amplification

[am-pluh-fi-key-shuh n] /ˌæm plə fɪˈkeɪ ʃən/
noun
1.
the act of amplifying or the state of being amplified.
2.
expansion of a statement, narrative, etc., as for rhetorical purposes:
In the revision, the story underwent considerable amplification.
3.
a statement, narrative, etc., so expanded:
The text of the second edition was an amplification.
4.
the matter or substance used to expand an idea, statement, or the like:
He added an extra paragraph to his speech as an amplification.
5.
Electricity. increase in the strength of current, voltage, or power.
6.
Genetics. gene amplification.
Origin
1540-50; < Latin amplificātiōn- (stem of amplificātiō). See ample, -i-, -fication

gene amplification

noun, Genetics.
1.
an increase in the frequency of replication of a DNA segment.
2.
such an increase induced by a polymerase chain reaction.
Also called genetic amplification, DNA amplification.
Origin
1970-75
Examples from the web for amplification
  • Either way, go for a variety of characteristics-the symphony effect-instead of amplification of one favorite note.
  • There is one sentence in this article that requires some amplification.
  • Perhaps conference tweeting should be more about glossing, amplification, and critique.
  • For one of its features is the frequent slide of prose into poetic amplification.
  • The amplification was more than justified, and in a surprisingly large number of ways.
  • But without amplification, the signals weakened over distance.
  • Researchers' next goal is to lengthen the duration of the sonic amplification.
  • Speech discrimination is a big factor for me and amplification doesn't solve the problem.
  • The authors of this paper talk about an amplification procedure that could compensate for this weakness.
  • With all the other stuff fitting, he says, the amplification should follow automatically.
British Dictionary definitions for amplification

amplification

/ˌæmplɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
noun
1.
the act or result of amplifying
2.
material added to a statement, story, etc, in order to expand or clarify it
3.
a statement, story, etc, with such additional material
4.
(electronics)
  1. the increase in strength of an electrical signal by means of an amplifier
  2. another word for gain1 (sense 13)
5.
(genetics) Also called gene amplification. the production of multiple copies of a particular gene or DNA sequence. It can occur naturally or artificially, by genetic engineering techniques
Word Origin and History for amplification
n.

1540s, "enlargement," from Latin amplificationem (nominative amplificatio) "a widening, extending," noun of action from past participle stem of amplificare (see amplify). Electronics sense is from 1915.

amplification in Medicine

amplification am·pli·fi·ca·tion (ām'plə-fĭ-kā'shən)
n.

  1. The process of increasing the magnitude of a variable quantity, especially the magnitude of voltage, power, or current, without altering any other quality.

  2. The result of such a process.

gene amplification n.
A cellular process characterized by the production of copies of a gene or genes to amplify the phenotype that the gene confers on the cell.

amplification in Science
amplification
  (ām'plə-fĭ-kā'shən)   
An increase in the magnitude or strength of an electric current, a force, or another physical quantity, such as a radio signal.
gene amplification  
An increase in the number of copies of a gene in a cell, resulting in an elevation in the level of the RNA or protein encoded for by the gene and a corresponding amplification of the phenotype that the gene confers on the cell. Drug resistance in cancer cells is linked to amplification of the gene that prevents absorption of the chemotherapeutic agent by the cell.
amplification in Culture

gene amplification definition


A process in a cell by which a particular gene is replicated so that more copies are available to produce a protein for the cell's use. For example, the genes that code for proteins involved in ribosomes are amplified early in the process of cell development so that there are sufficient numbers of them to assemble the cell.

Note: PCR, polymerase chain reaction, can be considered a type of man-made gene amplification process.