context
/ˈkɑn.tɛkst/ noun A2- The surroundings, circumstances, environment, background or settings that determine, specify, or clarify the meaning of an event or other occurrence. · —In what context did your attack on him happen? —We had a pretty tense relationship at the time, and when he insulted me I snapped.
- The text in which a word or passage appears and which helps ascertain its meaning. · Without context, I can't tell if dish refers to a plate, or to the food served thereon.
- The surroundings and environment in which an artifact is found and which may provide important clues about the artifact's function and/or cultural meaning.
- The trama or flesh of a mushroom.
- For a formula: a finite set of variables, which set contains all the free variables in the given formula.
- The data (register contents, program counter value, etc.) needed to switch to another thread of execution.
Plural contexts
From the library
When we relied on physical maps, we were compelled to orient ourselves within a broader, more comprehensive geographic context.
Lewis possessed a particularly astute botanical inclination, documenting myriad plant specimens with an exacting eye for morphological detail and ecological context.
They had corresponded only through formal, sporadic letters, exchanging polite inquiries about historical context and obscure geographic peculiarities.
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