or alphanumeric characters can be formed. In this pattern, the more dots that are used, the clearer and more accurate the image representation appears. While now outdated, dot matrix was at one time a widely used matrix for printed output of data originating on electronic displays, such as those on computer monitors and light-emitting diode (LED) screens.
Dot Matrix
1. The sarcastic robotic character in Mel Brooks’ 1987 Star Wars farce Spaceballs is a worrisome takeoff of Star Wars character C-3PO. Portrayed by mime Lorraine Shields (formerly of popular mime team Shields and Yarnell) and voiced by comedienne Joan Rivers, Dot attends to Princess Vespa, with particular attention paid to protecting the princess’s virginity.
2. As chronicled in the 1994-2002 computer-animated TV show ReBoot, Dot Matrix is a resident of Mainframe, a “city” set inside a computer. Along with her brother Enzo, a guardian named Bob, and thousands of friendly “binomes,” Dot and company must prevent Megabyte and his sister strain Hexadecimal from taking control of all the systems. Appearing in 42 episodes, Dot Matrix was voiced by Kathleen Barr.
Dot matrix printer
Sometimes referred to as an “impact printer,” the mechanism typically uses paper, often called “feed paper,” that features rows of small holes on each side, designed to fit over the spokes of dual guide wheels within the printer. Introduced in the 1970s, the printers produced dot matrix messages and images onto paper. While not known to feature very high resolution, the printers were a popular and efficient printing solution for many years.
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