| 释义 |
decompression|diːkəmˈprɛʃən|
[f. de- II. 2 + compression.]
1. The process of relieving or reducing pressure.
a. A reduction of the pressure of the air or other gas in an enclosed space; esp. (a) the process of subjecting a diver, etc., who has been in air under pressure to a gradual reduction in pressure in a special chamber until atmospheric pressure is reached; (b) in an aircraft, etc., a reduction of the air-pressure from that of the atmosphere to a lower value, e.g. as a result of a rupture of the cabin during high-altitude flight.
1905Jrnl. Physiol. XXXIII. p. vi (heading) Estimation of the gas set free in the body after rapid decompression from high atmospheric pressures. 1906Westm. Gaz. 27 Jan. 10/1 The men who controlled the airlocks, and were subjected to compression and decompression every few minutes, were in no case affected. 1939H. G. Armstrong Aviation Med. xx. 335 The effects of sudden decompressions at less than one atmosphere. 1951A. Grollman Pharmacol. & Therapeutics xxix. 688 The incidence of ‘divers' bends’ may also be reduced appreciably by using a mixture of helium and oxygen to replace the air in the pressure chamber used in decompression. 1962J. Glenn in Into Orbit 41 You have one large handle for repressurizing the cabin with oxygen in case of a bad leak, plus another handle to decompress it..in case of fire. (Decompression—or getting rid of the oxygen—is the quickest way to put out a fire.)
b. Surg. The surgical relief of excessive internal pressure in a part of the body.
1906Trans. College Phys. (Philadelphia) 3rd Ser. XXVIII. 73 (heading) Cerebral decompression; palliative operations in the treatment of tumors of the brain. 1949I. Aird Compan. Surg. Studies xliii. 956 A distended bladder is prone to infection. If catheterization succeeds, gradual decompression is continued for five or seven days. 1966E. L. Farquharson Textbk. Oper. Surg. (ed. 3) ix. 328 Subtemporal decompression was formerly employed as a method of relieving intra-cranial pressure.
2. attrib., as decompression symptom; decompression chamber, (a) a chamber in which pressure is reduced gradually to that of the outside air; (b) a chamber in which a person or animal can be subjected to a reduction in the pressure of the air (or oxygen) below that of the atmosphere; decompression sickness, sickness resulting from the effects of too rapid decompression.
1932Daily Express 28 Jan. 1/2 The minesweeper Tedworth..is equipped with special decompression chambers and the latest appliances for deep-sea diving. 1958Times Lit. Suppl. 30 Oct. 564/2 He walks..into a decompression chamber to test his cameras for high altitude work on Mount Everest. 1961Lancet 26 Aug. 484/1 Concern with..anoxia..led Haldane to expose himself to low oxygen-pressures in decompression chambers.
1941Observations on Decompression Sickness in Man (Flying Personnel Res. Comm., Farnborough) 2 The term decompression sickness is retained because it covers the whole range of phenomena that occur, while ‘bends’ refers only to one of many symptoms..while aeroembolism..refers to only one aspect. 1962Decompression sickness [see bend n.4 2 b]. 1971Sunday Times 7 Mar. 45/7 Prolonged investigations by the Medical Research Council's experts on decompression sickness.
1906Jrnl. Physiol. XXXV. p. vi, It would seem probable that any animal whose respired gases are conveyed to the cells without the intervention of a circulating liquid should be immune from decompression symptoms.
▸ orig. and chiefly N. Amer. The process or an instance of recovering from a stressful or restrictive situation, or from a harried, tense, or troubled (emotional or mental) state; relaxation.
1951L. Bogan Achievement in Amer. Poetry vii. 63 The period was one of general ‘decompression’. America broke away with startling suddenness from a set of oppressive and outmoded ruling ideas; people began to find new uses for their surplus energy. They began to learn how to play. 1972N.Y. Times 30 Sept. 10/1 The goal..is what has been called the ‘slow decompression’ of the released men [sc. prisoners of war]. By delaying family reunions and emotional encounters..it is hoped to provide the isolation needed for effective medical and psychological treatment. 2001Times 22 Jan. i. 13/1 One of the things the former President is looking forward to is quiet and decompression time.
▸ Computing and Electronics. The expansion or restoration of files or digital signals that have previously been compressed. Cf. compression n. Additions b.
1967C. M. Kortman in IEEE Spectrum Mar. 137/1 Since decompression is the inverse of compression, redundancy must be reinserted into the signal. 1993Multichannel News 4 Jan. 29/2 No decompression circuitry is required, since compressed signals on tape would be decoded by the HDTV receiver. 2002Economist (Nexis) 14 Mar. When a new music-compression format emerges to replace MP3, owners of the player could download, for a fee, a new decompression algorithm for their player from the maker's website. |