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Love this article. I wonder if this is a brain-type thing. It really rings true for me. Developing the idea, I have a similar multiple definitions problem, in

Love this article. I wonder if this is a brain-type thing. It really rings true for me. Developing the idea, I have a similar multiple definitions problem, in a much smaller context, with the word “prescription”. In the UK it means all of: a doctor’s idea of what medicine to give to a patient, a piece of paper with that written on it, and the medicine itself. I got thoroughly confused when I went to collect a prescription from a pharmacy and was told “it’s (still) over at the surgery”. It wasn’t, or rather, it was. But we were talking about different prescriptions. Anyone else have these (pedantic?) confusions?

sokoloff 6y ago
“Meter” is multiply overloaded. A unit of distance. A thing that makes measurements. An adjustment to a rate of flow. “Extrusion” is a process as well as the object resulting from that process. “By referencing the meter and adjusting the metering valve during extrusion, we can create a precisely meter long extrusion.” Micrometer is a unit of measurement and measurement device that measures in that range, but often measures in thousands of an inch, which are commonly called “mills”, which is also the act of a type of machining and the name of the machinery that does it as well as the name of a common type of cutting tool that goes into that machine. “Put an end mill in the mill and mill off five mills.”
- throw0101a 6y ago
  > “Meter” is multiply overloaded. A unit of distance. A thing that makes measurements. An adjustment to a rate of flow. There is "meter" and there is "metre". > “Put an end mill in the mill and mill off five mills.” * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffal...
- c22 6y ago
  I usually see just one "L" in that last one ("mils"). Could help with the confusion in text-based communication at least.
  - sokoloff 6y ago
    Interesting. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen it written (and “thou” is probably more common anyway), but you’re right and taught me something; thanks!
paulgdp 6y ago
I guess "prescription" refers directly to your first definition but can also refer to the two other ones by metonymy [0]. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metonymy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metonymy

sokoloff 6y ago

“Meter” is multiply overloaded. A unit of distance. A thing that makes measurements. An adjustment to a rate of flow. “Extrusion” is a process as well as the object resulting from that process. “By referencing the meter and adjusting the metering valve during extrusion, we can create a precisely meter long extrusion.” Micrometer is a unit of measurement and measurement device that measures in that range, but often measures in thousands of an inch, which are commonly called “mills”, which is also the act of a type of machining and the name of the machinery that does it as well as the name of a common type of cutting tool that goes into that machine. “Put an end mill in the mill and mill off five mills.”

throw0101a 6y ago
> “Meter” is multiply overloaded. A unit of distance. A thing that makes measurements. An adjustment to a rate of flow. There is "meter" and there is "metre". > “Put an end mill in the mill and mill off five mills.” * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffalo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_buffalo_Buffalo_buffal...
c22 6y ago
I usually see just one "L" in that last one ("mils"). Could help with the confusion in text-based communication at least.
- sokoloff 6y ago
  Interesting. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen it written (and “thou” is probably more common anyway), but you’re right and taught me something; thanks!

paulgdp 6y ago

I guess "prescription" refers directly to your first definition but can also refer to the two other ones by metonymy [0]. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metonymy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metonymy