Book excerpt: This reference offers a handy and self-contained guide to specialized terminology and scientific jargon applicable to fields in applied physical sciences and engineering. Entries give both the core definition and further nuanced meanings relative to particular applications. A subject index categorizes entries within core areas such as optics, biophysics, electricity and magnetism, energy, fluid dynamics, geophysics, nanotechnology, medical physics, computational physics and thermodynamics. Cross-references and alternate terms are provided.